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)

Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he has consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having a high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:19-25 KJ2000)

So many want to see unity in the church. How can there be unity when we who call ourselves “Christian” are finding our identity in everything but Jesus who is the Head of the church? We are divided by doctrines, spiritual gifts, hierarchical  titles, race, gender, and denominations. Only when Jesus is our All and in all will there be unity in the church and only those who are one in Him are assembled together beyond the veil IN Him.

Those who have put on Christ, live IN Christ and not for themselves. They tabernacle with Him. Neither the Passover (salvation from sin)  nor Pentecost (gifts of the Spirit) is their total identity for these are only part of what Jesus has done for them. They have moved on beyond the outer court and the inner court and passed through the torn veil of His flesh and abide IN Him as their Life. To get there the old Adam in them had to die. Death continues to work in them that the life of Christ might abound in others. You can tell those who have passed through the veil, their lives are no longer about themselves, power or their spiritual gifts. They are all about Jesus, and posturing over others, seeking power and garnering titles to themselves will not be found among them for Christ is their sufficiency.

True unity is only found beyond the veil in Christ. As we surrender our lives over to Him and make Him our life, unity with Him and each other will happen. God has put a hunger in each of us and until we pass through the veil of His flesh and abide their in Him, we will be hungry to find fulfilment. The trouble is that most of us will try to fill that hunger with other things… things that will pull us away from Him. This is why we see so many believers, even so-called church leaders, falling into sin. Yet, Jesus is persistent. He keeps calling us into the presence of His Father and is always our High Priest who stands before Him, making intercession for us.

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. Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which you have given me: for you loved me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:22-24 KJ2000)