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"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).
As we have already pointed out in the previous article, the mind is filled either with
the things of the flesh, or with the things of the Spirit. There are those believers who
allow themselves to be `at home' in the flesh, and are therefore minding the things of the
flesh; we should be just `lodgers', waiting until the time comes when we shall be where
our minds are set.
The only really practical teaching in the Word of God is to be found in doctrine which
outlines principles which must be personally worked out. No one can do this for me, nor
can anyone do it for you. "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind"
(Rom.xiv.5), for `a double minded man is unstable in all his ways' (James 1: 8). To be
`double minded', to be less than `fully persuaded' can lead to disaster: the man of God in
I Kings 13: allowed himself to be persuaded contrary to his own conviction, and died.
The fact that it was a prophet who brought to him the "Word of Jehovah" made no
difference; he was not fully persuaded in his own mind. Many will tell us what is God's
will for us, but we dare not heed their advice without first searching the Scriptures to see
whether these things are so.
The practical advice for Christian living, for the worthy walk, for finding out the will
of God is to give diligence to the Word of Truth, searching the Scriptures, remembering
that every Scripture is inspired of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction and for instruction in righteousness. The object of the effort (and it may well
take a great deal of effort to find the time) is simply "to (get to) know Him", for He is
"the Way, the Truth and the Life".