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