The Mind

The words used in the Old and New Testaments for mind express a variety of ideas. The Bible has no word for brain; therefore, the concept of mind does not mean the physical organ but the varied functions of intellect, volition, and emotions which are associated with mind in the Scriptures. These ideas include the ability to think or apprehend, to judge, feel, determine; to think critically; the process of comprehending so as to arrive at a result. The mind itself seems to be neutral, its moral quality being determined by the old or new capacity to which it is subject.

The mind of the unsaved person is not described in very flattering terms in the Scriptures. It is evil (Gen. 6:5); it is reprobate or no-good (Rom. 1:28). This is due to the rejection of the light of revelation which God gives to all men in nature (Rom. 1:18-21). In other words, it is self-determined reprobation brought on by man's willful rejection of what he could know of the power of God through the universal revelation of God in the creation. The unsaved man because of the Fall is without a critical faculty (Rom. 3:11) when it comes to understanding the things of God. This is not to say that he is without understanding or intelligence, but it is to say that his mind is darkened and vain (Eph. 4:17-18). Actually, it is at war with God (Rom. 8:6-7). It is defiled (literally, dyed with another color, Titus 1:15) and corrupt (1 Tim. 6:5). All of this is due to the fact that Satan has "blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Cor. 4:4). This is a very crucial verse to remember in the matter of witnessing, for it reminds us that getting a person saved involves more than convincing him of the truth of the gospel. You may argue, persuade, convince, and bring someone to the point of agreement, but unless there is a removal of that satanic blindness there will be no conversion. And, of course, no human being is powerful enough to remove such blindness—only God the Holy Spirit can do that. Intellectual arguments have their rightful place—and I am certainly not promoting an unintelligent presentation of the gospel—but they must be presented in the power of the Spirit before they can be effective unto salvation.

There is a very close relationship between the new nature and the power of the Holy Spirit, and there is constant conflict between the two capacities.
These biblical characteristics of the unsaved person's mind do not mean that he is incapable of good thinking or right action. In His graciousness to man, God has bestowed some very marvelous minds on mankind which they have used for the common good. These are gifts of His common grace. All of us are indebted to many unsaved people for the advances which their minds have given to our contemporary civilization. And yet with all of the qualities which men's minds may possess, they are still afflicted with the undesirable characteristics described in the Scriptures, although these characteristics may not be so evident in one person as in another. And they are particularly seen when the unsaved person tries to apply his natural mind to the sphere of religion; and that in turn, of course, affects to a certain degree his whole viewpoint on life.

Furthermore, it should be remembered that the Christian may choose to allow these characteristics of the old mind to show themselves in his life. God has judged the old capacity so that we need not be controlled by it, but it is not yet extinct and we can be controlled by it. If allowed to exercise itself, it can manifest itself as the evil, reprobate, carnal, uncritical, darkened, vain, defiled, corrupt, and blinded mind that it is.
With the miracle of regeneration comes the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). What is the mind of Christ? It is above all else the attitude of not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought, and this is the frame of mind which we must cultivate (Phil. 2:5). Here again is an example of the need for balance in spiritual living as it relates to the mind. We have the mind of Christ, and yet we are obliged to think (an active voice imperative in Phil. 2:5 translated passively as "Let" in the kjv) humbly. God has done something, and we are to do something in order to reveal what He has done. Divine and human works are both involved. But what is this which we are to think? In accordance with the perfect example of Christ, we are to think in complete submission to the will of God.

People run on emotions rather than intellect in the christian life, and instead of leading their thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, every billboard and each tv commercial leads them captive to the obedience of lust.

In order to have the mind of Christ, submission to the will of God, we will have to understand what the will of God is, and that requires thinking (Eph. 5:17). If discerning His will happens to involve the area of doubtful things in Christian conduct, we shall have to use the mind in arriving at a conclusion (Rom. 14:5). The Holy Spirit's ministry of teaching our understandings will be necessary (John 16:13; cf. Luke 24:45).
Furthermore, we shall have to gird the mind (1 Peter 1:13) so that we do not have loose, undisciplined thoughts; girding necessitates capturing the mind (2 Cor. 10:5). How important these responsibilities are in these days especially. There is so much loose thinking (if there is any thinking done at all!). People run on emotions rather than intellect in the Christian life, and instead of leading their thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ, every billboard and each TV commercial leads them captive to the obedience of lust. Our minds ought to be giving the stimulation of Christianity to the world; instead the stimuli of the world govern our minds.

What is the way to practice the mind of Christ? Is there a "secret" for victory in this area? Yes, there is, and it is no secret! The formula is a continuous renewing of the mind (Rom. 12:2). Notice that this is a complete metamorphosis, not a surface change. And notice too that the verb in this verse is in the present tense, indicating that it is a continuous process. This reminds us again of the fact that spirituality is not an instantaneous achievement but one that requires time for maturity. In Romans 12:2 Paul states the negative of being transformed by the renewing of the mind in the phrase "do not be conformed to this world." That word conformed appears also in 1 Peter 1:14 and might be translated in Romans 12:2 "Do not be fashioned according to this world." The picture is of putting the cheap veneer of the world over the genuine life of a believer. Usually veneer is a more expensive material placed over inexpensive wood, but in this verse the image is reversed. The world is the cheap veneer which too often is placed over the expensive work of regeneration, and Paul says this ought not to be. This means that thoughts, ideas, standards, ambitions, conceptions must all be those which conform to the will of God, and we must be constantly renewing our minds along these lines in order to exhibit the mind of Christ.

There is also another aspect to this formula for victory in relation to the mind, and that is Paul's doctrine of "The Power of Positive Thinking" as found in Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable [worthy of reverence or honorable], whatever is right [righteous in God's sight—and how this cuts across the standards of the world today], whatever is pure [separated unto God like the Nazirite was], whatever is lovely [admirable so that you are motivated to do the same yourself], whatever is of good repute [winsome], if there is any excellence and if anything [is] worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." We are responsible for considering these things in a world that is filled with all the opposite and in conflict with an old mind that constantly wars within us. Luther is reported to have said, "You cannot prevent a bird flying over your head but you can prevent his making a nest in your hair." Continual renewing of the basic ideas of the mind (Rom. 12:2), and persistent concentration on right thoughts (Phil. 4:8) are the secrets for effectively manifesting the mind of Christ in the daily life. This is the characteristic of genuine spirituality.

The Spiritual Man and Mind (Part 2)

Study Text: 1 Corinthians 2:15-16:
The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

F) that he can kill the sinful deeds of his body only by the Spirit.
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Romans 8:13).
"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).

G) that the presence of the Spirit's leadership in the man's life proves that he is a child of God.
"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:16-17).
"And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father" (Galatians 4:6).
"And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us" (1 John 3:24).
"Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit" (1 John 4:13).
"This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth" (1 John 5:6).

Three things are said about the spiritual man:
1) The spiritual person (man or woman) judges or discerns all things. The word judges means the very same thing as discern in the former verse. The man who believes in Jesus Christ experiences a most wonderful thing.

2) The Spirit of God enters and dwells within his or her body converting his or her body into a holy temple for God's presence.
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his" (Romans 8:9).
"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16).
"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" (1 Cor. 6:19).

3) The person (man or woman) actually partakes of the divine nature of God and becomes a new creature, a new man.
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4).
"And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness" (Ephes. 4:24).
"And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him" (Col. 3:10).

The Spiritual Man and Mind (Part 1)

Study Text:
1 Corinthians (2:15-16) Spiritual Man: there is the spiritual man or what the Greek calls the “pneumatikos” ( pynoo-mat-ik-os’) man. The word "spirit" (pneuma) is the word used for the Holy Spirit which means that the spiritual man is a person in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. A man is spiritual because the Holy Spirit dwells in him. He is not spiritual because he...
• has received some superior, human gift.
• has received some unusual ability.
• has become more intelligent than before.
• has become greater than he was before.
• has become better than he was before.

A man becomes spiritual because he has received the Spirit of God and is living under the influence of the Spirit of God. When man receives Christ Jesus as his Savior, Scripture says...

A) that he is born again by the Spirit of God.
"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:5-6; 1 Cor. 3:16; 1 Cor. 6:19).
"Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (1 Peter 1:23).

B) that he minds the things of God, not the things of the flesh.
"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:5-6).

C) that he is in the Spirit and that the Spirit dwells in him.
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you" (Romans 8:9).
"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16-17).

D) that the Spirit imparts life to him.
"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Romans 8:10).

E) that the Spirit quickens his mortal body.
"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Romans 8:11; 1 Peter 3:18).
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63)

Nothing Is Impossible With God

For nothing will be impossible with God. (Luke 1:37)

According to the Bible, a miracle is a divine act. Through miracles, God reveals His power to people on the earth. The Greek word for “miracle”—dunamis, literally meaning “power”—indicates that a miracle is an act of God’s power. Miracles often defy, or overpower, natural law—but not always. God can also use nature to perform a miracle, for the furtherance of His benevolent and redemptive purpose.

1) God can make possible the impossible.
2) Impossibilities limit people, but not God.
3) Impossibilities are simply God's opportunities to work.
4) In Christ, God has made possible the impossible.