Let this mind be in you

Replies to This DISCUSSION

Permalink Reply by Doug Lee on May 18, 2009 at 2:58pm

2 Tim 2:4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

Heb 10:5-13 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; (6) IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. (7) "THEN I SAID, 'BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.'" (8) After saying above, "SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them" (which are offered according to the Law), (9) then He said, "BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." He takes away the first in order to establish the second. (10) By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (11) Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; (12) but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, (13) waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.

Mat 26:39-44 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will." (40) And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? (41) "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (42) He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done." (43) Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. (44) And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.

Luke 22:41-42 And He withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, (42) saying, "Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done."

(All scriptures from the New American Standard Bible)

As soldiers warring in the realm of the spirit, Jesus is our example. Soldiers that disobey orders either become casualties of war, or they cause others to become casualties. The sacrifice of Jesus did not win us the victory, His obedience through humility did.

Soldiers that serve well get promoted to higher levels of authority. We already have all the authority we need to conduct the war we face. Our success in the battle depends on how we humble ourselves and obey His commands to use the authority we have.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Charles Atkinson on May 19, 2009 at 9:24am

I was meditating on Philippians again last night. Check this out! Paul mentioned that he had someone helping him that had the same mindset he wanted in the Philippian church.

"I trust...tosend Timotheus shortly unto you...For I have no man likeminded...For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's. But ye know the proof of him (Timotheus)..."

So Paul was saying that Timothy had the mind set, which is like Jesus "who took upon him the form of a servant...and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."

Now the verses that Gary spoke of a month ago make even more sense (of course one could understand that themselves by assimilating the book): "(There are those who walk as) enemies of the cross of Christ". Why? Because their belly (desires) is their god, "who mind earthly things."

Wow! That is really working on me. Because for at least a year now, I have been chewing on what Jesus said in Matthew 16 "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

If I do not "take up my cross" I am an enemy of the cross (friendship with the world is enmity with God). "My hope...(is that) Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death."

But here is the verse that REALLY stood out to me last night.
Phil 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake.

Uh oh! Many in the church are believers, but not sufferers for his sake. That requires sacrifice; that requires denying self - laying down my life - _______. But that is the mindset we are suppose to have - it is in this attitude that we are to be unified/united. (More thoughts about this later.)

▶ Reply to This