The Mind of Christ

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the love (fear) of the Lord. His delight is in the love of the Lord, and He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, nor decide by the hearing of His ears, but with righteousness He shall judge the poor and decide with equity for the meek of the earth. And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting-place shall be glorious.

God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Does that mean that God has one thought, one task, one repeated duty that is done over and over or does that mean that God is the same God yesterday, today and forever? Does that mean that God expects us to have one thought, one task, one repeated duty that is done over and over or that we are to be to the One that is God? We see that God did not ask (God’s Word) the same of everyone in task or duty, but only that everyone obey His Word? But is His Word something written down once and now forever to be followed or it is what He asks of one? There are rules of social living, but is that the Word of God? There are rules of social living (or social standards) that are preferred by people that are in a position that allows their views to be known, but are they the Word of God?

Man does not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord; but to whom? Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread, which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die.” At the Last Supper as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” But man does not live by bread alone. Then He took a cup, and when He had given thanks gave it to them, and they drank from it. And He said to them, ‘This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many.” Jesus’ broken body is the bread of life. Isaiah wrote, “… by His stripes we are healed.” But man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord. Man does not live only by the bread, through the body of Christ; but by the wine that was in the cup, that Jesus has passed on to all that come to the Christ. Jesus broke the bread, but passed the wine in one cup. The body is broken. The Spirit is NOT! It is one Spirit but many pieces of the body. It is our Helper that will guide us into truth, it is the Word of God.

Jesus is the Word come to us in the form of a man, the Holy Spirit is the Word come again in Spirit to us as a teacher and comforter. The earth was found without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “let there be light” and there was light. That Word of God was Jesus. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, … because they are spiritually discerned… But we have the mind of Christ.” The things of the Spirit, the Word of God, are spiritually discerned. The understanding is not in the tongue or the pen of the teacher, preacher or minister, but in the mind of Christ, the Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on Him. Understanding and wisdom is in the mind of Christ. Jesus Christ is the Word of God that created all things and without Him nothing on this earth was created. Jesus is the Word that came to earth in the body of a man. Jesus Christ is the Word of God, the understanding, the wisdom, the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is the Spirit, the promise of Jesus that comes and teaches and gives comfort. We that call our faith Christ, that have received Jesus and confess our need for Him, are sent the mind of Christ.

Do not let the cares or wisdom of this world take the place of the mind of Christ. Find His resting-place. Turn away from yourself and toward others. There is nothing we can do for God except to be to each other. Jesus left us a commandment of love; “love one another as I have loved you.” No greater love has one than to give their life for another. That does not have to mean dying, it can mean living for others. What ever your hand finds to do, do it with all of your heart. What ever your hand finds to do, do it with all of your love. What ever your hand finds to do, do it with the mind of Christ.

© 1999 Tim D. Coulter Sr.