A Mind Set on God

July 14th, 2026
by Billy Arce

"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. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:5-8

When I posed the question on Sunday, "Who Cares"? I wonder what your initial response was? Was it, "EXACTLY, WHO CARES?! Or was it more like, "I do, very much so"! Or maybe you fell somewhere in between indifference and very interested in where I was going with the message.

The point of the question was to get you to reflect on what kind of Mindset you were currently operating in. Do I have a mind set on God, or a mind set on Man? How you responded to this question exposes in light of scripture what your mindset is, because in our main text 1 Cor. 1:18 The Apostle Paul says "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Those who truly have a mind set on God, cares about God, cares about what God says, and would never say the Gospel message is foolishness, because there is no other way that a man or woman can be saved from their sins. So the spiritually minded person responds, that is how I found life and peace, by believing in the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through faith, receiving the free gift of eternal life by grace and then living my life accordingly, with Love as the motivation.

The Gospel Message

Eph 2:4-9

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

So we were created for good works but we are not saved by good works.

By the Blood of Jesus and by His Mercy and Grace we are in right standing before a Holy God. So We preach Christ Crucified because the same salvation that saves from sin also sets us apart from sin.

Now remember, ONCE UPON A TIME we all lived according to the flesh, all the time and everyday but when the grace of God appeared we became Born again of the Spirit, and so let us live according to the Spirit and LIVE the abundant life Jesus came to give us.

In the second letter to the Corinthian church Paul writes
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 2 Cor 13:5

Sobering words so that we might SEE if our lives match our profession of faith.

As we learned on Sunday to rightly examine ourselves or to truly know what kind of Mindset we have we need a Spiritual Mirror. Which is The Bible, the Word of the LIVING GOD. In a man centered mindset, people look at themselves by comparing themselves to other people based on the outer appearance of what man or culture thinks is important, AKA the Carnal Mind. The purpose of the spiritual mirror is NOT to compare self with other Christians or to make a better version of yourself, but a God centered mindset looks at the Perfect Law of Liberty, to see the Glory of the Lord, so that we might be transformed not into a better version of self, but into the image of Jesus Christ.

James 1:22-25
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

2 Cor 3:18

18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

When we look away from self and stare deeper each day into the Glory of The Lord, only then will we see ourselves transformed into image of Christ.

Remember, that is how we all can still fall short of God's glory by preferring other images like glorifying man, glorifying self, or creation over the Creator.

Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man... Romans 1:23

So lets all have A Mind set on God and seek the Wisdom from Above over a man-centered mindset that seeks man's approval and lives under the influence of Satan's demonic wisdom.
So use the list below as a Mirror Check to which one you are:

WISDOM FROM ABOVE

Pure and Peaceable
Gentle and Willing to Yield
Full of Mercy and Good Fruits
Without Partiality and Without Hypocrisy

DEMONIC WISDOM

Self-Seeking and Bitter Envy
Earthly (Worldly) and Sensual

James 3:13-18
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and EVERY EVIL THING ARE THERE. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Here is another MIRROR CHECK: IN APPLICATION

5 ways to Discern God's will in your decision making: (can this choice be made to)

The Glory of God
The Word Of God (aligning with)
The People of God (asking for counsel from)
Practical Provision of God (has the Lord provided monetarily)
The Peace Of God (through prayer and 1-4 have found God's Peace in the decision).

A Mind Set on God finds their Holiness and Happiness in seeking God First.

Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies,
And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who retain her
Proverbs 3:13-18
and she, meaning wisdom comes from Him!

JESUS CHRIST THE WISDOM AND POWER OF GOD