Spiritual Minded People

Introduction

In the 9 o’clock hour this morning, we joined our voices along with our hearts together in songs of gratitude. We were reminded to count our many blessings and to name them one by one. And then Greg took our minds where they need to be, and that’s to a place of thanksgiving, of thinking of all of the wonderful, wonderful blessings that we have. You know, being a part of this creation, and then more importantly, in being a part of Jesus Christ. And that reminded me of my list of blessings. A list that’s not only bountifully long, but is rich in each individual entry. Obviously, at the top of that list are spiritual things. God. God who’s rich in his grace and mercy. The Son, the Holy Spirit, through whom we have salvation and revelation.

And I want you to know this morning that you’re on that list. Somewhere below Bluebell milk chocolate ice cream. You’re on my list. No, you’re even above Bluebell ice cream. And I want you to know that you’re included on my list and want you to know that I thank you. I thank you for being here today to worship God in spirit and in truth. And to encourage not just me, but everyone who’s sharing in this like and so precious faith. And I want you to know this morning that I’m not just thankful for you for what it’s worth, I believe in you. That you can do this. That you can be successful in your Christian walk. The world, Satan himself, wants you to believe that you can’t do it.

And so throw up your hands and quit. But I’m here to tell you what the scriptures would have you to know is that you can do it. Because with God all things are possible. You can be a child of God. You can be a faithful and in every sense of the word, successful child of God. And we want to help you in that endeavor. We want to help you to be all that you can be in Christ Jesus. And a part of that means being what we sometimes call spiritually minded. Do you have your New Testament? Turn with me to Galatians chapter 6, to have a familiar text.

Galatians chapter 6 gives an instruction that seems to be limited, this instruction seems to be limited to a particular class of people. In fact, we might say to a particular class, maybe even of Christians, when he says this, Galatians 6 verse 1, brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one. In a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself, lest you also be tempted. Well, we don’t want to look necessarily this morning at that instruction. We want to look at to whom the instruction was given. You who are spiritual. Who are those people? Was Paul simply identifying everyone who is a Christian as being spiritually minded? You know, sometimes we speak that way. We may say of you who are here.

When we’re including really everybody in that particular designation, but it would seem to the reader that in Galatians 6 verse 1, Paul is not speaking to necessarily every Christian, that he is not assuming that everyone who wears the name of Christ is spiritual. It seems that he has narrowed the field to some degree to say this responsibility of restoring the fallen falls to you who are spiritual. Turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 3, and I think this will back up that theory.

As to babes in Christ. And to a group of Christians, Paul says, Unfortunately, I can’t speak to you as spiritual people. You’re not there. You are but babes in Christ. Let’s understand this about babes in Christ, about this concept of spiritual immaturity. There are two classes of people who fall within this category of being spiritually immature or babes in Christ. There are obviously the first category, those who have been fairly recently converted. They are obviously babes. They are obviously immature in their spiritual growth and in their faith. And to this category of people, Christians must be patient. And we must be ever vigilant to help them in their growth and their process. But Paul is not writing to a group, to an entire congregation who had just recently obeyed the gospel.

His correction is not to those who understandably are babes in Christ.

Let’s strive to be those who are spiritual. Let’s strive to be those spiritually minded people. And to that end, I want to ask two questions this morning. The first question is, what does it mean to be spiritually minded? It’s one thing to say that’s what we ought to be. It’s also one thing to say, that’s what I want to be. I strive to be that. But we must first begin with identifying what is what is it? What does it mean to be a spiritual person? What made those people in Galatians 6 verse 1, what made them qualified to be spiritual such that they could be entrusted with the awesome responsibility of restoring their fallen brethren. What was lacking in the saints at Corinth? That they could not be identified as spiritual.

1. Choose a Side in the Spiritual Warfare

The first thing seems to be is that to be spiritually minded means to choose a side in the spiritual warfare. Let’s recognize the obvious.

Paul so eloquently describes that struggle in Romans chapter 7.

That he went through of the desire to do what was right, but his seeming inability to be able to follow through with that. And so he ends up saying, remember what I wanted to do, I couldn’t do, and what I didn’t want to do, I ended up doing. And he describes this inner struggle, this inner spiritual struggle, and to this end he says this in Romans chapter 7, beginning in verse 23, or verse 22, excuse me, Romans 7, verse 22, for I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. No right, striving child of God cannot relate to that, at least at some point in our life, of this struggle, of this spiritual warfare that we feel pulled in at least two different directions.

2. Governed by the Spirit of God

There is a part of us, that’s spiritual part of us that wants to do what is right, wants with every fiber of our being, every word that utters from our mouth, and every action that we undertake to be well pleasing unto God. But there’s something else warring within and without us that is pulling us and telling us and urging us to do the opposite. And so a spiritually minded person is first and foremost one who has chosen a side. That seems rather basic and obvious, but that’s where it must begin, that we simply choose a side. This is what I want to do, at least. This is my desire. And then a spiritually minded person is one having chosen that side in the spiritual warfare, now allows he or she to be governed by the Spirit of God.

That’s what makes us spiritual. That’s the whole concept of being spiritual or spiritually minded. It is based upon and anchored in the Spirit of God. And we decide to be governed by that Spirit. One chapter over in the book of Romans, Romans chapter 8. That’s the whole concept that Paul says in chapter 7, here was this battle, this struggle.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh on the account of sin. He condemned sin in the flesh, 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. Do you see what he’s saying? He’s saying this is the answer to the struggle of chapter 7. Is to quit trying to fight this battle yourself. Quit trying to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. Quit trying to fulfill the requirements of the law yourself and submit yourself to both the will and the power of Jesus Christ.

That’s being spiritually minded, is making the decision with the realization that it is not within me to guide my own steps that I need help. I need divine help. And so I’ll walk in his way, in his steps.

And so I’m governed by that. Such that every decision, both large or small, every action, every word is going to be filtered through the Spirit of God.

3. Follow After Spiritual Things, Not Carnal Things

And if we’re going to see, that makes some requirements of us. But there’s the concept of being spiritually minded. To be spiritually minded is those who follow after spiritual things and not carnal things. That’s why Paul said to the church of Corinth, I wish I could talk to you on this spiritual level. But I can’t. You are still carnal. Their side of conversion had not been completed. And was not even to the point to where it needed to be. We understand the concept of conversion in the Bible. Most of the time we think of conversion of God’s side of conversion. And God’s side of conversion is instantaneous. The moment we submit to Him in trusting faith, we confess that faith, repent of our sins, are being baptized, our sins are instantly washed away.

As we read in the first hour and Psalm, as far as the East is from the West, those sins are removed. And that’s not a gradual process. But there’s another conversion that takes place, and that’s the conversion from the carnal mind to the spiritual mind. And because that is my responsibility and not God’s, it is a gradual process. It’s called growth, spiritual growth. And sadly, those Christians at Corinth were not where they needed to be. The saints, to whom the Hebrew writer addresses his chiding admonition of their spiritual immaturity, were not where they needed to be in that process, and that should have been alarming to them as it is to us. We are alarmed if our physical children are not progressing either physically or mentally as they ought to be.

And you’ll go, oh no. They’re behind. They’re supposed to be walking at day number X, and my kid’s not walking yet. Something’s wrong. And we’re alarmed, sometimes overly alarmed by those things. We should be not just equally, but to a much greater degree alarmed when we are not maturing spiritually in that conversion process. One who is spiritually minded is one who’s growing every day to be more and more enamored and less and less interested in the things of this world. So that’s what it means to be spiritually minded. That should be the goal of every, it is the goal of everyone who’s here this morning. But the next question of equal importance is fine. How do I get there? How do I become spiritually minded? I want that.

4. You Have to Want It: Set Your Mind

I need that. How does it come? First, this seems rather simplistic, but most good ideas are. You just have to want it. You must first make up your mind to be. Turn with me to the book of Colossians, chapter 3. Paul is writing to a group of Christians like you and I and urging them to be spiritually minded. He had told them in chapter 2, verse 12, that they had been buried with him and raised with him. He in speaking of their baptism, he says, something took place when you were baptized. You were buried, symbolizing a death took place of the old man, and you were raised. There is high symbolism in that concept that you have been raised. He tells them that in chapter 2.

Now in chapter 3, he says, if you’ve been raised, then act like it. If you’ve been raised with Jesus Christ in the heavenly places, then act like it. In essence, what he says in Colossians chapter 3 is, become what you are. You’re a Christian, you’re a child of God. You put on Christ in baptism. Now live up to it. And he tells them how they can do that. And the first step he says is this Colossians 3, verse 1. If then you were raised, and again they were, Colossians 2 in their baptism. If you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above. Let’s pause there. He doesn’t use the words, but can we all agree he’s talking about being spiritually minded? Seek those things which are above.

Which is that? A carnal mind or a spiritual mind? That’s the most spiritual of all minds. Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Now, verse 2, set your mind on things above, and not on things of the earth. It may seem strange, the advice I’m about to give. But if you feel that you need to make greater spiritual growth, my first advice is slow down. Slow down. The process must be done God’s way, or it’s not done properly at all. And so slow down and do this. Contemplate what it means to set your mind on things above. Don’t go to step two until you’ve completed step one. Set your mind. Think about that. Really think about that.

What does that mean? To set your mind on something. There’s probably numerous illustrations we could use of somebody who has made up their mind. You ever gone car shopping with somebody? And when they see the car, and you can see the look on their face, you know the car shopping’s over.

5. Put Forth the Effort

And you know that whatever obstacles, payment, yeah. Consumer reports? Yeah. They’ve made up their mind and they’re determined. And there is a more than willing and helpful salesman that’s going to make you meet that goal. They are determined. They want that. And they’re going to make sure that that goal is met and accomplished. Set your mind to this task. With a tenacity and a veracity that nothing is going to stop you. No obstacles, no temptations, no setback, is going to stop you from reaching that goal. Set your mind on things which are above. And then secondly, Paul is going to tell us in this very text that you must now must be willing to put forth the effort. I’m going to get preachy.

That may be more difficult now than it used to be.

Recent history tells me that there was a time more recently when people were willing to put forth the effort. But now we want things instantly. Watch late-night television commercials. You can learn to play the guitar overnight if you’ll buy that program. You can lose weight, you can learn to play any sport almost instantly. We are an instant gratification society, aren’t we? You mean to illustrate that? Have you, like me, ever gotten impatient at the microwave popping your popcorn?

They need to come up with a super microwave that won’t take three minutes to that’s just the way we are, though, aren’t we? Your grandparents, your great grandparents had to go chop wood to build a fire and grow the corn and wait till it reached to maturity before they could pop their popcorn. And you get mad when it takes three minutes. But understand this anything worthwhile requires the expenditure of effort and time. Make the investment. Look what Paul says in Colossians chapter 3. After he says, set your mind, now verse 5, put to death. We’re not going to look at those individual members that he says we’re to put to death. We’ll do that in another lesson. But he says, put to death. There are certain things we have to put off or put to death of that old sinful nature.

Here’s that gradual conversion process. Put to death. And understand this, that this effort is not only Herculean, but it is a continual effort because you don’t just have to put them to death once, do you? That old sinful past is like some horror movie monster. You kill it and it’s going to come right back to life. And you have to kill it again and again and again. Put forth the effort. Put to death. Next. Verse 12. Therefore, as the elect of God, Colossians 3, verse 12, holy and beloved, put on.

If you define your Christianity simply by what you don’t do, you’re only a half a Christian. And a half a Christian is not really a Christian at all. We have to put off or put to death, but at the same time, we have to put forth the effort to put on the graces and the characteristics that God would have us to put on. And I’m going to tell you, there’s not a preacher, there’s not a late-night television huckster that can sell you some kind of way to do that quickly and without effort. And so that’s why you have to set your mind to it. To put forth the effort.

6. Surround Yourself with Spiritually Minded Things and People

It takes a commitment to put on and to put to death. And then lastly, if the scriptures teach us anything, through the character stories of the old and new testament, through the admonitions, constant admonitions to his children, God says this, surround yourself with spiritually minded things and people.

If you sat near to me, you’re saying amen right now. But if I want to be better, I can sit by somebody who’s a real good singer. I can sit by somebody that can sing bass and hit those notes, pitch perfect, and I can almost sound like a singer. But I’m going to tell you the other can happen as well. If you’re more tone-deaf than I am, and you’re sitting behind me singing, I’m going to join you and help you right along with your tone-deafness. Life teaches us that concept, doesn’t it? Why we can’t make the spiritual application, I don’t know. But if you want to be a good athlete, surround yourself with good athletes. If you want to be a good student, don’t sit with the bad students, with the troublemaker.

And parents of young people who are no longer faithful to the Lord. And if you ask them the all important question, why, you may be given multiple reasons, but you’ll be given one reason that is universal. That at some point that person chose to hang around with ungodly people. Now, it may be a chicken and egg situation, I don’t know which came first. But it sure helped them in their exodus from God. If you want to be spiritually minded, surround yourself with spiritually minded people. That’s why the Hebrew writer says to not forsake the assembling together. You can’t do this alone. That’s why Paul said in Philippians chapter 4, whatever things are honest, true and good, of good report, think on these things.

You can’t soar with the eagles by hanging around with the vultures.

Conclusion

Set your mind on things which are above. Where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. May God help us to be spiritually minded. You can do it. You’re on your way. Just be willing to put forth the effort. Let yourself be governed by the Spirit of God. Empty yourself of your own selfish will and continue to submit yourself to God. And God will continue to bless you on this wonderful spiritual journey. If you’re not a Christian, you can be spiritually minded as well. Why not be buried with Him today and be raised to walk in newness of life and begin to seek those things that are in that raised realm? Maybe you’ve done that, but you’ve not lived what you were. Then why not make the decision today to again put forth the effort and set your mind on spiritual things?

Can we help you in any spiritual way as you render obedience to the gospel? Let it be known right now as together we stand and sing.