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THE MIND OF CHRIST (PART 2) July 9, 2008 FRIENDS; THE MIND IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US AND TO GOD: 1- So important that it governs and controls the pages of life as a map we travel on daily. 2- We take action on our thoughts both conscientiously and unconscientiously. 3- We act on the good and the bad one way or the other. 4- And the way we act on our thought pattern daily controls us! 5- We’re either up or down; we’re happy or we’re sad; alive or dead; joyful or in the mullie-grubs. 6- So here we are again on our second lesson on “The Mind of Christ”!
WHAT IS GOD’S STANDARD FOR THE MIND? 1- As we study “SIX” adjectives that describe what the Christians mind is to be like! 2- Let’s check our minds to see if these describe your mind! 3- Six passages of scripture; Six adjectives all using the word ‘MIND”.
THE FIRST ONE IS ‘ALIVE”! “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” Romans 8: 6 1- Webster defines carnality as sensual or sexual appetites; 2- And at any rate it is giving in to the desires of the fleshly appetites. NOTICE FRIENDS: 1- Genuine Conversion means a change of life and especially a change of attitude toward sin. 2- Notice the person professing to be like Christ; a Christian if you please; 3- And if there is no difference in their attitude and behavior; That individual needs to do his first works over again. 4- Real conversion involves a sharing the grief of God over our sin. 5- True Believers know that we are dead without Christ. 6- And we know also that In Christ, we have Everlasting Life; We have been made alive in Him. 7- Jesus said; “I am come that you might have abundant life” Jn. 10:10 8- And Christians show forth this life (or death) constantly by the choices we make. 9- The mind that is “alive” CHOOSES the spiritual rather than the fleshly!
LISTEN: 1- The world is constantly sending a barrage of messages to us; 2- Such as politics, world, business, sex, sports, products; etc. 3- But God also is sending messages, expressing His will in the Bible for us. 4- Prompting us about words to say; or not say; anger, remain in control of it. 5- Patience, longsuffering and on and on it goes. 6- Our minds are cluttered with information. 7- We can reject some, and dwell on the others. 8- On the other hand, we can reject some of them or even cut off their source, such as too much TV.
JESUS CHOSE TO THINK ABOUT “HIS FATHER’S BUSINESS”! 1- In a moment of extreme physical exhaustion, weakness and desperately hungry, 2- Jesus said, “It is written, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” Mt. 4: 4 3- Jesus demonstrates to us here that the Abundant Life can overrule even when the flesh cries desperately for satisfaction!
GOD’S STANDARD FOR THE MIND IS “PEACEFUL”: 1- Again part of Romans 8: 6 Life and peace! For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. V. 5 1- Here again; Notice that we set our minds! 2- Our work is setting our minds; God’s work is the Peace! 3- Friends; Sin separates us from God; the very source of Peace! “But your sins have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear”. Isa. 59 2
JESUS WEPT OVER JERUSALEM AND SAID: “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden for your eyes”. Luke 19: 42 1- Jesus had “PEACE” His life was completely free from sin, and the ravages of the world system. 2- Tell Him you’re willing to receive that Peace!
GOD’S PLAN FOR THE MIND IS TO BE “SINGLE-MINDED”! LISTEN: 1- Paul is saying: “For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ”. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety (craftiness), so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2nd. Cor. 11: 2-3 1- Paul is telling us that the mind of Christ is single-minded. 2- That while we live in this world, one of our perplexing problems is becoming distracted. 3- Or as Paul says; being led astray! 4- Our minds dart off in hundreds of direction during the course of a day.
IN MATTHEW 16: 21- 23 1- Jesus began showing the disciples that he must suffer many things pertaining to His death. 2- And Peter rebuked the Master saying; “this shall not be unto thee”. 3- But Jesus turned, and said unto Peter, get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 4- He resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem; one thing in mind; single minded; he went to the Cross. 5- So that at the end of life’s-way; 6- He could say: “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work; which thou gavest me to do”! Jn.17: 4
THE NEXT STANDARD FOR THE MIND OF CHRIST IN CHRISTIANS WOULD BE ‘LOWLY”! “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” Phil. 2: 3 1- Friends; Believers cannot be “humble” unless they’re “lowly”. 2- Humility follows lowliness of mind! 3- Jesus, “our example of lowliness” submitted to a criminal’s death! 4- Yet He chose for His friends; Fishermen, tax collectors, and common people! 5- Our Lord was lowly at heart! Amen?
THEN THERE COMES TO ANOTHER STANDARD FOR THE MIND OF CHRIST CALLED “PURE”! Listen: Titus 1: 15- 16 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate. 1- Titus is saying here, that “Purity”, is described as the natural state of the Christian. 2- While “Impurity” is reached by corruption! TODAY, “PURITY” THE NATURAL STATE: 1- Filled with the Spirit and growing in Christ is harder to maintain than ever! 2- The tempters have always abounded; but today the tempters have re-enforcement. 3- Their resources today take us to unprecedented realms of sin. 4- The impurity that Christians battle today touches two areas of life. 5- FIRST: is LUST for the forbidden, this world is preoccupied with anything unlawful. 6- Unlawful: Wrongful sex, horoscopes, soap operas, and other lusts. 7- In short; anything goes outside the realm of normal Christian activity. 8- SECONDLY: would be LUST for power, expressed in lust for wealth or position.
FRIENDS; “PURITY” demands we know in advance what we will do when temptation comes! 1- No wonder we should pray; “Lead us not into temptation”! 2- Satan knows well how to introduce us to temptation in a moment of weakness. AT ANY RATE THE MAIN THRUST IS TO REMAIN PURE: 1- The best course is to avoid temptation entirely; but our culture had made that difficult. 2- God will help you to know ahead of time which lust is your greater weakness. 3- For some lust one must avert their eyes; “don’t look” 4- Another may require you to appropriate scripture to quote. 5- And another might require you to immediately come to Prayer!
SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE, NOT ON THE THINGS THAT ARE ON EARTH: COL. 3: 2 1- Beloved; we have a “will” all our own. 2- And the will of man is that part of the mind over-which we have control. 3- “We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ”! 2ND. Cor. 10: 5 4- Jesus confessed that His emotions were in one place and His will in another. Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice form heaven, saying. I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 1- He openly confessed; His emotions were in one place; His will in another place. 2- He said in Mark 14: 36 “Yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt.
LIKE A RIVER: THE CHRISTIAN LIVES IN A CONSTANT STATE OF RENEWAL: “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind”: Romans 12: 2
JESUS HAS SAID: “He who believes on Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water” Jn. 7: 38
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