Tag: set their minds

29.l. “Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things”

 

Colossians 3:1  If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

 Psalms 16:11   You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

 Psalms 73:25-26     Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.  My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

 Hebrews 11:13-16     These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.

 Psalms 119:36-37   Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain!  Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.

 1 Chronicles 22:19     Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God.

 Romans 8:5    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 set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

 1 John 2:15   Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

 Luke 12:15    And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

“The believer is to ‘seek the things… above.’ The word ‘seek’ marks aspiration, desire, and passion… In order to seek these things the mind must be set on them.” (Morgan) What is it that captures or tries to capture our minds and ultimately our hearts? A seemingly harmless endeavor turns into a heart and mind-consuming desire and soon it replaces or interferes with devotion, submission, worship, obedience, reliance, and glory to Jesus Christ.  Scripture tells us to be steadfast, anchored, and heaven-focused all of the time.  It does not specify this for specific days or seasons, it is expected that in a man of God it is all the time, and yet, we find ourselves being consumed by things that are not heavenly or Jesus Christ-honoring. How does this happen? The shallowness of personal commitment to spiritual, heavenly, and things of God will always leave a void in a person’s heart, mind, and soul. This void is filled with something, it is not left void.  Worldly and fleshly wants, desires, and temptations abound, and in the absence of desire and seeking of spiritual, heavenly, and Godly things in a person’s life will be consumed by the worldly and fleshly.  Far too many think believing in Jesus Christ is nothing more than an insurance policy to keep from going to Hell and their lives are neither committed or their hearts desire focused on things above. Examine yourself and see. Is your hearts desire for spiritual, heavenly, and Godly things?

26.q. “But those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit”

 

Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

 Ephesians 2:3   among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

 1 Peter 1:14    As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,

 Romans 8:5   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 set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

 1 Peter 4:2   so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

 1 John 2:15-16   Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

To walk in the Spirit means that the Holy Spirit lives in you, to be open and sensitive to the influence of the Holy Spirit, and to live your life desiring the influence of the Holy Spirit. There is no way anyone can fulfill the lust of the flesh as they walk in the Spirit. The two simply don’t go together. The Holy Spirit doesn’t move in us to gratify our fallen desires and passions, but to teach us about Jesus and to guide us in ways that will always honor and glorify Jesus.  How can we think some of the things we think and do some of the things we do that surely do not honor and glorify Jesus Christ? It is when worldly desires, temptations, and self-gratification take a front and center place in our minds.  If we would take every thought, action, and words we are about to speak captive and simply ask ourselves is this in line with God’s Word or what the world thinks is right.  Does it honor and glorify Jesus Christ?  Does it demonstrate the love of Him?

Walking in the Spirit is the key, but it doesn’t always come easily. Often, it is a battle. There is a battle going on inside the Christian, and the battle is between the flesh and the Spirit. As Paul writes, these are contrary to one another – they don’t get along at all. When the flesh is winning the inside battle, you do not do the things that you wish. You don’t live the way you want to; you live under the flesh instead of under the Spirit. Our inner being (sinful nature) is fully trained in rebellion and fleshly and worldly desires. We intentionally choose to be influenced and led by either our old nature or the Spirit of God.  This battle between that which honors and glorifies and that which does not and which one will win comes down to what we choose to allow into our hearts, minds, and souls.  Out of the abundance of the heart, all actions and words take root.  Fill your heart with God’s Word. Desire it.  Seek it. Cherish it. Obey it. Believe it. Trust it. Cling to it.  Rely on it. Desire the Holy Spirit to lead you.  If God’s Word is set aside or placed out of sight (not set in high regard) you are helpless against the fleshly and worldly.