The Mind Of Christ (Part 1) -Agreement With His Word

Agreeing with His Word

The Word is meant to be our foundation from which we engage the realms of our Father. Without agreeing with His Word, we will, without exception, hinder the depths of our communion.

The Church has spoken on this principle often enough.  It’s not the principle that needs repeating so much as building the bridges from principle to application.

The main issue lies in the reality that the Body of Christ has failed to apply this foundational truth in all areas of our walk.

We have simply not discussed certain applications. If we don’t discuss them… We certainly cannot apply them.

So, let’s dig in a bit, shall we?

 “which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.  But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.  ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”  (1 Cor 2:14-16 )

Scripture clearly tells us that we have the Mind of Christ. When we receive Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes and makes His abode in us (Eph 1:14, 1 Cor 3:16, 1 Cor 2:12, 2 Cor 6:16, 1 Jn 2:27). The Kingdom comes to live in us.

There are many aspects of the reality of what this means to us as a child of the living God, but for now we need to start with the cornerstone of this reality before we can build the rest of the foundation. Here is what I want to focus on right now:

WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A NEW MIND:

If we have been given the mind of Christ then that means we are to think what He thinks, feel what He feels, and ultimately do what we see Him doing from his throne room. There is a reality and distinction that the body of Christ needs to embrace in this age if we are going to enter into the fullness of intimacy and communion with the bridegroom. That reality is this:

If we do not choose to find out what He says about any given topic, we cannot agree with Him, and therefore cannot walk in His mind on that subject.

Said another way:

We can only walk in the blessing of His mind and His ways to the degree that we know what they are.

The Word says we have already been given a new mind. We have the  mind of Christ now! The old man was crucified at the cross (Rom 6:6, Gal 2:20, Eph 2:15, Eph 4:22, Col 3:9-10). We are dead to the old man and what Christians often erroneously calls “self.”  We have been given the ability to perceive and agree with what God says.

The old man cannot conform. It cannot submit to the Spirit of God. It opposes it. It always will oppose the Kingdom. But… this is no longer who we are! We are not the old man. Stop trying to convert the old man.. it cannot be done. We are dead to him and alive to Christ.

“The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” (Romans 8:7)

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, If the Spirit of God dwells in you.”(verse 9).

Did you receive Christ as savior? Then you are not in the flesh anymore. So please stop saying you are.

When we are born again we die the death that Christ dies, that is to say, we enter into His death. We partake in what He accomplished. He died so that when we receive the Holy Spirit, we also die. Specifically, the old nature and sinful man dies, and we reign as new creatures in Christ with His mind. Our “self” is the new man, not the carnal man and his carnal mind. That is not who we are any longer.

“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3)

We need to embrace the reality that we are not contending with ourselves. We are contending with something we already died to. The old man. That is no longer who we are. We are made a new creation in Christ. Paul was conveying this to the believers at Rome when he said

“..but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.”  (Romans 7:23)

Why was the sin waging war against what Paul called “my mind”? Because Paul understood he was given a new mind. The law of sin (sinful man/old man) was no longer who Paul was. When Paul said “my mind” he was acknowledging the work accomplished on the cross and released in him when He received the Holy Spirit at salvation. The new mind. The body of Christ needs to stop identifying herself with the old mind and old man.

“Well, I am not sure if that was the Lord prompting me, or if it was just me.” No….

“I am not sure if that was the Lord, or if it was my flesh.”  Better…

How about…“I am not sure if that was the the mind of Christ that I have, possess and walk in, or if that was the old man trying to trip me up.”

Wordy perhaps, but you get the idea and it’s a good practice to use similar language until your mind is in agreement with God’s Word on this reality.

Now we can begin to approach some old time favorite scriptures with a more complete and accurate understanding of how to apply them to our walk.

“ Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

The process here is being “transformed.” The Greek word is “metamorphoo” and is the same word that we get our English word “metamorphosis” from.

Here is where we have gotten tripped up. The “transformation” is not in regard to the mind. The transformation taking place is the continual metamorphosis into a greater and greater reflection of His image and glory. We transform to be more like Him as we literally change into His image. How? By the renewing of our minds. The word “renew” in this verse is the Greek word “anakainosis” and it is derived from 2 greek roots- one meaning “reversal” and the other “new.” The act of reversing our thinking and making it new is a decision. It is an act. It is requires desire, decision and finally, action.

“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor 10:4-5)

We need to first find out what the Word of God says about whatever topic is the issue at hand then drag it to the cross to kill it if it opposes His truth.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

Then, if the belief we have is contrary to what God’s mind is on the matter, we make the decision to accept His Word as truth or we reject His Word and keep holding onto the old dead man’s thoughts.

We already have the mind of Christ. We must each choose if we are going to walk in who we are, or walk by what we already died to.

We cannot serve two masters. “Casting down imaginations…” What we think is what we choose to accept as truth for ourselves.

“For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools…” (Romans 1:21-22)

Whatever belief we hold as truth in our hearts, if it is not in agreement with God’s Word, and is not brought to the cross, is idolatry. Romans 8:6 tells us that being carnal-minded brings forth the fruit of death. Examine your fruits in different areas of your life. Take an inventory. If there is not the abundant, overflowing life of God released in that area, it is a good time to examine what we are believing about that situation.

Let me clarify on a point. The bible talks about seasons of sowing and reaping. If we sow life, (walk in the mind of Christ we have) we will reap life in its due time. If you are not seeing the fruits of your spiritual sowing, don’t give up! It is coming. Everything has both a sowing season and a harvest season.

“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:6-8)

The Greek word for double minded in this verse literally means to be “two-souled” or to have two minds. We cannot operate in both the old man and the new mind we have been given. We simply cannot, if we desire to walk in true intimate communion with Him.

“Bring into captivity every thought..”   Although this is commanded in 2 Cor 10:5, it is still ultimately our choice whether or not we will do so.

“As a man thinks in his heart (literally-“mind”), so he is.” Proverbs 23:7

There is much to cover in the Word on what it means to have the mind of Christ. From here, we can examine our beliefs, thoughts and ultimately our actions. They can always be traced back to which mind we are choosing to live out of.

Ask the Holy Spirit for permission to show you where you have contended with His Word. Many times He will show you an area that you were not even aware is contrary to His mind. He is faithful and He is gentle. He leads us beside green pastures. Peace, rest and quietness are some of the outpourings of walking in agreement to His Word. We commune with Him in spirit and in Truth. Without truth there is no communion in that area…only death.

Choose life. Choose Him.

(And we haven’t even discussed His power that flows through us when we walk in His mind 🙂