More thoughts on God's word…
The word of God equips and informs us. The Christian who feasts on the Holy Word has the God-given ability to judge what is right and wrong. I am not referring to those Christians who hastily grab a verse or part of a verse and form an opinionated doctrine. We will lack true spiritual discernment if we do not prayerfully meditate on Holy Scripture and rightly divide the word of truth. We will not be able to speak of spiritual things or demonstrate genuine Christ-like behavior if we do not first saturate our mind and heart with the word of truth. Do you have a desire to grow, bear fruit, and be Christ-like? Then go to the word.
We have the mind of Christ because He is the living Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth
” (John 1:1, 14). Imagine that! The Word lives in me. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…” (Galatians 2:20).
Wow! The living Word abides in us. Galatians tells us that “…because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father ” (4:6). We have the remarkable capacity to understand and comprehend the word of God because the Incarnate Word [Christ] is in us. “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” (Colossians 1:27).
As we welcome and receive the perfect, pure, and holy word we are purged and pruned. The word pricks our heart and exposes our sin. But it doesn’t simply leave us with the knowledge of sin; it sets us on the right course by revealing the life of Christ and our completeness in Him alone. The word allows us to truly know Christ.
As you read, study, and meditate on the word; seek to know the person of Christ. Discover the Lord Jesus in each truth, principle, and exhortation. Your personal relationship with Him will become genuinely intimate as you make that vital connection. Identify Christ. He will become your life focus. As your knowledge of Jesus grows, your life will be pruned and purged by His holiness and His glory. You will begin to bear the fruit of His holy character. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).
May 21st, 2009 at 10:59 am
Forrest,
Thank you for this post. It is very important that we do seek to have the Mind of Christ. I spoke to you during Josh and Kristin’s wedding shower, regarding 2 Thessalonians 3:5. Some early interpretations of this, refer to the patience of Christ. If we are to be Christ like and seek to have the mind of Christ, this is another attribute we should strive for. What do you think? Let me know.
In our prayers daily and with Love.
Don DeSimone
Gal 6:10
May 21st, 2009 at 11:24 am
First, I think through our spiritual rebirth we already have the mind of Christ. “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16). I think we “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5) when we “…grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ…” (2 Peter 3:18) by saturating our mind with the Word, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
I think the “patience of Christ” occurs in our life like this:
Romans 5:3 – “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;”
James 1:3 – “Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” And James 1:4 – “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”
I think the “patience of Christ” is needful for all of us and here is a practical way to receive more of it:
Hebrews 12:1-2 – “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [And here is how we accomplish the admonishments in verse one] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13).