Being a believer requires two seemingly opposite things; audacity [brave, fearless] and humbleness [lowly, meek]. What a audacious thought it is to believe in a unseen and invisible force which has a mental capacity of such power that it can form something from nothing. Not to mention one who knows all things at all times, including the future. Of course if there were such a being it should not be much of a stretch to think it could become a Man and live on the earth in a perfectly sinless state: For the express purpose of bringing mankind into eternal conscious fellowship with Himself. "Come unto me [within my realm of Spirit] all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" Matt. 11:28.
All this sounds rather unlikely in human reasoning terms. But never the less all that surrounds us materially, nature the cosmos etc. screams design. Our own conscious calls out to be rescued from ourselves and this world by projecting neediness, in order to have hope both for now and the by and by, which serves us well to help one believe in this truth. But the really difficult part of the equation is finding the humbleness to accept our belief in a God like this, especially when we find out His actions, which we have been told and often thought, were exclusively for us; we come to learn were all really for Him. Made available by His Son: who projected salvation for mankind in His person. For the express purpose to glorify The Father. "For the law of the Spirit of life [His purpose and power within His own sphere] in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" Rom. 8:2.
In other words to realize the great joy we may have by all that was created and our own salvation which so honors man and seems so suited for him cannot be fully appreciated, nor does it honor the Creator, if we think of it in a self centered way. To see one's Christianity in humbleness leaves no room for the self that so much effort by the church and our own egos attempts to uphold. No in this view man, his needs and desires and accomplishments have little to no value what so ever. This thought is very humbling is it not? "Stand fast in the liberty [Him as the object] with which Christ has made us free" Gal. 5:1
If we are not to turn our thoughts to ourselves to accomplish a Christian world view then where dose the explanation lie? The self life is claustrophobic the way old peoples homes always seem to be stuffed with trinkets of a long life. Things without function or in many cases much aesthetic beauty. We store up experience and knowledge/impressions in the same way in the self, and we use these as reminders that we are alive; proof that we are Christians. This we often refer to as spirituality: but this kind of thought only serves to reflect the object of ourselves and is grounded in feelings and experiences, never very realiable. But what of the grace and love of The Father? Is His natural expression of His attributes merely to make us happy and comfortable in our salvation Christian experience? Do we live in a obedient form so that by having the right attitude we are judged by ourselves and others as spiritual and we rest in that as satisfactions for the Christian life? "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal [self centered obedience] but mighty through God [His Son as the object] to the pulling down of strongholds [the natural carnal spiritual life]" 2 Cor. 10:4.
"If therefore you were raised together with Christ seek the things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God, Set your mind on the things which are above, not on the things which are on earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" Col. 3:1-3. The things in heaven are in contrast to the things on earth, such as self.. The things on earth include religion, culture, philosophy, and improvement in self behavior. If we see ourselves as having died with Christ we are free from all these things, as a definition of self, as God intended. We can only receive this freedom by faith in God's Word. What is it that God has provided to replace these things?
The answer is that all those things, self and the world, turn on us knowing the place where the Lord Jesus is. If He were on the earth, then that would be the place for us and include worldly enterprise. But if He is at the right hand of God in heaven we must go there. The thought we must learn to count as true and the question we must ask ourselves is what is the source of our understanding, and how do we accomplish this?
The Word answers. "Having your mind on the things above". We all know to well what is in the world, and the natural outcome of self centering ones world. We sought this world's things, often in anxiety, worry and insecurity had our mind on them and they became our life. In contrast the Christian seeks the things above and sets his mind upon them. Our mind is controlled by the object before it. My friends Christ must become everything for us. He is independent from the world and all that is in it. We may be so also, if Christ is to be our life; as defined by the inner man of the spirit/consciousness, by knowing what is said in God's Word! Thus allowing the Holy Spirit to rule. This thought can only become real by Jesus Christ being the object and representative of our presence in God's salvation. Or how we apprehend our place of spirit. Not ourselves, our needs and feelings, or performance.
Everything in the mind of the Father for us has its source in a risen and glorified Man, at His right hand. This is the reason no one of the world can, nor need see, our Christian life, which eliminates the need to cultivate self, which it seems we are so busy at. Our light is to shine, but we are to emanate His thoughts! We are walking the earth appearing like other men, but in reality are only seen by The Father in a risen and glorified man. In a practical way it comes to this.....just as the world is everything to the one attached to it, so the Lord Jesus Christ is everything to the Christian. We have no need to prove our life, the self is made obsolete. All that we are, or ever will be, is hidden in Christ. This is to be our mindset and defining purpose, if we wish Christ as life.
If you my friends want to know the New Mans [Jesus Christ] life there is only one place you can learn it; in His Mind. In order to do that we must leave everything behind which is connected with this world and ourselves. We by His Word and faith in it as truth may now travel to the very heart and mind of God. Where His thought is that His beloved Son is life, even our life. "The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus". We must see not only our roll in belief in that by the formation of our lives, but it as the defining attribute of our collective and individual existence. Thanks to C.A. Coats for a inspirational explanation of the Christian life, which I gleaned from.
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