Walk In The Spirit - Part 6

The French priest Teilhard de Chardin once said - “We’re not just human beings having a temporary spiritual experience. But we’re spiritual beings having a temporary human experience.”

The quote above is true we are spiritual beings having a temporary human experience. The Scriptures tell us in Eccl. 3:11 ................He also has planted eternity in men's hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun, but God can satisfy]........AMP.  This truth fits perfectly concerning our series.  As we discussed previously God is a Spirit and so are we.  God communicates to us through the Holy Spirit in our spirit as Romans 8:16 says, "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God."  So currently we have been discussing ways that we can develop our spiritual awareness.  We have been looking at the importance of renewing our minds and how that helps in our spiritual awareness.  Having a mind that is transformed by the Word of God helps us by bringing our thinking into alignment with our born again spirits, the two together give us the advantage over our flesh and over the antichrist spirit of this world.  

Rev. Bob Yandian said it this way:

A New Testament Commentary Colossians By Bob Yandian – Page 59 - 

As Christians, we have access to opposing ideas and thoughts: our human viewpoint and reasoning are being influenced by ourselves, God (Isaiah 55:7-9) and the devil (2 Cor. 10:1-6).  Where we allow our minds to be set makes all the difference.  What we think is really who we are (Proverbs 23:7).

Having a divine viewpoint is commanded for every believer (2 Cor. 10:4,5), and since the Word is the mind of Christ, such intake shapes our mental attitude (1 Cor. 2:16, Philippians 2:5).  God’s plan of grace demands a new mental attitude on the part of the believer (1 Timothy 1:7).

Bob Yandian's commentary tied in so well with the final Scripture we looked at last week, Colossians 3:16.

Scripture:  Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. NKJV

Other Translations:
Col 3:16 Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your             hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness,…... AMP  

Dwell  (NT:1774 enoikeo) – This word means to inhabit or indwell.

Richly  (4146 plousios) – This word in the Greek means copiously, richly, and abundantly. This word carries the idea of great abundance.
 

• The Word of God is to indwell the heart of the believer until we are overflowing.  Our souls should be so full of the Word of God that we are like a sponge full of water if anyone just brushes up against us the Word will flow like water.   

The Human Spirit by Kenneth E. Hagin – Page 6,7
           
Why is it so essential that the mind be renewed?

Even if your spirit is born again and has the Holy Spirit within, if your mind is renewed (or as James said, the soul saved) with the Word, then the mind (which has been educated through the body and the physical senses) will side in with the body against your spirit to keep you a baby Christian.  Or you could say keep you spiritually dull.    

Immature Christians are carnal, or body-ruled, Christians.  Paul told the Corinthians, “For ye are yet carnal………(1 Cor. 3:3).  One translation of this verse reads, “You are body ruled.”  In other words, their bodies, through their unrenewed minds, were ruling their spirits, even though they were new creatures in Christ.  They never had developed spiritually.
 
Many Christians live and die as spiritual babies.  The faith life always is obscure to them. They never understand faith.  Yet we cannot fully live the Christian life unless we walk by faith, because the Bible says that we are to walk by faith and not by sight.

Those who are living in the flesh are living in unbelief, and are always engaged in warfare.  Life is a battle for them.  Their minds never have been renewed with the Word of God, and they don’t know that Jesus already has won the battle.  They don’t know the devil is a defeated foe.  They still are trying to fight him in their own power, and some have fought until they are totally exhausted and depleted.

But when the mind has been renewed with the Word of God, the spirit through the renewed mind can control the body.  The soul will then take sides with the Word.  It will allow the spirit to dominate.  Then God’s Spirit will dominate through man’s spirit.
 
I think it is easy to see the importance of renewing our thinking when related to developing a greater spiritual awareness.    

In Christ, Pastor Sean