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.
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