The New Covenant is mature compared to the Old. Even within the mature covenant, we must move from childishness to maturity.
I could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it…. Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. (1 Corinthians 3:1-2; 14:20)
Everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:13-14)
The Lord gave us minds, and He expects us to use them. The greatest command includes, “You shall love the Lord your God with all… your mind,” with “all the understanding” (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:33). This is the mind trained by God’s revelation, not the diseased mind of fallen humanity (Jeremiah 10:23; 17:9; Proverbs 14:12; Romans 1:21; Ephesians 4:18). This is the renewed mind of Romans 12, Ephesians 4 and Colossians 3. This is reasoning based on trust in the Lord (Isaiah 1:18), rather than leaning on “your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). Even with seekers, we reason from the Scriptures (Acts 17:2; 18:14, 19; 19:8-9; 24:25).
Does the mind rule out emotion? Look at Jesus working with His disciples.
Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself…. They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked to us on the road, while He opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:27, 32 cf. Luke 24:45)
Informed minds lead to burning hearts! Love fills both heart and mind!
It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment. (Philippians 1:9)