1 Corinthians 3:1 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.”
We have seen thus far that all unbelievers are carnally minded, which means that all believers should be spiritually minded. Sadly however when we come into the kingdom of God we are still carnally minded, for in the above quoted passage of scripture the Holy Spirit through the apostle Paul teaches us that babes in Christ are still carnal in their thinking. So why is that? The reason is because our spirits are born-again and thus become new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), but our minds on the other hand do not change. In other words we receive new spirits but we do not receive new minds.
Galatians 5:16-17 “I say then: Walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. (17) For the flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
Because when we come into the kingdom, our spirits are born of God our spirit obviously wants to live according to God’s laws, which are in direct opposition to the ways of this world. However because our minds are still carnal in their thinking the believer finds themselves in an unhappy state of existence, as their spirit tries to exert its influence while the carnal mind resists any changes to the sinful life that it still desires to walk in. In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul highlights the reality of this war that rages between the spirit and the flesh in the life of the believer. Clearly from this passage we can see that God wants the believer to allow their spirits to dominate their behaviour and not their flesh i.e. carnal thinking. And so the only way to resolve this conflict is for the believer to change their thinking i.e. from carnal to spiritual thinking.
1 Corinthians 13:9-12 “For we know in part and we prophesy in part. (10) But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. (11) When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. (12) For now, we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”
As we have already mentioned God changes our spirits from death to life when we are born-again, for the miracle of the new birth is instantaneous. Scripture also teaches us that God will change our corruptible bodies to incorruptible bodies at the return of our Lord Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:53). We have also seen that God does not give us new minds when we are born-again. So if our spirits have already been changed when we were saved, and our bodies will be changed when the Lord returns, when will our minds be changed? In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul teaches us that it is only at the end of our time on the earth, when we leave these earthly tents to be with our Lord Jesus, that we will have perfect knowledge. In other words our minds will become completely spiritual in their thinking at that point with no part carnal. The reason for that is because our minds will no longer be exposed to the sin virus in our physical brains, and they will also no longer be exposed to the carnal thinking of this world.
Michael E.B. Maher
Comments