NATURAL MIND; SPIRITUAL MIND; MIND OF CHRIST?

                                     
   In 1970 I was first exposed to extensive teaching on the work of
the Holy Spirit  of  God in His world.  Since  then there have been 
times when I let it slip and would revert  to trying to follow Jesus
Christ on my own, or in the flesh. When one who names Christ as 
Savior tries to serve  Him without Holy Spirit  anointing, direction,
or power; is the result taking his Holy name in vain? Read the fol-
following  from  the Apostle Paul, and  others for a clearer under-
standing of this matter.  

             "Thou shalt  not take the name of  the Lord  thy God in vain;
               for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name    
               in vain."  Exodus 20:7,(kjv) ...from  the ten commandments.

 1 Corinthians 2: 4, 7-12, 14, 16 (kjv)
     
4.  "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's
 wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." (See 2 Peter 1:16)

7. "But we speak  the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, 
 which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8. Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they
 would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  (See also Luke 23:34)

9.  But it is written, ' Eye hath not  seen, nor ear heard,  neither have  entered
 into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love
 him.'                                           (See also Isaiah 64: 4; 65:17)

10.But God hath revealed  them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth
  all things, yea, the deep things of God.  (See also Matthew 11:25)

11.For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of  man which  
is in him?  Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 
                                                            ( See James 2: 26)

12.Now we have received, not  the spirit of the world, but  the Spirit which is 
 of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God."
                                                          (See Romans 8: 15)

13.Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teach-
eth,  but which the Holy Ghost  teacheth;  comparing  spiritual  things  with 
spiritual.  (Some say there  is a difference between "Holy Ghost" and "Holy 
Spirit.  I am not aware of any such distinction.) 

14."But  the  natural  man  receiveth not  the  things of  the Spirit of  God;  
     for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because 
     they are  spiritually discerned."

16. "For who hath know the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? 
 But we have the mind of Christ."  (Read Isaiah 40)

   Ephesians 5: 9, 17-18 

9. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth:)

17-18. "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the
 Lord is.  And be not drunk with wine,  wherein is   excess; but be filled with
 the Spirit." 

There are three  to whom we refer as  the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac 
and the God of Jacob.  These three persons are; God the Father, God the 
Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  "God is a Spirit; and they that worship Him 
must worship Him in Spirit and in truth."  John 4: 24

     (We must never forget, when we refer to the Son, the Spirit or the Father,
   we are talking about God.  One other detail here;  When we refer to Christ
   it  may  be  as  the Spirit  of Jesus Christ.   When we  talk  about  the Spirit 
   being on an individual, whether it  is just  Spirit , the Spirit  of God  or  the 
   Spirit of Jesus Christ.  It is the  same person.  One God, that is plain;  not 
   simple.)

   (You and I might spend a lifetime studying and contemplating the Master,
creator, ruler and designer of this "universe" in which we live.  This would
  certainly  cause  growth in every dimension, but  we would  never "touch
 the hem of the garment," that is in understanding and  knowing all  facets
  of the Divine...) 

   So, what do we learn from this Scripture that will change our lives?
1. Without  the wisdom, power and direction of Holy Spirit on our lives
   we can do nothing of consequence (eternal) for the Kingdom of God.
2. Whether it be witnessing about  our Lord Christ,  preaching, living a 
life above reproach on our Lord or his church, praise, worshipping, or  
or singing in the Spirit; nothing is value to the Kingdom of God except   
when actuated by the Holy Spirit.
3. Our natural talents and abilities notwithstanding, when one receives
 the "gift" of  the Holy Spirit; (It is a gift, not given on the basis of merit.)
 along with that gift are the "gifts" we use in service to mankind and our
 Lord.  Our natural  talents and abilities are  then anointed  by  the Lord,
 empowered and blest as we use them in the Spirit of God.  

    "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us,
whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
   Or ministry,  let us wait  on our ministering;  or  he  that  teacheth, on
teaching;
   Or he that  exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with
simplicity;  he that  ruleth with  diligence;  he that  sheweth mercy  with
cheerfulness."   Romans 12: 6-8  ("Simplicity;" not for show, quietly)

   See Galatians 5: 19-26 for a list of  the works of  the flesh as opposed 
to the fruit of the Spirit of God.  We also find in 1 Corinthians 1-11, a list 
of Spiritual gifts and how they fit into the body of Christ, his church.

    As a preface to the following  remarks, it must be stated;  Our Lord will
 not give his Spirit to one who does not have a "cleansed" life. So, accor- 
ding to 1 John 1:8-10, we see: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive
deceive ourselves, and  the truth is not in us.  If we  confess our sins, he
   is faithful and  just  to  forgive us our  sins, and  to cleanse  us from  all  
unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar
and his Word is not in us."  (The "Word" must  be referring to; "the Word
made flesh,"  our Lord Jesus Christ.)   See also Matthew 6: 12, 14,15

    "He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  But as many as
 received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to
   them  that  believe on his name:  Which  were  born, not of blood, nor of
   the  flesh, nor of  the will of man, but  of  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: 11-14
  

   If  one would receive the  fullness of  the Holy Spirit,  there is a way in
1 John 5: 13-15 and that is asking and receiving, but  first we must read
Ephesians 5: 17-18.  Here,  we  are  instructed,   "Wherefore  be  ye  not 
unwise,  but  understanding  what  the  will  of  the  Lord is.  And be not
drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit."  Since 
It is God's will for you and me to be filled, controlled and empowered by
the Spirit, in 1 John 5: 13-15, "These things have I written unto you that
believe on the name of the Son of God; that  ye may know that ye have
eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.  
"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything 
according to his will,  He heareth us:  And if  we  know  that He  hear us, 
whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired 
of him."   

     We know it is God's will for us  to be filled  with his Spirit, so if we ask,
according to his Word, we have the  filling...  We  must  ask  in faith, how-
ever, "nothing doubting."  (I do not believe our Lord with fill one with the
Holy Spirit who has  known  sin in his/her life.  So in order to pray as we
see in 1 John 5: 13-15, we must  obey 1 John 1: 9-10, "If we confess our
sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness.  If we say that  we have not sinned, we make him a
liar, and his truth is not in us.  (see Matthew 6: 14-15) (Cleansed life)

   On this basis, we can claim the "cleansed life" in Christ and expect him 
to answer any prayer we make, that is known to be his will...

Thanks for looking and may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob bless
you this day.  I trust  you understand  the repetition is  for our  edification 
and  may help as  we ask  for direction from the Word of God and a better
understanding of  the  doctrine concerning  the work of  the Holy Spirit of 
God in the heart and mind of believers; you and me.   

donporter,sr  8.22.15, edited 11.04.15







                                        
                                                
                                        

  

FAITH; NOT OF WORKS...

        Now  faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders
obtained a good testimony.  By faith we understand
that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so
that  the things  which  are seen were  not made  of 
things which are visible."  Hebrews 11: 1-3...

      As we read Hebrews 11, we find a description of
the way our Lord  has dealt with his people through-
out the ages.  I had not heard this addressed, speci-
fically, and  find something  to be  learned  from this
passage, giving works of  faith proper consideration.
   "But God who is rich in mercy for His great love
wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in
sins, hath he quickened us together with Christ, (by
grace, are ye saved:) and made us to sit together
in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:  That in the ages
to come He might shew the exceeding riches of his
grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
 
     "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and
   that not of yourselves:  It is the gift of God, not
   of works lest any man should boast, for we are  
   his workmanship created in Christ Jesus which
   God hath ordained that we should walk in them.   
                                                Ephesians 2:4-10

     You and I must consider works along with our
faith  before the Lord God.  They are not  our we
perform, but works in which the Lord would have
us  engaged, in his name,  (power) and ability.  It 
is His work  we do in faith.  Without  faith, works
of  the flesh are never acceptable to Him.  Works
of  faith must  be a  product of  faith  in our Lord 
and his Word. "For, without faith it is impossible
to please him..."   Hebrews 11:6a
 

       Our Lord  does not  deal with his people on  the basis 
of their works, but according to their faith.  There is much 
stress on  good works, as  described by  pastor/teachers, 
with  little  emphasis on personal holiness, absolute faith 
in God and his Word through his Son.  The emphasis we 
see in this chapter is the Lord God dealing severely  with 
his  people because of  their unbelief.  This  is the same, 
whether  the  people  are  of  Israel, or  the church  today.  
Since we live in the final age of  the Church,  Laodicean
era,  as recorded in the book of  the Revelation of Jesus
Christ, our redemption is near  at  hand.  In order for the 
Church  of  our  Lord Jesus Christ to  flourish, Israel was  
blinded  for  a   time  until  the  fullness  of  the  Gentiles.  
Israel is still the root and  gentiles  were grafted into the 
"Tree of  Life.   As  we see the Church of  today become  
apostate, (have lost faith) the time is  right for  the Jews,
to be grafted into the tree, and gentiles, or the apostate
church broken from the tree. 
     
   Romans 11: 20-21,  "Well;  because of  unbelief 
   they were broken off, and thou standest by faith.
   Be  thou  not high minded,  but fear: for if  God
   spared not  the natural branches, take heed lest
   he also spare not  thee."  Read  the Hebrews 11
   for a clear understanding of this matter.   

     There is one other element  of  the gospel  that  
seems to  be neglected these days, and that is 
recorded in I Thessalonians 4: 13-17.  "But I
would not have you to be ignorant, brethren,
concerning them which are asleep, that ye sor-
row not, even as other which have no hope. 
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again.
even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will
God bring with him.  For this we say unto you
by the Word of the Lord, that we which are alive
and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall
not prevent (precede) them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the archangel,
with the trump of God:  And the dead in Christ
shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them
in the clouds; to meet the Lord in the air: And
so shall we ever be with the Lord."
Conservative Bible scholars, of which we are
aware, seem in agreement that this Snatching
away, is most likely the event for which we 
should be watching.  In verse 18 of chapter 4
of I Thessalonians, we see; "Wherefore com-
fort one another with these words..."n,
Read 1 Thess. 4: 13-18 

    We also find in  Chapter 5 how we must con-
duct  ourselves during  these last days, and in 
Titus 2:13-14 we see: Looking for that blessed
hope, and the glorious appearing of the great 
God  and our  Savior Jesus Christ;  Who gave 
himself for us that he might redeem us from all
iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar peo-
ple, zealous of good works."  We believe in the
Lord God, Jehovah, and we follow Jesus Christ,
God the Son, because of his great love with
which He has loved us."  His command:   
     "Jesus said  unto him,  'Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and 
great  commandment.  And  the second  is like  
unto it, thou shalt love thy  neighbor  as  thyself.   
On  these  two  commandments hang all the law 
and the prophets."

Our relationship with our Lord is not based on 
fear  of  retribution,  but on  our  love  for him,  
because He first loved us... Who would want to  
disappoint one who paid  such  a price for our 
redemption  from sin that  has ruined so many 
lives over the centuries? 
 
(Scripture references taken from kjv)

Thanks for looking, donporter,sr                         8.08.15