THE MIND OF CHRIST

THE MIND OF CHRIST

Philippians 2:5–11 (NKJV)

The Humbled and Exalted Christ

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The only way to have the mind of Christ Jesus is by the crucified life having died to this world, the lust of the flesh, the desires of this world and the wisdom of this world in the human soul. Just as Eve was one flesh with Adam and through the consummation of human marriage the husband and wife become one flesh so it is with the soul of a man and the Holy Spirit. By choosing to “die to one self” by our own free will to gain Christ Jesus we allow through a process of sanctification and the indwelling Holy Spirit to crucify our soul’s ungodly desires, believes, carnality, lusts and everything that contradicts the Lord Jesus. We must humble our self’s allowing the Holy Spirit to bring us to the place of crucifixion of our carnal man/soul so that the fullness Christ in us may dwell and reign in us bringing us to son ship in Christ Jesus. In essence the human soul does not cease to exist but it has been transformed into the image and likeness of Christ Jesus just as we were originally created before the fall of humanity. The soul of a man/woman becoming one in the Spirit of the Lord Jesus, two becoming one!

Romans 8:14 (NKJV)

¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Ephesians 1:17–23 (NKJV)

¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

²² And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, ²³ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

To receive the spirit of wisdom and revelation of Christ Jesus and to have your eyes of understanding enlightened you need to be humble, teachable and a have a godly desire (motives and intents of the heart) for Spirit and Truth and sanctification by the Spirit of God. There are no short cuts! You must die to your personal beliefs, teachings of humanity and any doctrines or teaching contrary to Spirit and Truth. The teaching of men signifies the natural or carnal man while the teaching of the Son’s of God refers to those in spiritual maturity with Christ Jesus. This is why the first prerequisite to follow Jesus was to pick up your cross and deny yourself. Denying is not limited in scope it is broad in scope as the OLD MAN is dead and the new creation has been given birth. Given birth doesn’t signify maturity it is the beginning of the new creation in Christ Jesus. Adam was created as a man not a child or infant which implies maturity.

1 Corinthians 2:6–16 (NKJV)

Spiritual Wisdom

⁶ However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. ⁷ But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, ⁸ which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

⁹ But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

¹⁰ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ¹¹ For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

¹³ These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. ¹⁴ But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ¹⁵ But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. ¹⁶ For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Notice that in line six states “who are mature” and in line sixteen it mentions the “mind of Christ”. While none of us has “arrived” so to speak are we remaining humble and hungry for Spirit and Truth? Are we growing in revelations of Christ in Spirit and Truth being conformed to His image and likeness?

Jesus Himself said if there be any darkness in you how great is that darkness which is in reference to our spiritual condition. Darkness is of the god of this world and the fallen nature of the human soul. The lamp is symbolic of the Holy Spirit we know this from the five foolish virgins as their lamps were not full of the Spirit of God or the love of God. We are called to be a “lamp on a hill” full of the Holy Spirit to reveal Christ Jesus to this world. You can not still have a love for this world, the things of this world and be in complete/perfect love with the Father.

Matthew 6:21–23 (NKJV)

²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

²²  “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Matthew 5:14–16 (NKJV)

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

1 Corinthians 3:1–4 (NKJV)

Sectarianism is Carnal

3 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. ² I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; ³ for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? ⁴ For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal?

The Apostle Paul is referencing sectarianism as different doctrines, beliefs, traditions, specific groups of people within the church or anything that causes division and lack of unity in Spirit and Truth. If anyone preaches a different gospel or for that matter speaks contrary to any of the Word of God they have the wrong doctrine/understanding. If they are humble and assembled in one accord they will receive correction from the brethren. This is not just from the pulpit to the pews but from the pews to the pulpit. A house divided will not stand and let God be true and every man a liar.

Romans 3:1–4 (NKJV)

God’s Judgment Defended

3 What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? ² Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. ³ For what if some did not believe? Will their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect? ⁴ Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but every man a liar. As it is written:

“That You may be justified in Your words,

And may overcome when You are judged.”

We read that those with the circumcision of the heart the oracles of God were committed. We are to know the ways and truths of the Lord Jesus. So the problem becomes who is circumcised which is to be born again with a heart of flesh and the Holy Spirit and who is not circumcised within the church assembly as well as who is not humble and teachable. Is their heart desiring the fullness of Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior or just Christ Jesus as savior?

If Christ Jesus is not Lord of your life He is not your savior. You can’t have two masters. The walk of a saint is not the “hokey pokey” dangling one foot in the kingdom of God and the other dangling over the kingdom of the devil/this world. When we are born again we are spiritually removed/delivered from the kingdom of darkness of this world. That being said you still have free will and there lies the potential for false teachings and ungodly influences to lead us astray.

Romans 10:8–10 (NKJV)

⁸ But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): ⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

1 Corinthians 3:18–23 (NKJV)

Avoid Worldly Wisdom

¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. ¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”; ²⁰ and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ²¹ Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: ²² whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. ²³ And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Each of us need revelations of Christ Jesus in Spirit and Truth and NOT by the teachings of this world or the influences of this world. Jesus made it clear when he said give Caesar what is Caesar’s and give God what is God’s. In other words do not combine or mix the things of this world or the rulers of this world together as one with Christ Jesus. We have one mediator, one advocate, one teacher, one NAME and Savior and that is Christ Jesus. Those in Christ Jesus are in this world but not of this world.

Ephesians 4:14–24 (NKJV)

¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, ¹⁵ but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

I have witnessed people tossed to and fro from many false prophets and the doctrines of these false prophets. You must allow the Lord Christ Jesus to establish HIS foundation of Spirit and Truth in your heart. We need to stop thinking of church as a building but a human temple as God does NOT dwell in things made with human hands. Truth is truth no matter the opinions or lack of understanding of others and the Written Word does NOT contradict the Living Word Christ Jesus or the Holy Spirit.

The New Man

¹⁷ This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, ¹⁸ having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; ¹⁹ who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

²⁰ But you have not so learned Christ, ²¹ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: ²² that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Let us ask ourselves now how is anyone going to be successful at spiritual warfare without the mind of Christ Jesus? Believing lies being preached or spoken and living in the emotions and feelings of the carnal mind and soul will NOT overcome the wiles of Satan. We must be firmly rooted and grounded in the Lord Jesus in Spirit and Truth.

If your natural senses are not submitted and ruled by the Holy Spirit you will easily be led astray by what you hear, see and the pride of life which is what the enemy of our souls uses against us. Emotions and feelings are major inroads for the enemy. We must surrender our thoughts and understanding to the Holy Spirit and seek wisdom from the Lord in all things.

Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 6:14–15 (NKJV)

¹⁴ But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. ¹⁵ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Passivity is not passion, it is denial masquerading as intent. If you are not growing in Christ and revelations of Christ you are embracing passivity and denying Christ. Would you consider marrying someone you don’t know or are not passionate in getting to know? Jesus is the Bridegroom and we are called to be His Church. Shouldn’t you know the Bridegroom intimately and seek Him with passion and FULLNESS of heart?

John 3:29–36 (NKJV)

29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Philippians 3:7–11 (NKJV)

⁷ But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Matthew 16:26 (NKJV)

²⁶ For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Numbers 6:24–26 (NKJV)

²⁴ “The Lord bless you and keep you;

²⁵ The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

²⁶ The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.” ’