MIND THE THINGS OF THE SPIRIT

"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." -Galatians 5:25 [KJV]

These two things the enemy of souls works powerfully against. (1st.) To keep sinners from coming to Christ for salvation. (2d.) When they are come, to prevent their enjoying the comfortable knowledge that Christ is their Saviour. And our own legal hearts, and wicked natures, join the enemy of our peace and salvation in both. But love lives and reigns above. Our Saviour sees how it is with us, and sends the power of His Spirit to help, relieve, and comfort us. 

The dear Spirit, when dead in sin, quickens us: then He guides us in our walk. What need we then of exhortations? Much, very much; for, consider, The walk is ours: to order our steps aright, is the work of the Holy Spirit. (3d.) Our comfortable enjoyment of our interest in Christ, is experienced in a holy walk, or walking in the Spirit. The battle is the Lord’s. Yet David was to engage and conquer Goliath. “The LORD gave him the victory” (I Samuel 17:47.) 

Therefore, (4th.) Exhortations point out our weakness, our need of the Spirit’s help; and they excite us to pray for it. What is it to walk in the Spirit? 

 (1st.) It is to mind the things of the Spirit. Those spiritual truths revealed in the gospel, concerning our hope of eternal life by the sin-atoning death, law-fulfilling life of the Son of God. It is to set our affections upon Christ, seek all our happiness in Him, to expect daily comfort from Him; to make His precious blood and everlasting righteousness our constant plea, expecting the reviving sense of God the Father’s favour and love to us, only in Him. 

(2d.) It is to go forward, step by step, day by day, looking for and depending on the Spirit’s assistance, to keep our souls close to Jesus, and to maintain fellowship with Him. And to shew that our hearts are simple and sincere, we shall be diligent in the means of grace, studious to exercise our graces on Christ, and be uniform in the discharge of every duty. What a blessed walk is this! This is the walk of comfort, peace, and holiness. Do you not find it so? Persevere in it. 

So will you walk above the accusing terrors of the law, the grovelling life of sense, the defiling life of lusts, the vain life of worldly pleasures, and the distressing life of Satan’s power. Wouldest thou enjoy spiritual comforts? These can only be found in a spiritual walk. Dost thou complain for want of them? Examine thy walk: say not, this is legal. What! is it legal to follow the Lord wheresoever He goeth? Beware, lest carnal notions prevail; and by living after the flesh, you condemn what is truly evangelical and spiritual. “They who are after the Spirit, do mind the things of the Spirit” (Romans 8:5.)

-preacher William Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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