We have solid ground and a firm foundation for cliaming that down through the generations something / someone got into the minds of men
Men are fascinated with this idea : communication from another dimension
Popular culture and entertainment is full of it: Star Wars, Star Trek, V, ET, Alien, Dr Who.
The occult offers it: Ghost, Poltergeist, Exorcist, Wiji Boards, Sceances
The Bible clearly presents consistent communication from God to man over many generations.
God spoke in the past:
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets” (Heb 1:1)
God spoke in Christ:
“Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” (Heb 1:2)
God speaks in the present:
“If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”(1Pe 4:11)
This revelation from God is not rejected because it lacks robost evidence: 66 books, 40 authors, 2000 years, 1 consistent message, progressive revelation, 100's of fulfilled prophecies, 1 set of moral values.
These men had come into contact with 1 consistent message concerning, for them, future events which has been consistently fulfilled, despite opposition to the contray and the passing of their own live.
Why then is suh a contact / revelation not more popular than it is?
It is not what we want to hear!
It is not the quality / robustness / character of the revelation it is the content of the revelation men do not like!
As early as the book of Job: “Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.” (Job 21:14)
Johns Gospel: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” (Joh 3:19)
Isaiah: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isa 53:3)
The evidence has stood perhaps the greatest test of all: time!
2000 years of scepticism, cynicism, enlightenment, higher criticism, archaeology, science, atheism, existentialism!
Everything that could be thrown at the bible has been thrown at the Bible!
The revelation from God is of a profoundly different moral and spiritual character to myself.
“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.” (Rom 8:5)
Human beings are willing to accept revelation from another dimension / world / a god after their own imagination who is the same or similar to them
Christ and His Spirit (8:9) is profoundly different, He is of a different character.
Down through the generation we have had men who live according to the “Spirit” (8:5)
Men who live according to s different set of values / a higher set of values.
Abraham: willing to take his son Isaac and put him on the altar for God!
Noah: alone in an immoral and godless world, living according to a different set of values
Joseph: a non compromising set of sexual ethics and a fear of God even when compromise might have been the easy option!
David: who refused to raise a hand against the man who sought his life because he was the Lords anointed!
Daniel: cherished his communion with God above even his own life and safety, given the choice between the prayer meeting and the lions den: give me the lions den!
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednigo – who put worshipping the one true and living God beyond even their own safety rather than commit the sin of idolatry!
The Reality (character) of the Spirit filled mind
The Reason for the Spirit filled mind
The Result of the Spirit filled mind
The Reality (character) of the Spirit filled mind
To have a mind filled by the Spirit of God
To have a life in touch with the Spirit of God brings me into touch with God / Christ (v9)
This is firstly a moral experience, it changes me.
How can I say this?
Notice verse 5 begins with “for”
Verse 5 gives the reason therefore for verse 4
The righteousness of Gods law is fulfilled in my life because: the reality of Gods Spirit is filling my mind!
If all men do what they do; sin, because of what they are; sinners, then what causes a man to be different from the rest?
A man like: Abraham, Noah, Joseph, David, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshech and Abednigo?
We need an explanation for the unusual / the abnormal.
That there is / can be known in the life of men a passion for God and His holiness beyond even the concerns for self and the pursuit of the flesh needs explaining (v5).
The Reason for the Spirit filled mind
“after the Spirit” (8:5)
There are 2 possibilities for me:
After the Spirit (v5) marked by the righteous walk (v4) and indwelt by Christ (v10)
After the flesh (v5), minding the things of the flesh (v5), an enemy of God (v7)
The proof of genuine Christianity / salvation is not a past event but rather a present experience!
The sacrifice of Calvary has in view not only my salvation but also my sanctification
There are not 2 kinds of Christians in this section: Spirit filled and carnal but rather 2 kinds of people: believer and unbeliever
Consider verse 3:
“likeness of sinful flesh”: incarnation – Who He is
“for sin” - propitiation / expiation – What He did
“condemned sin in the flesh” - sanctification – Why He did it
The sacrifice of Calvary brought an end to the inevitability of failure, to the link so far unbroken between being human and sinning!
Almost always it is the person who is condemned in scripture, but here it is “sin” who is condemned!
It is sin that is in the dock
It is sin that is dealt with
It is sin that is brought to account
It is sin that is brought an end to.
I live because of Christ. I live for Christ.
Not only salvation but also sanctification.
Not only called to heaven but called to holiness.
The Result of the Spirit filled mind (8:6)
The Spirit filled mind is marked by:
Life
Peace
The present enjoyment of the life of God (8:2)
Peace (8:6):
I know my mind is on the right lines if it is marked by peace.
In Christ:
I have Peace with God (Rom5:1)
I enjoy the Peace of God (Phil 4:7)
A I draw close to Christ I come to the one who is my Peace (Eph2:14)
If I draw close to the one who is “my peace” I would expect to enjoy His Peace!
The mind that enjoys peace is a Spirit filled mind which has:
Set spiritual priorities (Matt 6:24ff)
Knows the Presence of Christ (Jo14)
Marked by Prayer (Phil4)
Takes Practical measures to Preserve Peace (Col 3)
A mind that enjoys peace is a Spirit filled mind which has:
Set spiritual priorities (Matt 6:24ff)
What does Matt chp 6 have to do with peace?
“take no anxious thought for...” (Matt6:25)
Matthew 6 deals with the setting of priorities to enjoy spiritual peace with God
This is practical and important!
We inevitably set such priorities:
| Priority List | Probable List | Possible List |
| Things I will do | Things I intend to do | Things I have no real intention of doing! |
| Eat | Messages to do | Shelf to put up |
| Work | People to contact | Remote control car to fix |
| Personal care |
|
|
If we fail to set such priorities we become very anxious and stressed
We can cope with about 5 or 6 things we need to do, that remain undone before we get stressed
If we fail to set priorities everything quickly becomes a priority
We don't do everything and we can't do everything
Important things then get pushed to the side
We become overwhelmed, anxious and upset!
Notice which list Christ instructs us to put Spiritual matters into: priority list? Prominent/ probable list? Possible list?
v25 – There is eating – priority list
v25 – There is personal care – priority list
v26 – There is work – priority list
So where are spiritual matters? Consider v33
Spiritual matters are over all of that, in a list of their own: pre-eminent list!
In what list is our spiritual life?
If spiritual matters are given equal importance with eating, sleeping, personal care, work they are in the priority list!
If spiritual matters get pushed to the side for other things, they are only in our probable list.
If spiritual matters are left frequently unaddressed and neglected they may only be in our possible list!
Illust: Hudson Taylor and the ½ crown and gold sovereign – spiritual matters were in his pre-eminent list!
Knows the Presence of Christ (Jo14:27)
The peace of knowing His presence in communion and communication, by prayer and in His word!
Marked by Prayer (Phil4:6-7)
“with thanksgiving” - allows us to address our deepest anxieties by looking back and reflecting on “all the way the Lord thy God has led thee these 40 years in the wilderness...”
Takes Practical measures to Preserve Peace (Col 3:12-15)
Church relationships “in one body” (Col 3:15)
Marriage (Col 3:18-19)
Family (Col 3:20-21)
Work (Col 3:22ff)
Personal Relationships (Col 3:12-15)
https://graceinchrist.org/romans
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