Being of One Mind With God

When I first typed the title of this particular blog post, I almost wanted to change it because it could be misinterpreted as a "New Age" kind of statement. I decided to keep it because I want to explain what is meant by "being of one mind with God."

I have been convinced for a long time now that we are to wage war against wickedness. What we tolerate - little by little - becomes what is now accepted practice.

We see this all the time within the current trends toward moral depravity in the secular humanistic world of "diversity" and "tolerance."

Trouble is, it is the born-again evangelical Christian people who are left out of the equation. Tolerance ends whenever and wherever biblical morality, tenets and values are presented as a positive influence in our society.

Ever wonder why this is so?

Romans 7:25 gives us a hint:

Romans 7:25 (NKJV) - I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

When we find a corporation, that many may have previously respected, that chooses to so blatantly advertise on a program like the Howard Stern Show, or Desperate Housewives, Christians are drawn to urge them not to empower filth that undercuts biblical morality in our society and degrades the quality of life in America.

Is empowering filth to be considered "diversity"?

Is objecting to anything that undercuts biblical morality intolerant?

By the grace of God, opposing evil will continue to be a regular staple of our work as Christian believers. But, what is it that drives us you might ask?

What exactly is at the heart of this type of ministry?

Why is this an underlying burden that never goes away and, with God's help, never will?

It's the matter of holiness.

Just as we must not be ashamed of the Gospel we MUST NOT be ashamed to "pursue holiness without which no man shall see the Lord." And we need to promote it better than we do.

HOLINESS: Holiness is the habit of being of one mind with God, accordingly, as we find His mind described in Scripture. It is the habit of agreeing in God's judgment - hating what He hates, loving what He loves - and measuring everything in this world by the standard of His Word.

Yes. Scripture teaches that God loves us. However, He also loves holiness and righteousness.

KJV -
Rom 6:19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

2Cr 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Eph 4:24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

1Th 3:13 To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

1Th 4:7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

He who most entirely agrees with God, he is the most holy man. Doesn't this describe Jesus? As both God and Incarnate man, Jesus had the will to have a decided bent of mind toward God, a heart with the genuine desire to do His will.

As Christian followers of Christ, we are to imitate Christ as best we can while on this earth. Those who have humbled themselves, repented, and submitted their lives to Jesus Christ have a greater fear of displeasing Him than of displeasing the world, and a love to all His ways.

This describes being of one mind with God.

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (1 Corinthians 1:10 NKJV)

Romans 15:6 (NKJV)- that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This describes a total commitment to God through Jesus Christ.

The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth to show Himself strong to those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9

How can Christians know the mind of God? We cannot, of course, know it completely. But the Lord has given us, thorugh His Word and the Person of Jesus Christ, what we need to know while here on this earth in order to follow and have, the 'mind of Christ':

How could they? For, "Who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who can give him counsel?" But we can understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. (1 Corinthians 2:16 NLT)

Footnote: Isa 40:13.

Colossians is one of my favorite scriptures on this subject. It reiterates our dependence on Christ, vs. the human tendency to rely on the 'principles of this world' which can deceive us and lead us into hollow lives apart from God.

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8

We can immediately see why the Christian faith is not tolerated by non-believers.

The Christian worldview rests on a foundation of absolute truth which is revealed throughout Scripture (Psalms 25:5; 43:3; 119:30; John 1:17; 14:17; 2 Timothy 2:15; Ephesians 4:15; 1 John 3:19).

Therefore, morality (based on holiness and righteousness) is defined by God and immutable because it is inherently based on God’s immutable character. Humanists believe that morality is ultimately relative because every person is the final authority for his own views. Such a view is not logically satisfying. God stands against the moral relativist whose behavior is based on “whatever is right in his own eyes” (Deuteronomy 12:8; Judges 17:6; 21:25; Proverbs 21:2).

Moral relativists want all religions (except Biblical Christianity) to have credibility. The real question is can all religions ultimately teach the same truth?

No.

There are many differences in doctrine in each religion that make this view impossible. Jesus taught that there is one and only one personal God who is triune in nature (Mark 12:29; John 4:24; 5:18,19).

Jesus was exclusive in His truth claims and warned: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name claiming, ‘I am the Christ,' and will deceive many” (Matt. 24:4,5,23).

Do you see how exclusive Jesus' claim is? Do you see why relativists would be intolerant towards such a view?

All must answer Jesus' question, "Who do you say that I am?" Luke 9:20

13 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, "You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true."

14 Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I came from and where I am going.

15 You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.

16 And yet if I do judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent Me.

17 It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.

18 I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me."

19 Then they said to Him, "Where is Your Father?"
Jesus answered, "You know neither Me nor My Father. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also."

20 These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come.

21 Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come."

22 So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?"

23 And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins."

25 Then they said to Him, "Who are You?"
And Jesus said to them, "Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning.

26 I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him."

27 They did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father.

28 Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.

29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him."

30 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him.
(John 8:13-30 NIV)

Christians understand sin, which originates in the heart of man, to be mankind's core problem (Psalm 14:1), something that humanism does not have the capacity to solve. But Jesus has "overcome the world" ( John 16:33).

God takes sin very seriously and provided man's way out from its consequences through the sacrifice of His Son. The cross of Christ shows that God the Father can take the worst thing that ever happened and turn it into good; the salvation of mankind.

Without repentance of sin (John 8:34,35) and belief in Jesus (John 8:42), man dies in his sins (John 8:24) and is without hope. That's the truth (John 11:25,26).