The Mindset of the Spirit Free Reprint Article

NotifySnack

Christian Articles for All of your Publishing Needs!

LIKE US

Translate this Page Here

Word Count: 2716

Send Article To Friend

Print/Use Article

Contact Jon von Ernst

The Mindset of the Spirit

by Jon von Ernst
8/27/2023 / Bible Studies

Romans 8:9 states: “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” This verse also makes it clear that if you have been born again, if you have the Spirit of Christ living in you: “you, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you.”

According to this verse, whether we are in the Spirit or not, is not dependent on our mind-set or conduct, whether spiritual or fleshly, but rather is dependent on whether God has placed us in Christ. We are in the Spirit because the Spirit of Christ is dwelling within us. We are there because God has placed us in Christ when He placed the Spirit of Christ in us. 1 Corinthians 1:30 proclaims, “By His doing you are in Christ Jesus.”

If we are born again, if the Spirit of God is dwelling in us, we are in the Spirit. It is, however, very important how we think, what mind-set we have. Romans 8:6 says, “For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace” (HCSB). Even though we are in the Spirit, in order to be obedient to the leading of the Spirit, we must have the mind-set of the Spirit, understanding the reality of spiritual things. We must see things from the perspective of our being in the Spirit and of the blessings and empowerment that are ours in the Spirit. This mind-set of the Spirit results in life and peace, and enables us to walk by faith.

However, if our mind-set is of the flesh, understanding things according to the flesh and according to our abilities and strengths in the flesh, we will experience death. The mind-set of the flesh sees things according to the ability and nature of the flesh. It is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God’s law, for it is unable to do so.

In the mind-set of the flesh, we have fear and weakness. We fear that anything “we” do will be of the flesh, of our self, of our own righteousness. This mind-set of the flesh causes us to be like the person with the one talent, who, because of his fears, fails to invest his talent. He therefore bears no fruit for his Master, and, as a result, suffers tremendous loss. Remember the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30).

This fear that we experience when we have the mind-set of the flesh can actually paralyze us, keeping us from doing even the most basic functions of a normal responsible life. It may even cause us to be afraid to pursue our given occupation, fearing that doing so would be a demonstration of self-reliance and a lack of faith in God and His provision for us.

When we have the mind-set of the flesh, we are unable to please God, because we see things according to the ability of the flesh and not according to the ability of God in the Spirit. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. When we have the mind-set of the flesh, we do not think in terms of faith and the Spirit, but rather in terms of the flesh.

Also, there are many times when the mind-set of the flesh causes us to see the spiritual life of the believer in a very convoluted way. It may cause us to think that we are spiritual only when we are doing or saying “spiritual” things. Perhaps it will cause us to think, that in order to be spiritual, we must be reading the Scriptures, preaching the gospel, or working full-time as a pastor or an evangelist. You can do all of these things and still not have the mind-set of the Spirit.

On the other hand, we can be doing the most mundane activities of life, and have the mind-set of the Spirit. We can be cleaning the house, baking bread, disciplining our children, mowing the grass, or just working at our job, whatever it may be, and do so with the mind-set of the Spirit.

The Lord does not empower us by the indwelling Spirit just to do “spiritual” things. He empowers us by the indwelling of the Spirit to enable us to live the ordinary life in this flesh in a holy manner. He enables us to be over-comers as we endure all of the struggles and trials of everyday life.

He empowers us by the indwelling Spirit to love the brothers, to provide for our family, to work to produce excess so we can provide for the needs of others, to provide hospitality, to visit the sick, to give food to the hungry and to give clothing to the naked. God is glorified when we live our routine daily lives in the glory of His presence. To do this, we need to know Him, and the tremendous blessings He has freely given us by His Spirit indwelling our spirit.

In Matthew 13:18-23 the parable of the sower shows us the importance of not just hearing the word, but of understanding it. It says, “Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.

“And the one on whom the seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world, and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

The enemy is able to come and snatch away what is sown in the heart of the one who lacks understanding. However, the one that hears the word, and understands the word, bears much fruit. The enemy does all he can to keep us from understanding the word. He does not want us to know the blessings that are ours in the realm of the Spirit wherein God has placed us in Christ. He does not want us to know that God is good, and that God wants the very best for us.

This is why it is imperative that the believer has the eyes of his understanding opened, that he would have the mind-set of the Spirit, and not the mind-set of the flesh. That is why Paul prays for us in Ephesians 1:16-19 that God would give us “a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” (HCSB).

He prays that the eyes of our “heart might be enlightened so we might know the hope of His calling, the glorious riches of His inheritance in the saints, and the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength” (HCSB). This understanding gives us the mind-set of the Spirit, which is essential to pleasing God and to walking worthy of His calling.

In Ephesians 4:17-6:20 Paul sets forth commandments revealing God’s expectations of how a believer is to live. Some of these are, “Walk no longer just as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind . . . lay aside the old self . . . be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self . . . laying aside falsehood, speak truth . . . do not grieve the Holy Spirit . . . be kind to one another . . . walk in love . . . be careful how you walk . . . making the most of your time . . . be filled with the Spirit . . . put on the full armor of God . . . stand firm . . . pray at all times in the Spirit.” We are expected to walk according to these commandments, empowered by the mind-set of the Spirit, realizing that everything that God requires from us is within our ability, as we look to Jesus and experience the greatness of His power working in and through us according to the working of His vast strength.

Galatians 2:20 concisely summarizes this life that we are to live. “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” This is exactly what Paul was referring to in Ephesians 4:20-24, and Colossians 3:9-11. There he talks about our having put off the old man, and putting on the new man, as we are being renewed in the spirit of our minds.

Again, in Colossians 1:9-14, Paul prays for us, that we might “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God” (HCSB). He prays that we would “be strengthened with all power according to His glorious might.” Again, this understanding gives us the mind-set of the Spirit, which is essential to pleasing God and to walking worthy of His calling.

In Colossians 3:5-4:6, Paul again gives us commandments revealing God’s expectations of how a believer is to live. Some of these are, “Put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth . . . put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another and forgiving each other . . . let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts . . . let the word of Christ richly dwell in you . . . wives, be subject to your husbands . . . husbands, love your wives . . . conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders . . . let your speech always be with grace.” We are expected to walk according to these commandments, empowered by the mind-set of the Spirit, realizing that everything God requires from us is within our ability, as we look to Jesus and experience the greatness of His power working in and through us.

Seeking to walk according to these commandments is not placing us under the law, because our seeking to fulfill them is not according to the mind-set of the flesh. It is not looking to our own ability according to the understanding of the old man, but rather it is according to the mind-set of the Spirit. This is a mind-set that knows God and believes God. It relies on God to strengthen us according to the working of His mighty power by the Christ that dwells in us. This is the walk of faith that pleases God and produces in us life and peace.

Hebrews 4:1-3 speaks of the rest that God has prepared for His people, and how he expects His people to enter into His rest. It says, “Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. For we who have believed enter that rest.”

The mind-set of the Spirit is what enables us to enter into the rest God has prepared for us. It is the mind-set of the flesh, the heart of unbelief, which prevents us from entering into God’s rest. It is, therefore, essential that when a believer comes to know God, or rather, to be known by God, that he receives a thorough understanding of all the spiritual blessings that are his in Christ.

In order to receive this understanding, it is necessary that we are being renewed in the spirit of our minds. This enables us to put off the old man and the mind-set of the flesh, and to put on the new man with the mind-set of the Spirit. Ephesians 4:24 says this new man is created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and holiness. This renewing of the spirit of our mind, with the resulting mind-set of the Spirit, enables us, through an understanding of the empowering of Christ by the indwelling Spirit, to live holy lives, walking worthy of the Lord, in obedience to Christ.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5: “Although we are walking in the flesh, we do wage war in a fleshly way, since the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (HCSB).

Submission to Christ as Lord, and obedience to the leading of the Spirit are essential in the Christian life. To know His leading, we must know Him. According to 2 Peter 1:2-4, grace and peace is multiplied to us “through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. For His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. By these He has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them we may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desires” (HCSB).

The epistles in the New Testament are filled with instructions and commandments concerning how we are expected to live. Our spirit, through the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ, is filled with everything we need to live in full obedience, not as under the law, but as overflowing with the Spirit in all grace, love, joy, and peace. This is the fruit of the Spirit. This is the life lived out from the mind-set of the Spirit. This is to walk by the Spirit.

May our eyes be fixed on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. May His joy be our joy, and may His blessings be fully experienced in our lives and in the life of every believer!

Writings By Jon von Ernst

The Lord of All Things Series - A Trilogy of Truth
Books in this series:
Book 1 - The Gospel of the Kingdom
Book 2- The Victorious Christian
Book 3 - Walking in the Light - Following in His Steps

*- Audio of these books are available free of charge at thepureword.net.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be! Click here and TRUST JESUS NOW