Philippians 2:5
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
When viewing the mind of Christ Jesus through the teachings and lessons of the bible we find a man who’s mind was steadfast on goodness, set on serving the father, devoted to teaching righteousness, faithful to obeying God, dedicated to being the example of how a child of God should think and live for the Creator. The mind of Jesus Christ stayed on things that were what so ever true. His mind stayed on things that were what so ever honest, what so ever things that were just, what so ever things that were pure, what so ever things that were lovely, what so ever things that were of good report.
The Mind of Christ was filled with forgiveness, grace, mercy, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. We as Christians, Children of the creator, Brothers and sisters in Christ, are encouraged through the word of God in Philippians 2:5 to have the same mind as Christ Jesus. To act as Christ Jesus. To react as Christ Jesus. To do as Christ Jesus.
As a child of God, as we live our daily lives we strive to accomplish this assignment, but we often find ourselves falling short. We find ourselves not acting and doing as Christ. We find ourselves not filled with grace, forgiveness, mercy, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance within ourselves or towards others.
When a member of society fails to act or conduct his or her self in accordance to the rules and norms of society, they are said to have a mental problem. They are referred to as being a little touched or not right; we then say that that person has lost their mind.
Church, when we as Christians fail to let that mind be in us, which was also in Christ Jesus: then we too have lost our mind. We have lost our spiritual mind.
(HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?)
We all have lost our minds at one time or another that is why God forewarned us in his word where it is written in Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. There times in this Christian walk when you don’t think, do, or react in the manner in which Christ desires from a Christian. There are times during this Christian walk that everything, except the salvation of Christ, that is Christian or Christ like in you will depart from you, if only but for a moment. There are times during this Christian walk that you will loose your mind? You will be declared temporally spiritually insane.
We sing a song that says what can make me fell this way, nothing but the blood of Jesus, but I ask you what can make you loose you mind, nothing but the wiles of Satan.
What are some of the wiles, some of the trick, some of the deceits of Satan that will make you lose your mind? The bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. So what better place to look than in the word of God to see the wiles of Satan. What better place to look than at the word of God to see how Satan makes you lose your mind.
First there was Adam and Eve:
Satan came to Eve and tempted her through her lust with the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge. The fruit of the tree of good and evil. When Eve saw that the fruit was pleasing to the eye, she partook of the fruit and ate and Adam did eat also.
Satan showed Eve something that she wanted, but didn’t need and shouldn’t have, but took it anyway.
Eve wanted the fruit because it was pleasing to the eye and she though that she would be gaining something. Eve didn’t need the fruit because God had already given her all that she needed at that present time in her life. Eve should not have had the fruit because, God told her not to partake of the fruit. But Eve took it anyways because of her own desires and once she bit into what looked pleasing to the eye and what was forbidden by God, she found the taste to be the bitter road to a hard life for all mankind.
I can see in my biblical mind God looking down from his majestic and holy throne on high and shaking his head and saying “ Eve, Have you lost your mind?”
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Has there ever been a time in your life when you saw something that you wanted, but you knew you didn’t needed it and you shouldn’t have it, but you took it anyways? You took it because it looked good. You took it, because you though that you would be gaining something, but this gain was not of God but of your own desire. But you didn’t needed it because God had already provided all that you needed in your life for that situation at that time, and you shouldn’t have had it because God had already told you not to take it. But you took it anyways.
But when you bit into that fruit, that fruit that you saw to be so pleasing, that fruit you thought to be such a gain, that fruit that God told you to leave alone, you found the bitter taste of disappointment, the bitter taste of conviction, the bitter taste of embarrassment before God, the bitter taste of a hard life in a dark situation. Have you ever lost your mind due to your own desire, due to your own lust? The holy word of God makes it clear to us in James 1:13-15 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
I can see in my biblical mind God looking down from his throne on high and Jesus Christ on his right hand side, and God is shaking his head in dismay and saying to us in our moment of failure, in our moment of fulfilling our own desire, in our moment of satisfying our own lust, he’s saying “My child, Have you lost your mind?”
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
There was a time when Moses was instructed by God to Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. But Moses, though he was known for his meekness, got a little above himself during this assigned task by God. Did you know that Satan could attack even who we consider to be the best of God’s men.
The word says And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels (he belittled God’s people); must we (Aaron and I)(not must the Lord or God) but must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: (not spoke to the rock) and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.
I can see in my biblical mind God looking down from on high, taking a double look at Jesus and saying “ Moses, Have you lost your mind?”
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Moses did it his way and not God’s way. God said speak and Moses struck. The word says in Zechariah 4:6 Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.
Sometimes we think that we have a better way. We think that because of our experience, because of our knowledge, because of our education, because of the support we receive from others, because of our position, because of our expertise, because of our job, because of our money, we think we know what’s best. We know the new way, the right way, the latest way, the modern way and we try every way but God’s way. Which is the only way. Hosea 14:9 Who is wise? He will realize these things. Who is discerning? He will understand them. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.
And oh how Moses stumbled when he did things his way. This is what happened: And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.
Together the brothers, Moses and Aaron disobeyed God’s instructions and took glory upon themselves striking the rock instead of speaking to it. This demonstration of anger at the congregation and self-glory, doing things their way and not God’s way, prevented both of them from entering into the promise land.
I can see in my biblical mind God looking down from on high, and saying “ Moses, this is what happens when you loose your mind.”
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
I see another example in the word of God where one man lost the Glory of God which would have been bestowed upon him because of his faithlessness. His name was Barak. Sometimes we lose our mind when we just don’t believe.
You see the nation of Israel had fallen so low that God fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah and anointed a woman, Deborah as judge, to humiliate the men in this male dominated society. God told Deborah to call Barak to deliver the nation from the oppression of the Canaanites, Not only did she call him as instructed by God, but she also placed in his hands the battle plans from God. Barak was destined for Glory, but he had no faith. The book of Hebrews tell us in 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: (God) for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Barak had no faith therefore he could not please God. Therefore he got no reward.
But did you know that God’s plan dose not stop or fail just because of one person’s unbelief. God’s plans do not fail just because you don’t have faith. You see if you don’t do it, somebody will and God’s plan will come to completion and God will still get the Glory. Barak failed to follow God’s plan, so God put him to double the embarrassment, double the shame for a man. God called not only Deborah to complete his plan to free Israel, but he also call Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite. She invited Sisera the Canaanite Commander, into her tent for a little milk and curds, and then she drove a tent peg into his head. Barak should have gotten the Glory from God for setting the Israelites free, but Deborah and Jael got the glory for completing God’s plan. Barak should have known that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. If God said it, then it shall be.
I can see in my biblical mind God looking down from on high and squinting his eyes at Barak and saying, “ Barak, Have you lost your mind?”
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
When was the last time you read in God’s word that promised if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
(I ask you where is your faith)
When was the last time you read in God’s word that he will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
(I ask you where is your faith) are you pleasing God?
When was the last time you read in God’s word That No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.
(I ask you where is your faith)
When was the last time you read in God’s word, Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
(I ask you where is your faith) are you pleasing God?
I can see in my biblical mind God looking down from on high, looking at us his Children as we struggle, toss and turn, day after day, night after night, tear after tear, with trials and tribulation, setbacks and disappointments and he’s saying “oh ye of little faith, My Child My Child, Have you lost your mind?”
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Church if we as a child of God should at some time lose our mind, don’t call Dr. Ruth, don’t call Dr. Brothers, don’t call Dr. Phil, Call Dr. Jesus. His phone number is Son of God, the one who sets on the right-hand side of the father, the one who died for me, my advocate, my redeemer, my soul savior, I confess my sins, for you are faithful and just to forgive me of my sins, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness. My Lord let the mind be in me, which was also in you, Christ Jesus: Amen and Amen. I ask you have you lost your mind?
