Lord’s Day, Vol. 11 No. 26
The Mind Is the Battleground! (Part 2)
The mind of a spiritual person must be in harmony with God’s mind. When man is controlled by God’s Spirit, he desires to fulfil God’s law, to do God’s will, and to reflect God’s glory. [Kistemaker]
While Jesus was on earth, He anticipated that He will leave His disciples on earth to return to heaven. He comforted His disciples that they will not be alone, He will send the Holy Spirit Comforter to abide with them.
John 14:16-18 (KJV) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
Jesus says to His disciples that He will not leave them without guidance, without direction, without the truth to live their lives but His Spirit will be with the,. This is the Spirit of Jesus Christ which the Apostle Paul spoke about in Philippians 1:19 (cf. 1 Peter 1:12).
Philippians 1:19 (KJV) For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
John 14:26-27 (KJV) But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
With the Holy Spirit teaching us, God’s people shall have peace, not troubled and fearful.
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, will instruct believers to know the mind of the LORD, the mind of God, the mind of Christ – these are one! A united mind of the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
John 17:20 … them also which shall believe on me through their word; John 17:21 (KJV) That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
John 17:14-18 (KJV) I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.
Romans 8:26 (KJV) Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Romans 8:27 (KJV) And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
Grand Object – To Reach Out to the Mind of Man Gone Astray
Man’s Mind has Gone Astray. And the result of it is eternal death, not just physical death but eternal separation from God which is the torment of the soul for all eternity. Because Man has gone astray, God in His infinite love came to reach out to man.
John 17:1-4 (KJV) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
The grand object is that God may impart to you eternal life and man may enjoy eternal fellowship with the Godhead.
Where did our mind come from? God created it. The mind of man is made in the image of the mind of God.
Genesis 1:26-28 (KJV) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Genesis 2:7-8 (KJV) And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
This was the grand object of creation – when God made the universe, the earth was the focus, when God made the earth, man was the focus, only man was made in the image of God and with a mind in the likeness and image of God able to understand the mind of God and enjoy communion with Him.
Proverbs 8:30-31 (KJV) Then I (Son) was by him (Father), as one brought up with him: and I (Son) was daily his (Father’s) delight, rejoicing always before him (Father); Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men (man).
Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; in contemplating the wonderful wisdom and goodness of God in the making and ordering of all His creatures, and of man especially. [Poole]
My delights were with the sons of men, to uphold them by my power and providence, to reveal myself and my Father’s mind and will to them from age to age, to assume their nature, and to redeem and save them, which I would not do for the fallen angels. [Poole]
Proverbs 8:32-36 (KJV) Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
Refusing the way of the LORD is death! Choose the way of the LORD, its blessing, its favour is life!
to be continued…
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee