The Spiritual Mindset
- Michael E.B. Maher
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
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.
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.”
Even though our minds will only be fully renewed when we go to be with the Lord Jesus at the end of our lives, nevertheless God still expects us to do something in this life about our carnal way of thinking, because as we have already seen the carnal mind is not pleasing to God. So what is the believer meant to do with their minds while on the earth? The scripture teaches us exactly what God expects us to do with our minds, for in the above quoted passage of scripture we are told to renew our minds. Therefore as long as we are in this life we are responsible for the renewing of our minds, for unlike the new birth, God will not renew our minds for us. And so when God says that we must renew our minds, He says that because our way of thinking needs to be and can be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
God would never instruct us to do something that we cannot do, otherwise that would make Him unjust and God is not unjust. And so when God instructs us to renew our minds to think in line with His word, then it is because we are well able to do just that. The reason we are able is because the Lord Himself gives us His grace to do that which He instructs us to do, for God’s grace is also His enabling power. In other words God is the one who gives us the ability to do what He tells us to do. In the above quoted passage of scripture the apostle Paul reveals to us that the reason he could do what the Lord had called him to do, was because the Lord’s grace enabled him to do it. And so just like the apostle Paul, we all have access to the Lord’s grace by faith. In other words we must believe that the Lord has given us His ability, and when we do then we will begin to walk in His enabling power just as Paul did. And that power will enable us to renew our minds from carnal to spiritual thinking.
Romans 8:5-6 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit, the things of the spirit. (6) For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”
So what does the Holy Spirit mean when He says that we need to be transformed by the renewing of our minds? As we mentioned earlier, we need to transition our thinking from being carnally minded to becoming spiritually minded. And so as the kingdom of God is completely opposite to the kingdom of darkness and as life is the complete opposite of death, so becoming spiritually minded is the complete opposite to being carnally minded. This truth is confirmed to us in the above quoted passage of scripture, for the apostle Paul teaches us in this passage that we are to set our minds on the things of the spirit and no longer on the things of the flesh. And so as the carnal mind views God’s word as being foolishness (1 Corinthians 2:14), so the spiritual mind views God’s word as being life and peace, and as the carnal mind refuses to obey the word of God so the spiritual mind delights in obeying His laws.
Colossians 3:1-2 “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. (2) Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
The spiritual mind finds it easy to walk in faith, hope, love, godliness and holiness, for not only does it understand these concepts but it also understands how the carnal mind views these concepts (1 Corinthians 2:15). Have you ever heard the statement, “he is so heavenly minded that he is no earthly good”? That statement is a classic example of carnal thinking, for it speaks directly against what God’s word says, for in the above quoted passage of scripture God instructs His saints to specifically set their minds on heavenly things and not on things on the earth. And so, one who is spiritually minded will also be heavenly minded. The spiritual mind does not love any part of this world, and seeks only to please the Father and our Lord Jesus in everything, and the spiritual mind also seeks only to serve the body of Christ.
Michael E.B. Maher
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