Life & Peace!

(Romans 8:6) “…but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

We are taught and told to have goals from a young age, which seems like sound advice, but once our eyes have been opened to the Spirit of God, all our driving energy’s must shift gears as we now focus on Spiritual things and put aside the traps of the flesh as all they can only every produce is death. We must start learning to place God’s Word above our suppositions and worldly influences.

When we look at a positive bank balance, this in itself makes us happy as the shackles of financial worries dissipate. It is a reassuring place to be, or is it? Obviously I am happier when tomorrow is taken care of, but this is not what the bible teachers as necessarily beneficial. Sure, I would feel financially secure and I would be justified by the Word of God as we are instructed to owe no man any debt but to love our neighbor’s as we love ourselves. But when my confidence rests, in the flesh and not in the spirit then I am still walking as a carnal man and death will be a reflection of my life. “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 set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5-9) 

Christians must become the most dependent people in the world, they must depend on the mercies and grace of God and for every minute of every day. Only then will we be able to embrace life and peace. When we motivate our children to achieve in this world to the exclusion of setting this principle first and foremost in their lives we are teaching then to embrace death. Let us not lie to ourselves. “And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”” (Luke 9:23-27) - Obedience and heaven is now our only goal! Please do not over-read the point I now make, but embrace the principle!

“Brotherly kindness was due from Edom to Israel in the time of need, but instead thereof, the men of Esau made common cause with Israel’s foes. Special stress in the sentence before us is laid upon the word thou; as when Caesar cried to Brutus, “and thou Brutus”; a bad action may be all the worse, because of the person who has committed it. When we sin, who are the chosen favourites of heaven, we sin with an emphasis; ours is a crying offence, because we are so peculiarly indulged. If an angel should lay his hand upon us when we are doing evil, he need not use any other rebuke than the question, “What thou? What dost thou here?” Much forgiven, much delivered, much instructed, much enriched, much blessed, shall we dare to put forth our hand unto evil? God forbid!

A few minutes of confession may be beneficial to thee, gentle reader, this morning. Hast thou never been as the wicked? At an evening party certain men laughed at uncleanness, and the joke was not altogether offensive to thine ear, even thou wast as one of them. When hard things were spoken concerning the ways of God, thou wast bashfully silent; and so, to on-lookers, thou wast as one of them. When worldlings were bartering in the market, and driving hard bargains, wast thou not as one of them? When they were pursuing vanity with a hunter’s foot, wert thou not as greedy for gain as they were? Could any difference be discerned between thee and them? Is there any difference? Here we come to close quarters. Be honest with thine own soul, and make sure that thou art a new creature in Christ Jesus; but when this is sure, walk jealously, lest any should again be able to say, “Even thou wast as one of them.” Thou wouldst not desire to share their eternal doom, why then be like them here? Come not thou into their secret, lest thou come into their ruin. Side with the afflicted people of God, and not with the world.” (C.H.Spurgeon)

Only once we take on the mind of Christ will we ever be partakers of “life and peace”.

It is time to shift gears and to walk in the Spirit, it must start now and if we already adopted this mind-set then we must look to feed it even the more.

Signing off

Tyrone