Being Spiritually Minded
Text: Rom 12:1-2 1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
This scripture tells of the need to present ourselves wholly to the Lord – “a living sacrifice”. A major part of that “living sacrifice” is us allowing the Lord to tell us what is right and wrong. We look to Him to tell us what is important, what is less important, and what is of no value. To give us the correct view of life, or life as He sees it. In v2 we are told not to be “conformed to this world”. i.e. Remain in the mindset of our cultures, our upbringing, and previous experiences that have so far shaped us as persons. We are not to stay the way we are no matter what culture we were brought up in. All people are in conflict with Almighty God, all are carnal, and therefore all need to be transformed. All peoples need to be led, and renewed, by the Holy Spirit to be like Christ.
Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:4-7
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
We see in Romans 8 being “conformed to this world” described as “walking after the flesh”, “minding the things of the flesh” & “being carnally minded”. That all people, unless born again AND walking after the Spirit, are carnally minded and therefore at enmity with God. i.e. In conflict with Him! I don’t want to be in conflict with God!
“The renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2) is speaking of a complete change in the individual as a person. A change from whatever person we have been, as shaped by the world, to rather be like Christ. Until we were born again we were being conformed to the world, or shaped in our thinking by the world (our cultures). Then having been born again we are in the Holy Spirit’s program of being transformed by the renewing of our minds.
Spiritually Minded Illustrated
When looking at a crowded street, depending on one’s mindset, will depend on what one sees. Some will see a place where they can be with lots of people. Another one will see a place ‘too busy’, a place to avoid. Others will see a place good for preaching the Gospel. Someone else will see a place to setup an informal street store where they would expect to be able to sell their products. Others will see amongst the crowds, people that they can take advantage of. What would the Lord see? Apart from being intimately aware of each individual’s life He would see people that are a mix of some born again and the rest lost souls. The Lord would see the lost being needed to be won, and the born again needing to be edified. Being spiritually minded is seeing life from His perspective, and having His values.
We need to be brought in line with the Lord, and not just partially but completely as we will see from as we proceed through this study.
Being Reconciled To God
Rom 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
2Co 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
2Co 5:20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
Col 1:21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
There are the two parts to the Lord reconciling us to Himself:
- Our standing – those born again have been reconciled and are sons / daughters of God
- Our state – those born again are being reconciled to their Father. This is the part of being reconciled that this study has to do with. What is happening now between us and the Lord.
The Holy Spirit began the work, and will strive to complete it
Php 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
The Holy Spirit led us, wooed us (John 16:7-8), to receive Christ (John 1:12) and be saved from the penalty of our sin (Romans 6:23). We were born again of the Spirit of God into the family of God (John 3:3-6). There after the Holy Spirit works at leading us from being carnally minded to being spiritually minded (Roman 8).
The only one that can prevent the Holy Spirit from completing us in Christ is ourselves. He is at work striving to lead us (Rom. 8:14), but if we are disobedient and rather walk after the flesh and not after the Holy Spirit then that work will not get done.
To Be Like Christ In Our Thinking
Since the beginning of the world there have been those who have stood out from others around them as wonderful examples of men and women who love God and have yielded their lives to Him. What has made them such examples is that they have conformed to His revealed will.
Though these have been wonderful examples who have conformed to God’s will, none were perfect. Only the Lord Jesus Christ was perfect in keeping God’s law. So it should be no surprise that we are commanded to be like Christ, and to follow in HIS footsteps.
Php 2:2-5
2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1Jn 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Taking all the above scriptures into consideration:
- Romans 12:2 - That we are all called to be transformed by the renewing of our minds
- Romans 8:14 – That the Holy Spirit will lead us in the renewing of our minds
- Philippians 2:5; 1Peter 2:21; 1John 2:6; Romans 8:29 – That the renewing is to be ‘like Christ’, or to be like the Almighty.
The Holy Spirit’s goal is to change us to be and think like Christ. This is not changing us to be like Christ in His deity, but in His person. So this is not just in outward actions but in our very person. The goal is to get us to think like our Saviour, to have the same mindset, the same values. The reason for the born again to change to be like Christ, is because the Lord Jesus Christ – being the Son of God – will lead us to change and be like God in our thinking. This the goal, this is the process of reconciling the son / daughter of God to be like Christ.
This will not happen overnight, but is a lifelong process. When we are born again there is a big change, but that is only the beginning.
To Learn God’s Values in Everything
The Holy Spirit will lead us by means of God’s Word. The Bible has been given to give us as a permanent record of God’s revelation of Who He is and the Truth that He wants us to know and be conformed to.
OT Saints Led To Know Gods Ways Through His Written Word
Deu 6:6-7
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
God’s Word must fill our lives; it must be in our hearts. It must be brought into every part of our lives. It must dominate our thinking and our conversation all through the day. So that it shapes our thinking and therefore our lives.
God’s Word:
- V6/ “shall be in thine heart” - i.e. We must embrace God’s Word passionately – not just know it! It will give us godly passions for life. Passions that will know God’s blessing so that they are realized.
- V7/ We are to teach God’s word diligently to our children. i.e. Our children’s minds must be shaped by God’s Word so that they grow up being shaped in their thinking by His values:
- Knowledge of God Himself;
- To know what is right and wrong as declared by the Lord. (Eg Killing, stealing, lying, etc … is wrong because God said so.)
- We are to be continually discussing God’s Word (v7):
- When we are sitting around at home (“shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house”)
- When we are travelling together (“walkest by the way”)
- When we are resting, or going to bed (“when thou liest down”)
- When we get up in the morning (“when thou risest up”)
Do we have to be discussing God’s word every moment of the day? No, what is being said here is that we are to be so passionate about the Lord and His ways, and will, that we are continually thinking about Him and His revelation to us. So that when we do not have to be focused on a particular task that we are doing. Our minds easily go to focusing on the Lord, or something we have been thinking about from His Word. Where we will feel a real need to know how to live and please Him in every possible situation that we could find ourselves in.
We are told that we are to be diligent in teaching God’s Word to our children. Because we know that they MUST know it, and that they MUST be conformed to it. We do this because we know that they need to know the Lord, and that they also need to have their minds valuing the right things. Things that are important to the Lord, to a godly mindset that will know God’s blessing their whole lives through.
Our discussions will be mainly about the practical application of God’s will. As well as how righteous and good His laws are. How they show and demonstrate how wonderful He is.
Our discussions will also naturally lead to comparing God and His ways to the false gods, and religions of the world. And how inferior those gods and laws are when compared to the Lord and the faith He has given to us.
We will know our responsibilities to the Lord, and we will not be grudgingly obeying Him. We will be passionate about serving Him, and taking care of His interests where He has called us to serve.
Scriptural Example 1 – The world in Noah’s day
Gen 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Gen 6:12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
Gen 6:8-9
8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.
What made all the people of the earth, in the days of Noah, wicked? They had turned from the Lord. They had turned from His ways. They became completely different from Him. That made them wicked!
Amongst themselves people were acceptable. They had common values that enabled them to live together. However, over time they had moved further and further from the Lord in their ways. Till God’s evaluation of them was that they were, in His eyes, wicket.
Noah on the other hand was like God. The Lord’s estimate of Noah was that he was “a just man and perfect in his generations” and that “Noah walked with God.” What is the significance of ‘walking with God?” The Lord speaking through the prophet Amos said, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” Amo 3:3. What we are told here is that of all the people in the world, only Noah acknowledged and walked with God. The rest had turned everyone to his own way. They had turned from God, and so they were declared wicked.
Scriptural Example 2 – The Occasion of Making David King
1Chronicles 12 Many mighty men of God were gathered to make David King of Israel as God had led. They knew the mind of the Lord and were able to perform His will. (1Chron. 12 & 13).
1Ch 12:23 “And these are the numbers of the bands that were ready armed to the war, and came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD.”
1Ch 12:32-33
32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.
33 Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart.
1Ch 12:40 Moreover they that were nigh them, even unto Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel.
Life for these men was good. They KNEW that they were performing the will of God. And this brought joy in their lives. The last verse of chapter 12 ends with “…: for there was joy in Israel.”
However, in their so doing they made one serious error and it caused the death of one of the men - Uzza.
1Ch 13:5-14
5 So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.
6 And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the LORD, that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.
7 And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.
8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets.
9 And when they came unto the threshingfloor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled.
10 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there he died before God.
11 And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzza: wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day.
12 And David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?
13 So David brought not the ark home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.
14 And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom, and all that he had.
David led a large portion of the children of Israel. They were performing the will of God, removing wicked Saul from the throne of Israel and replacing him with the Lord’s choice – David.
Rightfully they set about to bring the ark of God to the city of David where they would restore the practice of enquiring of the Lord for His guidance in national matters. In transporting the ark they violated the Lord’s clear instruction on how the ark was to be moved. They took a new cart, no doubt out of respect for the Lord, and put the ark in it to transport it to the city of David. This was a serious error. Knowing the ark represented the presence of the Lord, they should have checked in the Laws of Moses how they must transport it. Perhaps their celebratory mood made them prone to carelessness, but they committed a serious error! And Uzza, though with the best intentions, committed a serious sin – when he touched the ark of God, and so God killed him.
I’m sure that if David had killed Uzza then many would have thought David to be harsh and unloving. But it was God that killed Uzza. And although many will be puzzled about the Lord killing Uzza, and perhaps be like David and be ‘displeased’.
This one error leads to another. David allows his confusion to escalate to where he decides to leave the ark of God with a family – Obededom. As a result Obededom’s family is blessed of the Lord and enjoys the blessing that David and those of the city of David were meant to enjoy.
Knowing the mind of God we must obey!
Today, we start our lives being very different from the Lord. We are separated from the Lord in our sin. When we receive Christ we are born again, born again into the family of God. The Holy Spirit sets at work to change us to be like God. To live lives that are right in His eyes. We will value what He values. We will be against what He is against.
Scriptural Example 3 - Joshua
The Lord’s Command to Joshua When He Was Commissioned to Replace Moses as God’s Spokesman to Israel
Jos 1:1-9
1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
6 Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
As Joshua is commissioned by the Lord to take over leadership of Israel under Him. The Lord tells Joshua that the Lord Himself will ensure the success of occupying Canaan. As God’s spokesman to Israel, no man can oppose him. Just as the Lord took care of Moses through the many challenges that he faced as God’s spokesman. So the Lord promises to be with Joshua.
He has the Law to guide him and Israel in their national walk with God. And though the Lord stresses the need for Joshua to be strong and courageous, God’s Word was the key to Joshua’s and Israel’s success.
What is also brought out here is the need for the OT believer to not just read and know the Laws, but to meditate in it day and night. That such meditation was necessary to ensure that they did all that was required of them. Because doing all that the Lord required would make their way prosperous (blessed by God), and they would be guaranteed good success. Joshua as God’s spokesman must put these commands into practice, and thereby be an example to Israel of an individual living an abundant life before them.
This would ensure that they were well acquainted with the Laws of God. But also that they would know how to apply His word to any daily situation. Most of all they would know God’s mind concerning every situation they could possibly find themselves in. And if they were constantly filling their minds with God’s Word; reading it, discussing it and its application in daily life, meditation on it; then it would shape their values and their thinking overall.
- Live According To God’s Ways
Understanding the Lord and His ways will always lead to confidence in the Lord, and trust that He will take care of us as we yield ourselves as “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1). We will then learn by personal experience that what we have learned in the Scriptures is true. This will most certainly increase our faith in the Lord, and bring us to know, appreciate and love the Lord as He calls us to. (Deut. 6:5)
Conclusion
What we have looked at in this study is either exciting or frightening to you. That God would want all of us. Not just some acknowledgement in our lives, but He wants us and our lives to be His. That He wants us to see life from His perspective, because it is the true perspective of life. God sees things the way that they really are, and He wants us to see the same reality.
The way to that type of change in our whole being is to be led and enabled by the Holy Spirit.
Rom 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
For questions or comments write to russell@kingswaybaptist.co.za
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