Reality Check - Let This Mind Be In You

Rom 12:9-21 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. (10) Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; (11) Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; (12) Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; (13) Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. (14) Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. (15) Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. (16) Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. (17) Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. (18) If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. (19) Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. (20) Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. (21) Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Oh how our heavenly Father has his Spirit and blessings flowing in and through such thoughts in forming the character of His Son in us. I couldn’t help but to note that which is a key verse to me “give way to wrath” which encompasses most of the preceding verses, and that which later follows “Be not overcome of evil, (not by, but of evil) but overcome evil with good.”KJV. This we see in the Son how in giving way, in which he gave his life, became obedient to death. He demonstrated his very nature, one whom proceeded from the Father and gives honour to Him and being pleasing to his Father, he found security in the fathers blessing and committed his spirit unto Him even to the death of the cross.

In contrast to this is an alternate way of living, a way of knowledge of crediting to oneself that which is to be given to the creator, a mentality of pride, proving oneself, responding to challenges and trials on a wrong platform, which leaves us with no place of defence from every false doctrine and away from the evil one in the One to whom vengeance belongs-(The Lord). Satan’s choicest and greatest weapons however are to draw us onto this platform of reasoning, that which forms his very makeup; a wilful disregard of the government and wisdom of God. Having a form of godliness but denying its power, he confuses our identity and makes us fatherless and regardless of the doctrine one subscribes to, it gives no real sense of freedom or security for it is the very foundation of Satan’s kingdom; Babylon a fallen Kingdom.

We need to have true sense and value for words and the use of words such a Father, Son, reality, love, truth, honour, faithfulness, righteousness and spirit, used in their rightful simple childlike and primitive terms, knowing them as simple as a child calling his Father, daddy in the beauty of simplicity as they were before being confused by the deceiver. The removal of this fundamental way of “seeing” is to have an assimilation of all that is right, seemingly good and commendable but not real and true and not honoured by God. A similitude of greatness and power but in its core; without the spirit of God, without authority, a confused source of worth and blessing, rejected, in reverse to the nature of our creator and yet amazingly, the grounds on which he (Satan) wins any and every battle against the souls of men.

In our efforts of championing the cause of Jesus, we many times fall victim unknowingly to the cause of Satan in his cunning and rebellious attempts to misrepresent and mar the image of the Son of God. Many however fall; if not to a blatant disregard of Jesus’s Sonship and his clear and faithful example to us, misrepresent Him in character and in spirit, a spirit of rebellion which began in heaven and continues here on earth well hidden in the guise of good causes. We did not physically eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil with our first parents but we partake of the spirit of the lie in our own way and manner in dealings and daily activities; having the ends justifying the means and even more specifically how we do Gods work and relate to Him.

In effect, like Cain the son of Adam, unrested in spirit and vexed, shifted from the platform of truth and obedience to God, we measure and meet out according to and equal to the proportion of the challenge of the tests we face in a wrong spirit and trampling on all who stand in the way of “progress” be it for good or evil. Holding unto the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, “knowing right and wrong”, good and evil and yet kill and claim to be doing God a service. (a god of our making) Are we really like Christ in everything we do? Are we as he was whilst on earth with his disciples? Do we still examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith? 2Co 13:5

When we lose the sense of the nature of our Heavenly Father, in our quest of doing good and avoiding evil, we actually eschew the good and do evil, quickly taking to arms rather than having a complete trust in our heavenly father, and trusting in His authorship of our lives even seen in His headship and His purposes over and for us. I confess many times I have found myself in this position, acting as one without a father. Jesus however trusts and leaves all to His father, in a complete abandonment to His will, continually pointing us back to that which has become contrary to us; that which is true knowing and true life, knowing the Father. This was no employment of a way and manner of attaining power to accomplish an act, but a life lived in truth and reality. Reminding us from whom we derive our life, every good inspiration, every true freedom and the one from whom all blessings flow.

No one could withstand Satan’s deceptive and relentless advances than the man Christ Jesus who came to reveal another foundation to us; His Sonship. To show us the way back to where we have fallen, he demonstrated what only by his father, he could do for man because we were made in the image of the Father and Son, coming from the mind of the Father through the hand of His Son, that in touching the Son we may see Him and know the mind of the Father. In this trust He was sure and his rest in his father’s love was perfect. Of the truth it is said of Him, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mat 3:17 What a freeing thought that my Father "has got my back" looking out for me. I do not need to look over my shoulders every time I hear a squeak, and I can walk confidently knowing He is by my side by His spirit even to the end of the world and He is more than willing to live his life through me.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Php 2:5. To have the Spirit of Christ, to have the mind that is in Christ is not merely subscribing to truth, but living truthfully, “walking in the truth” 2 Joh 1:4, being true, having the one who alone is true in you. The faith of those who truly have Christ as Lord, Saviour, brother and friend have a spirit that is other from this world, utterly different from the spirit of the world. In a dark world rendered by the confusion thereof, they have the faith of Christ and hold to His commandments, Rev 12:17, Rev 14:12 not fatherless but having the spirit of adoption Rom 8:14-15, Gal 4:6 enjoying all the benefits of Christ’s Sonship; the nature of His way, restoring back to us what we lost and having a right to partake of the tree of life. Rev 22:14

Only a fatherless child, and one who has no knowledge of his heavenly Father begins throwing fists into the air because he feels he has to defend himself, after all who is there to defend him; he is all alone, angry, apprehensive and ready to take on those who will threaten his dear life. After all that’s all he’s got! He has to produce to meet the demands, do anything to be important and will do anything to defend it. We get taken up by the world and can’t resist the lust there in and when the challenge is overwhelming and we continually fail, give up in hopelessness and weariness no longer wanting to live. There is no real father who will say to us, “my love and acceptance of you is not based on what you do or your performance.” Who we are derives its significance and worth only from our father. “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Mat 3:17

“Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good. Rom 12:21 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” Rom 15:6. Having one testimony seamlessly woven with the nature of the Son in assurance in the Father, the one from whom all blessings flow.

Be changed by beholding Him and see a Son; one who honors, loves and desires to do his Fathers will, living the reality that is in Christ who on earth was not shaken off his Identity and his Fathers love in his testimony continually pointing us to his Father, the true Father of all, changing us into His image and having His mind; not being or acting independent of his Father (one who now knows for himself). Not responding on Satan’s terms; having his reliance on his truthful relationship received from the Father as His only weapon of warfare. He is our example of, from where we derive our identity and how we should truly receive it. Such is the nature of our elder brother and that which our heavenly Father desires for us without which we lose our very Identity and purpose, submitting to him and yet not in understanding of Him.

It is very easy to fight for a good cause and yet in the spirit of the evil one, but the Son of God did not only teach us what obedience is like; we find in His life the way and nature of a willful obedience (Heb 5:7-8) to the Father. In him we find the beginning of true nature, which creation groans for Rom 8:22, that which is natural and undefiled relationship. Not produced or acted nor tainted but in reality, lived! In perfect communion with the fountain of life.

We live in a power driven world programed for only the strongest to survive, a kind of knowing which does not abide in Christ that makes one alone and then must defend him or herself because of its nature of “being like God” but yet not God, so it suffers under a curse of not receiving life to bear good fruit from the one whom alone is God. Man cannot produce this life from within himself; he receives it from another, the nature of the One he has forsaken, frustrating his very nature and existence. We unfortunately find ourselves many times subscribing to this kind of worldview that stems from a spirit that has hit the very crux of worthlessness. Using all manner of devices to overcome and stay on top, even for “good causes” such is the nature of evil.

Oh that Elijah might come and show us the way and spirit of the Son of God. Confident in the one weapon he holds against all the wiles of the enemy, His Sonship. And show us that God our Father wants us back on the platform of truth, founded on the reality of Christ the rock of our salvation. One who can give his life not only utterly as heroic as that is, but in a continual abandonment to His Father even unto death.

Everything about Him points me to His father and my Father and His God and my God. Joh 20:17.  I simply love Him for that. His way is so real and true and with no taint of affectation or acting. He was the way of truth, He is truth and He is true. In him we find the truth concerning everything including the Fathers love for us and how he made us to be. His sacrifice and death was not just a salvational fix for sin, an act of commandment fulfilling on our behalf; it was the demonstration of a Sons love and obedience and honouring of His Father that in its demonstration and loving impartation became salvific for man. The salvation Christ made available to us is the very life He lives. He was willing to stake all, for he and his Father loved us. Love for His father is His way of life. And praise God Jesus is reality for the reality He lives won the victory for us for in him the Father had one who will not be pushed off His identity for mere power and prestige or to act within himself as one who in himself needs not to honour another. His father’s Love and acceptance is all He needed. Mat 3:17

Let us walk with Him in all things, in life and in character, not being overcome by evil in all we do. I cannot live this life on my own, but in Jesus victory I can walk and have victory that my relationship with my heavenly Father will be sealed in his love, in character in obedience to his wisdom demonstrated in His son to all creation and in life. Jesus the Christ the Son of the living God is the way the truth and the life John 14:6 one who can make himself of no reputation, because his worth is of another kind and value altogether. Let this mind be in you.

Php 2:5-8 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” 

Dear Heavenly father, please give me this mind that is in your Son. Lord Jesus your relationship with your Father is so beautiful I cannot resist it. I confess that sin seeks to clouds my mind to fully comprehend your way and simplicity. I have sought to know you by my way of knowing and valuing and have made you into my own confused image. I am the first one in line who needs you nature; help me Lord to know you better that I may worship you in spirit and in truth. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.