02012015SettingYourMindOnTheSpiritDonRuhl

Setting Your Mind on the Spirit 

Romans 8.4–8 and Galatians 5.16–26

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • February 1, In the year of our Lord, 2015

Song Leader and Song Suggestions: Larry Amberg – Songs on the Spirit

Prelude: 

  1. Last week I showed you The Spiritual Message of John, 
    1. that we should let the Earth and all the things of the Earth
    2. propel us into looking for their spiritual counterpart.
      1. Birth should make us think of entering the kingdom of heaven.
      2. Water should make us think of living water that Jesus gives.
      3. Food should make us think of doing the will of God.
      4. Danger should make us think of not sinning lest something worse happen.
      5. Bread should make us think of our need to take in Jesus.
      6. Departing should make us think of join Jesus in heaven.
      7. Bondage should make us think of bondage to sin.
      8. Blindness should make us think of not seeing the truth about ourselves.
      9. Government should make us think of the kingdom of Jesus.
      10. Authority should make us think of the authority of God.
  2. I also teased you with Romans 8.5,

    5 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 (Rom 8.5).

    1. We can know whether we think as we should
    2. by whether we think on the things of the flesh or of the Spirit.
  3. I want to talk more about Romans 8 as well as Galatians 5. 

Persuasion: 

  1. Romans 8.4–8 – Setting Your Mind on the things of the Spirit

    4 …that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 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. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom 8.4–8).

    1. The righteous requirement of the Law finds it fulfillment in us.
      1. Whatever the Law required,
      2. those who walk according to the Spirit fulfill its requirement.
        1. Not walking according to the flesh, but
        2. walking by the Spirit is the real challenge, isn’t it?
          1. We know what should go through our minds, but
          2. what truly goes through our minds?
    2. We cannot fulfill the righteous requirement of the Law,
      1. if we walk according to the flesh, because
      2. those who live according to the flesh
        1. set their minds on the things of the flesh, and
        2. such carnality leads to death.
    3. We fulfill the righteous requirement of the Law,
      1. if we walk according to the Spirit, because
      2. those who live according to the Spirit
        1. set their minds on the things of the Spirit, and
        2. such spirituality leads to life and peace.
    4. For you see, the mind of the flesh is enmity against God.
      1. It hates God.
      2. Therefore, it does not subject itself to the Law of God.
        1. It cannot be that the mind of the flesh and
        2. the Law of God have any harmony.
    5. Therefore, those in the flesh
      1. cannot please God, whereas,
      2. those in the Spirit
        1. can please God, for
        2. God is spirit.
    6. Those thinking on the things of the flesh
      1. will not fulfill the righteous requirement of the Law, and
      2. in the next passage we will see what that means.
  2. Galatians 5.16–26 – The Things of the Spirit

    16 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. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another (Gal 5.16–26).

    1. In verse 13, Paul taught that we have liberty, but
      1. that we should not use our liberty
      2. as an opportunity for the flesh.
        1. No, what we should do
        2. is use our liberty to serve one another in love.
    2. For you see (v. 14), the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, love,
      1. love your neighbor as yourself.
      2. Whereas, if you bite and devour one another (v. 15),
        1. you will consume one another
        2. rather than serving one another in love.
    3. Therefore, we should strive to love one another,
      1. remembering that we are free from sin
      2. to love one another.
    4. Therefore, in verses 16 and following,
      1. the apostle shows the distinction between the flesh and the Spirit, and
      2. how we manifest each one.
        1. How do I keep from fulfilling the lust of the flesh?
        2. How can I fulfill the desires of the Spirit?
        3. How can I show that the Spirit lives in me?
    5. First, Paul tells us to walk in the Spirit, and
      1. by doing that we shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
      2. Why or how is that?
        1. He explained in verse 17
          1. that the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and
          2. the Spirit against the flesh.
            1. They are contrary to one another,
            2. keeping us from doing the things that we wish to do.
              1. When you live in the flesh,
              2. do you think about spiritual things?
                1. When you live in the Spirit,
                2. do you think about fleshly things?
    6. Then in verse 18, Paul declared that if you are led by the Spirit,
      1. you are not under the Law.
      2. He will explain what that means a little later.
    7. What are the things of the flesh
      1. that walking by the Spirit, following His leadership
      2. we will not do?
    8. What are the things of the Spirit
      1. that walking by the flesh, following the leadership of the flesh,
      2. we will not do?
    9. That is what Paul shows us next,
      1. the works of the flesh and
      2. the fruit of the Spirit.
    10. Look at the difference between the two.
      1. While we often find ourselves doing the works of the flesh,
        1. anyone, even people who do not follow Christ,
        2. know that the fruit of the Spirit is better than the works of the flesh.
      2. Look at it this way.
        1. People may want to live the works of the flesh themselves, but
        2. they want their neighbors, co-workers, and others
          1. to live the fruit of the Spirit.
          2. For example, let us assume that you are here today,
            1. not as a Christian, but
            2. as an observer.
              1. Do you want the guy living next to you
              2. to be one with outbursts of wrath and is a drunk?
                1. Or do you want the person who
                2. is good and kind?
    11. After showing the two lists, and
      1. after showing the fruit of the Spirit in particular,
      2. Paul declared that there is no law against the fruit of the Spirit.
        1. That is what he meant back in verse 18,
        2. that if we are led by the Spirit,
          1. we are not under the law.
          2. God has never given a law to prohibit the fruit of the Spirit.
            1. We have unbridled freedom to practice the fruit of the Spirit.
            2. Grow in all nine virtues as much as you can.
    12. The apostle continued by adding
      1. that those who belong to Christ,
      2. have crucified the flesh, its passions, and its desires.
        1. Paul knows that we fight a daily battle between the two, but
        2. he reminds us
          1. that when we became Christians,
          2. we also made the decision to crucify the flesh.
            1. Crucifixion was a long, torturous death.
            2. Our battle against the flesh is a long, torturous battle.
    13. Therefore, if we live by the Spirit,
      1. we also have to walk by the Spirit.
      2. We have life in the Spirit, but
        1. Paul wanted us to know
        2. that it is not a stagnate life.
          1. No, it is a life by which we move.
          2. He used the metaphor, the figure of speech, of walking.
            1. Ephesians 2 shows something similar,
            2. although Paul did not mention the Spirit in this text.
              1. Almost every Christian knows verses 8 and 9,

                8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast (Eph 2.8–9).
              2. However, some quote that in such a way as to mean
                1. that they are free of obeying the Lord Jesus.
                2. They act as though if you speak of doing anything,
                  1. you are advocating being saved by works, and
                  2. Paul said we are not saved by works.
            3. However, why did God by His grace save us?
              1. Why do we continue to live on Earth after He saves us?
              2. If He wants us in heaven,
                1. why did He not take us straight to heaven
                2. the moment we were born again?
            4. The next verse reveals
              1. what He had in mind for saving us, and
              2. why He left us here,

                10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph 2.10).

                1. We are His workmanship,
                2. He is making us into something.
                  1. He wants us to engage in good works.
                  2. Paul said that God prepared ahead of time
                  3. that His people would walk in good works, or
                  4. literally walk around in good works.
      3. This is why Jesus died, according to Titus 2, we are

        13 …looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works (Tts 2.13–14).

        1. We get verse 13: We wait for the Second Coming of Christ.
        2. We get most of verse 14: Jesus died to save us from our sins.
          1. However, please observe that the reason Jesus
          2. redeemed us from every lawless deed and
            1. the reason that Jesus purified us,
            2. is we are His own special people,
              1. who are zealous for good works.
              2. If we are not zealous for good works,
                1. if we are not walking around in good works,
                2. if we are not producing the fruit of the Spirit,
                3. if we are not setting our minds on things of the Spirit,
                  1. we have not fulfilled His purpose for saving us.
                  2. Why then do we live?

Exhortation: 

  1. In all of this, 
    1. we engage in much prayer and
    2. we engage in much self-talk.
      1. We can talk to God.
      2. We can and should ask for His help without ceasing.
        1. He wants us to crucify the flesh.
        2. Therefore, if you pray to Him all the time about it,
          1. He will help you, but
          2. there also has to be that other part.
            1. We have to preach to ourselves.
            2. We have to remind ourselves of the truths I have show you.
              1. This is how we put our minds on the things of the Spirit.
              2. I hope you see the importance of thinking on the Spirit.
  2. This is a matter of eternity. 
    1. What is our time on Earth?
    2. It is time when we are showing God
      1. what we think is important.
      2. So then, what do our lives say is important?
        1. If heaven, the Spirit, and the like do not top our list,
        2. why should God invite us into heaven?