One plus One Equals One

(5-23-04)

Rom.8:1-8

Rom 8:6  For the mind-set [or, way of thinking] of the flesh [is] death, but the mind-set of the Spirit [is] life and peace.

“life and peace.” What a blessing these two words are when they find their strength combined in a common yoke. In Christ these two words are in reality yoked together in the believer. Our theme for this month has been our uniqueness in Christ, not a uniqueness for the sake of attention, but because of the reality of it.

          This reality is not based on any one of us individually but on what we become in union with Jesus and the Father through the Holy Spirit. (Eph.5:25-33) There is a mystery here, in both the family and the Church. What is formed out of the union is not what either entity could be without the other. There is a brand new thing, and that is the reality.

Paul in recognition of this shift in existence speaks of there being a responsibility to honor and maintain this compilation, this union, this oneness out of 2ness. In Romans 5:6 he speaks of an advantage or blessing of this maintenance – life and peace. (Prov.21:19, 27:15)

Pro 27:15  A nagging spouse is like the drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet; Pro 27:16  You can't turn it off, and you can't get away from it. (MSG)

          No I am not trying to pick on woman! I am talking of each of us as brides of Christ. What causes a wife to be a contentious nag? Who can say? What would keep a wife from being one? That is answerable – being of the like mind of her husband. It is about the set of ones mind, the minds focus. Notice Paul’s concluding remarks in Eph.5:33 After explaining that the mystery of two becoming one and that talk being directed to the Church, even though it is true of the man and woman, he expresses this insight – “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

          The husband is to love and the wife to respect (honor) This is the way of life and peace. Can we safely conclude that Jesus as our husband is doing His part? I have no doubts there, even when we are a constant dripping to Him. He is faithful even in our faithlessness.

          Paul in Romans 8:6 uses a word that only finds its place once in Scripture – this word ‘mind-set’. This way of thinking. If advice or guidance or direction is to have value to the hearer it must find its place in the comprehension of the hearer or it loses it value. When I look for further usage of this word ‘mind-set’ I end up at a terribly marvelous story. (please be mindful that I am looking for word usage to further our understanding and not trying to elevate some other writings to a place of prominence)

          The story is found in 2 Maccabees 7:1-41 (21) “And she bravely exhorted every one of them in her own language, being filled with wisdom: and joining a man’s heart to a woman’s thoughts,…” (Douay, 1609)

          “She encouraged each in turn in her native language. Filled with noble resolution, her woman’s thoughts fired by a mans spirit, she said to them -…” (The New English)

          This woman, a mother of seven sons, was forced to watch them be tortured to death, or deny their Lord and God in whom was their life. She encouraged each to be strong and endure in faithfulness. Her mind was set on a greater reality than their momentary afflictions.

“LIFE AND PEACE” is our uniqueness in Jesus Christ.