Heavenly Minded and Earthly Good
Romans 8:31-9:5
Most of us have heard the saying, “He’s so heavenly minded that he’s no earthly good.” I understand the spirit of that saying, but I have some issues with it. First of all, it implies that it’s more important to be earthly good. It’s not. If I had to pick one, I’d pick heavenly mindedness. It’s quite rare these days, frankly, even in the church.
With the failure of the church as a whole to consistently rightly divide the word of truth, there’s much more emphasis on the earthly in the church than the heavenly, and consequently true heavenly mindedness has largely faded away.
Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, gave the sermon at Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton in April 2011, and he mentioned the reality of God fading from so many lives in the west. The same may be said, in a sense, of many believers. Earthly things are far more real to them than heavenly, and that’s not the way it should be.
It is important, however, for our lives to influence our fellow men. Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 5:20, “Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.” So we have a solemn duty toward men to give them the gospel.
We also have the more general duty of doing good to all men, as Paul tells us in Gal. 6:10, which would include, of course, evangelism but also any type of lawful aid we can provide others, to support the doctrine we preach. When Paul says that servants should “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things” (Tit. 2:10) that’s what he’s referring to. In street language, walking the talk.
To tie this together, I think that our goal as believers should be to be heavenly minded and earthly good. I really don’t think that you can be one without the other. How can you truly profit others down here without being heavenly minded? You can work as many soup kitchens as you like, but if you’re not “holding forth the word of life” (Phil. 2:16) as well, you are failing your fellow man. Likewise, a right relationship with God in heavenly things should drive you to church and out into the world to serve others. If you follow the word of God, it will produce both of these things in you.
In this lesson, I’d like to give you several examples from Paul’s epistles of this heavenly/earthly balance, which is unmistakable in the life of our apostle. You’re not following Paul by being a mere philanthropist, but nor are you following him by being a cloistered mystic. Both of those extremes are worldly, even the cloister. The cloister proves that the world has power over men’s hearts, and they think that withdrawing from the world will fix this. It won’t. What will fix the problem is believing Paul’s gospel and personal communion with God, which can happen anywhere and is the only thing that can displace the world in your heart.
1. Romans 8:31-9:5
The most glorious passage on the eternal security of the believer in the Pauline epistles. I don’t have time to expound it, but I will say that it reaches a peak in vv. 38-39, where Paul states that nothing, absolutely nothing, can change our position in Christ Jesus our Lord.
So that’s our heavenly position. But notice the sudden change in tone as we begin chapter 9, esp. in the first three verses. We’ve gone from a hallelujah passage on eternal security to “great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart” and “I could wish myself accursed from Christ” (vv. 2-3). Well, that’s impossible based on what he said in 8:31-39, and the fact that Christ already bore our curse on the cross (v. 34; Gal. 3:13).
Nonetheless, you see how great Paul’s burden is for the Israelites, that they might enjoy these spiritual blessings on top of the ones they were given under the old testament (vv. 4-5).
It’s a good, though strange, balance. He exults in the church’s security in 8:31-39, but laments the Jews’ plight in 9:1-5. He’s heavenly minded, and earthly good. He understands his position and blessings in Christ, yet he has a burden for those without them-a very deep one.
I think that the more you realize how rich you are in Christ, the greater your burden should be for others. Lately I’ve been listening to numerous historical novels by G.A. Henty on mp3 in my car. I have a 40-minute commute one-way to Forest Park, so I’ve got plenty of time for listening to messages, music, and wholesome books like Henty’s.
The one I’m currently listening to, Winning his Spurs, deals with an English lad who joins Richard the Lionheart on the Third Crusade in the late 1100’s. Henty is very honest in his portrayal of religion in the middle ages. He doesn’t try to make the characters evangelicals. There were relatively few of those in that time. The vast majority of Europeans in those days lived and died as Catholics or Orthodox, never knowing Paul’s gospel. Realizing this the other day made me VERY thankful for what I have and reminds me of the duty I have to give Paul’s gospel to others.
2. Rom. 11:30-12:1-2
I preached on this passage recently, so I’m going to keep my remarks on it brief. Paul breaks out into praise after showing God’s wise plan to save Jews and Gentiles in this age, using each group’s belief and unbelief to bring the other to salvation.
He points out how blessed both groups are by the Lord with mercy, but then he comes back down to earth again in 12:1-2. OK, saints, in light of these mercies, here’s what you should do on earth: sell out. Give God your body (which belongs to him—1 Cor. 6:19-20), and therefore your life, since he’s been so merciful to you. Mercy is not getting what you deserve, which in our case is death (Rom. 6:23). So it stands to reason (v. 1—reasonable), that you should give God your life, since he had every legal right to take it from you, before you were saved, Amen?
3. 1 Cor. 3:20-4:5
Paul emphasizes the fabulous spiritual wealth of the believer to show why it’s silly to glory in men. All the light God gave to Paul, Apollos, and Cephas is ours, and we are equipped in Christ, both spiritually and temporally, to face anything (the world, life, death, things present, and things to come). We are in Christ, who is in God, and therefore all that is God’s is ours through Christ. Hallelujah!
But it doesn’t stop there. God expects you, have freely received, to freely give. If you know the mysteries of God, it’s your duty to give them out faithfully (vv. 1-2). Your stewardship will be reviewed at the judgment seat of Christ (v. 5). Heavenly minded (all things are your’s), earthly good (stewards of the mysteries of God).
4. 1 Cor. 15:50-16:3
The last portion of 1 Cor. 15 is yet another hallelujah passage of scripture. The “rapturous” portion ends in 15:57, but notice the shift in three verses back down to earth: “work…labour” (15:58) and a “collection” in 16:1-3.
Caught up to heaven in glory and a collection plate! What a contrast! It’s all part of the same package, though, right? 2 Cor. 6:10, “As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.”
Heavenly minded: looking for that blessed hope, loving his appearing; earthly good: always abounding in the work of the Lord and being liberal to others. You can be both! It’s OK to have your head in the clouds, as long as your hands are busy down here! In my basement bathroom I have a placard that says, “Hands to work, hearts to God.” Heavenly minded and earthly good.
5. 2 Cor. 12:1-10
Paul is caught up to the third heaven, likely when he’s stoned at Lystra, and gets a foretaste, I believe, of the rapture to come. How fitting, in my eyes, that the wise masterbuilder and first member of the body of Christ should get a taste of the event he’s teaching all believers in this age will experience, just like he got a long draught of the grace all believers would experience after him (1 Tim. 1:14-16).
In order, however, for Paul to remain earthly good (v. 9), God gives him a thorn in the flesh to deal with. How does this make him earthly good? It helps him experience the grace of God and encourage others thereby, in addition to revelations he had received. You can be heavenly minded and “have all knowledge,” but if you don’t have charity or grace, you have nothing. Amy Carmichael has a wonderful little booklet called If, in which she describes various attitudes believers may have that show how lacking in grace they are. It’s not for the fainthearted, but I encourage you to get a copy from Chrisitan Literature Crusade, which publishes most of her books.
If you’re blessed with abundant revelation from God, and you know who you are, prepare yourself for a deep experience of the grace of God; you will be proud and useless otherwise.
6. Eph. 3:20-4:3
Along with the end of Rom. 8, the close of Eph. 3 is some of the highest ground in Paul’s epistles, if not the highest ground: God’s omnipotence working in the church and the church bringing him glory for ever. Wow! That’s high ground. But look at 4:1-3—imprisonment for Christ and submitting yourself to other believers. Listen, the end of chapter 3 turns into hoopla, in a sense, if you’re not willing to suffer for Christ and get along with other believers. That is what will bring God the most glory now and later: i.e., for you to be heavenly minded and earthly good.
7. Phil. 3:20-4:5
In the last few verses of chapter 3, we’re clearly in a heavenly context, but what do we see in the beginning of chapter 4? Standing fast in the Lord (v. 1), likemindedness (v. 2), helping others (v. 3), rejoicing (v. 4), moderation (v. 5)…earthly good. Understanding our heavenly position should, negatively, keep us from minding earthly things (3:19), but also, positively, make us useful on earth, to all men (v. 5).
8. Col. 3:1-11
The first four verses deal with our heavenly position and destination, things we should set our affection on (3:2; heavenly minded). Note the shift in v. 5, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth…” Put the flesh to death, and treat other believers right (vv. 9-11).
9. 1 Thes. 4:13-18; 5:8-12
Both of these passages deal with the rapture, which we should be looking for, not be hopeless over believers who have died nor asleep when we should be watching. That’s the heavenly mindedness; but notice how each passage ends: with an exhortation to comfort and/or edify other believers.
If you are heavenly minded, your response to the hope of Christ’s coming will be encouraging other believers with that same hope and building them up in the Lord while they wait. It’s not enough for you to have the hope: you need to impart the blessings of that hope to others on earth; for example, that they will see those in Christ who precede them in death. Both passages show that both living and dead saints will be together with the Lord when he returns, and this can be a great comfort to those still on earth.
10. 2 Thes. 2:13-17
We’re bound for glory by God’s decree, per 2:13-14, in light of our belief of the truth and the Spirit’s sanctification (careful you don’t read this like a Calvinist). How should this affect us? You guessed it: do good on earth: stand fast, hold Paul’s traditions (v. 15), and work (v. 17), just like we’ve read in other passages
11. 1 Tim. 6:13-19
The Lord is coming back to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords, hallelujah (vv. 13-16). Very next verse he starts talking about money and giving it away. This world (v. 17) is soon to pass away, so better invest that money in getting others ready for the next life, amen? Heavenly minded (the King is coming) and earthly good (help others be ready).
12. 2 Tim. 4:18-22
Paul shows himself heavenly minded and earthly good to the last. He boldly declares in v. 18 that not even Caesar, the king of the world at that time, can stop his soul from reaching God’s heavenly kingdom, do what he will with his body. But immediately after declaring this glorious prospect, he says, “Tell Prisca, Aquila, and the Onesiphorus household hello.” He’s right back down to earth, being a blessing to those around him and encouraging them in the Lord.
It’s so like Christ on the cross. He’s not really thinking about himself, but others. Look at the last thing Paul says. “The Lord Jesus Christ (his greatest love) be with thy spirit (Timothy, his dearest earthly friend). Grace be with you (church). Amen.” What a fitting close to the apostle of grace’s life. I’m going on to heaven, where I always wanted to be, but grace be with you on earth.
I hope that this survey has been a blessing and impressed on you’re the need and possibility of being heavenly minded and earthly good.
