Category Archives: Abiding IN Christ

That You Might Be Children of Your Father – Part 1

by Michael

David&Saul

One time I was praying, “Father, why can’t I perceive you as my Father? Why do you seem distant to me?” He answered me with this passage.

“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great and you will be sons of the Most High, because He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

You see, I had spent my life NOT loving my enemies, despising all who despised me, speaking evil of those who did me wrong, etc. The verbiage is interesting here, “Your reward will be great. You will be sons of the Most High… if you are merciful just as your Father is merciful.”  Only as we abide IN the Son, Jesus Christ, will we do this, because it is HIM in us doing it… making us truly sons of the Most High. Peter wrote:

“For even to this were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judges righteously” (1Pe 2:21-23 KJ2000).

We “follow in His steps” by walking IN Christ and not in our old adamic nature. The cross, always the cross is the door from one life to the other. We must embrace His cross in our lives. Only as we walk IN the Son, in His sufferings and rejections, yet in His love do we know God as our Father. “Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Part 2 can be read at https://awildernessvoice.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/that-you-might-be-children-of-your-father-2/

The Presence of the Lord

by Michael

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name: Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Joh 1:12-13 KJ2000)

“So I say to you, that tJesus with Childhe fundamental thing is always the Presence of the Lord. It is not any one of the thousand things that make up Christianity. The ultimate criterion is, ‘Is the Lord there?’ and ‘Is the Lord in all things there?’ ‘Is the Lord in what they do?’ and ‘Is the Lord in how they do it?’ Because with the Lord how things are done is as important as doing the things. Is the Lord in the people individually there? And are their lives marked by this supreme thing? THE LORD IN THEM.

“I have no doubt that you love the Lord. I am not raising any question about that. But, I do say again, we are involved in a great system which is a very complicated thing, and a great deal of it is not of the Lord. It is something that man has brought in. Man has put his hand upon the things of the Lord, and man has made things according to his own mind, and therefore a great deal has come in which is of man and not of the Lord. And when we say that, we are not only thinking of Christianity in general, we are thinking of ourselves. This is true of ourselves. We have all come into something called Christianity, and we have all taken on something of Christianity, and there may be a great deal that we have to get rid of, and come back to the simple fundamental reality. And the fundamental reality of all realities is THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. We have got to know that the Lord is with us, and that the Lord is with us in all that we do, that this did not originate in our mind. It did not originate in our will, it did not originate in our emotion. It did not come from our soul, this thing has come from the Lord in every detail like the tabernacle. Just like Jesus Christ, in every detail it has to come to us from God.” ~ T. Austin Sparks 1964

http://www.austin-sparks.net/english/books/001082.html

Psalm 23 – the Path to Maturity in Christ

by Michael

PS 23 ShepherdThe LORD is my shepherd; I shall not lack. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. (Psalms 23:1-6 KJ2000)

A few years ago it occurred to me that Psalm 23 is a time-line of our journey in Christ. When we start out on our journey as His saints in Christian City, it is all about green pastures and still waters while He restores our sin ravaged souls. Here we learn that we are to follow Him in His paths of righteousness. It is a very wonderful time and for some it is just like an emotional honeymoon where Jesus is showing us that He is the Lover of our souls.

Then there comes the working of His personal cross, that instrument of death that is tailor-made to remove from us all that is in control and is contrary to the leading of His Spirit. This is confusing because we were always told that God wants to use us and our abilities to build His kingdom now that we are saved. Yet, though we are sincerely “trying to do the God stuff,” we start experiencing trials and testings and it is a painful time as He starts to pull that tumor of self out of us, yet He is there seeing us through it all and we find encouragement from that.

But then we find that our path with Him takes us to a strange place and there is a deep ravine in front of us which seems to block the way. We find ourselves lined up with others along the edge of a deep valley, the Valley of the Shadow of Death, with Jesus having moved to the opposite side bidding us to come to Him. Try as we may, there is only one way to get there, we must descend into that pit and endure all that is waiting there for us that we might know His fullness on the other side.

As we look in the bottom of that deep valley and we see a cross with our name on it waiting for us. Like Pilgrim in Pilgrims’ Progress, we must decide if we will go on. Many at this point decide that the price is too great and they retreat back to the comfort zone of the familiar, the green pastures and still waters, but their growth in Christ is held in check from that point on. They scurry back down the path to Christian city, seeking refuge from that awful sight, but Jesus just isn’t there like He once was because we have failed to obey Him as or Lord. Many who should know better try to comfort us and tell us that this lesser existence is normal and our Christianity is supposed to be this way. So they do all they can to make our church experience pleasing and comforting to our rebellious souls.

Robert Burnell in his booklet, “Escape from Christendom,” wrote:

“Is this the City of God?” I hear the traveler ask a woman at the information booth in the central square.

“No this is Christian City, “she replies.

“But I thought this road led to the City of God!” He exclaims with great disappointment.

“That’s what we all thought when we arrived,” she answers, her tone sympathetic.

“This road continues up the mountain, doesn’t it?” He asks.

“I wouldn’t know, really,” she answers blankly.

I watched the man turn away from her and trudge on up the mountain in the gathering darkness. Reaching the top, he starts out into the blackness; it looks as though there is nothing, absolutely nothing, beyond. With a shudder he retraces his steps into Christian City an takes a room at a hotel.

http://www.awildernessvoice.com/Escape.html

Yet, some of us bravely descend into that valley, or as in this allegory we climb that dark mountain, wanting to go on and get to where Jesus is in heavenly places in the Father, “Father that they might be where I am…” Inwardly we know that there is more than what we have seen so far. The way into that pit is fast as we slide down its slopes and everything in our lives seem to be totally out of our control. Finally, we hit our bottom and begrudgingly embrace the cross He has for us to kill-off all that is of Egypt, as it was with the Children of Israel, that still clings to us and is still of the old Adam within. Often it is confusing because here we find, as it was with the Master, those who jeer at us as we hang on our cross and these detractors were the ones we once knew in Christendom who on Palm Sunday were singing our praises! This makes the pain and suffering all that more effective in spiritual terms. “And one shall say unto him, ‘What are these wounds between your hands?’ Then he shall answer, ‘Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends’” (Zec 13:6 KJ2000). In a time like this it is hard to remember His admonition,

If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name’s sake, because they know not him that sent me. (Joh 15:18-21 KJ2000)

The way out of this valley is long and arduous and it seems like it is more than just a mere “shadow of death,” but rather the real thing and that we will never get out of there alive. Just as all forsook Him on His trek up Calvary, so it is with us. We have the smell of death about us and the “green pastures” Christians want nothing to do with us, which adds more suffering to the cross we bear. It is a slow climb, but an ascent just the same, as we bare our cross knowing Jesus is still calling us upward to Him. That vision that we once had of Him over on the other side stays with us.

There is only one place for that old Adam within us, where we once found our strength and power, and that is on the cross. God can not use our natural charm, charisma, wit, strengths and abilities. These things are in rebellion to His will and deafen us to His voice. But once we climb out of that valley, being led by His upward call, we see Him there waiting for us with a vast table of His heavenly love, joy, wisdom, peace and all that HE is in the Father and he bids us come and dine with Him, “Come up here and I will show you things…” We can still see Christendom, but now it is on the opposite side of the valley where we once were and they are still serving in their tabernacles, but “We have an altar [table], of which they have no right to eat who serve the tabernacle” (Hebrews 13:10 KJ2000).

We still have the nay-sayer around us… our enemy is still there to discourage and confuse if he can, but Jesus is there at His table with us and our enemy’s voice is not as seductive as it once was. For now we know a faith and confidence in Jesus as we abide IN Him and the Father, being assured of His goodness and mercy, no matter what the enemy dishes out. We also have a new anointing that we never knew before. “You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over” with fresh revelation and power from the Spirit as He establishes us in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

The prophet Micah wrote:

Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O my enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause, and executes justice for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. (Micah 7:7-9 KJ2000)

The presence of Jesus with us is like never before because we are now IN Him and He sustains us like never before, because we put our total trust in Him. This is a vision that sustained Paul and the early saints through all that they suffered for Jesus… a vision and presence that sings forth in worship in the depths of prisons with backs torn by the jailer’s whip. There is only rejoicing from here on out, no matter what our earthly circumstances are and we are comforted in that we have been counted worthy to suffer these things for the gospel of Christ and His kingdom. Isaiah prophesied,

Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief: when you shall make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days, and the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. (Isaiah 53:10-11 KJ2000)

Jesus rejoiced in His sufferings for the joy that was set before HIM in the Father. He saw the end of it all… His offspring, many sons and daughters into and unto the glory of God and it sustained Him. We are to be,

Looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such hostility of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds. (Hebrews 12:2-3 KJ2000)

Our focus has been change from all things here on earth including earth-bound churches to those things which are of heaven. We have become so heavenly minded that we are of no benefit to those who build earth bound things, yet it is HIS kingdom what we build, the Kingdom of Heaven, as the Spirit works through us by His power and might and not of our own.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD’S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. (Psa 118:22-23 KJ2000 – emphasis added)

Therefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. (Hebrews 13:12-14 KJ2000)

The LORD Is My Shepherd!

by Michael

So often in churches and among so-called, “Christian ministries” we see the wrong example of men appealing to other men for their support and help. Yet, the scriptures make it very plain that we are to, “Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving LET YOUR REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phi 4:6-7 KJ2000). I think we rob ourselves of that deep inner peace and rest that should be ours in every situation because we have the habit of looking to the wrong place for our help. After seeing Him supply all our needs and experience Him doing so in such miraculous ways our faith, hope and rest grows until we are complete in Him.

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From whence does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved, he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore. (Psa 121:1-8 RSVA)

I think in the days ahead as this world economy continues to collapses, God will give us many opportunities to prove to ourselves that Jesus is our Good Shepherd who watches over us and neither slumbers nor sleeps. Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

Unto Us a Son is Given… Many Sons

by Michael

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined… For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
(Isa 9:2-7 KJ2000)

In the early ’80’s I went through a very dark time in my life, filled with heavy depression and no hope. One day as my wife, Dorothy, was praying for me she heard the Lord say, “The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shined.” It did not happen right away, but it DID happen. In a moment of time after 14 years of being cut off from God and in spiritual darkness, as far as my five senses were concerned… in one glorious moment His light came shining in even while I was yet dwelling in the land of the shadow of death! All depression lifted as His light came flooding in. He was back! Though I can look back and see that I was only under the shadow of His wings all those years and He was still there teaching me in a subliminal way so that my flesh would not get puffed up about it.

Since then this Child that was born, this Son that was given has carried me and been my government, my Wonderful Counselor, my Mighty God, my Everlasting Father, and my Prince of Peace. Where once I looked to men for church government, for Christian counselling, to be mighty in the things of God for me, to be my mentoring fathers, to be my peace makers when church disputes occurred… now I have found that Jesus Christ is my All in all and it is in THIS place, with THIS heart where the increase of HIS government knows no end… “to order it, and to establish it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will [is and has] perform this.”

Least you or I think that I am something special…

For it befitted him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare your name unto my brethren, in the midst of the congregation will I sing praise unto you. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children whom God has given me. (Heb 2:10-13 KJ2000)

Yes, God is making us ALL His sons as we release the control over our lives unto Him and make Jesus our All in all. Amen Lord Jesus, come and quicken us with YOUR Life.

May It Be

by Michael

(lyrics by Enya from “The Lord of the Rings”)

May it be an evening star
Shines down upon you
May it be when darkness falls
Your heart will be true
You walk a lonely road
Oh! How far you are from home

Mornie utulie (Darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way
Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

May it be the shadow’s call
Will fly away
May it be you journey on
To light the day
When the night is overcome
You may rise to find the sun

Mornie utulie (Darkness has come)
Believe and you will find your way

Mornie alantie (Darkness has fallen)
A promise lives within you now

A promise lives within you now <end>

Jesus is the Bright and Morning Star. The Son is our sun. He is the Promise that Lives within us to carry us through the night. May it be.

From Whom Shall Come Our Help?

by Michael

ImageRecently a sister in Canada included this passage in her post to me, “Repent therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto you:” (Act 3:19-20 KJ2000 – emphasis added).

As I read it I was taken with these words, “times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord… and He shall send Jesus Christ…” Where do we as “typical Christians” seek our times of refreshing? Most of us seek the presence of other Christians. We run off to a “church service” or a Christian gathering with little thought about seeking the Lord’s personal presence. “Fellowship” with the saints is a good thing, but it can be a substitute for the best fellowship there is and rob us of that personal touch that only the Lord can give if we don’t understand that our “times of refreshing” are to be found in “the presence of the Lord.” HE is our total sufficiency in all things.Too many of us rely on special Christian gatherings to take us into God’s presence. What will we do when we get cut off from all that in days ahead?

Paul wrote, “And such trust have we through Christ toward God: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;” (2Co 3:4-5 KJ2000). It is evident that very hard times are coming upon us in the near future. In America and in much of the developed world we are looking at the impending collapse of our economies. We look to bankers and politicians for help and they demand more power to “fix the problem” and what happens? It only get worse. The answer is not to be found by seeking help from men, but rather in our individually seeking our help from Jesus. If we learn to know Him as our help in time of need, now, when the waters are only starting to rise, we will be ready when the enemy comes in like a flood. When the dam breaks and the waters are rushing down upon you, it is no time to be shopping for a boat.

“For we have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our weaknesses; but was in all points tempted like we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Heb 4:15-16 KJ2000)

Now is the time to learn to come boldly into the throne of grace. We are in great need of faith in Christ as our High Priest… faith that will carry us through the days ahead.

It Is So Simple!

by Michael

Hudson Taylor wrote,

“When my agony of soul was at its height a sentence in a letter was used to remove the scales from my eyes, and the Spirit of God revealed the truth of our oneness with Jesus as I had never known it before . . . ‘But how do you get faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One.’ As I read I saw it all! ‘If we believe not, He abideth faithful.’ I looked to Jesus and saw (and when I saw, oh, how the joy flowed!) that He had said, ‘I will never leave you.’ ‘Ah, there is rest!’ I thought. I’ll strive in vain to rest in Him. I’ll strive no more. For has He not promised to abide with me–never to leave me, never to fail me? And, He never will!”

It was John chapter 15 that God used to open his eyes where Jesus said. “I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides IN me, and I IN him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 KJ2000 – emphasis added)

It is so simple, yet so hard if we are not abiding and resting IN Him. THIS is the key or as Paul put it, “IN Him we live and move and have our being… for we are His offspring.” It is all about resting IN Jesus, “who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” (1 Corinthians 1:30 KJ2000)

First we believe INTO Jesus then we continue to abide there IN Him. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in [Grk.  eis – into] him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believes on [Grk.eis – into] him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in [ eis – into] the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18 KJ2000)

I just finished a search in the N. T. for all the verses that speak of us abiding IN Jesus as our life and all that is ours as we do and it filled up eight pages of small type!

Do you want to hear from Jesus? Abide IN Him…
“God, having of old time spoken unto the fathers in the prophets by divers portions and in divers manners, hath at the end of these days spoken unto us IN his Son…” (Hebrews 1:1-2 ASV)

Do you lack love for a brother? Abide IN Him…
“He that loves his brother abides IN the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.” (1 John 2:9-10 KJ2000)

Do you want to do God’s will for your life, abide IN Christ!
“For we are his workmanship, created IN Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10 KJ2000)

Do want to walk upright before the Father? We can only do so as we abide IN Christ…
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places IN Christ: According as he has chosen us IN him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” (Ephesians 1:3-4 KJ2000)

Do you want to see unity in the church? It starts with you as you abide IN Him,
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one IN Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28 KJ2000)

Are you tired of that old nature in you that keeps pulling you down. Again, the answer is found by abiding IN Jesus…

And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calls you, who also will do it.
(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 KJ2000)

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJ2000)

Everything we need and all that the Father has for us is found IN Him as we abide in the Son. The Father grafts us INTO Him, our Vine, when we believe with saving faith and even that faith is given us by Him! Jesus was the Veil that was torn upon the cross so that we could be grafted INTO Him and then abide there for eternity. Then while we abide in Him the Father prunes us that we might bring forth more fruit unto Him. Our part is to abide in Him. We rest in the finished work of Christ and then He makes the spiritual fruit come forth. What shall we say if we neglect so great a salvation? Abiding and resting in Him is the key. HE is our Life!

Therefore if any man be IN Christ, he is a new creation: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJ2000 – emphasis added)  

“If You Have Seen Me, You Have Seen the Father”

by Michael

Image

The goal of the gospel of Jesus Christ has always been “many sons and daughters unto the glory of God.” As Jesus glorified His Father with His obedience and His life, so are we called to glorify Him with our obedience and the life of His Spirit in us. Jesus could say to Philip, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” When His transforming work is complete in us and we have been fully graphed into the Vine (Jesus Christ – see John chapter 15) and pruned by the Father, we can also say, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Vine.”

How does this happen? First God had to send His Son to both live and die for us on this earth. In His life He demonstrated what a Life fully dedicated to the Father and His kingdom looks like. In His death He demonstrated the end cost of such obedience. The Father also did something else. He allowed Jesus to suffer thousands of wounds and made a place in Him as the True Vine of the Father for us to be graphed into the Son.

A master gardener or vine dresser knows how to graft a vine or a tree to make sure it brings forth the fruit he desires. First a root stock must be planted that will support the branches that are to be grafted in. Once it gets rooted and starts growing the vine dresser wounds the stock and then cuts off a bud from another vine and inserts it into that good root stock. The same is true of fruit trees and the work of an orchardist. It is there that the new bud takes hold and gets its life from the new source.

The same is true in Christ. God, the Vine Dresser, cuts us off from our old life source we once knew in Adam and grafts us into His Son. We are inserted and bound into that wound in the Son that we might get our whole life from Him and no longer from that old Adam nature we were born into. That is not all. As we grow in Him we are also pruned. God knows just how to shape us and cut off the dead wood that we might bring forth more fruit in the Vine. The Son of God becomes our whole identity. He is our whole life, light and supply for everything we need as we abide and grow up in Him. It is IN the Son that we now “live and move and have our being” and the desired fruit of the Father’s vineyard becomes automatic because we abide in the Son. if you have seen the in-grafted sons and daughters of the Father you have seen the Son. THIS IS the witness of the Father to the world! You might ask, “But isn’t all this cutting, severing and pruning painful? Yes, it is, but it is worth it to be one with the Father and the Son.

Just before He died Jesus prayed, “That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me. And the glory which you gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that you have sent me, and have loved them, as you have loved me.” (John 17:21-23 KJ2000). Our prayer should be, “Father, make me one with your Son. Do whatever it takes to make this happen. Don’t listen to my screams and whining as you cut me off from this world and prune me and shapen me into what you desire. Don’t let me fall short of your glory. Amen!”

Are You Out of Your Mind?

by Michael

As a Christian, have you ever felt like you were losing your mind? Have you felt so far detached from this world and its values that you thought you were losing it? Have you been through so much rejection on this earth that you felt like you were about to mentally check out for good? Well, I have been there. And you know what? That is exactly what God is doing to us as we seek Him and His kingdom… unplugging us from being worldly minded any longer.

In Romans Paul wrote, “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Actually, the Greek word translated “renewing” is not done justice. This translation comes closer… “And be not conformed to this world: but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good and the acceptable and the perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2 DRB). If we are to be truly converted from being the old creatures we were in Adam, we must be made into a new creation IN Christ who is our life. The word translated “transformed” in the above verse is the Greek word metamorpho from which we get the word “metamorphosis.” A caterpillar has a mind to crawl around on a bush and eat its leaves. But once metamorphosis takes place it has the mind of a butterfly to sore in the sky and suck nectar from the flowers. Its old earth bound mind had to be completely changed to be compatible with its new creature life.

So it is for our new lives in Christ as well. We are no longer of the first Adam, earth bound and focused on the lower elements of life in this world system, but we are a new creation with a new mind fit for living in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. For our complete transformation to happen we need a new mind to live in HIS kingdom subject to the Father and not to the god of this world system. We who are Christ’s are literally out of our minds and totally into HIS. Paul wrote, “For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16 KJ2000). To live in Christ and do His will we must have HIS mind, not our own. We literally have to be out of our minds!

What is the sign that we are living by the mind of Christ? Paul wrote, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not a thing to be grasped to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant…” (Philippians 2:5-7 KJ2000). To be worldly minded is to have a mind that seeks to rise above all men and exalt ourselves over them. To have the mind of Christ is to seek the lowest places of service and not to make a reputation for ourselves, but rather we live for the reputation of the lowly servant Christ. To our fellow man we seem to be week and out of our minds and are often disdained because we have the smell of death about us for the old Adam must die for us to have the mind of Christ. Paul wrote to the carnal Christians in Corinth, “For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be in our right mind, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constrains us…” (2 Corinthians 5:13-14 KJ2000). We in our right minds, the mind of Christ, serve one another because of His great love that abides in our hearts. Unselfish love for others is another sign that we have the mind of Christ abiding in us as the Father’s transformed creatures in the Son.

Paul wrote, “If so be that you have heard him [Christ], and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That you put off concerning the former way of life the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:21-24 KJ2000). Metamorphosis! We put off that old life as a lowly earthbound worm and by the power of God we put on our new heavenly life in Christ and receive the Truth which is found in Him in our renewed mind of the Spirit as God’s Spirit-born beings, walking in His righteousness and holiness. It all hinges on our receiving a new mind, the mind of Christ and putting off the old “ that you no longer walk as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their minds.”

Each of us having the mind of Christ is also where our unity comes from. Paul wrote, “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affections and mercies, Fulfill you my joy, that you be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Philippians 2:1-2 KJ2000). Our consolation and comfort in love with its affections and mercies all come from our fellowship in the Spirit as we have the same mind… the mind of Christ. Without the mind of Christ in each of us we will never know unity in His love. Most Christians today think that they can keep their own minds, but as long as they all believe the same things they will have unity. Sorry, but it doesn’t work. To believe the same doctrines with your old minds will not make us loving selfless servants in Christ’s love toward one another. To have Christ’s mind is to have His heart as well, filled with the only thing that binds us together… the love of God.

 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as would be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. (Philippians 3:13-15 KJ2000)