The Mind of Christ

November 30, 2014


How many are tired of the “merry-go-around of sin?” The “gerbil wheel of defeat?” The “rat race of human effort?” And listening to the “broken record of stinking’ thinking’?” Now is the time to be set free by the Spirit of God to live a different life governed by a new mindset and attitude. It’s time to be born again and live with the mind of Christ!

SERMON TEXT

  • 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV), “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
  • 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT), “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

REVIEW

  • KNOWING WHO YOU ARE: (1) There are only two types of people in the world; “Sinners,” Romans 5:19 & “Saints,” Philippians 1:1. (2) Though there are two types of saints; “Worldly Christians,” 1 Corinthians 3:3 & “Disciples,” John 8:31; everyone is expected to be a disciple, Matthew 28:19-20.
  • SOUL THEOLOGY: (1) When you were born again you became a new person in both your soul & spirit, John 3:3 & 2 Corinthians 5:15. (2) Though your body is still sinful, you are to count it as dead and live a holy life pleasing to God by His Word, 1 Peter 1:22-23.
  • TEMPTATION: (1) Inward Temptation: From your sinful body, James 1:13-16 & (2) Outward Temptation: From the Devil regarding; (a) God’s Word, Genesis 3:1 & (b) Your Identity, Luke 4:3.
  • PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: Let God, the Good Shepherd, lead you in His paths of righteousness, Psalm 23.

ROMANS 8:1-17

“1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. 15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

BREAKDOWN

  • v. 1, “No Condemnation”: In Christ the believer is free from God’s wrath, John 3:18.
  • v. 2, “Law of the Spirit”: Through Jesus the law (principle) of the Spirit (new birth) has set us free from the law (principle) of sin & death, John 3:3.
  • v. 3, “Sin Offering”: By Jesus taking on flesh and becoming a sin offering He did what the Mosaic law couldn’t do, He set us free, 2 Corinthians 3:6!
  • v. 4, “Righteous Requirement of the Law Might be Fully Met”: Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial law on our behalf, Isaiah 53:5.
  • v. 5, “Mind Set”: The mind (center of man’s soul) can either set itself on the flesh (with its evil desires) or set itself on what the Holy Spirit desires (the mind of Christ), Colossians 3:1-2.
  • v. 6,  “Life & Death”: The mind governed (controlled) by the flesh is death (the eternal lake of fire) and the mind governed (controlled) by the Spirit is life (eternity in the Kingdom of God) and peace, Colossians 3:9-10.
  • v. 7, “Hostile to God”: Those who live in the flesh cannot truly submit to God’s laws (commands), Galatians 5:17.
  • v. 8, “Realm of the Flesh”: Those who live in the flesh cannot please God, Isaiah 64:6.
  • v. 9, “Realm of the Spirit”: You are to partake of the divine nature because you belong to Christ, 2 Peter 1:3-4.
  • v. 10, “Body Subject to Death & Spirit Gives Life”: Your body still has evil desires and is subject to death, however, your inner man (soul/spirit) has been given life (made a new creation), 1 Peter 1:22-23.
  • v. 11, “Give Life to Your Mortal Bodies”: Because Jesus was raised from the dead by the Spirit you will also be given a immortal body by the Spirit at the Resurrection, 1 Corinthians 15:52-53.
  • v. 12, “Have an Obligation”: You are obligated (compelled) not to live by the flesh, but rather the Spirit, Galatians 5:16.
  • v. 13, “Put to Death the Misdeeds of the Flesh”: The body is to be considered crucified with Christ and its misdeeds are to be put to death whenever temptation occurs, Ephesians 4:22-24.
  • v. 14, “Led by the Spirit”: Those who set their minds on the Spirit and follow His guidance are truly the children of God, Galatians 5:25.
  • v. 15, “Adoption to Sonship”: The Spirit is not a slave master, but rather the enactor of God’s adoption and encourages us to call God our, “Abba/Father,” Galatians 4:6.
  • v. 16, “We are God’s Children”: The Holy Spirit testifies (assures) us that we are truly God’s child, 1 John 5:18-20.
  • v. 17, “Co-Heirs with Christ”: Because Jesus has given us His righteous nature, we have been adopted to share in the Kingdom the Father gave Him, Revelation 20:6.

MAIN POINTS

  1. NEW NATURE: When we were born again we were given a new nature by the Holy Spirit.
  2. SPIRIT FOCUSED: As saints we should set our minds on the Spirit and not on the flesh.
  3. MIND OF CHRIST: When we set our minds on the Spirit we will have the mind of Jesus.
  4. LIVE LIKE JESUS: With the mind (attitude/thoughts) of Jesus we will live like Jesus.
  5. REIGN WITH CHRIST: When we live like Jesus we will share in the inheritance of Jesus.

Romans 8:12-17 (MSG), “So don’t you see that we don’t owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There’s nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God’s Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go! This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It’s adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike “What’s next, Papa?” God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what’s coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we’re certainly going to go through the good times with him!”

 

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Posted in Identity Series