ROMANS UNWRAPPED 131

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit for the mind of the flesh is death but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace.   Romans 8v5-6

In the midst of outlining the state of things in our pre-conversion, Paul intermingles it with what we now are in the Spirit.   The New Testament does this a lot, comparing what we were to what we now are.   It is a fruitful study to dig out the verses that make such a comparison, because although we have to understand what we were, it is even more important to understand what we now are.   The classic portion of scripture for this is Ephesians chapter 2.   In verses 1- 10 Paul outlines what we were individually and then what we now are individually in Christ.   In verses 11-22 he outlines what we were corporately, and then what we now are corporately.   It is important for Christians to realise the vast change that has taken place in their lives, so that we can live in the good of it.  

• "They that are after the Spirit"   This is better understood in the sense that we are now under the control of the Holy Spirit, we are governed by the Holy Spirit; the ruling principal in our lives is the Holy Spirit, and this is the meaning of the phrase in verse 2 "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."   One of the most amazing revelations of the New Testament is that the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, equal in every way to Christ and to God the Father has taken residence within each and every believer.   In the Old testament, He would come on people at times and assist them and move them, but never at any time did anyone in a past age know the constant presence of the Spirit of God.   Every believer in the present age has within him the unseen power who takes over our lives, not forcefully, but is an unseen, courteous, and gracious, lodger within us.   As believers we have within us a new driving force and in the rest of the verses of this chapter up to verse 30 the apostle sets forth the extent of this control of the spirit in our lives.   He indwells, He empowers, He leads, He witnesses, He intercedes, He will quicken our mortal bodies.   It is all here in this chapter there is no need for us to succumb to the flesh, just to follow the Holy Spirit within us and He will do the rest.
• "They which are after the Spirit do mind the things of the Spirit."   Instead of being interested in, and involved in the merely fleshly side of our lives, that is the material world, we now have another dimension.   We are no longer 2/3rd human beings, but whole beings as we are now in touch with God' so we mind the things of the Spirit, we involve ourselves in the things of God.   Jesus spoke of "the things which are of God (Matthew 16v23), (Matthew 22 v21)"; He spoke to Nicodemus in John chapter 3 of "heavenly things" as opposed to "earthly things."   In Matthew 13v35 He said "I will utter things of the kingdom of God hidden from the foundation of the world."   In Acts 1v3 for forty days Jesus spoke to them of the "things pertaining to the kingdom of God."   In 1st Corinthians 2v10 Paul says  "God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit for the Spirit searches all things, yea the deep things of God."   these are all the things that Christians have to mind, have to be involved in.   In John chapters 14 - 16 the Lord summarises the work of the Spirit in the present day.   He is here to convict the world of sin, of righteousness and judgement; so believers are interested in the work of evangelism.   He says  "the Spirit of truth will guide you into all truth; so we are interested in the word of God."   He says " He will show you things to come" so we are interested in prophecy.   He says  "He shall glorify Me for He shall receive of mine and show it unto you" so we are interested in the study of the Person of Christ.   All these come under the heading of  "minding the things of the Spirit."
• "The mind of the Spirit is life."   We have already seen that life in the Bible is knowing God, that is the essence of spiritual life, that is the dimension lacking in unbelievers but present in believers: AWARENESS OF GOD, FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD, CONTACT WITH GOD.   Only the Holy Spirit of God within us can reveal God to us and the knowledge of God, and the seeking after the knowledge of God is far superior to anything that the material world has to offer.   It is a life involvement not merely in the things that God has made but in God Himself.   It is being besotted not with the gift but with the Giver and this is life indeed!  
• "The mind of the Spirit is peace."   No longer any enmity or ill feeling; we accept God's word, His laws, without question, there is no condemnation, no fear of wrath we are at peace with God.   Every impediment to peace has been removed, all sins forgiven, all barriers broken down, the veil of the temple has been rent, the way into the holiness has now been made clear, heaven's doors have been opened to us and we are accepted in heaven.   This astonishing truth was captured in a book written by Henry Scrougal back in 1677, and the title of the book "The Life of Almighty God in the soul of man." is sufficient to express what is meant here.   We have a new relationship with God, we have set our affection on things above, we are the friends of God, no longer enemies.   We are concerned in this world to bring all the glory alone to Jesus Christ which is the work of the Holy Spirit.  

"And every virtue we posses, and every victory won,

And every thought of holiness, are His alone".

This refers to the Holy Spirit.   

MINDING THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT IS FAR SUPERIOR TO ANYTHING THE WORLD HAS TO OFFER!