MIND SETTING - PART 1

Our mind enables us to be aware of the setting or environment we allow it to be exposed to. This is the same spiritually. In spite of our salvation as Christians, our experiences, the way we think and act, what we say, and the things we enjoy, all depend on how, where or what we set our minds on. Though the mind is the faculty of consciousness and thought, the thoughts we entertain largely depend on what we focus more on.

Reference: Romans 8:6 King James Version (KJV) "For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

Your mind needs intelligence to function with. There is no such thing as an empty mind, and this applies to both Christians and unbelievers. Something always goes on in the human mind. So "intelligence" here is the ability of the mind to access any kind of information it is subjected to and then function with the knowledge by application. Today, apostle Paul is comparing the different results of two kinds of intelligence: The flesh and the Spirit. The intelligence of the flesh entertains more of selfishness, sinful gratification and earthly desires, but the intelligence of God's Spirit produces life and peace. So the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace.

When a person sets their mind on the flesh, it means death. No doubts, they are physically alive and sound but they are declining spiritually. This is because the flesh perishes, and so, the fruit of its actions will always diminish and come to decay. On the other hand, a mind set on the Spirit is like a seed deposited in a field cultivated by the Lord, who is the Spirit. The owner will always reap life and peace because his mind and spirit are quickened by the Spirit of God.

Galatians 6:8 (NLT) reads, "Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit." Beloved, the intelligence we live by, determines the type of harvest we get. By the reason of God's Spirit dwelling in you as a Christian, the only way to enjoy life and peace is to embrace the Holy Spirit as the guiding, animating influence in your life. Let me tell you what was going on in apostle Paul's mind when he wrote today's referenced Scripture: How seriously do we practise or live the Christian life through the Spirit, in conformity with Divine or Christ's nature? Paul was concerned about this right from the beginning of the chapter (Romans 8).

This is the reason the apostle started the chapter by informing us that through Christ Jesus, the law of the Spirit who gives life has set us free from the law of sin and death. After that, he kept on emphasizing on the results of those who live according to the flesh and those who walk according to the Spirit. It is not beneficial for any born again Christian, who has the indwelling presence of the Spirit to function in the realm of the flesh because of the disadvantageous result. Any mind governed by the flesh can only be hostile to God; it cannot submit to God's will, nor can it function in it. In other words, anyone who functions in the realm of the flesh can never please God.

How often must we set our minds and eyes on the Spirit? On a regular basis! It must be habitual. Keep your mind focused on the Word, fellowship with the Spirit and function by His intelligence because that's the only way to make progress and live the glorious life in Christ. We are spirit beings, made alive to God. That's who we are now, not when we get to heaven. We have been freed from the law of sin and death, which is the death-way. Therefore, setting the mind on the Spirit is vital. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - Romans 8:14; Ephesians 5:18-20; Galatians 5:18; Revelation 4:2.

Guided Prayer: Precious Father in heaven, thank you for enlightening me that the carnal mind is not only your enemy but also leads to death. Thank you for granting me the eternal life of peace. I'm not of the flesh, but of the Spirit and I have the mind of Christ. Daily I have my thoughts and moves governed by the Spirit's intelligence. I'm no longer hampered by the power of sin and death, because the law of the Spirit of life influences, controls and determines the outcomes of my life. By virtue of my union with Christ, I subdue and dominate the flesh because my dominant element is the will of God, enforced by the Holy Spirit. Thank you Father for the plentiful fruit of my godly and peaceful life in Christ, in Jesus' Name, Amen!