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doomed to a Christian life in which we just manage to `muddle through'? Must we then
`do the best we can' and leave it at that? Can we never satisfy our God by fulfilling His
wishes for us? It is at this point the great doctrine of Justification by Faith comes to our
aid. For in Rom. 12: we read of the conflict between `the good that I would' and `the
evil which I would not'. The solution is in verse 25:
"So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin."
Paul at least, of the next chapter clarifies the matter:
"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after
the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually
minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not
subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot
please God" (Rom. 8: 5-8).
Here is a clear denial of the idea wrongly attributed to the doctrine of Justification by
Father, that the one justified can now do as he pleases, living a carnal life. For those who
`mind' the things of the flesh `cannot please God'. It is plain that the mind which serves
`the law of God', is a mind which is occupied with the things of the Spirit. If our
thinking and our desires are directed to pleasing God, then, and only then, our
endeavours, our intentions are accepted as well pleasing unto the Lord. As some one has
put it "The Will of God for us is that we should will to do the will of God". Our minds
and our `minding' should be directed to God and set `on things above', for `as he thinketh
in his heart, so is he' (Prov. 23: 7). The believer is what his thoughts are. Am I no
better than my thoughts? What a challenge to us all!
The responsibility for our thoughts rests squarely with us. It is true we cannot keep
wrong thoughts out of our minds, but we are accountable if they remain there. Luther is
reported to have said, in this connection, "You cannot stop the crows alighting on your
heads; but you can stop them making nests in your hair". Many thoughts, in the course
of the day, come into our minds from `the world, the flesh and the devil', we have the
responsibility not to welcome them into our minds. Our responsibility to God is to be
able to say with Paul:
"With the mind I myself serve the law of God."