MAN OF THE SPIRIT

THURSDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2021

Paul had a hard time speaking and addressing the Christians at the most important city in Greece, Corinth. First, the city of Corinth was full of buzzy businesses because the city was a live and effective centre of worldwide commerce. In fact at Paul's time, it had the richest and prosperous culture that promoted all kinds of human pleasure and idolatrous religion with diverse historical paganism. Due to the struggles and challenges of a church raised from such a pagan society, Paul had to address the lifestyle of the Corinthian Church with various problems such as: immorality, factions, lawsuits, questionable practices, and the abuse of some of the Christian doctrines.

Reference: 1 Corinthians 3:1 New Living Translation (NLT) "Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn't talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ."

For the above reasons, Paul could not talk to them as he would to spiritual people, but only as to worldly people dominated by human nature, who were mere infants in the new life in Christ! He said, "I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it." Even at the point of addressing them, they were still not ready because they were too worldly, and thereby controlled by carnal impulses, full of evil-minded capacity. Paul noticed a lot of jealousy, strife and discord among them and concluded that they were not spiritual. According to his observation, they were walking and talking like ordinary men, still unchanged by their salvation experience and new life in Christ.

Romans 8:6-8 (KJV) says, "For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God." Beloved we are called to walk in step with the Holy Spirit. This is how we know that we are men and women of the Spirit. The Bible says, "Certainly, all who are guided by God's Spirit are God's children" (Romans 8:14 NLT).

In Christ Jesus, when we are being guided by the Spirit, the prevailing thoughts in our minds and our operations in this mortal body will usually align with the Word and the influence of the Spirit. However it doesn't just happen; we must be intentional about giving ourselves to the Word and the ministry of the Spirit so we can continually renew our minds and experience spiritual transformation from one degree to another over time. And we must do more of this: "...whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Philippians 4:8 KJV).

As a man or woman of the Spirit, it matters how our mindsets work. We are not being raised in Christ to think or reason like the natural or carnal man or misinterpret spiritual matters like them. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NLT) says, "But people who aren't spiritual can't receive these truths from God's Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can't understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means."

Therefore, we must condition our minds to entertain and promote positive, pure and praiseworthy thinking. When we meditate on the Word often, we are bound to see as God sees, think as He thinks and also act accordingly. Simply put, we must think right on purpose, by allowing the Word to impart our spirits and influence our minds!

Refuse to conform to the pattern of this world, rather cultivate a meaningful awareness of Christ's righteousness in you. The Word-thinking attitude shows that you don't belong to this world and it creates spiritual, positive impact that ensures prosperous moves and endeavours. Remember, don't live as though you were infants in Christ; go for higher grace and communications in the Word, in order to live the life of the Spirit without reservation. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - 1 Corinthians 2:14-15; Romans 8:11-13; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:18-20; Galatians 5:16-17.

Guided Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, I honour you today for recreating me in Christ Jesus, born of the Spirit. As I throw my heart open to the Holy Spirit, I live the life that the Spirit inspires, with exhilarating influence of divine experiences, far above the sensual, carnal passions and appetites. I'm a person of the Spirit with self-mastery and a large measure of peace and joy, and I live to promote your glory in my world, in Jesus' Name, Amen!