Chapter Two: Purifying the Temple; Having the Mind of Christ
Chapter two:
Purifying the Temple;
becoming ‘Heavenly minded’ and
Having the ‘Mind of Christ’ through sanctification;
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Colossians 3:1-4
“Why did Moses so desperately seek a vision of God’s glory? I believe the reason is found in this verse: “There I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be purified by My glory” Exodus 29:43 This is one of the most powerful verses in all of scripture!” 7 David Wilkerson, Newsletter, 12-7-98
We are His temples! We are sanctified from within by Christ’ glorious presence! Jesus’ glory is at work in us, imparting the heart and Mind of Christ. “For where your treasure is, there your heart, will be also”. (Matt. 6:21) It is time for the church to be cleaving to Jesus, our greatest treasure. Is Jesus your greatest treasure? Everything in this life is but trash compared to loving and abiding in Jesus. The apostle Paul has made it very clear to us that we are to; “set our mind (affection, KJV) on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.” (Col.3:2 NASB). This verse is the antithesis of many immature Christians, that warn: “don’t become so heavenly minded that you’re no earthly good!” It is the opposite that is true! We are no earthly good, until we become heavenly minded! How do we obtain the mind of Christ ? Only by knowing and following His word (obedience) and by complete devotion and loving abandon to Jesus! This is only possible by being filled with Him. Did you know that it is possible to know all about Jesus and not know Jesus? This has been the observation of many great evangelists including the great Dr. Charles Finney:
“It is one thing to have thoughts and ideas and opinions concerning Christ and an entirely different thing to know Christ as He is revealed by the Holy Spirit....I have often feared that many professed Christians knew Christ only after the flesh; that is, they have no other knowledge of Christ than what they obtain by reading and hearing about Him without any special revelation of Him to the inward being by the Holy Spirit....They regard sanctification as brought about by the formation of holy habits, instead of resulting from the revelation of Christ to the soul in all his fullness and relations and the soul’s renunciation of self and appropriation of Christ in these relations....But we need to have our necessities in this respect clearly revealed to us by the Holy Spirit and this relation of Christ made plain to our apprehension....Oh, how infinitely blind he is to the fullness and glory of Christ who does not know himself and Christ as both are revealed by the Holy Spirit.....It is one thing to theorize and speculate and opine about Christ and an infinitely different thing to know Him as He is revealed by the Holy Spirit. When Christ is fully revealed to the soul by the Comforter, it will never again doubt the attainability and reality of entire sanctification in this life.” 8 (excerpt from Dr. Charles Finney, sermon: ‘Sanctification.’)
I have found out through personal experience, that there are many who mis-identify themselves as being Christians and become expose themselves as frauds when they show their true disdain for born again Christians. I realize that we are all in a “life journey” and that we are all in different stages of seeking or knowing God. We must be gracious and strive not to offend others by being overly zealous, religious, or trying to prove our spirituality. However, there are some “Christians” that actually get offended by an other’s deep faith in Christ. There are others who actually get jealous and envious when they see the Lord using someone else. Jesus offends the flesh! This “offense” becomes even more apparent in this type of believer, when they hear these confident Christians give their testimonies and speak of having an “intimate relationship with Jesus.” A powerful witness certainly will divide the sheep from the goats and many of these who get offended aren’t really Christians at all but are pretenders! God’s truth rightly divides! God calls us to be bold and not to compromise the gospel. A genuine Christian will always be blessed to hear others share their genuine personal experience in Jesus. They never react to a passionate and heartfelt testimony with a “who do you think you are” kind of attitude. I have been aghast to find out that there are “Christians” that actually get jealous and competitive over such bold believers! Then there are those that merely pose as Christians, having never been born again, who are truly allergic to the real gospel. Christians take heart, the Spirit’s work through us, will always offend the flesh and convict other people, even in some who call themselves “Christians.” Be bold, have courage, speak the truth in love! Be prepared for rejection and praise God for it. Our goal cannot be to be loved by all people nor to water down the Gospel to appease the least common denominator. Remember, the Lord told us; “woe to you when all men speak well of you” Luke 6:26. Don’t expect to be accepted by the world or the church. A person who is close to Jesus will often bring about conviction in people just by being near them! Conviction from the Holy Spirit will cause people to react in every behavior imaginable! Don’t be shaken or offended when you see this happen, press on to receive even more of His grace and His mind. Be prepared to face persecution but don’t allow your flesh to react to it. Be prepared to react in love and turn the other cheek. It is through trials and persecution, that our faith is refined. You may also need to be prepared to lose some friends but that is to be expected. We cannot be “unequally yoked.” That is, we should not be in a covenant relationship with unbelievers, nor believers that compromise the gospel so badly that they may begin to affect our walk. I am not advocating an abrupt severance. However, that may be necessary in some cases. Marriage is the exception in this respect!
We are presently awaiting the imminent return of Christ for His church, and the closer we get to His arrival, the more controversial this doctrine becomes. When will Jesus come? Is the Rapture a true teaching or hope? Should we give it any focus at all? YES!! The hope of being with Jesus and being transformed into His image, is at the very heart of the gospel, and at the heart of our Lord and all those that truly love Him. The “rapture,” or “catching up” (1Thess. 4:17) of the church, does not need to be our major focus, but Jesus and His promises must be our primary focus, if we are to know and experience Him in our daily lives. We are to be filled with the Blessed Hope of being with Jesus and dwelling in Jesus. Paul encourages us to “fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith”. (Heb. 12:2) Jesus has promised that; “I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am there you will be also” (John14). Did He lie to His disciples? Of course not! For when any true follower of Jesus dies, they go to be with Jesus- into our Father’s House. Our Father is creator and King of the universe and has predestined those that accept Him, to inherit everything that He owns. I mean everything! “Behold what manner of Love the Father has given unto us, that we may be called the SONS (and DAUGHTERS) of God.” (1 John3:1) The second that a person receives Him, they have received the down payment (earnest) of their inheritance- His Holy Spirit. “To them that received Him, to them gave He power to become SONS of God.”
The apostle Paul reminds us to“reach forward to what lies ahead, (and) press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus... For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose God is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has, even to subject all things to Himself.” (Phil.3:13,14,18-21)
The “supernatural” mind set of one who loves and follows Jesus, is a joyous and transcending preoccupation with Him and desire to please Him. This is not a “cult like”experience. We are not encouraged by the Bible to blank out our minds while trying to achieve some altered state. The bible encourages us to submit ourselves to Jesus, repent of our sin and our “self” sufficiency, to seek His presence, wait upon Him and then He will guide us into Himself and His truth. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.”
Most of the current fixation on “self,” comes from ungodly psychology that tells us that many suffer from a lack of “self esteem,” that many personal problems stem from this “self esteem” crisies. Granted there are millions that suffer with a distorted or damaged preoccupation with“self.” The answer doesn’t lie however, within our “selves” or in therapy, the answer lies in dying to self and receiving the healing power of Jesus.
I suffered deeply from a distorted and damaged sense of self and I know personally that Jesus was and is the only answer! I find great comfort in these words: “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is NO LONGER I WHO LIVE BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME.” (Gal. 2:20) Dying to self and experiencing the work, which was completed by Jesus upon the cross, in our heart of hearts, is the foundation that must be layed before we can grow any further into Jesus, and Him in us. You can’t even begin to experience His life changing presence, His love and peace and all of His other wonderful attributes until you have denied your “self,” taken up your cross and are following and trusting in Jesus! He will not build upon your concept of who He is. He will not share His temple with idols and pagan thoughts. We must allow Him to crucify our preconceived thoughts, desires, concepts, dysfunctional personalities, damaged lives, and worldly orientations. Nothing must come before Him and His Word! If Jesus becomes your pursuit, God will honor your desire and begin the transformation! He will break us, melt us, mold us, and fill us! Come to Him, He will clean you up in every way, (over time usually) it is only His righteousness that counts, and it is all free!! Absolutely free! Only Jesus knows what is the very best for our lives and He has promised us “abundant life.” He is the only perfect, loving Father who will give us what we need, not what we always want. He has promised us that Rivers of Living Water will flow from within us, if we will but give Him our hearts. He will sanctify us and give us His very heart and mind!
This message is bothering some of you because you fear loosing control of your life, the true gospel message offends you because you may have a righteousness of your own making, your own imagination. Jesus is calling you now to a new relationship with Him. It is never too late to repent and be renewed. Being a Christian means living in a constant state of renewal! He will not disappoint you. He will not turn you away, no matter what you have done or for how long you have denied Him your heart. However, He is the ultimate gentleman and will not force Himself upon you. You must make the decision and ask Him to do the rest. He’ll change you from the inside out and give you joy unspeakable. He is “the way the truth and the life.” Oswald Chambers captures the essence of sanctification in his devotional; “My Utmost for His Highest”:
“Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation....(it) means the impartation of the holy qualities of Jesus Christ to me. It is the gift of His patience, love, faith, purity, and Godliness that is exhibited in and through every sanctified soul. Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy---it is drawing from Jesus the very holiness that was exhibited in Him, and that He now exhibits in me.” (July 23rd devotion)
“When I pray,”Lord, show me what sanctification means for me,” He will show me. It means being made one with Jesus. Sanctification is not something Jesus puts in me--- it is HIMSELF in me” (see Cor. 1: 30). (July 22nd)
“The great wonder of Jesus Christ’s salvation is that He changes our heredity. He does not change human nature--- He changes it’s source, and thereby it’s motives as well. 9 (July 24th) Oswald Chambers; “My Utmost For His Highest”
“Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it” Ps.127:1
In this imperfect, yet sanctified state, we realize that this life- all that we have (except for knowing Jesus) is temporary. We lay up our treasure in Heaven by what we allow Him to do through us down here... by surrendering totally to Him. We are learning here, to abide in Him on the basis of faith. His personal revelation to us and His habitation in us, is what He accomplishes through the power of His word and indwelling of His Holy Spirit. “God is Spirit; and those who worship Him must worship in Spirit and truth.” (John 4:24)
Some believers stagnate their own walk and lives with Jesus because they believe that to know the word- is to know God. Although it is vitally important to know the word and to know doctrine, the word of the Lord does not exist for itself. It does not exist as if in a vacuum. The bible is God’s message and tool that He uses to bring us into relationship with Him. The bible itself is not to become our focus of worship, it is meant to be a living conduit which brings us into vital union with Jesus. The word itself says that we must “fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.” We are definitely called to hide His word in our hearts but only for the purpose of focusing our full attention and devotion on the Lord Jesus. This does not diminish the importance of the bible at all.
A. W. Tozer, has said; “it is not mere words that nourish the soul, but God Himself, and unless and until the hearers find God in personal experience they are not the better for having heard the truth. The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.” 10 (The Pursuit of God, pp. 9-10)
“Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.” (Ps. 100:4,5) “Taste and see that the lord is good.”
His Love for us is at the heart of our relationship with Him. Our response should be a growing and passionate-- ever hoping love for Jesus and desire to be with Him. He will increase this love in our hearts as we pursue Him! The Love that He gives us is the deepest and most wonderful, for it is His Perfect, “Agape” Love, (holy). His love is the most powerful force in the universe, and God is not selfish with it, He lavishes it upon us and gives it to us so that we may love Him (and others) in return with it. If you have not experienced Him or His Love, all you must do is seek Him, (according to His word) desire Him in your life, trust in Jesus and pray fervently for an intimate revelation of Him. You must be willing to abandon yourself to Him. He has promised that those that seek Him, find Him. If you really want to know God, you will be relentless about Him, and you won’t give up! We can know Him, on the basis of Faith alone and complete trust in His Word. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”(Heb.11:1). “But without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” (Heb.11: 6)
God is the one that instills His faith and Love in our hearts for Him and others as we desire Him. “For we through the Spirit wait for the Hope of righteousness by Faith,(Gal.5:5). We do not live by our own faith nor our own grace-- it is all a free gift from God. “...I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.” “We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him.” (1John 4:16) Our imperfect, human love would never be good enough to offer Him. He puts His holy Love and faith in our hearts for Himself as we follow and desire Him. He is the one who is busy “transforming us into His image.” “But by His doing we are in Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”(1Cor. 1:30)
When you understand that we can receive His fullness through repentance and simple, child-like trust in Him, your love and joy will begin to bubble, you will become a new creature in Christ. This is the moment that you begin to receive the Mind of Christ, when you fully accept that His salvation is totally an act of His grace and merciful kindness. It is all free! We could never earn it! It is through spiritual rebirth that He initiates in us, a new supernatural nature, His nature. “It is not by works of righteousness that I have done but according to His mercy He has saved me by the washing of renewal and regeneration of His Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5.) When we become born again, we receive His “Spirit of adoption where by we cry Abba Father.” When this happens, and as we press into Him and love Him, His very character and Mind is imparted into us. By the work of the Holy Spirit we are regenerated more and more into the image of Jesus, which is God’s desire for us. It is by His indwelling Holy Spirit that we are able to receive and walk in the deeper revelations of His word. However, where there are bastions of inner resistance or rebellion, the work of the Spirit is thwarted. But, the Spirit remains to bring that person to complete repentance. Once that we have received Him, He never gives up on us!
“But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 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. 15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1Cor. 2:9-16)
We have the privilege of having His very thoughts imparted to us, through the power of His indwelling Spirit! The things of the Spirit are “foolishness” to the natural man, and that includes many that call themselves “Christians,” who don’t even begin to understand these scriptures, let alone to have the mind of Christ. It is only by seeking Him through His word, and pressing in by prayer, worship and by dwelling in Jesus that we can be conformed into His image. The more fully dependent you become on Him, the more you will love Him and desire to be with Him. The more of His truth that you hide in your heart and soul and allow Him to change you, the deeper your appreciation and knowledge of His attributes and benefits will be, and they are inexhaustible. We are in the process of being perfected, we will face many challenges and many temptations and we will fail regularly. God however, is faithful when we aren’t, and is always ready to forgive us our sins, if we confess them to Him. (1John 1:9)
I believe that the race that Paul was referring to was the finish line of Heaven and seeing Jesus face to face. “For now we see in a glass darkly, but then face to face”(1Cor. 13:12) “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: hence forth is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day and not to me only, but to all them that also love His appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:7,8)
C.S. Lewis wrote, “aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in. Aim at earth, and you get neither.” 11
Jesus wants to be your greatest treasure, in heaven and on earth. Knowing Him transcends anything I can even begin to describe. I know that regardless of how eternity happens for me, I will be with the one who I love far above anyone or anything else, and I put my complete hope in these words of John the apostle, who was especially loved by Jesus; “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself just as He is pure.” (1John 3:2,3) It is our trust and utter hope in Jesus and cleaving to Him, that causes Him to impart in us; His eternal mind set.
“Guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you” (2Tim. 1:14). “For we have this treasure in earthen vessels” (2Cor. 4:7). Jesus, through His Holy Spirit, is our treasure! In our temporal state, almost every person has experienced the wonder of being loved, or the agony of being rejected and unloved. Until a Christian has experienced the deep love of Jesus through the power of His Holy Spirit, this person will continue to be unconsoled, uncomforted- alone. Only by abandoning oneself to Jesus and falling in love with Him, can a believer begin to experience His abundant life.
Who or what is your heart’s desire? Does your heart long for Jesus? Who or what is your primary focus in life? To what or whom does your heart default to when you daydream? I pray that your instant response was Jesus! I pray that the lyrics of this song, is also the cry of your heart:
“I want Jesus in my life more than anything this world can offer me, for I know that He alone can satisfy, just to know He’s leading in my life, is worth everything that I might sacrifice, oh I want Jesus more than anything!”
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