December 8, 2002

THE MIND OF THE SPIRIT

Romans 8:22-28

   "We know the whole creation groans..." and yet "we know not what to pray for as we ought..." What a plight were it not that "He searches the hearts and knows what is the mind of the spirit" and, makes inter-cession according to God" (Rom. 8:22,26-27). The Spirit of God intercedes for us and yet our prayers are "groanings which cannot be uttered." Can such groans mean anything to the Lord? Can we expect to be answered? Our outlook would be dim except "He that searches our hearts knows what is the mind of the spirit..."

   That God is "the searcher of the hearts" is found throughout the word. "The LORD said unto Samuel...for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7), and Jeremiah wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things...who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins" (Jer. 17:9-10), and Paul wrote, "...the Spirit searches all things..." (1 Cor. 2:10).

   God's searching finds the heart of the believer linked to "the mind of the spirit" based upon which the Spirit makes intercession. Romans 8:6 is the only other time we read of "the mind of the spirit." There it is distinguished from the mind of the flesh. This expression is variously translated, "to be spiritually minded," or "minding the things of the spirit." This word for "mind" in the Greek suggests the "bent" or "inclination" of the mind, and not the mind itself. The Old Testament uses the word "incline" many times to express this same idea. Thus the Spirit of God searches the hearts of the believers and knows what is our inner bent and inclination of our spirits!

   What comfort to the struggling saint faced with infirmity to know that the Lord is not judging our outward acts and uttered words as much as He observes the bent of the heart and spirit. Even Abraham failed a number of times in his walk of faith and the failings are recording for our learning. We perceive, as surely the Lord saw, that his godly "inclination" was there all the time. Thus the Spirit intercedes according to the great purpose of God, that we be conformed to the image of His Son, as well as allows us to experience the vanity and vexation of a world that knows not God!

Ivan L. Burgener