5)
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.
6)
For to be carnally minded
is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7)
Because the carnal mind is
enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can
be.
8)
So then they that are in
the flesh cannot please God.
9)
But ye are not in the
flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if
any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of
his.
10)
And if Christ be in you,
the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of
righteousness
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T |
hroughout the Bible, the scriptures make specific requirements of one who will belong to the Lord. Despite the fact that one can read these for himself, a major problem, today, is a lack of understanding concerning those very requirements.
One
of the reasons that people are so confused is, no doubt, related to the
proliferation of bad doctrine. In whatever direction one turns, he can hear
different versions of what God wants, doesn’t want, expects and doesn’t expect.
What
is one of the most dangerous things about this bad doctrine? It deceives people
into believing that one has a right to make a personal decision about what he
will believe.
Our
scripture today tells us that anyone who is without the Spirit of Christ does
not belong to Him. This is stated openly and emphatically. In that the truth is
so plainly revealed, how can it be so casually explained away?
There
is only one way to belong to Christ—just as there is only one standard of
salvation. This stands to reason, as there is only one heaven.
If
we would ever receive any help, we must first accept the definition that God
gives for what man is. We cannot allow ourselves excuses in an effort to deny
original sin, but must acknowledge the cold, hard fact: our nature is sinful
and, outside of Christ, we are destined for hell. This means that one
professing salvation and intending to go to heaven must be spiritual through
every situation.
In
a nutshell, one with the Holy Ghost is spiritual, one without Him is fleshly.
Considering God’s kingdom is holy, how could one ever preach the word of God
without possessing the Spirit of God? After all, he would be an unholy, fleshly
vessel attempting to disseminate a Holy Word.
Everyone
(or perhaps, more precisely, “not just anyone”) can proclaim the word of God.
There are three essential requirements: 1) One must be saved (baptized in water
and of the Spirit), 2) prepared and 3) sent. Once one has his “arsenal,” then,
he can go and preach. However, beware: If you are not willing to “practice what
you preach,” do you really need to be preaching?
One
who is about the business of God will tell others what God requires out of us.
Man must realize that as much as he would like to be able to change it, the
standard of salvation was set long before we were ever saved. God never has
changed and never will change for each individual who comes into salvation. It
is us who must change for Him.
Far
too many cite other people or circumstances as their excuse for not being
saved. But, what gets us out of the will of God? Sin, which
evolves from our reactions to things. The question is,
can anybody cause us to react when we are thinking spiritually? No. Refusal to
react will enable us to praise God no matter what others may have to say of our
situation.
So,
since “reacting” is common to human beings, what we are we to do to belong to
the Lord? We must face the fact that changes have to be made (if not already)
and had to be made (if we are already one of His) in our lives.
Desiring
a “let-me-do-everything” salvation does not seem to keep one from believing
that he can belong to the Lord. What one with this philosophy fails to ask
himself is, “but, didn’t I do that before I got saved?” If one would question
himself, and find himself answering in the affirmative, from what then was he
saved?
Whether
saved or unsaved, if you have trouble in your life, if you know that you are
falling short, you need to seek Gods help! Rarely does a rescuer just “happen”
to find the lost. Then, once he is found, the rescued must be willing to turn
his life completely to the Lord. Anyone willing to do so, will be assured of enjoying
all His blessings.
Anyone
willing to accept the power of God will be saved. Why? Because
the Lord is concerned enough about the souls of men to great lengths to lead us
to the truth. However, we do have a responsibility to accept truth once
we have been exposed to it. If we are sincere, the Lord will assure that this
happens.
Those possessing the truth,
particularly those preaching it, much do so “in season” and “out of season” as
the scripture admonishes.
Not to be separated is the requirement to live holy every day of our saved
life. No one will see heaven otherwise.
What
is missing in the lives of many saints? Joy. Joy that
permeates everything and is overcome by nothing. Perhaps, this attribute
alone, is more important than anything!
As
those who can help others come to an understanding of “how to belong to
Christ,” we have a responsibility to spare no details. But, far too many are
stumbling around in darkness because we are not specific in what is actually
necessary for salvation. To be effective, we must be the first partakers of
God’s requirements. This is of the utmost importance, because particularly
today, saint and sinner alike avoid responsibility. However, the fact remains
that what God has said, He has said and He cannot require less of us than He
has required of Himself.
Belonging
to Christ accomplishes many things. One is that we will be vested with all the
victory and power that could be ours only through Jesus’ death on the cross. No
doubt, the most noble aspiration the Lord has for us
is that of living a completely fulfilled life. We settle for the mediocre when
He has for us the magnificent.
Once
we master submitting and committing ourselves to the Lord, we will be “qualified”
to teach and illustrate to others, “how to belong to Christ.”