2016 picture of Ray Sparre

Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67



Wed Aug 17, 2022

Good morning, Zane.

Glad to have you stop by last evening. Thanks for your bit of help on our deck repair/replace. Hope you made it through your work shift OK last night. Ain’t nothin’ easy!...including the theme we address in this devotional message.

Blessings on your day. Love and prayers—Tua/Ray.


17 August
Romans 8:1-17
“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)

Allow me to put forth what I believe to be a vital thesis: It is critically important to understand that BIBLICAL MIND CONTROL is foundational to successful BIBLICAL LIVING. If our minds are not controlled by the “law of the Spirit of life” in Christ, then, by default, they will be controlled by “the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). We can boil it down to a fundamental axiom that can go like this: THINK RIGHT—LIVE RIGHT.

It occurs to me that we have just given ourselves a clear explanation for why the Christian faith is so often given a bad name (“bad press”). It’s because so many claim Christian affiliation without being personally affiliated with Christ—without being transformed in their minds by personal ongoing connection (relationship)—connecting with “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” Indeed, uncrucified people trying to live or represent the “crucified life” presents a whacked and bizarre spectacle that displays all kinds of contradictions.

Let’s take a few moments to walk through a few other scriptures that underscore this essential truth. Firstly, I want to review what I believe is a kind of key scripture—John 6:63, where Jesus states, “The WORDS I have spoken to you are SPIRIT and they are LIFE.” I’m going to take the liberty to create a special phrase—SPIRIT WORD OF LIFE, and incorporate it into the following verses in exchange for the words “word” and “Spirit.”

Please join me in paying attention. And please carefully examine this question: Who or what is primarily controlling your mind?

“God’s answers are always wiser than our prayers.”