Lesson 10 The Mind of Christ

     The mind of Christ is nothing less than the will of God revealed to His family.  Once we know what the Father's will for His children is, it's not so difficult to walk in what Jesus has done for us.  We've mostly had a hard time because we have learned so many things throughout the years that it's difficult to know what to do.
     We must allow the Holy Spirit to be our teacher in order to know the mind of Christ.  We've heard and learned so many things over the years that it's now difficult to hear the Holy Spirit when He speaks to us.  Many things that have been taught to the Church have been wrong, but once they've been implanted into our minds, it's hard to rise above them.  The mind of Christ (the Holy Spirit) will not speak the things of man's doctrines.  It will only speak the truth of God's Word.
     When the truth meets the traditions of men, we become double-minded.  The mind of man (the traditional way of religion) confronts the mind of the Spirit (the mind of Christ) and now tradition runs against the truth.  A mind that's been renewed by God's Word will hear the voice of the Spirit, but the mind of man (the carnal mind) will oppose this.
     James 1:5-8 (Amplified) tells us that, "If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God (Who gives) to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or fault finding, and it will be given him."  Verses 6&7 say, "Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating or doubting) For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind for truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything (he asks for) from the Lord."  Verse 8 goes on, "(For being as he is) a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute) (he is) unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything (he thinks, feels, and decides)."
     The two minds James describe here are from a man who tries reasoning out the truth with the unrenewed mind (the carnal mind) and comes into opposition to the mind of the Holy Spirit.  James 1:5 says that, "If we ask God for wisdom, then He will give it."  James 1:7 (Amplified) says that, "So God gave the wisdom, the religious, unrenewed, carnal mind, reasons against it, and all is lost."
      It isn't that God doesn't give wisdom, but it's the unrenewed mind that will not receive it.  This has been the biggest problem facing the Church for centuries.  God is trying to get His wisdom to the Church by His Spirit, but we keep trying to hear Him in our flesh (carnal minds).  2Corinthians 3:15-17 (Amplified) says, "Yes, down to this (very) day whenever Moses is read, a veil lifts upon their minds and hearts (the Law). But whenever a person turns (in repentance) to the Lord, the veil is stripped away, Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom)."
     When we read the Word with our carnal minds (our unrenewed minds), we continue walking in the fear of judgment, rituals and fear before God.  When the Holy Spirit (the mind of Christ) reveals the truth to us, it sets us free from fear, bondage and external customs.  1John 4:18 (Amplified) says, "There is no fear in love (dread does not exist) but full grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and (so) he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love (is not yet grown into loves complete perfection)."
      We know that God's love is perfect, so John isn't talking about God's love being made perfect here.  He's speaking about the revelation of God's love being understood (by His Spirit) in us.  A mind renewed by the Word (the mind of the Spirit) will hear and know that Jesus bore our punishment, my judgment and penalty for my sins and trespasses.  A renewed mind will now be able to walk in the liberty of the Spirit in total peace.
     A carnally minded man will still walk in fear that every minute mistake will bring God's judgment upon him and he will cringe from and not draw near the throne of grace in boldness because he doesn't feel like he deserves it.  He still tries making himself good enough to deserve mercy.  A Spirit minded man, one who is led by the Holy Spirit, knows that it isn't because we've done everything right to deserve grace, but everything was given by grace and it's something we don't deserve.  The unrenewed mind still wants to walk under the Law and be judged by his own merits.  The Spirit minded man will realize that my life isn't based on my own merits, but on Jesus' grace.  It's a gift to be received by faith and not by works.
     If we read the Word with the veil of the Law of Moses over our eyes, then we can never be free from our past.  If you read the Word of God by the Holy Spirit, then He is our liberty from all of the Law and has now made us righteous in Christ Jesus.  Nothing we do or don't do in the flesh can make us right with God.  Only faith in Christ and His sacrifice can ever accomplish that.
     A man who allows the mind of Christ to actually be made manifest in him, can now walk before God as clean and as pure as Jesus Himself because He is our righteousness.  If a man doesn't renew his mind in the Holy Spirit, then although he's born again, made a new creature in Christ and the entire penalty of his sins was paid by Jesus, he will still walk in the same guilt and condemnation he had before being born again. 
     We cannot bear the penalty for our pasts.  Only Jesus could do that.  But, now that He has and the price has been paid, we are free from the "Law of sin and death by the Law of life in Christ Jesus" according to Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified).                      
     This is the good news and the very Gospel that Jesus came to deliver.  This is what the mind of Christ will reveal to all who will renew their minds by the Word.  If we are really serious about having the mind of Christ, then we will listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to all those who will listen.
     Jesus says in Luke 4:18-19 (Amplified) that, "The Spirit of the Lord (is) upon Me, because He has anointed Me (the Anointed One, the Messiah) to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and the recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed (who are down trodden, bruised, crushed and broken down calamity) to proclaim the accepted and acceptable year of the Lord (the day when salvation and the free favors of God profusely abound."  Jesus goes on in Verse  21to say that, "Today this scriptures has been fulfilled while you are present and hearing."
     If it was fulfilled then, then it must still be fulfilled now.  If we dare believe the truth over religion and the carnal mind, then we are free and at liberty with our Father now.  The carnally minded man believes it's too easy to be true and that he must do something to earn and deserve the gift of grace.  To those whose minds have been renewed by the Holy Spirit, we know that the only way to ever have this liberty is by faith in what Jesus has already done for us.  It doesn't matter how hard we try or what we do, we cannot improve on what our Savior has already done for us.  We need to accept it by faith because it is finished!

Lesson 9 The Mind of Christ

     When we think of the mind of Christ (the Anointed One) , we sometimes fail to recognize that we have the mind of Christ.  1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) tells us, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."
     The Holy Spirit, Who now dwells in and lives in our spirit, knows the will, thoughts and wisdom of God.  There's nothing concerning the will and purpose of God that His Holy Spirit doesn't know.  This is one of the reasons we're now to be led by the Spirit.  If we will allow the Holy Spirit to do what He was sent to do, then we won't make all the same mistakes that we've been making for two thousand years.   Actually, the Word of God is the mind of Christ.  If we continue reading the Word like we have, then we'll never know any more about it than we do now.
     A renewed mind is one that allows the Holy Spirit to interpret the Word instead of the carnal mind.  Our Heavenly Father doesn't want us to be ignorant of His will and purposes.  For centuries, we've only read into the Word that which is mostly carnal teachings.  We've ignored nearly all of the power of the Holy Spirit and not allowed it to be delivered to us because we don't allow the Spirit to lead us.  He doesn't work outside of the Word, so whatever we don't receive from Him in the Word, He is not obligated to fulfill.  When we read from the Word that He has given us authority in the Name of Jesus, do we really have the revelation of what this means or are we simply reading this in the knowledge of man?
     The Name of Jesus is above every name and the Word says that "Whatsoever we ask the Father in His Name, He will do it."  Are we missing something in the revelation knowledge about His Name?  John 15:7 (Amplified) says that, "If you live in Me (abide, vitally united to Me) and My Word remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you."
     His Words aren't just the ones that are written in red.  His Words are the entire New Testament.  I don't know about your life in Christ, but I know that in my own life, John 15:7 isn't bearing the fruit in my life that Jesus said it would.  Either He didn't mean what He said, or I don't have the full revelation of what Jesus was saying.  I know that Jesus only spoke the truth.  So, that leaves me and I must discover what I'm missing from this scripture.
     My carnal mind would tell me this scripture means something different.  But, the new man (the born again spirit man that I now am) wants to know what's wrong and is this scripture not bearing the fruit it should.  This is a scripture on prayer that should work in the lives of God's people.  If we are honest, then most of us would have to admit that for the most part, this prayer isn't working like He said it should.
     If we (the Church) was really seeing the results through prayer like this scripture says, then churches everywhere would be filled on prayer meetings and gatherings every time.  But, the truth is that when we have Intercessory Prayer night, very few people show up.  It's because we have been so disappointed by unanswered prayer and have almost given up on prayer.  We are faced with these two facts; either we don't have the full revelation of prayer from the Holy Spirit or Jesus wasn't telling us the truth.
     We both know that Jesus spoke the truth and if we're honest, then we both know that prayer isn't working in our lives the way He said it would.  Now, we come down to the truth of where we walk with God.  We can use the same lame excuses we've used for years or we can seek God for revelation to get results.
    Paul says in 2Corinthians 13:3-6 (Amplified) that, "Since you desire and seek (perceptible) proof of the Christ Who speaks in and through me (for He) is not weak and feeble in dealing with you, but is a mighty power within you."  Verse 4 says, "For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He goes on living by the power of God. And though we are weak in Him (as He was humanly weak) yet in dealing with you (we shall show ourselves) alive and strong in (fellowship with) Him, by the power of God."  Verse 5 goes on, "Examine and test and evaluate your own selves to see whether you are holding to your faith and showing the proper fruits of it. Test and prove yourselves (not Christ). Do you not yourselves realize and know (thoroughly by an ever increasing experience) that Jesus Christ is in you-unless you are (counterfeits) disapproved on trial and rejected?" Verse 6 says, "But I hope you will recognize and know that we are not disapproved on trial and rejected."
     This was written to the very same Church of Corinth that was operating in the gifts of the Spirit in 1Corinthians 12.  What Paul is saying to today's Church is that we are "to show ourselves alive and strong in (fellowship with) Him, by the power of God" from Verse 4.    
     The whole Church has become dull of hearing when it comes to results in the power of His Spirit.  We cannot deny that God's Word is true.  We also cannot deny that it's most not working in our lives.  We've stopped seeking the mind of Christ and have settled for feeble excuses from our own carnal minds when it comes to spiritual things.  We've tried passing it off as something for the future.  We are the future that it has been passed onto.
     Faith in God's Word is actually the mind of Christ in action.  If God said it, then it's just as true today as it was when He spoke it.  God doesn't need to remind the light to shine everyday.  He commanded it to shine and it will not stop until He says to stop.
 

Lesson 8 The Mind of Christ

When we speak about the mind of Christ, we speak about the Holy Spirit's revealing the truth of Jesus into the renewed mind of the Christian.  Many millions of people have been born again, received salvation and entered into this covenant of grace that we're now part of.  As parts of the covenant has been preached to unsaved people, enough light came through to let them know that they can be saved by Jesus and that they could be forgiven.
     From this revelation, the Church was born.  But, when we look at today's Church, we see that a large part of the Body of Christ has strayed a long ways from what Jesus told the Apostle Paul in the beginning of this covenant.  Paul speaks about his encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus in  2Corinthians 12:1-5 (Amplified) .  While he was in a rapturous state in the Lord, he was blinded by the light of the glory of Christ.  During his three days of blindness, he stayed in the presence of the Lord.  Paul declared that he didn't know whether he was caught up in his flesh and blood body or just in his spirit.  Either way, Paul said he was in the presence of the Lord.
     During this time, Paul said that he received the revelation of the new covenant from the Lord Himself.  Until this time, even the Apostle didn't understand what was going on.  The Apostle Peter was still preaching to the Jew.  They were still speaking about circumcision and the Law.
     When Paul began preaching salvation to the Gentile, he and Peter clashed several times about it.  There was now a covenant that included the Gentile and that covenant wasn't based on Law and sacrifice.  Now, there was a covenant totally based on grace to be received by faith in Jesus.
     Those who had been covenant people under the Law, had to now learn about grace.  As Gentiles, we had to learn about a God we had never before known.  All this had to be taught to the people by the word of mouth and preaching.  It was many years before the letters that Paul wrote to the Church would be compiled into what we refer to as the New Testament or new covenant.  We now have these letters called Epistles to the Churches.
     Throughout the years, we've gotten away from the truth of the revelation Jesus, God Himself showed Paul.  Man has taken the Word of God and interpreted it by man's wisdom.  The carnal mind of man cannot understand the power of the covenant of grace.  Man felt he needed to accept and be accepted by God through his own works.  Because we failed to allow the Holy Spirit reveal the covenant to us, we used our own wisdom to unravel the Mystery of Christ and not let the Spirit do it.
     Only the Holy Spirit can translate the Spirit of the Word.  Man, in all his wisdom, has no ability to understand it without the Holy Spirit.  We are intelligent enough to read and understand the words, but have no ability to receive the depth behind the Word.  We read this truth in 1Corinthians 2:13-14 (Amplified) which says, "And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the Holy Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language (to those who possess the Holy Spirit)."
     Paul states here that only the Holy Spirit can interpret and reveal the Spiritual truth of what he's writing in Verse 14, "But the natural, non spiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into this heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God."
     Many sermons and preaching that come from today's churches are more of man's wisdom than the Spiritual revelation of the Word.  It's as though, man with his natural mind, can't believe the truth of what Jesus has really done. Man looks, reads, preaches and tells others that this is God's Word.  He says he believes what it says and will even fight over his convictions about the Bible.  Yet, when he reads spiritual truth with a carnal, unrenewed mind, he stumbles at the grace of what he reads.  It is revealed to his mind only in the carnality of man's thinking.  2Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) says that, "For our sake He made Christ (virtually) to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become (endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of) the righteousness of God (what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness)."
     We can read what these words say in our natural, carnal minds and intellect, but without the Holy Spirit bring revelation, we still stumble at this truth.  We keep hearing such things in the Church as "None are righteous and all have sinned" and "We're old sinners saved by grace, but we'll still be sinners until we die."  We hear sermons about how we've sinned and fallen short of God's glory.  We hear sermons more on our old sin nature than the new Image.  The carnal mind will accept the statement that after we die, we'll be made righteous, but will deny the fact that the Word (by revelation) declares in Romans 5:9 (Amplified), "Therefore, since we are now justified  (acquitted, made righteous and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ's Blood, how much more (certain is it that) we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God)."
     Many Christian still fear the thought of facing the Father when we get home, because we still fear punishment for our failures.  Even the Word tells us differently, we continue trying to obtain righteousness by our own performance.
     Only the Holy Spirit can reveal the full truth of the sacrifice of Jesus to the heart of man.  Carnal minded Christians (those who haven't allowed the Holy Spirit to reveal the Word to them) are still trying to do what Jesus has already done.  We think it makes us humble to think and speak of ourselves as sinners.  In the light of the Word of revelation, it makes us sound prideful by not believing what Jesus has done for us.  The carnal mind will actually deny that Jesus was enough to make us righteous before God.  The carnally minded man is always trying to do something to make himself righteous.
     When the Holy Spirit reveals the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus, the man who will receive this truth will see that if he is made righteous with Christ's Own righteousness, then nothing I can do can improve on that righteousness.  Jesus' right standing with God is as perfect as you can ever be.  The Spirit minded man will believe it, receive it and rejoice in it with thanksgiving and praise and rest by faith in the Lamb of God.

Lesson 7 The Mind of Christ

     When the scriptures discuss the mind of Christ, they are speaking about the Holy Spirit revealing the very things of God to us.  Man has come up with many things about our covenant and the heart and the purpose of our Heavenly Father.  Many have been taken from the old covenant and placed into the new covenant.  The way God dealt with people in the old covenant (the Law), is not how He deals in the new covenant of grace and faith.
     Because we've misunderstood what the Father is doing now, we've made many grave mistakes in our walk with Him.  When Paul wrote to the Churches in the Epistles, he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God Himself.  He wrote in Romans 12:2 (Amplified) saying, "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), (fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs), but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude) so that you may prove (for yourselves) what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the things which is good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you)."
     As Christian people, we haven't always taken what Paul was saying to the Church here.  When he said not to be conformed to the world and its external customs, he was talking about our having our own ways of judging how to serve God.  As Christians, we have adapted to the carnal idea of how we're to serve God even now.  We've set up certain religious customs and ideas that are totally man made and not God's will at all.
     The only way to renew our mind is to allow the Holy Spirit to interpret the Word in our lives.  God makes it very clear in 1Corinthians 2:9 (Amplified) that the Holy Spirit isn't trying to keep us in the dark, but He's here to bring light.  Thus, it says, "But on the contrary, as the Scripture says, What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, (all that) God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him, )who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed)."  He didn't say that God didn't want us to know these things, but that the carnal, natural man wouldn't understand them.  Verse 10 reveals God's will now toward the new covenant man saying, "Yet to us (the Church) God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the (Holy) Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God (the divine counsels and things hidden beyond man's scrutiny)."
     Paul goes on about how these things aren't taught by human wisdom, but by the Holy Spirit (Who is really the mind of Christ in 1Corinthians 2 (Amplified).  He declares that the natural man or the nonspiritual man (those who are carnally minded) cannot receive those things because they're spiritually discerned.  He says in Verse 14 that we must learn about renewing our minds, "By allowing the mind of Christ (the Holy Spirit) to reveal to us, the truth of God's Word to our new man, the born again Spirit."
     We've allowed the carnal mind (the world's way of thinking) to remove almost all of the supernatural things of God out of our lives including the gifts of the Spirit, the healing of our bodies, the prayer language, the blessings, the fellowship with our Heavenly Father, the truth of our complete cleansing from sin, the fact of our righteousness and the perfection of our Lamb in our place.  The carnal mind just cannot understand the perfection of our place of total deliverance.
     We can only make sense of it and actually live in and it through faith and the Holy Spirit.  We want to believe we were saved by grace, but then we want to take back what grace has done and live by works and rituals.  1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) declares that, Nobody has known the counsels and purposes of God and nobody could instruct Him or give Him knowledge." Then he goes on to say that now, by the Holy Spirit, we have the mind of Christ and hold the very thoughts, feelings and purposes of His heart. 
     These things have already been deposited in our new, born again spirits we we received Jesus as our Lord.  Through the Holy Spirit, our spirit has been made one with Him.  All of the knowledge of the new birth and the covenant of grace and faith, has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.  Read all of Romans 5:2-5 (Amplified) to see what the Holy Spirit is saying to you in your heart.  Romans 5:2 (Amplified) says that, "Through Him also we have (our) access (entrance, introduction) by faith into this grace (state of God's favor) in which we (firmly and safely) stand. And let us rejoice and exalt in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God."
     The carnal mind will put this promise off for until we reach heaven.  But, the renewed mind (the mind of the Spirit) will receive by faith and walk in it now.  The carnal Christian will never say the Word isn't true, but will exclude almost everything that is supernatural until we reach heaven.  These things are spiritually discerned.  How can we be born again of a supernatural Father, filled with the supernatural Holy Spirit, raised in the Image of a supernatural Lord and not be supernatural people?
     Religion (man's idea of how to serve and walk with God) has kept us in a place of never being good enough to be pleasing to our Father.  We always need to read more, pray more, give more, do more good works and even then don't measure up to God's standards with religion.  God judges us by Christ's standards.  The Father doesn't see our mistakes, but He only sees Jesus' success.  All of our mess was consumed by His sacrifice and anytime God looks at us, He sees Jesus. 
     The mind of Christ will always point us back to Jesus declaring, "It is finished."  There's nothing left for us to finish if it's already done.  All we're required to do is to believe in Him by faith.  Jesus said in Mark 16:17 (Amplified) that, "And these things will accompany those who believe; in My Name they will drive out demons, they will speak in new languages" and other things.
     This comes down to those who believe in His Name.  We've believed in His Name to be born again, but do we believe that in His Name we can do the other things His Name has brought into subjection?  Jesus said that "The Word I speak are Spirit and Truth, but when we read a spiritual truth, do we receive it as Spirit or do we just read it in the natural like any other book?
     Grace, and all that grace has to offer, came to those who will believe.  But, just as salvation came to all who believe, it only comes to the extent that we allow the truth to move into our lives.  The power of His Name is above all things.  But, to what extent depends on the degree we will believe.
     People have said that there are many ways to interpret the Bible, but that's not true!  If God was to give instructions differently to each person, then how would we even know which way to go?  Could one person be saved (as some have said) by other gods?  They say that there are many avenues to god and many name of god, but they all lead to heaven.  Is this true?  Of course it isn't true!  How do we know?  Jesus said that, "I Am the way, I Am the door and the only way to the Father is by Me."
     We all agree then, that the Word is the instructions of God to mankind.  To someone who hasn't renewed his mind by the Word, this simply means that when you die, you'll go to heaven.  Well, this is true, but is Jesus only Lord when you die?  Or, is He Lord now while we're here on earth too?  All the differences in the Church (God's family) today come because of the different degrees of the maturity of the renewed mind.  It's available to everyone who is saved, but open to those who seek.  1Corinthians 2:13 (Amplified) tells us, "And we are setting these truth forth in Words not taught by human wisdom, but taught by the Holy Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language (to those who possess the Holy Spirit)."
     So you see, the "Wisdom of the Word and the mind of Christ is available to all who will listen, but the carnal mind (the natural man) does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God" according to 1Corinthians 2:14 (Amplified).  
     Can we be born again and still be carnal minded?  Yes, we can.  That's why Paul said we must renew our minds.  James talks about being born again and having an unrenewed mind in James 1:8 (Amplified) saying, "(For being as he is) a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute) (he is) unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything (he thinks, feels, decides)."
     When we read God's Word by the light of the Holy Spirit, He will never remind you of who you were, but only of who you are now.  He will never remind you of your sin, but will reveal your right standing with the Father.  James 1:22-25 (Amplified) says, "But be doers of the Word (obey the message) and not merely listeners to it; betraying yourselves (into deception by reasoning contrary to the truth) For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his (own) natural face in a mirror."  Verses 24-5 goes on, "For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like. But he who looks carefully into the faultless law (the law of liberty) (the new covenant of grace) and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets, but an active doer (who obeys) he shall be blesses in his doing (his life of obedience)."
     In the last days before Jesus comes back, God is revealing by the Holy Spirit to His people, a nation of kings and priests unto our God.  The carnal mind, in its religious pride, will not receive the fullness of Jesus' sacrifice.  The carnal man or the carnally minded man still wants to receive everything based on his good works.  He believes that if we would only be good and not sin or do anything wrong, then  God would bless us.  We point out the faults of others to make ourselves look better because we all miss it from time to time.  We excuse ourselves from the spiritual things by proclaiming that they've all passed away.  This is the unrenewed mind (the mind of reasoning) at its best.
     Don't get bogged down by tradition and doctrines of men.  Allow the mind of Christ to be manifest in you.  Let the Holy Spirit reveal Jesus to you in all of His glory for His Name's sake.  When we see ourselves as God sees us, we look so much better.  When He sees us, He sees Jesus and Jesus Is Perfect.  As a matter of fact, when we see other through the mind of Christ, they look beautiful to us because we now see them like He does.
     Jesus doesn't see us as some unfinished work.  He sees us as, Raised together with Him and seated together with Him in Heavenly places , at the right hand of the Father, " according to Ephesians 2.  See yourself there with Him according to the truth of the sacrifice of Jesus.
    

Lesson 6 The Mind of Christ

     When we speak about an unrenewed mind, we're talking about a mind that is still thinks carnally instead of one that thinks like Jesus thinks.  A carnal mind still thinks in the realm of self and a renewed mind or the mind of Christ, thinks about others. 
     Most of us in the Body of Christ, haven't thought much higher than what Jesus has done for me.  We should see what Jesus has done for us.  Without knowing what He's done for us on a personal basis, we can never expect to reach out to others.  If I don't know I am forgiven, then I cannot help others who need His forgiveness.  If I don't know I am a new creation in Christ, then it's hard to speak to others about it.  But, there comes a time (or at least should) when we realize who we are now and to be able to walk in our own deliverance.  We should be able to cease from centering on self so much and think about someone else.
     The mind of Christ reaches out more to the needs of others.  Jesus never did anything because of Himself, but He always acted on our behalf.  Ephesians 5:25 (Amplified) tells us, "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her."  As Christians, if we could understand what Jesus did for us (the Church), then we could love our wives in a deeper and more perfect love.  Everything Jesus was and did, was not for Him, but for us, the Church. 
     A carnal minded Christian will seek after self more than others.  A Christian who has a mind renewed with the mind of Christ, will seek after the needs of others.  Matthew 6:23 (Amplified) says, "But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His Kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right) and then all these things taken together will be given you besides."
     Once we begin to mature in the Lord and in His Word, we can understand that all the things we once worried about are already ours and that He will take care of them.  When we grow up into this realization, we won't be worried about self so much.  Our real job or calling in Christ, is to minister to the world and to one another.  Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 6:25 (Amplified) saying, "Therefore I tell you, stop being perpetually uneasy (anxious, and worried) about your life, what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; or about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life greater (in quality) than food, and the body (far above and more excellent) than clothing?"
     As Christians, we spend most of our time and prayer on ourselves.  As long as we are in this world, we will have tribulation.  But, He has overcome the world.  The office of a teacher in the Body is no different than the profession of a teacher in our schools.  It is to show and educated children how to take care of themselves as adults.  Without someone to teach us, we would mature in our bodies and not in our minds.  We would be strong enough to earn a living at a job, but not know how to work at a job.  In the Church, we've been birthed into a new life.  We must be educated in this new life enough to walk on our own with the Father and be mature enough to know He will take care of us.
     As long as the Church is still more concerned about self than others, the power of the Spirit is limited in our lives.  Once we're taught and trained in the Word of righteousness and the love of our Father, we're supposed to reach out to the world with what we have.  We have received form our Father, through Jesus, everything that pertains to life and godliness.  Yet, we still have our minds set on the "issues" in our own lives more than others.
     Hebrews 6:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrines of Christ (the Messiah) advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection that belong to spiritual maturity; Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith (by which you turned to God)."  Verses 2&3 say, "With teachings about purifying, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgement and punishment. (These are all matters of which you should have been fully aware long, long ago). If indeed God permits, we will (now) proceed (to advanced teachings)."
     The mature Christian will grow in the knowledge of Christ and will become useful in the Kingdom.  We were given the commission to go into all the world and preach the Kingdom.  We're not only to preach it, but to demonstrate it by the works of the Holy Spirit.  We have been pretty successful preaching forgiveness and being born again, but a large part of the Church still struggles with accepting the truth of our own forgiveness.  We continue to struggle with our past, our failures, our tempers, our own shortcomings and are so caught up with self that we can't reach out with much truth and power into the lives of others.
     When the mind of Christ is manifest in the believer, we will accept what Jesus did on our behalf, we will stop fault finding with ourselves and we'll realize that if God said we're righteous, then we are righteous.  We've lingered in spiritual childhood by not being educated into adulthood by the Word.  We are fearful about accepting what the Word says we are instead of what the world says we are.  We have remained babies in Christ who are always needing and never giving.
     For years in the Church, we've heard sermons about sin in our lives.  We all knew we were sinners and that's why we came to Jesus.  One man asked me why I don't preach more about sin in the congregation.  I told him that everyone already knows how to sin, so why should I preach on it?  Not everyone know about being righteous, so I teach on that.  The sin conscience won't be replaced by a righteousness conscience unless someone teaches it. 
     The Word (the mind of Christ) says in 2Corinthians 5:17-21 that, "Old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new, and all things are of God."
     Why then, would I want to teach God's people about who they used to be instead of who they've now become?  You cannot teach children a kindergarten curriculum for twelve years and expect them to graduate from high school and function in the world.  You also can't teach babies in Christ the same elementary things in the Word over and over again for years and expect maturity in the Word of salvation.  With our carnal teachings of spiritual things, we've been held down from walking in maturity in our place with the Father.
     We've taught and have been taught that man (even Christians) is still a sinful creature and has fallen short of the righteousness and the glory of God.  That is not true.  As a Christian, you and I have been made to be the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus by faith in His finished work on the cross.  You are not who you were.  You have been born again in His likeness and Image in Jesus.
     I've often wondered why people would leave their homeland and travel to America to be free, only to live in the same condition they did in their native land.  They come from Cuba and build a "Little Havana."  They come from China and build a "China town."  They come form Italy and build a "Little Italy."  They follow the same traditions and patterns in the new life that they followed in the old life they tried to escape.  We come from all over the world to a land of liberty and opportunity and then live like we always did.  As Christians, we have done the same thing by not renewing our mind by His Word.  We come out of bondage to the elements of the world into the liberty of God's Kingdom and then want to hear about and continue living within the same bondage we came out of.
     We have been brought and bought out of the world and our geneology has changed.  I don't want to come into the Kingdom of the liberty of His Son Jesus and still live in the same old traditions that kept me in bondage all of my old life.  I don't want to be made in Jesus' righteousness and have to live in my old unrighteousness all the time.  I don't need to learn about who I was; that's why I came to Jesus.  Now, I want to learn about my new home, my new birth and my new life.  I don't need to live in my past anymore.  God has forgotten it and my mind is to be renewed now so that I can forget it too.
     It's difficult to trust in your right standing with God if you are constantly being made away of your old self in the world. He didn't say that when we get to heaven we'll be made righteous, but when we receive Jesus.

Lesson 5 The Mind of Christ

     When we read in God's Word about the things Jesus did for us, we tend to believe that those things are for when we get to heaven.  The truth of the Word is, that although eternity is the final goal, Jesus delivered us for here as well as heaven.  When He gave us the power of attorney in His Name, it wasn't for use in heaven because there's nothing there to have to take authority over.  We've somehow reduced all the power of Jesus' death and newness of life through His resurrection until a later time.
     If we will read God's Word by the Holy Spirit, then we'll find that here is where we need to have His power.  Until we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us who we are now in Christ, we can never do all God wants us to do.  We still walk more in a sin conscience rather than in a righteousness conscience.
     The mind of Christ is exactly what it says it is.  It is thinking and acting like Jesus would if He were still here in human form.  Since we are the Body of Christ, we are all He has to do His work.  We are His hands to lay on the sick with.  We are His feet to go into all the world.  We are His voice to proclaim His salvation.  And, we are His arms to hold and comfort the sick and depressed.
     Possessing the mind of Christ isn't something we have in our natural bodies any more than we have anything else by our natural man.  When we were born again, we received His life, His mind, His righteousness and His place before the Father.  Even after we were born again, we had to receive everything He gave us by faith.  We knew that in ourselves we were not righteous, but that by faith in Him we became righteous.  Romans 3:22 (Amplified) says that, "Namely, the righteousness of God which comes by believing with personal trust and confident reliance on Jesus Christ (the Messiah) (and is meant) for all who believe, for there is no distinction."
     Even though Jesus made us righteous in the Father's sight and whether or not we know that we've been made righteous, we still must that righteousness in order to walk before God in it.  Everything that grace provided must be obtained by faith in order to operate here in this world.  And, the mind of Christ is no different.
     The only way to ever bring the things Jesus did for us to come to pass in this world, is by faith.  It's already ours by His sacrifice and it's already done in the Father.  The only thing holding us back is our mindset from the world.  We're capable, through Jesus, to do everything He called us to do.  The way we see Him is how we're supposed to see ourselves.  1John 4:17 (Amplified) says that, "In this (union and communion with Him) love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us; that we may have confidence for the day of judgment (with assurance and boldness to face Him) because as He is, so are we."
     There's no way we can walk in the light of this scripture without faith in Him.  There's no way you can accept this truth in the old man (with the carnal mind).  We still have more connection with our old selves and the world than we do with God's Word.
     Ephesians 4:20-24 (Amplified) says, "But you did not so learn Christ."  Verse 21 says, "Assuming that you have really heard Him and be taught by Him, as (all) truth is in Jesus (embodied and personified in Him)."  Verse 22 says, "Strip yourselves of your former nature (put off and discard your old unrenewed self) which characterized your previous manner of life and became corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion."  Verse 23-24 say, "And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude).  And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's Image, (God like) in true righteousness and holiness."
     The only way to believe and do what the Word says in these scriptures is by faith.  We must learn to forget who we were and start living as who we are.  2Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified) tells us, "And all of us, as with unveiled face (because we) continued to behold (in the Word of God) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very Own Image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another (for this comes) from the Lord (Who is) the Spirit."
     For the greater part of our lives,we have felt and have been told that it was boasting and being prideful to say you're righteous or holy.  It would truly be boastful and prideful to exact yourself above what Jesus has done for you and what He says we are and to tell Him He is wrong. It would be boastful and prideful to tell God that what Jesus did isn't enough to  make us righteous or holy like Him.  It's the old unrenewed mind of the world that denies these things.  If God says that we are now righteous and holy and like Him, then who are we to say it isn't so?
    The mind of Christ will identify you with His resurrection and the carnal mind will still identify you with your sin.  Humility will yield to the grace of God, but pride will stand against what He says you are.  Sounds kind of backwards, doesn't it?
     What we just read in 2Corinthians 3:18 (Amplified) says that we are being changed with the Word into His Image and in ever increasing splendor.  Being in sin conscience isn't His Image.  Continually seeing ourselves as though what Jesus did for us wasn't enough, surely isn't in His Image.  We must learn to set our minds on Him and not on us.  My righteousness isn't based on how I feel, but on what Jesus has done.  Don't deny what His sacrifice has done in us because of false pride and a carnal mind.  If God hadn't wanted us to be like Jesus, then He would have left us under the Law.
     Under the Law, we were always and only identified with our failures and our sin.  Under grace, we are to identify ourselves by His total success and forgiveness and to walk by faith in His grace as new creatures.  The Law was put into place to show us our sin and weakness.  Grace came into play to put it away and set us free.
     Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore, (there is) now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after dictates of the Spirit."  Verse 2 goes on, "For the Law of the Spirit of life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has freed me from the Law of sin and death."
     Verse 1 told us that there's no condemnation for those who walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit.  The dictates of the flesh or the unrenewed mind will acknowledge what Jesus did and still speak as though it didn't work.  The old mind will say, "Yes, I believe that I am forgiven, but, you know brother, we are still just sinners saved by grace."  We still identify ourselves with who we were.  You were a sinner and through faith you are saved by grace.  Now, you're no longer a sinner, but the righteousness of God because you are saved.  Now our identify isn't a sinner, but a son and heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus.  Think that way, act that way and conduct your life that way.

Lesson 4 The Mind of Christ

     1Corinthians 2:7 (Amplified) tells us, "But rather what we are setting forth is a wisdom of God once hidden (from the human understanding) but now revealed to us by God (that wisdom) which God devised and decreed before the ages for our glorification (to lift us into the glory of His presence)."
     Paul goes on to discuss the difference between the carnal mind (the natural man) and the mind of Christ in 1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) saying we can now understand what he's talking about because we have the mind of Christ by the Holy Spirit.  Because we have the Holy Spirit, Paul says, we can now understand Spiritual things and read the Word of God in a new light.  Those walking under the old covenant or those who are still trying to use the carnal mind to understand spiritual things, don't understand what the Father is telling His people.
     Hebrews 11:1 (Amplified) says that, "Now faith is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of things (we) hope for, being the proof of things (we) do not see and the conviction of their reality (faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses."
     To those who are no longer under the Law, Paul's statement that, "Now faith is the assurance of the things we hope for," meant there's no more sacrifice that can obtain anything and that now only faith can obtain it.  The carnal Christian understood this statement to mean that it's not based on your performance or works, but only through faith in what Jesus did.  This is simple to believe to the carnally minded because the carnal minds wants to do something to earn the favor of God.  To the Jews, this statement means we still have to follow certain laws and rituals.  But, to those who will discern this scripture by the Holy Spirit (the mind of Christ), it means exactly what it says, "Now faith is how you receive.                                                                 
     You no longer need to try and perform in order to be righteous, but only take by faith the truth of the Word.  2Corinthians 5:21 (Amplified) says that, "For our sake He made Christ (virtually) to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become (endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of) the righteousness of God (what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, in His goodness)."  Romans 3:24 (Amplified) says that, "(All) are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, free and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy) through the redemption which is (provided) in Christ Jesus."
     As long as the Church, which is now righteous because of Jesus, continues trying to become righteous by works, aren't we still carnal in our minds?  Jesus made us righteous in His Own Image and His Own right standing with the Father.  No matter how hard we try or how hard we work at it, we can never be anymore righteous than He is and He is our righteousness.
     When Christian people read in the Word that we are blessed with all spirituals blessings through Jesus, the carnal mind will retort, "Yes, when we get to heaven all these blessings are ours."  The spiritual man will know and understand that, now, all of the blessings of heaven have been poured out on us by the Holy Spirit..  The man who will walk in the mind of Christ knows that through Jesus, we've been redeemed from the curse of the Law and that the "blessings of Abraham have now come upon us, the Gentiles through faith in Christ Jesus" according to Galatians 3:13 (Amplified).  
     The carnal mind puts off everything Jesus completed to until we get to heaven.  The Spiritual minded (the mind of Christ) working in man will realize how all of God's blessings were poured out on man through the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.  We keep trying to discern a spiritual Word by the same carnal mind that is in enmity against the Word of God.
     We've allowed ourselves to be cheated out of our inheritance through Jesus until we get to heaven. Romans 8:16-17 (Amplified) tells us that, "The Spirit Himself (thus) testifies together with our own spirit, (Assuring us) that we are children of God and if we are (His) children, then we are (His) heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ (sharing His inheritance with Him) only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory."
     Most Christians only want to see the last part of this scripture and use it for a reason to suffer on this earth.  The only thing Jesus suffered on earth was the persecution of the religious leaders He was trying to reach.  The suffering of Jesus on the cross, isn't what this scripture was referring to.  Everything Jesus did on the cross was for us.  He was the only One Who could do this.  We cannot suffer what Jesus did on Calvary.  We can only receive what Jesus did and thank Him for His sacrifice.
     I can't go to the cross for someone else and I can't be crucified for my own sins.  I must accept that Jesus' suffering on the cross isn't what this scripture was referring to.  How can you or I go to the cross to become righteous or to forgive sin?  Only Jesus could do that.  The suffering we will endure is being persecuted for declaring (as Jesus did) that God is My Father, I am a son of God and I am now righteous before God. 
     Try telling these things to those who still walk in the carnal mind and you'll begin to suffer like Jesus did.  We still try walking with God on our own terms.  We set up rules and doctrines and rituals that we practice to be righteous before Him.  We deal with the length of our hair, the way we dress, the day or time we worship to the denomination we serve and many other such carnal rules.  We struggle over what we can or cannot eat.  Don't we yet know what James 2:10 (Amplified) says, "For whoever keeps the Law (as a) whole but stumbles and offends in one (single instance) has become guilty of (breaking) all of it."
     As Christians, how can we only take part of the Law and teach it without breaking some of the parts of it?  If you wish to observe certain days or foods or other parts of the Law to obtain right standing with God, then you must maintain the entire Law to obtain that right standing with God.  Only someone with a carnal mind would even attempt such a thing.  Those who are Spirit led and know the mind of Christ, will walk in the liberty that Jesus gave us and no longer come under bondage to the Law.
     James 1:5-8 (Amplified) illustrates very clearly, the difference between those who walk in the carnal mind and those who don't.  It says, "If any of you is dedficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God (Who gives) to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or fault findingm and it will be given him."  Verse 6 goes on, "Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating or no doubting) for the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind."  Verses 7&8 say, "For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anythings (he asks for) from the Lord (for being as he is) a man of two minds (hestating, dubious, irresolute), (he is) unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything (he thinks, feels, decides)."
     Here is a man who seeks God for the truth of His Word, God gives him the truth, and then the carnal mind takes over and says, "I wonder if this is really God?"  Now, he is a man of two minds; the mind of the Spirit abides in him, but the carnal mind is still in control.  And, because of his being double minded, he has lost the wisdom God gave him altogether.  Remember that, "God has made unto us wisdom in Christ Jesus."
     Through the new birth, we have been given honor and the ability to understand what has been hidden from the foundations of the earth.  Ephesians 1:9-10 (Amplified) says, "Making known to us the mystery (secrets) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose) (and it is this) In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed and set forth in Him."  Verse 10 goes on, "(He planned) for the maturity of the times and the climax of the ages to unify all things and head them up and consummate them in Christ, (both) things in heaven and things on the earth."
     God has, through Jesus, revealed this great mystery to us by the Holy Spirit.

Lesson 3 The Mind of Christ

     1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) tells us, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts and (feelings and purposes) of His heart."
     When a Christian reads the Word of God with an unrenewed mind, he reads it with a carnal mind.  He reads the scriptures with a sense of unworthiness and guilt.  A man who has a renewed mind (the mind of Christ)  and is led by the Holy Spirit, will read the same scripture with an understanding of the truth in Jesus.  Romans 3:10 (Amplified)  says that, "As it is written, None is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no, not one."  The man with the unrenewed mind will read this and apply it to himself.  A man who has a renewed mind (the mind of Christ), will realize this scripture doesn't apply to the born again believer.
     The mind of Christ and one who is filled with the Holy Spirit will read past the old covenant, into the new.  A renewed mind will see the truth in the finished work of the cross when reading Romans 3:24 (Amplified) which says, "All are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy) through the redemption which is (provided) in Christ Jesus."  The old, carnal mind that's not led by the Holy Spirit, doesn't see both sides of the cross.
     The carnal mind still reads God's Word under the letter of the Law.  The mind of Christ that is enlightened by the Holy Spirit, reads the Word through the liberty of the Spirit.  One still lives under the condemnation of the old man, while the other walks in the liberty of the new man.
     When the mind of Christ is allowed to lead us Christians, we see that the debt for whatever we were guilty of was paid for by Jesus.  The old man with the carnal mind, continues trying to find a way to pay for his debt on his own.  One lives in freedom from sin and death through the Lamb of God and the other one reads the same Word with his unrenewed mind and sees himself as a guilty man.
     The spiritual man with the mind of Christ, goes beyond the cross to the resurrection of Christ.  The carnal mind sees himself as the sinner.  Only the Holy Spirit can reveal the light of the New Testament to the believer.  The carnal mind still fights the truth.  1Corinthians 1:30 (Amplified) says, "But it is from Him that you have your life in Christ Jesus, Whom God made our wisdom from God (revealed to us a knowledge of the divine plan of salvation previously hidden, manifesting itself as) our righteousness (thus making us upright and putting us in right standing with God) and our consecration (making us pure and holy) and our redemption  (providing our ransome from eternal penalty for sin)."
     The carnal minded Christian reads this scripture as true and he actually walks in the fullness of this truth, but he doesn't know it.  So, although this is a truth for all Christian people, some will not allow this great truth to operate in their lives.  They continue to live in fear, in condemnation and the thought of not being righteous before the Father's eyes.  We're still more conscience of sin than we are of the Sin Bearer.  The carnally minded cannot believe that they're righteous even though they believe Jesus died for and bore their sins.
     When the mind of Christ is working and leading the believer, they now walk in the knowledge of the resurrection and the finished work.  They rest in the truth that if Jesus bore it, then it is done.  We no longer try seeking approval from God, but walk in the approval that Jesus gave us.  He doesn't work to be righteous, but receives his righteousness through Jesus by faith.,
     The carnal minded Christian wants to believe he's saved by grace, but still thinks he must be made righteous by his own works.  The Spirit led Christian, believes by faith that Jesus is his righteousness and that now he can walk pleasing before the Father by grace.  If we've been made to be righteous in His righteousness, then how can anyone improve on that?  Can we, by works, become more righteous than He is?
     1Corinthians 2:6 (Amplified) says, "Yet, when we are among the full grown (spiritually mature Christians) who are ripe in understanding), we do impart a (higher) wisdom, (the knowledge of the divine plan previously hidden) but it is indeed not a wisdom of this present age or of this world nor of the leaders and rulers of this age, who are being brought to nothing and are doomed to pass away."
     Paul teaches that there's a wisdom of God that can only be understood by those who are spiritually mature and those in whom the mind of Christ is allowed to be manifest.  We see in 1Corinthians 2:9 (Amplified) where the carnal Christian has taken out of context and used a scripture to display the lack of spiritual wisdom from the mind of Christ.  It says, "Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those who love Him."  The carnal minds stops at this scripture.  The spiritual minded (has the mind of Christ) goes onto the next scripture and delights itself in it.
     1Corinthians 2:10 (Amplified) says, "Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the (Holy) Spirit searches diligently exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God (the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man's scrutiny)."
    So, it's only through the Holy Spirit and the mind of Christ that we can know and understand the revelation of the things of God.  Paul didn't say in Verse 9 that God didn't want us to know, but that the carnal mind couldn't receive the things God has prepared for those who love Him.
     These are spiritual truths revealed from the Holy Spirit to our born again spirits.  We no longer have to see with our eyes or hear with our ears, because now these truths are revealed to our new hearts (our new spirit man) by the Holy Spirit.  Now, we have the mind of Christ and can know the things that God has in store for those He loves (us).
     Jesus said that the words He speaks are Spirit and they are life.  Only your spirit can understand spiritual things.  The mind of Christ is really nothing more than the the Word of God illuminated by the Holy Spirit.  If we just read the Word with our intellect and not with the mind of Christ, then we will only see what the Old Testament people saw.  We'll only see that we're sinful and that God is Holy and so we cannot stand in His presence.
     The new man with the mind of Christ and by the Holy Spirit, sees the Word in a different way.  We see ourselves through the mirror of the Word and the way God sees us by His Holy Spirit.  The mind of Christ reveals who are and not who we were.  The Spirit show us the liberty we now have through Jesus.  The carnal minded Christian and the Christ minded Christian both read the same Bible.  The carnal minded will still hold us in bondage.  But, the Christ minded will walk in revelation, knowledge and liberty.  The carnal minded will still persecute the Spirit minded because we don't keep all their rules and customs.  Those in whom the mind of Christ is allowed to reveal Jesus in their lives, will go on from one glory unto another glory, from one faith to a higher level of our faith and to allow the righteousness of God to bring us unto the presence of God through Jesus by faith and not by works or guilt.
     Unless we allow the mind of Christ to dwell in us and reveal His finished work through the Word, then reading the Word with a carnal mind will not produce the liberty in which it was sent.  You will truly be free, but like the Kodiak bear, the prison of your mind will hold you in bondage even when the door is open.
     1Corinthians 2:14 (Amplified) says, "But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he incapable of knowing them (of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them) because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated."
     Only the mind of Christ and the illumination of the Holy Spirit can reveal the truth of the revelation of the new birth in all its liberty to you.
    

Lesson 2 The Mind of Christ

     1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) says, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."
     We understand from this scripture that the wisdom of Christ is beyond anybody being able to instruct or teach Him anything.  God's wisdom is beyond anything that man has to yield.  Even with all out earthly wisdom combined, we are far from knowing the wisdom of God.  We can't instruct Him or teach Him anything.  But, the above scripture goes on to say, "God has (by the new birth and the indwelling Holy Spirit) given us Jesus' Own mind and wisdom."  So, it's not that God has withheld His wisdom from us, but through Jesus has made it available to us.
     Ephesians 4:23-24 (Amplified) says, "And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude."  Verse 24 goes on, "And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's Image (God like) in true righteousness and holiness."
     This indicates that we are the ones who, by faith, are to put the "mind of Christ" to work in our lives.  God has already placed the mind of Christ and His wisdom in us by the Holy Spirit.  We've been slow to understand the scripture because of a sin conscience that continues to dwell with the unrenewed or carnal mind of the old man.
     Romans 8:5 (Amplified) says that, "For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the (Holy) Spirit."
     So you see how even a born again man who is still carnally minded, has set his mind on the things of the flesh.  The things of the flesh and it's desires don't always mean sinful things like we think of sin.  A carnal mind is one that still tries to justify one's self by trying to interpret the Word of God through its own understanding and reasonings.
     Those who are after the Spirit are walking in God's wisdom and have the mind of Christ.  And, have the revelation to understand the mysteries of God by faith in His Word.  We've seen what carnal thinking (the natural mind) has done to a spiritual Word.  Because of an unrenewed mind, we have done away with the wisdom of God found in the scriptures.  We've done away with the gifts of the Spirit like the new language (or tongues) of the born again spirit because of carnal thinking.  We're still sin conscious and continue to declare ourselves unrighteous even after the cross.  We say that God no longer speaks to His children, healing ad miracles have ceased and no one can know for certain if they're going to heaven when they die.
     These things are the results of a mind that has never been renewed by the truth of God's Word.  Man's idea of God's revelation comes without ever consulting the wisdom or mind of Christ that's been deposited within us by the Holy Spirit at our new birth.  We were more religious minded than righteous minded.  Even as born again people, we were still controlled by the mind of the flesh.
    Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) sets a standard and way to judge whether we are spiritually or carnally minded.  Verse1 says, "Therefore (there is) now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live and walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit."  Verse 2 goes on, "For the Law of the Spirit of life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has freed me from the law of sin and of death."
     According to the first verse, those who walk after the Spirit (the mind of Christ) no longer have any sense of condemnation or guilt of wrong doing.  Those who walk after the dictates of the flesh (even if they're born again), still walk under guilt and bondage and consider themselves sinners and unrighteous.
      Only a renewed mind (one that has the mind of Christ) can, by faith in the finished work of Jesus, walk in the wisdom of this portion of God's grace.  The unrenewed mind reads what Paul wrote concerning the potter and the clay and determines God makes people just to damn them.  Paul was really talking about the potter taking Gentiles and making them righteous outside the Law.  Paul wrote, "Can the clay (those under Law) say to the potter (the God of Grace) you can't do that?"
     God took us (those who were without God) and without covenant, put us on His potter's wheel and made us into vessels of honor in the Master's house.  The carnal mind only sees death and wrath, but the mind of Christ sees grace and honor.  He has made us all in Adam and He's made salvation available to all in the last Adam (Jesus).  Even though God (the Master Potter) has made all of us, some of us will eventually end up as vessels of honor and dishonor.
     The Potter has fashioned the vessels (us), but we determine by our faith in Jesus, what's being poured from the vessel.  Will we be vessels of honor in the Master's house or will we remain filled with self?  Isaiah 55:8-9 (Amplified) says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts."
     As we renew our minds by the Word, we allow the mind of Christ to manifest itself in us.  We will see things and think like He thinks from heaven's viewpoint rather than the earth bound viewpoint of the carnal mindset.

Lesson 1 The MInd of Christ

     1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) says, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ(the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."
     "We have the mind of Christ (the Messiah)."  What a statement to make to the Church.  In the Strong's Concordance #3563, the meaning of the word "mind," means "the intellect, i.e.mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling or will) by implying meaning, mind or understanding."  It would do us all well to read the entire chapter of 1Corinthians 2 (Amplified) in order to get a fuller meaning of what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church.  As the church, we have never really dare believe some of the things the Father has given to us.  To say we have the mind of Christ, sounds too far out for religion to grasp.
     Romans 12:2 (Amplified) says, "Do not be conformed to this world (this age), (fashioned after and adapted to its external superficial customs); but be transformed (changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind (by its new ideals and its new attitude) so that you may prove (for yourselves) what is the good and acceptable and perfect (in His sight for you)."
     I read a true story about a giant Kodiak bear several years ago.  Germany was building a zoo for exotic animals and sent a man out to trap and capture a giant Kodiak for their zoo.  They spared no expense in building a place for this bear to live.  They did their best to make it as much like his own habitat as possible and it spread for many acres.  They planted trees and placed a stream that flowed through the expanse.  There was an abundance of lush grasses and flowers growing there.  They build rock caves and surrounding walls that looked more like stone and naturally occurring structures than walls.
     The trapper returned to Germany with the bear before his habitat was completed.  And, because the place for the bear wasn't completed yet, it had to remain in a 24'x20' steel cage.  He was only t remain there until his beautiful habitat was completed.
     This giant bear had been snatched from the wild and was now confined to this small place.  He began to walk from one end of the cage to the other.  His big head swung from side to side as he walked the cage.  He would walk ten paces one way, then turn and walk ten paces back.  He did this all day and all night.  He refused to eat and would only stop to drink from the water they brought him grudgingly.  He paid no attention to the crowds who stopped to watch him.
     They began throwing things in front of the bear, trying to distract him, but with no avail.  He continued pacing until his feet were raw and bloody, leaving bloody paw prints across the cage.  Finally, the bear's new home was ready and they brought his cage into the beautiful park prepared for him.  When they opened the door to his cage, he raised his great head and looked out into the park.  He saw the trees, the grasses, the flowers and the clear running stream created just for him.  As he gazed out over the park, he lowered his head and began to walk ten paces one way, turned and walked ten paces back, swinging his giant head side to side as he walked.
     Finally, the zoo keepers took a cattle prod (an electric shock device) and tried driving him from the cage.  Once out of the cage and onto the grass in the park, the bear stood still, raised his great head and looked at the beauty of the park.  Then, he dropped his head and began to pace ten paces one way, then turned and walked ten paces back.  He did this until he wore a path through the lush grasses of the park until finally, they had to put him down and destroy him.
     Even after the cage was opened and he was free in the park, he wasn't free.  The cage was still in his mind.  He couldn't accept liberty, even when it was there for him, because he was locked up in his mind. 
     I come upon Christian people who remind me of this Kodiak bear.  They still pace back and forth in the same path of guilt and condemnation and apathy even after they have accepted Jesus, even after the new birth and even though their forgiveness has come.  Even after their saved, they only see the things God has for them through the bars of the cages in their minds.
     Only the renewing of your mind by the truth of the Word, will allow you to walk free.  The door to your pain and guilt and condemnation has been unlocked and flung wide open.  We can only enjoy the freedom of the new man when we let the mind of Christ instead of the old,carnal mind rule us.
     Through the Holy Spirit our Teacher, Jesus our example and God as our Father, we have a beautiful place prepared for us by God Himself.  Ephesians 2:10 (Amplified) says, "For we are God's (Own) handiwork (His workmanship) recreated in Christ Jesus (born anew) that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us (taking paths which He prepared ahead of time) that we should walk in them (living the good life which He pre-arranged and made ready for us to live)."
     The door is open, the promise is true and the life and blessings are real.  All we're required to do is leave the cell we once lived in and walk in the liberty of His grace.  Renew your mind by the Word of God to the truth of our covenant.

Lesson 8 Fruit of the Spirit

     Jesus said in John 15:1-5 (Amplified) that, "I AM  the True Vine, and MY FATHER is the Vine dresser. Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing) He cuts away (trims off, takes away): and He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit."  Verse 3 goes on, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you)."  Verse 4 says, "Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you (live in Me, and I will live in you) Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me."  Verse 5 says, "I AM the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. HOWEVER, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing."
     Within these five verses of the scripture, lies all the truth and wisdom that are needed to do what Galatians 5:22-26 describes as the fruit of the Spirit.  Sometimes, we do what Paul wrote about in Galatians 3:3(Amplified) which says, "Are you so foolish and so senseless and so silly? Having begun (your new life spiritually) with the (Holy) Spirit, are you now reaching perfection (by dependence) on the flesh?"  We forgot that the fruit of the Spirit is as much a spiritual gift as any other thing in our lives.  Whether it's the gifts of the Spirit from 1Corinthians 12 or the Great Commission from Mark 16 of walking in love found in 1Corinthians 13, all are impossible to do without walking in the counsel and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.
     The fruit is called "the fruit of the Spirit" for a reason.  Only the Holy Spirit can produce these actions in our lives.  And, it's much more than simply being nice to folks.  This fruit of the Holy Spirit depends on what Jesus said in John 15:5 (Amplified),"I AM the Vine, you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit.  HOWEVER, apart from Me (cut off from vital union with Me) you can do nothing."
     This vital union or constant fellowship that comes from the Word, is the washing of water by the Word according to Ephesians 5:29.  Jesus also said in John 15:3 (Amplified) that the Word and the teachings of the Word prunes and cleanses the branches to bear better fruit.  The more we're in fellowship with Him and the more we're in His Word, the more and better fruit we produce.  As we're shown in the Word (by the Holy Spirit) things that need to change in our lives, we allow the Spirit to trim that off or prune that from our lives.
     We were created by the Father to reveal Him to the world.  His very nature and His Own Spirit has been given to us by our faith in Jesus.  All of the seed that's necessary to produce everything, is already in place.  We like "Prego;"  "it's already in there."  What we are required to do to produce it, isn't to try harder, but to listen more.
     The devil's favorite trick is to keep us looking at ourselves instead of Jesus.  If we keep our eyes focused on all of our mistakes, then we keep them off of His perfection.  We're supposed to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us and allow Him to conform us into that Image.  The devil will reveal you unto yourself and keep you conformed to that image and all of your imperfections.
     The fruit of the Spirit cannot be made manifest by the flesh.  No matter how hard we try to do it, it won't work.  The fruit the Spirit produces in us is the very manifestation of the Love of God.  This is what Love produces in our lives, Paul said in 1Corinthians 13 (Amplified that, "Even f I give my body to be burned, if I have not love, I gain nothing."
     Does this mean that I should not keep my flesh from doing wrong?  Of course not, but don't rely on the flesh to do only what the Spirit is capable of.  If we allow the flesh to rule, then it produces death.  If we allow the Holy Spirit to control the flesh, then we produce life.
     Romans 8:1-2 (Amplified) says, "Therefore (there is) now no condemnation (no adjusting guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live (and) walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit for the law of the Spirit of life (which is) in Christ Jesus (the law of our new being) has freed me from the law of sin and of death."
     Once the Holy Spirit has broken the law of sin and death over our lives, we are now to be led by Him into the life of Jesus to the fullest.  We understand that God has forgiven our sins and our old life, but it stopped there.  This is a journey we've begun with Him that goes on until we actually stand in His presence for eternity.  Don't stop abiding in Him after you get born again.  The journey's just begun.
     God will never leave us, but we forget that sometimes.  When we stop being "God minded," we have the tendency to return to doing things in the flesh.  If we abide in Him, stay in fellowship, stay in the Word, attend church in praise and  keep our hearts and minds on Him, then we can't help but bear the fruit.  Matthew 12:33 (Amplified) says that, "Either make the tree sound (healthy and good) and its fruit sound (healthy and good) or make the tree rotten (diseased and bad) and its fruit rotten (diseased and bad) for the tree is known and recognized and judged by its fruit."
     Jesus said that, "From the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" in Luke 6:45 (Amplified).  If we keep our hearts filled with the Word and the Spirit, then what is produced in our lives and speech will be the fruit of the Spirit.  We won't speak anything that isn't pruned and cleansed by the Word and the Spirit.
     The Seed (which is the Word) will produce only what it is exactly designed to produce.  All we're required to do with this seed is to protect it from contamination and other seeds that could choke it out according to Mark 4 and Proverbs 4:23.    Allow the Holy Spirit to conform you to the Image of the Messiah by His Word.  Don't look to yourself and your own failures, but look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your Faith.  As we become more like Him, we will naturally produce the fruit that's pleasing to the Father.
     1Corinthians 2:16 (Amplified) says, "For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and to instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart."

Lesson 7 Fruit of the Spirit

     In Galatians 5:22:26 (Amplified), Paul talks about the fruit of the Spirit and the conduct of the Spirit controlled Christian.  This conduct is nothing more than not committing adultery, theft, murder or any other acts of the flesh.  We, as Christian people, allow the Word and the Holy Spirit to bring our flesh under the control of the Spirit, but somehow we haven't allowed Him to help us control our emotions.
      We haven't renewed our minds and emotions by the Word.  Romans 12:1-2 (Amplified) says, "I appeal to you therefore brethren, and beg of you in view of (all) the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies (presenting all your members and faculties as a living sacrifice), holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship."  Verse 2 says, "Do not be conformed to this world (this age) (fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs), BUT BE TRANSFORMED (CHANGED) BY THE (ENTIRE) RENEWAL OF YOUR MIND (BY ITS NEW IDEALS AND ITS NEW ATTITUDE)."        
     Sometimes, we forget that the way we act and feel is motivated by the way we think.  If we live and think the same as before we were saved, then something's really wrong with out commitment to our new Lord.  We forget that in our old lives we lived by the dictates of our mind.  Even now that we're born again, our minds still control the emotions (soulish) and directs our steps.  In our spirit, we know what to do, but in our minds, we continue to operate the way our minds tells us to do.
     If we think on certain things, they can determine the way we act and feel.  Loneliness is a feeling of being alone that brings depression.  A renewed mind (one that's filled with the Word) knows that we're never alone.  Jesus said that He will never leave you, nor forsake you, but be with you always.  You might say, "Well, I know Brother, but I need someone to talk to."  A Spirit led man knows he always has the ear of the Father.
    As Christians, we somehow still don't see God as a "real" audience and Someone we can have fellowship with.  We continue walking as carnal men allowing our emotions to rule us.  We use some wisdom in our lives, but only when we want to.  Have you ever wondered why we don't allow our emotions to rule us when we are pulled over for speeding?  We don't jump out of the car and cuss out the policeman, but very politely address him and answer his questions.  We might ask, "How may I help you, Officer?"  But, when we get home, we unload on our wife and/or children about the ticker we got.
      So too, we can control the way we act, think and feel by the Holy Spirit and wisdom.  You can choose to be depressed or you can choose to be happy.  You can choose to forgive or you can choose to hold onto your unforgiveness.  You can choose to be full of anger or joyful.  Just like you can choose to be saved or you can choose not to be saved.  You can choose to heed what the Spirit says or ignore what He says to do.
     Walking in the fruit of the Spirit is a choice we make.  It may be the last part of the old man to truly die to Christ.  We sometimes want to hold onto the old man, good or bad, in our minds.  People who were hard into the world are plagued by the memories of the sins that held them.  We walk in condemnation of some of the awful things we used to do.  This isn't the good soil for the seed of the fruit to grow in.
     The unrenewed mind is the thorns, thistles and weeds that choke out the seed and prevent it from growing.  Mark 4:19 (Amplified) says, "These old thoughts and memories, control the emotions and keep us under the bondage of the past (even into the present)."  We have thought that reading the Word was just something we're supposed to do now that we're saved.  The importance of reading the Word is to renew our minds as to who we are now.
     We can change the way we conduct our lives by the Word.  We can also change the way we conduct our emotions by the same Word and the Holy Spirit.  We seem only to allow Him to change our speech and emotions to a certain degree.  By the Holy Spirit, I don't swear anymore.  Yet with the same Holy Spirit, I can't (or won't) allow Him to change my speech into something pleasant.  The residue of the old man still haunts my mind and therefore, my emotions.  My flesh and blood body only responds to what my mind allows it to do.  It can't do whatever it wants too, unless my mind and emotions give it liberty to do so.  Your body can't simply (by its own accord) do whatever it wants.  It must be told to do it or allowed to do it.
     A renewed mind (the mind of Christ) knows exactly how we're to walk before God as His children.  We've allowed Him to guide us and keep us free from the sins of the flesh that were committed under the Law.  We're no longer under the Law, but grace and the Spirit and have so much more to enjoy.  Don't we know yet that the Holy Spirit isn't going to make us do anything?  We aren't driven by the Holy Spirit, but led by Him.  He won't make us walk in love, but He will show us how and lead us into His love.
     Jesus said in John 16:13 (Amplified), "But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the truth giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the truth (the whole, full truth) for He will not speak His Own message (on His Own authority) but He will tell whatever (from the Father, He will give the message that has been given to Him) and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come (that will happen in the future)."
     This is the same Holy Spirit Who is to produce the fruit in us.  He will do it by leading and guiding us through the Word and the Love (which is God) within us.  This is the same God Who loved us enough to die in our place when we didn't even know Him.  This is the same God Who forgave and forgot all of our mistakes.  This is the same God Who rejoiced in the return of the prodigal son.  This is the same love, the same God, the same Spirit Who commands us to love other and He has loved us.
     He will not make us do it, but He will enpower, lead, reveal, strengthen and encourage us in how we're to act and live.  His job is to change us into the Image of the Father.  We must learn to hear and to be led by His voice and presence.  As Christians, we're not always very tolerant of others.  This is called self-righteousness and it not the fruit of the Spirit.  We forget sometimes that sinner sin...that's what they do.  We can't expect the unsaved to walk in the Spirit because they don't have the Holy Spirit.
     The old criticisms of the Church have to stop.  We're intolerant of other Christians who believe differently than us.  We're almost brutal in our walk at times.  I remember being refused communion at another church once, because I wasn't a member of their fellowship.  Am I not a member of the same family?  What makes us family isn't having a card in their fellowship, but the Blood of Jesus.
      If we learn to practice the fruit of the Spirit at home, then we can learn to walk in it any place.  This isn't a conduct that we put on, but a life that we live.  It's not what we do, but who we are.  If they Holy Spirit can change us from a sinner to a child of God, if He can take us from unrighteousness to His righteousness, if He can take the dead in sin and make them alive to God, then He can remove our old temperment and attitude and produce fruit in the new soil of our hearts.
     If we will allow Him to be God in our emotions and minds like He is in our spirit, then He'll produce fruit to His harvest.  We forget that even Jesus had to allow God's will to be done in His life and not His Own.  In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed that, "If there is any other way to let this cup pass Me, but if not, Not My will but Yours be done."  We mostly still want our will to be done.  We don't admit it, but we want what we want instead of what He wants.  We know better, but we exercise our will for our own pleasure instead of His.
     An apple tree doesn't have to try being an apple tree because it is one.  A Christian doesn't have to try being a Christian.  God made us to be one when we got saved.  Just be what we are and bear the fruit that shows it.  Simply abide in the Vine and the fruit will come.  The word "abide" means to "stay united and to live in Him."  That's the life that produces the fruit.  Fellowship with the Father. 
     

Lesson 6 Fruit of the Spirit

     Let's delve a little deeper into the twenty fifth verse of Galatians 5 which says that, "If we live by the Holy Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit (If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God), let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit."
     Even though the Holy Spirit lives in us and is actually God in us, we still have to yield to His promptings in order to do and carry out God's will in our lives.  The Seed (Jesus), has perfectly reproduced within us the same kind of being that He is.  Remember the Law in Genesis 1:12 (Amplified) says, "The earth brought forth vegetation; plants yielding seed according to its own kind and trees bearing fruit in which was their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good (suitable, admirable) and He approved."  We also read in Genesis 1:26 (Amplified) that, "God said, Let Us (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) make mankind in Our Image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the (tame) beasts, and over all the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth."
     According to the Law of Genesis, everything produces after its kind.  We have watched this law in motion our entire lives.  Horses produce horses, dogs produce dogs, corn produces corn and flies produce flies.  This is a law of the Creator of all things.  This is also a reason that evolution is a false theory.  We didn't evolve from something else and become men and women.  We were created that way.  And, now God has brought about the new birth from "The Seed---Jesus."  We are produced after kind just like He is.  We were born again after the Spirit of God.  John 4:24 (Amplified) tells us that, "God is a Spirit (a Spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth (reality)."
     So you see that we're born again by the Seed of God to reproduce us in His Own Image.  We have walked in the flesh for so long that now we have to learn over again to walk in the Spirit.  The only way to produce any fruit from this new seed, is to allow the seed to produce after kind.  We can't duplicate the fruit of the Spirit by our own will and works.  The seed is able to produce fruit if we give it what it needs to produce.
     We've tried to make it a hybrid seed and force it to produce the way we want it too.  But, it doesn't work that way.  This seed in us is designed by God to produce His Own family, just like Jesus.  John 6:63 (Amplified) says that, "It is the Spirit Who gives life (He is the Life Giver); the flesh conveys no benefit whatever (there is no profit in it) the Words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are Spirit and life."
     This fruit will come if we allow it to produce after kind.  You don't have to make an apple tree produce apples.  You just have to take care of it and it does the work by itself.  Mark 4:18-19 (Amplified) says that, "The ones (seeds) sown among the thorns are others who hear the Word."  Verse 19 goes on, "Then the cares and anxieties of the world and the distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the craving and passionate desire for other things creep in and choke and suffocate the Word (Seed), and it becomes fruitless."
      We've tried producing the fruit of the Spirit by the flesh.  We've tried being good and kind to other people, and that's a good things, but it's not the real fruit.  I remember when my great grandson took a wax apple out of the fruit bowl at my daughter's house.  It looked real and he believed it was real, but the look of disappointment on his face was proof enough that it wasn't the real thing.
     The fruit of the Spirit is just that; it's the fruit of the Spirit.  Only the Spirit can produce it.  It's produced through our own spirit as we yield to Him.  The fruit of the Spirit is the very nature and character of our Father.  It's His love, His joy, His grace and His mercy being reflected in us from glory to glory.
     1Corinthians 2:12-13 (Amplified) says that, "Now we have not received the spirit (that belongs to) the world, but the (Holy) Spirit Who is from God, (given to us) that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts (of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly) bestowed on us by God."  Verse 13 says, "And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the (Holy) Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language (to those who possess the Holy Spirit)."
     What we must do first to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit is to find out who we are.  We have an identity crisis in the Body of Christ for quite some time.  If you could confuse the carnal mind and shut out the mind of Christ, then we'd never know what kind of seed (Spirit) we are.  That's why it's so vitally important to be in the Word and listen to the Father's voice.
     Many in the Church still walk under the Law and try to perform by the flesh.  Some have taken grace to the point that it's no longer grace.  The Holy Spirit keeps the Word of truth in context to the Word of God.  The Word speaks about not sowing mixed seed in the Word.  If we cannot distinguish between the Father and the Holy Spirit from the enemy and the world, then it's hard to produce anything but the flesh.
     2Corinthians 3:17-18 (Amplified) says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom) and all of us, as with unveiled face (because we) continued to behold (in the Word of God) as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very Own Image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; (for this comes) from the Lord (Who is) the Spirit."
     For some, it seems to be boasting or blasphemous to say we're like Him.  To others, they still try identifying with the old man they were more than the new man they are.  For others, they continue walking in the religion of others instead of relationship with the Holy Spirit.  We've been taught in some circles that the fruits of the Spirit have passed away.  We've done what those in the old covenant did and tried being righteous and walking in love by acts of the flesh.
      The seed will produce the fruit or the character of the Holy Spirit if we will allow Him to show us Who He is.  In every garden I've ever planted, I put a seed packet on a stick at the end of each row.  I did this because once the seed is sown, you can forget what you planted in that row.  I could look at the packet and could confidently say I planted corn or beans in this row because I had a picture so I wouldn't forget.  You must keep the Word before you as a picture of who you are in order to know.  Once the seed is sown in your heart, your job is to know what Spirit you are of and it will produce after kind.
     The reason for our being in the Word is to show and remind us who we are; not who we were.  We don't need to be reminded of our old sinful man because God doesn't remember our sins anymore.  We're to be reminded of who and how we are now through Him.  The Seed Who gave us life (The Holy Spirit) has everything in the seed to produce the fruit.  If you plant a kernel of corn, inside that kernel is the shoot, the stalk, the ear and the corn in the ear.  It's all in there.
     In the seed if the Word is everything you are including a new being, a baby in Christ, a young man, an elder, an heir of God and a joint-heir with Christ.  It's all in that seed you received.  Help it to produce by yielding to the Spirit of God and He will produce the nature of God in you.  When the fruit is genuine, then it's pleasant to those who are hungry.  As you're changed into His Image from glory to glory, the fruit will manifest itself on its own.  There's no effort to producing the fruit if we will simply allow Him to reveal Himself to us.  Jesus said that, "When you have seen Me, you have seen the Father."  An apple has no problem being an apple because that's what it was meant to be and so that's what it is.  A child of God has no problem being a child of God because that's what he was meant to be so that's what he is.  Just let the seed produce after kind.  Let the Holy Spirit produce His fruit in your heart and it will show in your life.