Spiritually Minded

Read Romans 8:5-14

In order to understand the mind of the Spirit and to customize our minds to be Spiritually minded, we must understand who and what the Spirit is. In Col. 2:9 the apostle Paul, writing to the church said that Jesus has all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, mean all the power and authority was granted to Jesus. The Godhead body is made up of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This organization can be illustrated by the government of the United States. In our government there exists the President, the Senate and the House of Representatives, all being government but individually represented. So it is with the Spirit. He (not it) is an individual in the Godhead body. He has specific purpose and specific function is to do the work of the Father as also was that of Jesus. As Jesus has been given by the Father, task to do, so also has the Spirit. In John 14:17 Jesus told His disciples that the Spirit was with them and would be in them. This was one of His functions, to be with them, helping them until the time when He, the Spirit, would be in them as their helper and comforter.

The Spirit would be sent by Jesus (Jesus has all authority granted by the Father) to do the work of God. He would bring to remembrance the works of Jesus to the apostles and cause holy men of God (II Peter 1:21) to write the Scriptures and then influence the minds of Christians to live and abide by them, not through force but through love. As He ascended in the bodily form of a dove on Jesus after Jesus’ baptism, so He dwells in us after our baptism. He is our comforter, our joy and our guide and never guides us in any other direction than that of His Holy Scriptures.

In Acts 19 the apostle Paul, having entered Ephesus, found 12 disciples. They had been baptized by John the Baptist. Paul ask them, “Have you received the Spirit sense you believed?” Their reply was, “We have not heard their was a Holy Spirit.” After which the 12 disciples were baptized and receive the gift of Holy Spirit. Then the apostle Paul laid his hands on them (Acts 8) and they receive the miraculous gifts to help speed the church of Christ into it’s fullness.

In Romans 8 we find the comparison of living in the flesh and living in the Spirit. Here we find a proof text to see if we live in the Spirit or in the flesh.

Romans 8:5-9 …. So then, those who are in the flesh can not please God….

Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

As Paul wrote to the church of Christ at Roman and expressed a very vivid point, if the Spirit of God dwells in you. The Spirit of God comes into the Christian at baptism and dwells in the Christian as long as we strive to live according to His wishes. We can cause the Holy Spirit to live us by not walking and living according to His ways and His wishes.

Romans 8:10-11 …the body (flesh) is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness… He who raised Jesus will also give life to our mortal bodies.

Romans 8:12-13 … Ro 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

To live outside the boundaries of the Holy Spirit’s teaching will cause on to die (die spiritually). To die or death is separation from God. To leave the consistent teachings of the Spirit guided Bible would cause spiritual death.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Conclusion:

To be led by the Spirit means to be led by His teachings. The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that all Scripture is given by the inspiration of God. (II Tim. 3:16) Therefore the Spirit leads us through the Spirit filled Bible. Yes He is in us and is our guide and comforter but always remember “His word is greater than our hearts (feelings)!” (I John 3:20)

To have the Holy Spirit you must:

Hear the word – Romans 10:17

Believe – Romans 10:9-10

Repent – Acts 17:30

Confess believe in Christ – Matt. 10:32-33

Be baptized and wash your sins away – Acts 22:16