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The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace (Romans 8:6, NASB)
A long time ago, while changing my theology from believing the power, gifts, and miracles were limited to the first century, only to be read about in the Book of Acts, to thinking that the power, gifts, and miracles of the Spirit were a gift to the church from Pentecost to the Second Coming — I ran across this quote. . .
When you think about the things of the Spirit, things of the Spirit begin to happen!
It makes sense: psychologists counsel a positive outlook, coaches teach to visualize victory, and Paul writes in Romans 8 that hope seen is not hope! If we consider ourselves inadequate, we will be inadequate; if we think God is impotent, He will be powerless in our lives.
But when you think about the things of the Spirit, things of the Spirit begin to happen!
What are the “things” of the Spirit?
- Jesus taught the Spirit as our Counselor and Helper, leading us into truth (John 14:15-16).
- Paul said that the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22).
- Paul also taught that we receive gifts (needed abilities) of the Spirit in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4.
I want all the above, how about you? Paul encourages us to “earnestly desire spiritual gifts” (1 Corinthians 14:1). Thinking about the things of the Spirit would qualify as “desiring spiritual gifts.”
When you think about the gifts of the Spirit, the gifts of the Spirit begin to happen!
In Romans 8:6 (at the beginning of this Interruption), we read about our “mind set” on the Spirit. According to one scholar, the meaning can be “inner conviction that regulates outward behavior.”
Wow, our life in Jesus should be utterly focused on the things of the Spirit, or as one translation reads. . .
Listen closely numbskulls, if you don’t think about the things of the Spirit, the things of the Spirit will never happen in your life; and don’t pick and choose, as you can’t choose “fruit” because they seem safer and leave out tongues, prophecy, healing, and miracles. Think about all the things of the Spirit, and all the things of the Spirit will happen to you (overly long and energetic OGV* version of Romans 8:6).
Since I began thinking about the things of the Spirit, I’ve witnessed healings, heard preachers from Asia give witness to resurrections, watched God provide financially consistently, heard testimonies of instantaneous deliverance from addiction, and felt peace in my heart in my life when I should have been fearful or confused.
God wants us to know Him relationally and powerfully. That’s why He gave us the Spirit, so. . .
Let’s think about the things of the Spirit so that the things of the Spirit begin to happen to us.
The OGV version of the Bible is my personal Old Guy Version translation. It’s not a literal or paraphrased version. It’s an “old guy” translation — sort of cranky but hopefully illuminating.