In this section, we will see that our spiritual growth is directly linked to the renewing of our minds. Man is primarily a tri-part being. We are a spirit, we have a soul or mind, and we live in a physical body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). When we are saved, our spirits are born-again as new creations in Christ. In the future, our mortal bodies will be changed into the immortal bodies that God has preordained. However, in this life, it is our minds that have to be renewed to the word of God. In other words, we need spiritual understanding.
Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
In the scripture quoted above, the Holy Spirit tells us to be transformed from this world, through the renewing of our minds. And so, our spirits will never grow beyond the degree to which our minds have been renewed to God’s word. In other words, we cannot have a strong spirit, and at the same time, a mind that is not renewed by the word of God. The two always go hand in hand. Why is that? The reason is simply because, the word of God enters our spirits through our minds. In other words, the word of God does not bypass our mind to reach our spirit. For if it were possible for the word of God to bypass our minds to enter our spirits, then it would be possible for one to be strong in spirit and yet be carnal in their thinking. But that is not possible, for whenever scripture speaks of carnal believers, it always equates them with also being weak in spirit. When the scripture speaks of renewing our minds to God’s word, it is referring to our having spiritual understanding of God’s word. And so, we can say it this way, our spirit is fed with what our mind understands.
1 Corinthians 3:1-2 “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. (2) I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able.”
In the passage of scripture quoted above, the Holy Spirit reveals to us that because the church at Corinth were negligent in the renewing of their minds, that there were certain truths in God’s word that the apostle Paul could not teach them, because they just would not be able to understand him, even if he did teach them. In other words, their spirits were being fed with what their minds could understand, and nothing more. Their minds could only grasp the milk of God’s word and not the solid food of His word, and so their spiritual diet remained milk.
Hebrews 5:11-13 “of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. (12) For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. (13) For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.”
Evidently the church in Jerusalem, were in the same condition as the church at Corinth, for in the passage of scripture quoted above, the Holy Spirit reveals to us that they also could only understand the milk of God’s word, and that they barely grasped, for He says that they needed to be taught the first principles once again. And so, because the church in Jerusalem couldn’t understand the solid food of God’s word, their spiritual diet also remained milk.
Michael E.B. Maher
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