2nd man united

Thinking Like God

"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"  But we have the mind of Christ.  I Corinthians 2:16

The mind of Christ is just as far away from the "mind of Republican" as it is from the "mind of Democrat."  It's just as far away from the "mind of American" as it is from the "mind of Iranian."  It's just as far away from the "mind of the ghetto" as it is from the "mind of suburbia."

Those are all human ideologies.  The mind of Christ does not contain human ideology.  It's a transformed way of thinking because of the union of a human being with another Person, Christ Himself.  It's thinking like God Himself and it doesn't fit very well into any human frame of reference.

Do You Have Faith or Do You Just Believe?

Faith is the inner assurance of things hoped for, inner certitude about thing not being seen.  Hebrews 11:1

Faith goes beyond belief.  It's the next step.  It's the consummation of belief about Jesus.  Professing Christians believe about Jesus in their minds.  They've been convinced that he lived, died for their sins, yada yada yada.  But a person actually passes into the experience of Christ when their faith is put in Him. 

The apostles understood this to mean that someone has enough certainty that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life that they give over control of their life to Him and allow His Life to rule and reign in theirs.  This means that you are no longer doing what it is that YOU want to do, but HIS will is guiding and directing you in all of your ways. Sure, you believe God will catch you.  But are you falling?

The Letter Kills, The Spirit Gives Life

He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.  2 Corinthians 3:6

Focus on the letter (Bible) will kill the unity of the Spirit and faith in Jesus.  Blasphemy!  Except that's what's written IN THE BIBLE!!  Many spend most of their time and make more important the intellectual study and digestion of the words of the Bible.  When that happens, we replace the experience of exchanging Life with Jesus with dogma about Jesus.  And when that happens, we allow the letter of the words of God and our words to kill our possible experience of union with and exchanging life with Jesus.

From the Beyond Beliefs course at the Logos Institute

Your Best Life Now

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.  2 Timothy 4:3-4

21st century American translation =

People will listen to sermons that do not direct them into union with Christ and the experience of exchanging life with Him.  Instead, they will listen to human-centered messages focused on becoming "better Christians" through "Christian activities."  The message-bearers will formulate "series" on various self-help topics like "12 Weeks to a Great Marriage" and "How to Have a Better Life." 

The people will be motivated and will go out frequently with new-found enthusiasm (about once a week) only to experience repeated failure because they have failed to come to the Person who is the "Great Marriage" and the "Better Life."

Personalizing Spiritual Words

"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption."  I Corinthians 1:30

Paul's personalizing of the Word and Wisdom of God as Jesus has been reversed and depersonalized by many well-meaning people so that the words become a state of mind or set of principles or propositions.  The apostles did the opposite.  They took depersonalized words, principles and propositions then current in their culture such as Logos (reason) or Sophia (wisdom) and saw the Person of Jesus Himself as The Word, The Bread, The Door, The Light, The Resurrection, The Way, The Truth, The Life and in this verse, The Wisdom of God.

From the Beyond Beliefs class book at the Logos Institute