Maintaining a Heavenly Mindset - Part 2

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to 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, nor indeed can be. (Romans 8:5-7, NKJV)

THE FIGHT OF FAITH. Maintaining a heavenly mindset is another way of saying that we walk by faith. And walking by faith is a fight. It is called in Scripture the good fight of faith. Flesh and the natural man always sets his affection downward to the earth and a result he walks about in uncertainty, anxiety and confusion. Jesus commissioned His disciples to go and preach and promised to provide for them along the way. “And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind,” He said (Lk 12:29, KJV). It was and is, no doubt, a fight to abstain from a doubtful mind but yet it is a very necessary fight. The way to victory in the fight of faith is filling your mind with the promises of God and maintaining a focus upward, yea, God-ward. For if our souls are to be anchored in heaven, where God is, we must set our hope there and thereby we will not be moved far from it (Heb 6:19).

Faith has to do with persuasion. Specifically, being fully persuaded of that which is unseen. To walk by faith is to be “convinced” in your own mind (Rom 14:5). Faith is able to see Him who is invisible (Heb 11:27) and be more convinced of Him than of those who are visible. And as it is stated in the Scripture “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:17). Having a heavenly mindset is being more convinced about heaven than earth. It is seeing the world to come as the primary world and this present evil world as an obstacle to overcome. For those who “set their mind on earthly things” (Php 3:19) prove themselves to be “the enemies of the cross of Christ” (Php 3:18). So while a heavenly mindset will make you a misfit here, it will put you in fellowship with those who lived by faith before you.

These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:13-16)

Those who live by faith will never be satisfied with what they have here. They know there is something better and they, by faith and patience, seek to inherit it. And until then, they must fight so as to not be distracted from their calling. They must maintain this heavenly mindset.

TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE. This is a serious matter. If we forget about God, forget about heaven, forget about our inheritance, we will cease striving to obtain them. Heaven must always be in our sights. With ardent zeal we must fight so as to not lose control over what our minds entertain. While we cannot escape the fiery darts (wicked thoughts) of the evil one, we can extinguish them with the shield of faith. While we cannot prevent corrupt thoughts from entering our mind, we can cast them down as soon as we recognize them. Now is time to take up the whole armor of God and wage war.

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

Peter exhorted those dispersed throughout Asia to “Gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ”(1 Pet 1:13). Prepare your minds! Fix your hope completely on the coming of Christ! Be not lulled to sleep by the vain thinking and thoughtless culture of the day. Come up higher! “Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature” (1 Cor 14:20). 

To be mature in our thinking will require that our minds are saturated with the word of God. “Be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets,” Peter urged (2 Pet 3:2). Remind one another of what God has said and of what God has done. Dwell on these things. Speak about them often. “Remember His covenant forever, the word which He commanded, for a thousand generations” (1 Chr 16:15).

Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which He command our fathers, that they should make them known to their children; that the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments; and may not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God. (Psalm 78:1-8)

Do not forget the works of God. Do not forget His commandments. Do not forget His word. Rather, dwell on it day and night. Blessed is the man whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Ps 1:2-3).

EXHORTATION. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things” (Php 4:8).

This will not be easy and it will not come without a fight. The flesh will hate dwelling on heavenly things but the spirit will be quite willing. When you can say with Paul, “I see another law in my members, waring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Rom 7:23), remember that God can give grace so that you may have the victory. Salvation itself, and the new mind, is able to overcome the cares and distractions of this world. Salvation in Christ is a sort of refuge that aids you in this battle for your mind. Of this salvation the prophet said,

In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: “We have a strong city; God will appoint salvation for walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter in. You will keep in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:1-3)