THE DEDICATION OF OUR MIND TO GOD
Anita Clark – Pastor, Carbondale, KS
Jesus spoke in Matthew 22:37 with a quote from Deuteronomy 6:15, saying “Thou shalt love the Lord, thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” The “mind” speaks of “deep thought, imagination, and understanding.”
Deuteronomy 6:5 tells about Moses going off the scene, and would die before going into Canaan land. He said, this very scripture mentioned by Jesus there in Matthew 22:37 - “And thou shalt love the Lord God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.” The part “all thy soul” means “all thy life, mind, heart, desire, or breath.” He said this is what God wants from Israel, but God wants this also from all His people.
This same word for “mind” is used in Ephesians 2:1-3. Vs. 3 -”Among whom also we all had our conversation in the times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” Before knowing Christ, our sinful mind led us. (vs. 3). This word “mind” means - “imagination, and deep thought.”
In Romans 1:28-29, the Scripture says, speaking of people with “reprobate minds,” And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient.” When, by Adam, sin entered the world, man became more and more vile. i.e. Cain killed Abel. The word “reprobate” means “unapproved, rejected, worthless morally.” Why don’t many people, those without Christ want to accept the “the natural man?” I Corinthians 2:14 tells us, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are Spiritually discerned.” I Corinthians 2:16 says, “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that He may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” I Corinthians 1:18 says, “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness (or silliness, absurdity); but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
Ephesians 4:17 tells us to “Walk not as other Gentiles in the vanity of their mind.” The word “vanity” means “moral depravity.” Vs. 18 says “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them; because of the blindness of the heart.”
Romans 8:5 tells us, “For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” The term “carnally minded” means to be “fleshly, human nature, with its failure, physically and morally.” Vs. 7 says “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” We have victory through Christ over our flesh. Great Victory is in our midst and our Church.
Philippians 1:27 says, “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Chapter 2:2, “Fulfill ye my joy; that ye be likeminded having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Vs. 3 - “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.” “Lowliness of mind,” means “humiliation of mind, modesty, and the state or quality of being moderate in the estimation of one’s own abilities, accomplishments or value.” Vs. 5 tells “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” The Amplified Version says, “Have the same attitude in yourselves which was in Christ Jesus (look to Him, as your example in selfless humility.”
In Philippians 3:10-12 Paul declares, “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; If by any means I might attain the (out) resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” In verse 11, where Paul spoke of “I might attain unto the (out) resurrection” the word “attaining” means “to take, to get hold of, seize, to obtain.”
In Philippians 3:15, Paul says, “Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.” It would be great if we were all “perfect.” The Lord is working in our lives right now to perfect us into His likeness. The word “perfect” in this verse above, means “complete, in various applications of labor, growth, mental or moral character, completeness, of full age.” Has anyone reading this reached their complete, and full age? Make up your mind! Choose where you will go. Who will you give your mind, attention, and duration to?
