they so continue, the fulfillment of their lives will be nothing, they have sown to their

flesh and will reap ruin (Gal. 6: 8). How sad it is that `many walk' so.

But there are those who `go long with' the new nature begotten in the believer by God.

Such occupy their minds with spiritual things (Rom. 8: 5). They find that `to be

spiritually minded is life and peace': a clear inference, surely, that if our minds are

occupied with spiritual things we shall find we are doing the will of God, for the things of

the spirit are the things of God.

It is precisely the same verb `to mind' (phroneo) which Paul uses in Phil. 2: 5 "Let

this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus". Let this disposition, intention, or

purpose be in you which was also in Christ Jesus; let the content of your mind be as the

content of His mind. Clearly the content of His mind was `things above'. It is not

surprising, then, to find Paul using the same verb in Col. 3: 2 "Set your affection on

things above": the things above occupy your minds, not those upon the earth. The

previous verse perhaps makes clearer what is entailed in setting the affections on the

things above:

"Seek after, search out, inquire into, investigate" those things which are above.

Obviously this entails effort and the expenditure of time. The passive aspect of it is that

we should be mindful of the things above, the active that we search out, give diligence to

the things above. Nor should "Bereans" need any exhortation so to do, professing to

emulate the Bereans of Acts 17: 11, who `searched the Scriptures daily, whether those

things were so'. A different word is used for `search', but it is one which is at least

equally strong, meaning `to search out'. Again there is emphasis on zeal in connection

with the Scriptures and things above in II Tim. 2: 15, "Study to shew thyself approved

unto God". The word `study' is perhaps rather limited compared with the original, which

would better be translated "Give diligence". Clearly in the context of `rightly dividing

the word of truth' study is involved, but diligence also is required. It is not enough to do

study for the purpose of preparing a talk, and then do no further `searching out' until

another talk demands it. So also diligence is required in making time for the things of the

spirit, and sometimes in making the effort to search them out.

We need to `let this mind' be in us `which was also in Christ Jesus'. We need minds

so occupied with the things and will of God that there is nothing we count so dear as to

keep us from the things of the spirit. If we find the prospect daunting, let us remember

that the one who exhorted `Let this mind be in you', himself said:

Again he strikes the note of diligence in the word he uses for `follow'; it is the word

often translated `persecute'. He will give all the zeal and intensity, the persistence and

patience which is the mark of a persecutor, to the attainment of that for which he has been