Mind, Spirit, Reason

In this morning’s message, I wrote that "Mind and spirit create reason", or better said, Mind and spirit create our ability to reason, deduce and to think logically. Most think that reasoning comes strictly from the mind. It doesn’t. The spirit of the man is his essence and sentient element. The spirit coupled with his soul enables man to think, feel, perceive and know. Reasoning is a product of both mind and spirit.

This now explains how an intelligent person can have radical if not outright wrong ideas and conclusions. While the intellect of his mind has functioned properly, the spirit of the man is of a baser, meaner sort, thus producing misguided thoughts and conclusions.

An example would be Adolph Hitler. The man was unquestionably a genius. But the spirit of Hitler was unquestionably evil. Genius mind plus an evil spirit produced World War II.

Billy Graham was an intelligent man with the spirit of God active and alive inside of him. Reverend Graham held over 400 crusades, in 185 countries and territories, while reaching more than 215 million people with the word of God.

Two men, both intelligent had two radically different viewpoints and impacts on the world. The difference? One was of a bad and evil spirit, the other of a good and loving spirit.

Mind and spirit are the two components that are essential for reasoning and to be able to reason. The mind needs to be educated. The spirit (and the man) needs to be saved if it is to be good, virtuous and righteous. Otherwise, the spirit will be open to the devil.

To demonstrate how important mind and spirit are, when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment of all was, He said that the Lord our God was one and that we are to love God with all of our heart (spirit), soul, mind, and strength. These are all the things that enable man to reason.

Reasoning is an essential part of our relationship with God. It was God Himself who said, “Come now, and let us reason together” (Isaiah 1:18). What God is demonstrating by saying that is our relationship with Him is not purely spiritual. I know, that contradicts what a lot of folks may think. But our minds must be involved in the relationship. We must have our minds and spirits together in concert, in Him to be able to reason properly and adequately. God wants it this way.

Let’s take this a step further. When we open up our spirit and allow the Holy Spirit into our lives. What does this spirit bring with it?

“And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears” (Isaiah 11:2-3).

This may be confusing to some. Look at these spirits, these are things associated with the mind, thinking and reasoning. There is the spirit of wisdom, one of understanding, of counsel, might, there is a spirit of knowledge and of fear (awe, admiration, and respect) for the Lord. When a spirit is filled with the Holy Spirit then we will be wise to not judge by sight nor by hearsay. Do not these qualities and attributes make for better reasoning, deducing and logical thinking? These are all in the realm of the spirit, not of the mind.

So what happens if the man rejects God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit? What happens if the man has chosen to lead a “good” and moral life on his own?

“When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so, shall it be also unto this wicked generation.” (Matthew 12:43-45).

Spiritually speaking, there is no such thing as a void or a vacuum. If not filled by God, then it will be filled by the devil. You can keep your good and moral house, “swept, and garnished”. You can attempt to keep your good and moral house “empty” of anything to do with the spirit. You may have thought you booted God and the devil out and are going to be a “good person” and lead a good and moral life on your own. But the unclean spirit will return and he will bring more unclean spirits with him that are far worse than himself. “And the last state of that man is worse than the first”.

Our reasoning abilities are a product of both our mind and spirit. Our will is applied to what we have reasoned, deduced and concluded. Our conclusions determine what we say and do. Educate your mind and save your spirit through Christ. Get filled with the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Ghost.

Bill Hitchcock