Confessions for Life; I Have the Mind of Christ
David W Palmer
(1 Corinthians 2:16 NKJV) … We have the mind of Christ.
When I first discovered this Scripture phrase, it answered so many questions I had as a new Christian about relating to God and hearing his voice. I knew it was possible to hear from God and that it was possible to be led by him, but I didn’t know how; I didn’t know the mechanism. I wanted to be sure I was hearing from God and following him; but at the time, the instructions given to me for how to do this were either misleading or missing all together.
People said to listen for his voice, but I was unsure of what was just “me,” what was coming from his Spirit, or what was coming from my spirit. I didn’t want to be led astray by my own thoughts—deluded into thinking God was guiding me when it was just me having a good idea.
I listened closely to a friend recounting all the wisdom and insights that he claimed God said to him. But after many very long conversations of mainly him telling me his stories, I picked up some contradictions in what he claimed God said. I wasn’t critical of this wonderful young man doing his best to follow God, but I did realize that hearing from and following his leading was thwarted with traps. So, I sought God’s wisdom on this in prayer and his word.
First, when trying to decipher the difference between hearing God’s Spirit and my spirit, I discovered this amazingly comforting passage, which was a huge relief and helped still the storm of confusion around this topic:
(1 Corinthians 6:17 NKJV) But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
Instantly, I knew I had received a revelation from God; it was one piece of this puzzle coming into place. If I am born again, have cleansed my spirit from filthiness, I have become “one spirit” with him, our spirits have merged. Wow, this took away a lot of the uncertainty over what would be coming from my spirit as opposed to what would be coming from his. We are one spirit with him. That means that in many cases, the inner witness of my spirit should be the same as his. Provided, that is, that I take up my responsibilities for my spirit as he instructs:
(2 Corinthians 7:1 NKJV) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
(James 4:8 NKJV) Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
So, as well as purifying what is in my heart, and cleansing it from all filthiness, God’s wisdom instructs us to guard it from any impurity coming in. Instead, he wants us to allow in copious amounts of his word through our eyes and ears and by meditating in it day and night:
(Proverbs 4:20–23 NKJV) My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. {21} Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; {22} For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. {23} Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.
So, with this revealing light from God’s word, I was on the way to understanding how to walk in the spirit and be led by the spirit:
(Galatians 5:16, 18, 25 NKJV) I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. ... {18} But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ... {25} If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27 KJV). Expanding and explaining this, the Holy Spirit through Paul said that we should “walk in the spirit” and “be led by the spirit.” God led me to the conclusion that these are both referring to the same thing; they are simply two sides of the same coin; walking in the spirit is the same as hearing the Good Shepherd’s voice and following him.
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