Romans 8:5–8; 1 Corinthians 2:12–16; 2 Corinthians 4:2–4

Bible Studies for Life
Chair and Armstrong Professor of Religion, Department of Religion, Samford University

Are You in the Right Mind?
Romans 8:5–8; 1 Corinthians 2:12–16; 2 Corinthians 4:2–4
In his classic little book “Your Mind Matters,” John Stott, one of the great leaders of evangelical Anglicanism, made the comment that “knowledge is indispensable to Christian life and service.” He also challenged his readers to realize that “if we do not use the mind which God has given us, we condemn ourselves to spiritual superficiality.” On several occasions, Paul focused on the importance of the mind for Christian living and obedience, encouraging the church in Philippi to “let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus” and calling the church in Romans to be “transformed by the renewing” of their minds.

Flesh vs. Spirit (Rom. 8:5–8)
In this passage, Paul drew a sharp contrast between believers who are “in Christ Jesus” and those who have never responded to the message of God’s saving grace. He spoke of those who live according to the flesh as those who “set their minds on the things of the flesh” whereas Christians are those who “set their minds on the things of the Spirit.” The latter brings believers into a relationship with God characterized by “life and peace” rather than “death.” For Paul, although sinful actions demonstrate a person’s spirituality, he also stressed the thought processes that create attitudes that lead to particular patterns of behavior.

For Paul, it is the Christian mind that must be the initial and transformative center of renewal. This not only includes our thought processes but also the things that we concentrate upon, mull over, focus upon in our daily lives. Paul encouraged those who have experienced the saving power of Christ to abandon thinking about the things of the flesh and concentrate on the things of the Spirit.

Blindness vs. Sight (2 Cor. 4:2–4)
In this passage, Paul appeared to equate the term “conscience” with “mind” and argued that unbelievers are spiritually blinded by the “god of this age.” Conscience and mind are human faculties that enable human beings to make moral decisions with regard to lifestyle. For Paul, minds and consciences can be controlled by the “god of this age” or Jesus Christ, the Lord of those who follow Him as disciples. Paul had already told the Corinthian church (1 Cor. 8:5) that there are “many gods and many lords” in the world. Whatever or whoever takes priority in our lives, controlling our decisions, is our “god.” Living in a world filled with actual idols that people worshiped, Paul’s words bring a particular challenge to our lives, asking us if Christ is the determining center of our lives.

Craig Gay describes contemporary Christians as “going about their daily business in this world without giving God much thought.” George Barna recently suggested that the best term to describe many Christians today would be “casual,” those who do not get excited about their faith. In such a situation, the minds and consciences of believers have become dulled at best and blinded at worst.

Human Wisdom vs. the Mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:12–16)
In our final section on this topic, Paul focused on the role of the Holy Spirit, who enables the child of God to be truly spiritual in his or her thinking, in all his or her attitudes and actions. It is only a person who has received the gift of the Spirit — and for Paul, this means all Christians — who can begin to know the “mind of Christ” and be empowered to live differently.

Alastair McGrath, the English evangelical, calls the Holy Spirit the “Cinderella of the Holy Trinity” whose person and work we minimize perhaps because of some of the excesses of modern-day Pentecostalism. Yet we ought to question why we make so little of the Holy Spirit and His workings in our lives as individuals and churches, if the mark of spirituality is a vibrant experience of His ministry in our lives. Paul believed the church should be Spirit-rich, filled with the Spirit of love and life, of holiness and service, and he encouraged us to cultivate the Spirit’s working so that the fruit of the Spirit might be manifested in our lives.