but the spiritual discerns all, now, at the same time influenced by no ones examination, 'for has any known the mind of the Lord, to prove him?' Now, we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:15-16)
These verses implicitly imply the mind of Christ comes through growth, through renewal of the mind to be spiritual. As infants or children, we have a carnal, fleshly mind. Therefore, having the mind of Christ speaks of maturity which comes through the renewal of the mind to be spiritual. This is due to the fact we still live in a body in which sin dwells and evil is near, so we have opposing forces at work. We are taught to put off the old and put on the new man. Paul wants the church in Corinth to grow so they can discern deeper spiritual things of God, which implies a spiritual mind. But they are infants so he has to keep feeding them milk, they are not ready, mature enough to eat meat.Now, this is not the way you learned Christ, assuming you listened to him and were taught in him, just as the truth exists in Jesus. According to your former way of life, that corrupted and deluded according to its desires, you were taught to put away your old self and be renewed of the Spirit of your mind and put on the new man created in God's likeness in righteousness, and holiness of truth (Ephesians 4:20-24)
... you were taught to put away your old self and be renewed of the Spirit of your mind and put on the new self created in God's likeness in righteousness, and holiness of truth (Ephesians 4:20-24)
'Be renewed in the spirit of your mind' is the key to understanding sanctification, godliness, holiness, walking in step with the Spirit, bearing the fruit of righteousness... it is that we are being renewed in the spirit of our mind to have the mind of Christ. "You were taught to put away your old self and be renewed of the Spirit of your mind" which implies the Spirit works through the truth to renew the mind. This is wisdom from God coming down as good and maturing or perfecting gifts (James 1:3-5; James 1:16-18; James 1:21-25).
Now, let us look deeper at what the scriptures say about the opposing forces of the mind, so we can better understand the process of renewal. This is the second topic of our study of sanctification, the first addressed the opposing forces between the mind of the flesh and that of the spiritual.*
for who died, he died to sin once, now, who lives, lives to God. In the same way reckon yourselves existing dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 7:10-11)
We are to reckon ourselves the same way. Reckon points us to the mind, λογίζομαι (logizomai) to consider, to reckon, to think. It has as a root word, the English word logical, meaning to reason to a logical conclusion; settle in your mind. It is related to the word reasonable used in Romans 12:1, "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, that your reasonable service" and Paul goes on to say "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). The body in which sin dwells needs to be presented a living sacrifice so that the mind can be renewed, to be the mind of Christ. We are led by the Spirit of truth into our reasonable service thus Christ is our sanctification, lest we boast in ourselves (1 Corinthians 1:30-31).
he himself bore our sins in his body on a tree so that we having died to sin, live to righteousness (1 Peter 2:24)
Jesus died fleshly and rose again, and we are "united" participating in his death and resurrection. He died so we might live to righteousness. Righteousness and life go together. The Spirit is life through righteousness, Paul writes in Romans 8:10. In the teaching of baptism, that which Paul writes we commit to, we read the old man was crucified with Christ, so we are united in his death, thus the one who has died with Christ, sin is rendered useless (Romans 6:4-7; Romans 6:8-13). Christ died and if dead, sin has no power, also Christ was raised where he has mastery over sin, he is not in a body in which sin dwells nor is influenced by evil. These teachings speak of how under Grace not the Law we can master sin. This occurs in the renewal of the mind.
because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God, not influenced, not submitting to the law of God for it has no power (Romans 8:7)
The mind of the flesh is death, and the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. There is a spiritual mind and there is a fleshly mind that opposes God, even within the child of God. "I brothers could not speak to you as spiritual, but rather as fleshly, infants in Christ." The fleshly mind becomes a spiritual mind when it is renewed. There is truth that we are taught and abide in; we reckon ourselves like Christ, to be spiritual, that we died with him to sin and are alive to God in righteousness. We are to not let sin reign in our bodies but to present our member as an instrument of righteousness, alive to God. Does these scriptures in Romans 7 sound familiar to Romans 12:1-2, presenting your bodies as a living sacrifice? And for what purpose but to be renewed in our minds. The outcome is the fruit of being a new creation in Christ.
filled with fruit of righteousness that through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:11)
I am already righteous in Christ. But we see the idea of growth that brings us into a fullness where we bear fruit of righteousness. What deeds would signify we are a holy people and walk in the light? But that we live to righteousness having put away the desires and passions of the flesh. It is our new nature thus we are indebted to live accordingly. Paul is praying for the Philippians so that their love would abound more and more in knowledge and understanding so that they may determine what is essential and exist pure (Philippians 1:9-11).
What is essential, what is reasonable and logical service? This is essential and your reasonable service, to be pure, present the body a living sacrifice, holy, and to be transformed by the renewing of your minds (Romans 12:1-2). See, the mind of the flesh is carnal and hostile to God and can not submit to the spiritual laws of God, but through transformation, it is renewed to be spiritual reflecting the new inner man. This renewal of the mind happens because we live in a body, not yet redeemed.
until we all attain to the unity of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13)
We can view sanctification, holiness, and godliness as being conformed to the image of Christ. Christ is holy, so to be like him in the maturity of his image, or to the fullness of his stature, or divine nature, is to be holy. Maturity is another way the scriptures explain this conformation to the image of Christ. Stature refers to the quality or status gained by growth, and development.* This is the plan that God put forth in Christ, and which he is working out for our good, so we are being conformed into the image of Christ n(Romans 8:28-30). Opposing forces would be against growth, so children would remain tossed to and fro in human cunning and deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:1-16).
so then, just as you have always obeyed not only in my presence but much more at present in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)
We are working out our salvation. This is not working for, but working out, what is new in our inner man, the spiritual man. We can measure ourselves by this standard of maturity; 'to mature adulthood, to the measure of the stature of Christ.' Growing as John writes from a child to a young person, to an adult (1 John 2:12-15). Now, we grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus... (2 Peter 3:18). So we do not go back to the law or live to worldly principles and philosophy and traditions of men but we in the knowledge of Jesus, whose words are Spirit and Life, are renewed of minds to be spiritual, like the new inner man, we work out our salvation.
... be renewed of the spirit of your minds also putting on the new man created according to God's likeness in righteousness and holiness of truth (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Does not "be renewed of the spirit" tell us there is a transition from the carnal to the spiritual mind? When we were made alive and seated in the heavenly places we became a new creation, spiritually, which is also called the new inner man, which is holy and righteous. But this body is a body of death, and the mind is still carnal. Therefore we are working it out, also referred to as growth. When Paul writes, "Thanks be to Jesus Christ who will save us from this body of death" he then speaks of the mind, "Thus I will serve the law of God with my mind and the flesh the law of sin" (Romans 7:24-25). So it is Christ working out our new spiritual inner man through renewal of the mind.
Now, I say, walk spiritually and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit and the Spirit opposed to the flesh so that you do not do the things you want. But if you are led by the Spirit you are not under the Law (Galatian 16-18)
How can I walk spiritually if I have a carnal mind? Why would Paul write this to believers if we have the mind of Christ? Thus we make this distinction between the mind of the flesh and the Spirit and that they are opposed to one another. An infant or child is distinguished by being fleshly. Our true identity is that of Christ, spiritually, but as an infant or child we only see in part who we are, but the more we know Christ, face to face, being renewed day by day, being transformed from one degree of glory to another, the more we are known, it manifests outwardly in our character, the state of new identity spiritually inwardly. First, the Spirit will lead into the truth of grace, not the Law. Then, through God's power maturing us, we are being transformed from glory to glory in the face of Christ. So putting off the old man and putting on the new, being renewed in the spirit of my mind to have the mind of Christ.
now, we all unveiled faces beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, transformed to the same image from glory to glory just as from the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Coming forth (growing) from the spiritual Lord, looking into his face which shines the glory of God, I am being transformed into his glory. Unveiled in face speaks of the glory shining in the face of Christ that we "look" into and thus are being transformed from "glory to glory." Unbelievers are blinded in their minds by the god of this world so they do not see the light of the gospel, (2 Corinthians 4:4). Even the Jews of the flesh their minds are closed to the light of the gospel, their minds are veiled even though they read the old testament, and only Christ can take it way. The prince of the power of the air is energizing the sons of disobedience so they walk in the lusts and passions of their flesh (Ephesians 2:1-4).
Conformed to the character and condition of our new spiritual man, implies having the mind of Christ, thus we are Christians. We are not "genuine" Christians concerning genuinely being a child of God (genuine defined by works would exclude children not yet having the gift of wisdom needed for maturity) but being "mature" the sons of God through growth. Mature believers are the ones who obey Christ. "When we bear fruit, after being deeply rooted, and growing up truth in love, the love of God is fulfilled." The mature believer has the power to keep his word, in him the love of God is fulfilled (1 John 2:4).
now, if the Spirit puts to death the deeds of the flesh we will live, for those led by the Spirit exist the sons of God (Romans 8:12)
We see the difference between being a son and a child.* Some would oppose a "progressive sanctification" where sin is eventually being put away based upon the fact we still live in this body. While there is truth in this, we await the redemption and glorification of the body, it is also true that we see a process where children become sons, and a sign of such is that they are led by the Spirit to put to death the deeds of the flesh.*
not from works of righteousness which we did, but according to his own mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, (Titus 3:5)God being rich in mercy through his great love, made us alive together in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-5). Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings in the heavenlies.* Probably the best way to explain sanctification, is that I am being transformed, by the renewing of my mind, renewed of the spirit of my mind, being conformed to the image of Christ, so to have the mind of Christ. The important part to know is that just like Christ is our redemption and righteousness he is also our Sanctification.
his divine power freely gives us all that for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and might (2 Peter 1:3-4)
through whom freely given to us his precious and splendid promises so that we through them come into existence, escaping the corruption in the world in sinful desires, becoming partakers of God's divine nature (2 Peter 1:4)
This is what God purposed in Christ, since the beginning of creation, that we are being conformed to the image of his son, coming into existence as partakers of his divine nature, becoming like him. There is no other purpose more glorious. The mind of Christ comes through spiritual growth, renewed of the spirit of the mind. Our sanctification is much like our righteousness and redemption, and much like our salvation, it is a gift. That it is a gift we will discuss next time. We are dependent upon Christ and the Holy Spirit working in us to live a life as partakes of his divine nature while still living in a body of sin and death.