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being born again, carnal mind, children of God, faith, Martin Luther, Oswald Chambers, sanctification, spiritual mind, the new self, the old self, true faith
Crocuses in the City Park (Stadtpark Fürth, March 2015)
Photo by Susanne Schuberth
In the past I read rather often that Christians tried hard to be “more spiritual” because they had observed others who seemed to have arrived at a more mature level of spirituality than they themselves. And at that point as insecurity set in, they began to ask, “How do we get there? How to become spiritual at all or even more spiritual?”
The apostle Paul defined Christian spirituality for us. He wrote in his letter to the Romans,
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.
6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot.
8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
10 But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
(Rom 8:5-10 ESV)
Putting the cart before the horse by beginning with verse 10, we see that it is even mandatory that Christ is dwelling IN us and that we do need Christ’s Spirit so that we may know that we truly belong to God (verse 9) as His beloved children who know that there is nothing to fear for them because of God’s great love (cf. Rom 8:15-16) through which we may tenderly call Him, “Abba! Father!”
The longer part of Romans 8 I quoted above shows that there is a big difference between the flesh and the Spirit of God. We also read that our flesh and its desires are always opposed to what the Spirit wants (see Gal 5:17). Alas, Romans 8:8 even says that we cannot please God if we are still in the flesh! What a saddening statement is this!! Additionally, we also know that only those who have true faith can please God as Hebrews 11:6 confirms. What a dilemma we are in if we suddenly realize that we are not yet spiritual as it is described here. In fact, we can try whatever we think that makes us more spiritual, it won’t be of any avail if it is not God’s Spirit who leads us from the inside of our whole being so that we are enabled to think, say, and do what is pleasing in His eyes,
“for all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (Rom 8:14 ESV)
Although I know that I already quoted that part of Martin Luther’s exposition on Romans 8 in another blog article before, I decided to do it again in order to point to the importance of receiving true faith from God. Here are Luther’s notes.
Faith is a work of God in us, which changes us and brings us to birth anew from God (cf. John 1). It kills the old Adam, makes us completely different people in heart, mind, senses, and all our powers, and brings the Holy Spirit with it. What a living, creative, active powerful thing is faith! It is impossible that faith ever stop doing good. Faith doesn’t ask whether good works are to be done, but, before it is asked, it has done them. It is always active. Whoever doesn’t do such works is without faith; he gropes and searches about him for faith and good works but doesn’t know what faith or good works are. Even so, he chatters on with a great many words about faith and good works.
Faith is a living, unshakeable confidence in God’s grace; it is so certain, that someone would die a thousand times for it. This kind of trust in and knowledge of God’s grace makes a person joyful, confident, and happy with regard to God and all creatures. This is what the Holy Spirit does by faith. Through faith, a person will do good to everyone without coercion, willingly and happily; he will serve everyone, suffer everything for the love and praise of God, who has shown him such grace. It is as impossible to separate works from faith as burning and shining from fire. Therefore be on guard against your own false ideas and against the chatterers who think they are clever enough to make judgements about faith and good works but who are in reality the biggest fools. Ask God to work faith in you; otherwise you will remain eternally without faith, no matter what you try to do or fabricate.
(Martin Luther’s Bible Commentary, “Vorrede auf die Epistel St. Paul an die Römer”)
Before closing this article, I want to return to two verses of Romans 8. We read above that those whose minds are set on the Spirit have life and peace whereas those whose minds are set on the flesh cannot submit to God’s law – which is LOVE – and thus “feel” death in their spirit (Rom 8:6-7). The mind who is set on the flesh is even hostile to God, or in other words, hates God. Therefore, we may conclude that they who enjoy peace in their life in all they do or don’t do because they simply rely on the guidance of God’s Spirit and no longer on their own ideas and plans of how life should look like, might be (more) spiritual while those who add God as a simple “helper” to complete their own conception of life are still carnally minded. Oswald Chambers helps us with finding out where we might stand here. He wrote,
Are you quarrelsome and easily upset over small things? Do you think that no one who is a Christian is ever like that? Paul said they are, and he connected these attitudes with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible that instantly awakens a spirit of malice or resentment in you? If so, that is proof that you are still carnal. If the process of sanctification is continuing in your life, there will be no trace of that kind of spirit remaining.
If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He doesn’t ask you to make it right; He only asks you to accept the light of truth, and then He will make it right. A child of the light will confess sin instantly and stand completely open before God. But a child of the darkness will say, “Oh, I can explain that.” When the light shines and the Spirit brings conviction of sin, be a child of the light. Confess your wrongdoing, and God will deal with it. If, however, you try to vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.
What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone you will know it— it is the most real thing you can imagine. And God will see to it that you have a number of opportunities to prove to yourself the miracle of His grace. The proof is in a very practical test. You will find yourself saying, “If this had happened before, I would have had the spirit of resentment!” And you will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.
Read more here http://utmost.org/am-i-carnally-minded/
Entering the Promised Land 
Susanne, I appreciate the post. I will need to read it again. I could not discern my own condition.
Love in Him,
Pat Orr
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Thank you, Pat!
I admit that it might not be that easy to discern where we stand, my dear sister. Between a mere carnal mind and a perfected spiritual and thus Christ-like mind there are countless stages possible since the sanctification process is very long. I am reminded of Paul’s admonition to walk by the Spirit and not in the flesh, an exhortation that was necessary for those who still had the tendency to walk after the flesh because it was their habit to do so.
Love you in Him,
Susanne
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Amen to all you said, dear Jacqui! I have nothing to add, it fits all perfectly to the post. 🙂
Love,
Susanne xx
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Sue that was the perfect post for me–a most imperfect follower of Christ–this Easter is my fortieth year of being INTO Christ–and I have been so minded here lately of how much I want Christs life to be visible for others to taste and for me to be so aware of His control–thanks for this message–I will be reading it some more and letting it sink in–you can bet on that!
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Mmmhhhh….. You’re very welcome, my dear brother! 🙂
That was so sweet of you, dear Kenneth, and very encouraging for me, too. Honestly, I am never sure about how my articles will be received when I write sometimes teachings, like this one, and then rather testimonies which are clearly a different thing. I am so relieved to hear that you found the post even perfect for you. Indeed, I did not even think about writing such an entry. Actually, I awoke on Sunday in the morning with merely the headline in my mind and I felt until Monday evening that I could somehow write about it, however, I had no idea how to do it. And while I was cooking dinner (chicken legs, mashed potatoes, and mixed vegetables), I suddenly KNEW what to write and left the kitchen again and again in order to type a bit. God is so funny, isn’t He… 😉
Happy to hear that you will reread it too. In fact, I would be bored to death with reading my own stuff again and again. So I assume it must be the Lord behind. 😀
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Wow! You wrote it while cooking dinner? 🙂 You are an amazing woman! BTW, that is one of my favorite meals. You cook like an American wife and your English is so American, too. But, dear Susanne, the most wonderful thing about you is your spirit that is so in tune with God. Yup, truly amazing.
Holy hugs to you my sister!
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Hahahaha… Thanks for your lovely compliments, Michael. 😀
Love your spirit too, my brother! ❤
Holy hugs back,
Susanne
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Kenneth, I love where your heart is. I hope to get to know you better in the days ahead, dear brother.
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Mike that would be a great moment for me and I would love to have a meeting with all the people that comment on your blog site and Sues not failing to mention Sue herself.
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That was lovely again, Kenneth. It is the same for me. Would love to get to know you and all others on here and on there (AWV) as well. 🙂
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Susanne, the longer I live the more I see that walking by faith is totally a gift from God, for this gift is called “the faith of Jesus Christ.” If we find that we do not have that faith, I think we can ask for it, though. Jesus said, “Ask and you shall receive.” Paul wrote,
“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith OF Jesus Christ, even we have believed in [grk. eis – INTO] Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith OF Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16 KJV – emphasis added)
It is God who is the originator of everything and it was by Christ that all things have been made including the faith by which be believe. Paul wrote,
“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive together with Christ, (BY GRACE you are saved;)” (Ephesians 2:4-5 KJ2000 – Emphasis added)
“For BY GRACE are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJ2000 – Emphasis added)
It might seem like I am splitting hairs here, but we are saved by the GRACE of God who places the faith of Christ in us by the power of His grace. His grace moving upon and in us is where our faith to believe comes from and not by anything we can generate within ourselves. “While we were yet sinners, Christs died for us” AND while we were yet sinners God moved on us with His breath of Life and gave us the life of Christ. So, it is by His empowering grace we believe and totally trust in Jesus to be Christ in us, so it is that we trust IN HIM to do those works which Father has ordained us to walk in.
“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 KJ2000)
So, what is left for us to do? If the “us” in us is old Adam, there is one answer, “Die!” If our “us” is “Christ in us the hope of glory,” we have one thing to do and that is REST while HE does the works through us that Father has ordained from the foundation of the world to be done. This is summed up in Paul’s words, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
One more thought, Where does the love of God and the Spirit come in with this dynamic we call resting in Christ? Paul wrote,
“For we through the Spirit [the empowerment of His grace] WAIT for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision; BUT FAITH WHICH WORKS THROUGH LOVE.” (Galatians 5:5-6 KJ2000 -emphasis added)
Through the Spirit who abides in us we WAIT! We don’t run out and try to earn our salvation or even keep ourselves saved by doing good works. As we wait upon and have confidence in Christ IN whom we live, HE moves on us and in us with HIS love and from that love the works we are to do become obvious as well as being empowered by His grace. It is IN Christ that “we live and move and have our being,” It is HIS grace upon us, His Spirit in us, His faith in which we rest and His love that moves us to act… and not ever are any of these things of ourselves. Oh what a great salvation Christ has give we who believe! Amen.
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Yes and amen to all you wrote on here, Michael. Excellent comment! ⭐
And no hairsplitting of yours since you elaborated very well on the connection between grace and faith and love. Indeed, at the end of the day, ALL good things come from above…
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I am not sure where I stand on this. Seems at times I am carnal and at times I am spiritual. Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.
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Fred , it is the same for all of us until we have learned to continually (re)act to God’s gentle guidance. Sometimes we are carnal and at other times we are spiritual. In fact, it is alone God’s grace that enables us to finally listen to His subtle voice at all times. So, no need to worry, my friend. 🙂
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