Seeing Jesus - Mind (Add 2)

	Jesus has the hands of a carpenter, a fisherman, a physician, a farmer, a teacher and a parent.  They reach down in love, out in support and up in praise.  His eyes look backward for lessons from the past.  They look forward with determination. They always look with love.  Certain things never come from His mouth.  However, He always speaks up when the situation calls for it.  At all times, His words are those of God.  The feet of Jesus are often tired.  But this does not stop Him as he pursues His critical mission.  These feet are willing to step forward and stand firm.  They are powerful.  And they are beautiful.
	It is of major importance that we comprehend and develop in ourselves the mind of Christ.  Developing the mind of  Christ involves a transforming renewal.  The christian mind is motivated by love.  And it is founded on the word of God. Developing the mind of Christ requires that we eliminate certain negative elements from our minds.  These include things which are bad, misinformed or useless.  We must in turn fill our minds with positive traits.
	As we have seen, bad thoughts would include those which are physically, mentally or spiritually corrupted.  Those which are worthless involve minds which have been hardened, blinded, led astray or embittered.  Thoughts are worthless when they come from vanity, disputing or weariness.  Our minds must be cleansed of all these if we are to develop the mind of Christ.  But, as the Bible indicates, it is not enough to simply eliminate the negative.  We must add that which is positive.  Let's take a look, now, at some of the positive traits of a christian mind.
	A christian mind is sincere.
	"This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you," we read in 2 Peter 3:1-2, "in which I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the words spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior {spoken} by your apostles."
	Notice that Peter says he is "stirring up" other Christians' minds "by way of reminder." In other words, he is simply reminding us of something we should already know.  He adds that this is accomplished by remembering the words of the prophets and the commandment of the Lord spoken by the apostles.  A sincere mind is achieved through constant remembrance of God's Word.
	The result of a sincere mind is purity.
	"Clean out the old leaven," Paul commands in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, "that you may be a new lump, just as you are {in fact} unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.  Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."
	Looking at the context of this passage, we find that Paul is referring to separating ourselves from sexual immorality. 
	A sincere christian mind is associated with a pure life.
	"Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with {a love} incorruptible," Paul expresses in Ephesians 6:24.
	A sincere christian mind is associated with a pure love.
	"Likewise urge the young men to be sensible," Paul instructs in Titus 2:6-8, "in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, {with} purity in doctrine, dignified, sound {in} speech which is beyond reproach, in order that the opponent may be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us."
	A sincere christian mind is associated with a pure doctrine.
	"Therefore, putting aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisy and envy and all slander," 1 Peter 2:1-2 urges, "like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation."
	A sincere christian mind is associated with the pure Word of God, along with a pure life, a pure love and pure doctrine.

	Developing the mind of Christ requires the cultivation of a sincere mind, one which is associated with a pure life, a pure love and a pure doctrine.  All of this demands dedication to the pure Word of God.
	A christian mind must also be sober or controlled.
	"Likewise urge the young men to be sensible," we just read from Titus 2:6.  Some translations read "sober-minded" in the place of "sensible."
	Being sober-minded implies that we be watchful and alert.
	"But you, brethren, are not in darkness," Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:4-6, "that the day should overtake you like a thief; for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober."
	Can we afford to not have alert minds?
	"Be of sober {spirit,} be on the alert," 1 Peter 5:8 warns. "Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
	If we like the idea of becoming lion bait, then we don't need to worry about being watchful.  Otherwise, we had better step up our efforts to develop sober minds.
	In addition to being alert, sober minds are also given to moderation.  They are dedicated to self-control.
	"For the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward," Paul says of elders in Titus 1:7-8, "not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled."
	The mind of Christ is sincere.  It is sober.  And it is wise.
	"Here is the mind which has wisdom," John writes in Revelation 17:9.
	The indication is that God expects us to be wise enough to understand what is revealed in the Bible.  But how can we develop this wisdom?
	"But if any of you lacks wisdom," James 1:5-8 responds, "let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, {being} a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
	We should be careful, though, to not confuse Godly wisdom with the wisdom of the world.
	"Who among you is wise and understanding?" we read in James 3:13-18.  "Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and {so} lie against the truth.  This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic.  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.  And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."
	The mind of Christ is sincere, sober and wise.  Finally, the mind of Christ is spiritual.
	"For the mind set on the flesh is death," Paul points out in Romans 8:6-9, "but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able {to do so}; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him."
	"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh," Paul expresses in Galatians 5:16-24.  "For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law.  Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."
	The mind of Christ is sincere, sober, wise and spiritual.  How can we develop this kind of mind?  A sincere mind remembers God's Word.  A sober mind is alert against the falsehood of the devil.  Wisdom comes from God.  A spiritual mind results from focusing on spiritual matters.  If we know and practice the truth, we can develop the mind of Christ.  And this truth will set us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."