WHAT DO YOU THINK?

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.   Romans 8:5-6

There are many differences between the saint and the unbeliever, and some of those differences are very visible, even though they reflect the spiritual life. For one, consider the method of thought processing. From the very beginning, it was the devil's work to change humans over from God's way of thinking to that of Satan's.

God warned that disobedience, a short-term action, would bring on death, a long-term result (Genesis 2:16-17). But Satan, in the serpent for disguise, responded by offering a few short-term pleasures: how the tree was "good for food… a delight to the eyes… and desirable to make one wise" (Genesis 3:6).

Nothing has changed in some 8,000 years. Satan still preaches instant pleasures: lottery instead of work, accomplishing expression through riots and crime instead of patient dedication, and immoral carnal gratification instead of belief in the family model. The idea of "life in the long-term" has become a rare treasure. Instead, humanity has bitten the forbidden fruit and chosen "life on the credit card", while forgetting "be sure your sin will find you out" (Numbers 32:23). Thinking things through to the end has, unfortunately, become almost a lost art, in spite of the inevitable eternity that awaits. The Christian has gained a powerful advantage by re-booting his mind and setting it on the Spirit. This is the best way to avoid the land mines that are hidden in the "broad way to destruction" (Matthew 7:13). Flesh or Spirit: what do you think?

Davy L. Troxel