How to Develop the Mind of Christ II

Fred R. Coulter—July 27, 2013

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We just saw a very interesting—a 3-minute video clip—about DARPA's robots. What God is doing with this is so much greater than that. What God is doing is absolutely unreal as far as the world is concerned because they don't know a single thing about it. It's all been buried in the Word of God.

There are a lot of things in the Word of God, which we'll cover here in Hollister during the Feast. We will do what I'm going to call Scriptural Forensic Study. I think you will be amazed how many Scriptures that are said, even in Paul's epistles, that go clear out into all eternity. When you have the phrase 'all men' you have to remember that Jesus said, 'I am the Beginning and the Ending.' If it was all planned before the beginning, then it reaches to the ending.

So, a lot of the Scriptures that are in the Bible, if you read them and take them just literally, they make no sense. When it talks about that God would have all Israel saved,

• How is that going to be unless you know about the second resurrection?
• How is God going to undo every sin unless you know about the Holy Days and the plan of God? You're not going to know how that's going to be!.
• How is God going to help those people who lived and died and sinned that God blinded and all of this sort of thing, as we cover in the Last Great Day, 4000 years before Jesus came?
• How can God be fair if He cuts them off and only calls a few and never gives them an opportunity?

There are a lot of things that have to be viewed from the perspective of the beginning and the ending; from creation to eternity! All of those things need to be considered.

Before that can be done, God is working a plan and those that He is really saving. Those that He is saving are not in the Protestant churches. They have the name of Jesus. They understand some things about grace. As far as the Christianity of this world is concerned, they are never going to save the world with what they are doing because they are not doing it God's way.

1-Corinthians 1:23: "But we proclaim Christ crucified. To the Jews it is a cause of offense, and to the Greeks it is foolishness; but to those who are called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God's power and God's wisdom" (vs 23-24).

We know that God is perfect—right? We know that He's going to do what He's going to do—correct? Is there any power that can stop God from doing it? No, not even Satan the devil! Is God wise enough to devise a plan that He can do something in the world with His people that He calls that the rest of the world doesn't know anything about? And yet, has a way of preparing them for the resurrection and serving in the Kingdom of God? Yes!

Verse 25: "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that there are not many who are wise according to the flesh, not many who are powerful, not many who are highborn among you. Rather, God has chosen the foolish things of the world, so that He might put to shame those who are wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world so that He might put to shame the strong things. And the low-born of the world, and the despised has God chosen—even the things that are counted as nothing—in order that He might bring to nothing the things that are" (vs 25-28). That gets to what we are doing and what God is doing in our lives.

Just like in this little short video clip that we saw concerning the robot. First of all, they have to figure out a mind. They haven't been able to do that, yet. Next they have to figure out the power. They haven't been able to figure to do that, yet, either.

God has the answer for us because He knows the mind that He wants and He has the power to bring it and we can receive it, but we have to be active in it. What a thing it's going to be for the world when the resurrection takes place! That's going to be the biggest surprise to the world. God is not going to use robots. He's not going to use angels. He's going to use us. He's got most of them stored away waiting for the resurrection. When He sets His hand to do it, it's going to be done in a mighty and a powerful way. That's why God tells us we're never to look to numbers.

I saw a program advertisement of one of these mind gurus—improve yourself, walk on coals, all this sort of things. He had all kinds of people out there. When he came out on the stage they all went wild. Not one of them was converted. So, if he has 10,000 people there, what does he have? Nothing! Amazing, isn't it? We'll see that God has the plan.

In addition to that, v 29: "So that no flesh might glory in His presence." Think about all the athletes. Think about all the great men. Think about all the great inventors and everything. Go back and think about Job. Yes, indeed!
Verse 30: "But you are of Him in Christ Jesus, Who was made to us wisdom from God—even righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." All of those things require the power of God and our yieldedness to Him. It doesn't require a great intellect. It requires enough education to understand what God is doing.

Verse 31: "So that, as it is written, 'The one who glories, let him glory in the Lord.'"

Let's see what God is doing. How does He do this? First of all He created us in His image and He's given us all the abilities that we have in the flesh, plus He's given us the spirit of man. The spirit of man is only part of the equation of what God is going to do, because God then gives us of His Spirit. Let's see what God does. We have parallels in this concerning human conception.

I will have to get it, but I heard it read on a special about the life of Prince William and Kate. The Archbishop of Canterbury said something very, very wonderful, which I think was a direct attack upon same-sex marriage, as well. Where he said that they have 'embarked on a life together for the perpetuation of life through themselves,' which I thought absolutely true and profound. That's what God is doing with us! That's why we are made in His image so that we can be after His likeness and kind.

1-Peter 1:1: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect strangers scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia; Who have been chosen…" God chooses us, not against our will. In some cases He brings circumstances that are virtually somewhat against our will to see what we're going to do, like He did with the Apostle Paul.

I don't know if he was riding on a donkey going to Damascus and he was knocked to the ground from his donkey, or whether he was walking. But he was determined he was doing the work of God, he thought. He had the official papers from the high priest, a representative of God in Jerusalem, to go get these renegades, these enemies. God struck him down. BOOM! A great light shined.

Notice Paul's first reaction, 'Lord, Who are You?' He said, 'This is Jesus Whom you are persecuting!' Now then, think about that statement, because that applies to all those that have the Spirit of God. Saul was not going to heaven persecuting Christ. Then Jesus said, 'It's hard for you to kick against the pricks, isn't it?'

You ever seen those trees that have long thorns on them? How would you like to go up to that in your bare feet and start kicking at it? How long do you think you're going to last? One blast on that and you're going to yell in pain! So, he got the point and said, 'Lord, what would You have me to do?' He said, 'I'm going to send someone to get you…' You know the rest of the story, he was blind.

• Imagine how humble he felt being led away, couldn't even see.
• Imagine the three days and three nights that he was blind. He didn't eat; he didn't drink any water.
• Imagine what he was thinking.
• Imagine what his prayer to God was.

I imagine what he was thinking about Christ. I imagine that he was like a blubbering little baby, admitting how wrong he had been.

He was chosen! You can look in your own life and see the circumstances and difficulties that led you to the point that you wanted to repent. When you repent and yield to God, He makes the choice. 'Many are called, but few are chosen.' With the few that are chosen, what on earth is God doing? There are many organizations out there to make better people, better men.

You watch, if you have it, the military history channel and you see the futility of all of those who discipline themselves and soldiers in combat, plans and bombs and planes and guns and tanks and ships and all of this sort of thing. Nothing! If God chose to, He could with one swipe of His hand knock them all out. But He wants man to learn that you are not going to live your life that way! He's going to store them for the second resurrection.

• Imagine what that is going to be like.
• Imagine those who died in the cattle cars going to the crematoriums or the slave camps.
• Imagine all of those that Joseph Stalin starved in the Ukraine to build the Soviet Union.
• Imagine what they are going to be like when they are resurrected. It's going to be something.

He's chosen us. Because God had this plan before the foundation of the world—did He not? Yes, He did, because it says that Christ Who was slain from the foundation of the world.

Verse 2: "Who have been chosen according to the predetermined knowledge of God the Father…" He determined that when it came time, after the resurrection of Christ and the beginning of the Church that those who would truly repent and really desire Him and Christ, He would chose.

"…by sanctification through the Spirit…" (v 2). You must have the Spirit of God. This robot that we saw, which looks very intelligent, and is really pretty stupid, but we through the Spirit of God. This is the creative Spirit of God and He is doing a creation in us.

"…unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…" (vs 2-3). Christ came to reveal Him—right? Yes!

I got an e-mail from a man the other day that said, 'In the New Testament Church they knew nothing about the Family of God.' So, I sent him a list of Scriptures and said, 'I don't know what planet you're living on.' If God is the Father and we're His sons and daughters, hello! If it says in Eph. 3 the 'whole Family of God in heaven and on earth…' That's not a family? Men want to be better than God!

Let's see what happens here now, v 3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again…" That is a key Greek word: 'anagennao'—begotten again. Or literally again begotten. That's how you came into being with your mother and father—correct? Yes, indeed! There was a time when that was it, and luckily we were born.

"…has begotten us again unto a living hope… [eternal life] …through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in heaven for us, who are being safeguarded by thepower of God… [His Spirit] …through faith, for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time" (vs 3-5). Peter didn't know how far away that was. There's one of those Scriptures that has to go clear out.

Let's follow up on this and see how God does it, because what God is doing in our minds is unseen, yet, that's the workplace of God. It will be manifested in our actions and in our characteristics, but no one can see that working. We need to understand that that is happening, and we need to be fully cooperating.

Again, concerning a family, notice what it says in 1-John 3:1: "Behold!.… [In modern English this would be 'Hey, look! I want to show you something!'] …What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God!…." If that isn't a family, I don't know what to tell you.

"…For this very reason, the world does not know us because it did not know Him…. [Isn't that true? They don't know us!] …Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but we know that when He is manifested, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him exactly as He is" (vs 1-2).

Then it tells us what our part is: Our part is to be converted in the mind, have our minds re-built through the Spirit of God. That's called the mind of Christ.

Here's what we should do, v 3: "And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure."

• that's a process
• that's overcoming
• that is a conversion of the mind

Let's see how John expresses some more things concerning begotten again. There's a reason why the human reproductive processes are known, so that we can understand what God is doing.

Verse 4: "Everyone who practices sin is also practicing lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness." We've gone through that many times, but the whole thing here is practice, because the Greek is written with ellipsis.

They didn't have paper like we have today, nor copy machines, nor printing machines. Everything had to be written down. Once they had a main topic or main verb they did not repeat it all the way down because writing on papyrus and writing on vellum was very expensive. This is why they had ellipsis.

So, there are ellipses here—not in every verse—where then you must fill in the main verb practice. If you don't do that, then you make a complete mistake that the translators of the King James Version and others and interpretations of it. Where they claim 'once you've been saved by the Lord you cannot sin.'

What on earth do they do with Heb. 12:1-2? 'Brethren, let us run the race set before us,and don't be bogged down with the sins that so easily beset you.' If they couldn't sin, why admonish them? The fact they can't recognize real sin is because they don't keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days. It's a key! You can't unlock a lock without the key!

Verse 5: "And you know that He appeared in order that He might take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. Everyone who dwells in Him does not practice sin…" (vs 5-6).

You can read in the appendices that we have concerning What Do You Mean Born Again? and What Do You Mean Born of God? You will see that if this was not meant to be practice sin, then John was absolutely schizophrenic in his thinking. Because over here in the first chapter he says, 'If we repent of our sins, confess them, He'll forgive them.' It could not possibly mean that you cannot sin or does not sin. It means:

Verse 6: "Everyone who dwells in Him does not practice sin; anyone who practices sin has not seen Him… [there were a lot of false apostles going around at that time] …nor has known Him. Little children, do not allow anyone to deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous" (vs 6-7).  Why? Because then you have the mind of Christ! You're not as perfect as He was, but you are keeping things the way that Christ has said.

Verse 8: "The one who practices sin is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared that He might destroy the works of the devil. Everyone who has been begotten by God… [Begotten again. At the resurrection what happens? You are born again, but you cannot beborn again until you have been begotten again—right? That begettal takes place in the spirit of your mind.] …does not practice sin because His seed of begettal…"

The word in the Greek for seed is 'sperma.' Sound something like you know about human reproductive capacities? My, how we have so modernized from the ancient world.

"…because His seed of begettal is dwelling within him, and he is not able to practice sin because he has been begotten by God" (v 9). How does that work? Before you were converted and called and baptized and received the Holy Spirit, you had virtually no understanding of what sin or righteousness was—correct? Yes!

With the Spirit of God, when you sin, it's sooner or later going to convict you so you can repent, because that's the work of the Holy Spirit of God within you so that you can't practice sin. Let's continue on and see how this goes now.

Ephesians 1 talks about being predestined and called, all of that sort of thing, the first part of it. Here is what God has done through His Word:

Ephesians 1:9: "Having made known to us the mystery of His own will…" Now, if you don't think it's a mystery… How many of you have watched Fox News where they have Jesse Watters? He goes out and he does his public thing [man in the street interviews]. He asks them:

• What's the purpose of life?
• What is God doing?
• Why do we need Christ?
• Do you know why you were born?
• Do you know where you are going?

My mom told me I'm going to hell. They wouldn't be able to answer because it's a secret. They don't know because their minds do not have the Spirit of God, and they do not attend to the things in the Word of God. That's prayer and study is so important.

"…according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Himself" (v 9). Which was what? Let's do a little beginning and ending here; a little Scriptural forensic studying.

"…which He purposed in Himself." How long before the creation of the world did He purpose it? and How far beyond is it going to go after the completion of His plan for this earth? We don't know, but you can be for sure God did not make the universe in vain!There is a reason why Jesus said that those who are the children of the Kingdom 'shall shine like the sun.' It's amazing when you put all the Scriptures together.

"…purposed in Himself; that in the Divine plan for the fulfilling of the times…" (vs 9-10). Again, stop and go back to Gen. 1:14 that the sun and moon were set for the appointed seasons, which tells you God had His plan all ready to go before He created Adam and Eve.

"…He might bring all things together in Christ… [Again, that goes way out—doesn't it?] …both the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth; yes, in Him, in Whom we also have obtained an inheritance, having been predestinated according to His purpose…" (vs 10-11). That's what I want us to really, really get. God has a great purpose for all of us. He has a great work for all of us. That's going to take place after the resurrection.

"…Who is working out all things according to the counsel of His own will" (v 11). He's going to do it His way, in His time, in dealing with us in the span of our lives, however long that may be. We know from the parable there in Matt. 20 that you have those who are called first. They have to work all day. You have those who were called at the eleventh hour, but everyone got the same silver coin—correct? Yes, indeed!

Verse 12: "That we might be to the praise of His glory, who first trusted in the Christ." How is that going to be? The angels are going to praise God for what He is doing in our lives! Think about all of those that we are going to serve during the Millennium. Think about what it's going to be. If you think the Millennium is going to be a great thing, wait until the fulfillment of the Last Great Day. That's going to be something!

We're going to know exactly how God is going to do it. We can sit here and say, because our minds are lamebrain at best, how is God going to do it?

As I was watching this about WWII, a little bit about the Korean War, and all of those who were killed. How about all of those in Nagasaki and Hiroshima? 150,000 combined evaporated! What is God going to do about that? He's going to resurrect them back! 'Yeah, but they all got burned up.' But not the spirit of man, so God has it stored somewhere! Where is that? Don't ask me, He's got a lot of things He hasn't told us! The main thing we need to do is make sure that we grow and overcome.

Verse 13: "In Whom you also trusted after hearing the Word of the Truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in Whom also after believing… [you cannot believe until you repent] …you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise." That is how God does what He's doing.

Verse 14: "Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." This is the earnest; it is the beginning. God has a lot that He's going to do.

Let's look at some things here that are really, really important for us to understand. Again, in the Psalms you might do a little forensic study, too. There are a lot of prophetic things here concerning Christ and concerning us. This talks about the return of Christ.

Psalm 50:1: "The mighty God, God, the LORD, has spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun to its going down…. [Isn't that something?] …Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty… [That's not Jerusalem today. That is where God's throne is and then that translates down to new heaven and new earth and the New Jerusalem.] …Our God shall come…" (vs 1-3). You've got first coming and second coming.

"…and He shall not keep silent… [This is second coming. Remember how He's going to come? We'll cover that on the Feast of Trumpets!] …a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous all around Him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, so that He may judge His people: 'Gather My saints unto Me… [Who is going to gather the saints? The angels!] …those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.'" That sacrifice is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, baptism and being conjoined to His death!

Verse 6: "And the heavens shall declare His righteousness, for God Himself is judge. Selah."

Psalm 25 is a prophecy of what we know. What does God do with His Spirit in us? Why does He have us pray and study? Because He's developing in us the very mind of Christ! Just like if you go to school or you are educated, you have to apply yourself to it. Guess what? All the words that are written in the Bible, for whatever language it is, but in English we can say, these are the same letters that we learned when we first went to kindergarten—correct? Or maybe you learned it before that. Maybe you learned it so you were preparing for kindergarten and your mommy taught you the song, the ABCs.

Why was that necessary? That was necessary so you could begin learning. After you've learned and had an education and can read and do all of these things, now what does God do? Does He throw away everything that you've learned up to that point? No! It's all a part of building the same thing!

Here now are these words and where we started out, remember where we started out? Jesus said, 'The flesh profits nothing, the Spirit gives life.The words that I speak to you they are spirit and they are life.' So all that education up to this time, to our calling, was preparing, so we could learn what's in the Word of God after we received the Holy Spirit of God. Isn't that amazing?

Psalm 25:1: "To You, O LORD, do I lift up my soul." We have direct connection with God the Father and Jesus Christ. That's what it means to be under grace, having your sins forgiven is through mercy, which is part of grace. Being under grace means you have direct relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Verse 2: "O my God, I trust in You; do not let me be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me." What are the enemies that we have today? Our carnal mind we have to overcome because we were enemies with wicked works in our minds at one time—right? We're still overcoming it. The process of conversion to get the mind of Christ is that—through the washing of the water by the Word—God removes all the evil. It can't be done without the Spirit of God!

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Psalm 25 is a Psalm of David. I want you to relate to how you see the process of growing and overcoming and repenting in his life. It shows us in our lives we need to be doing the same thing.

Here's a prayer for us, believe it or not, v 3: "Yea, let none who wait on You be ashamed; let them be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause. Show me Your ways, O LORD…" (vs 3-4). That's the way our lives have to be. That's why we have the Word of God. There are things that you learn up to a certain point and then all of a sudden you begin learning new things. Then you begin learning new things as you go along.

"…teach meYour paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You do I wait all the day long. Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your loving kindness, for they have been of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth… [that's why we repent] …nor my transgressions… [those are current ones] …according to Your loving kindness remember me for Your goodness' sake, O LORD. Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He will teach sinners in the way. The meek… [that's us] …He will guide in judgment; and the meek He will teach His way" (vs 4-9).

Can you remember one verse in John 6? Verse 44 says that 'none come to Me unless the Father draws him and I will raise him up at the last day.' It says in the prophets 'they shall all be taught of God.' Here it is right here. This is part of it. We're being taught by God:

• through His Word
• with His Spirit
• with His Truth
• with His commandments
• with His judgments
• with the trials and difficulties that we go through

Verse 10: "All the paths of the LORD are mercy and Truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies."

Psalm 37:27: "Depart from evil… [don't get involved in it] …and do good and live forevermore…. [this verse is really a summary of conversion] …For the LORD loves justice and does not forsake His saints… [He never leaves us even though He lets us go through things, through different trials.] …they are preserved forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off" (vs 27-28). When is that going to happen? It's called the Lake of Fire—right? Yes!

Verse 29: "The righteous shall inherit the earth and dwell in it forever…. [new heaven and new earth] …The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide" (vs 29-31).

Let's see how the Bible works together. In the Psalms we have covered: covenant, repentance, obedience. Here in Heb. 10 we see the fulfilling of it spiritually. He talks about the covenant that He is establishing with us; this is the covenant of grace.

Those He has not called, He lets them live their lives for good or evil, however that they choose. They are reserved for the second resurrection.

Here is what He is doing with us. This is God's secret work after being begotten again. This is why, just like we need to eat food physically so we can live, we need to study the Word of God, which is like food, and Psa. 37 says, 'Taste and see that the Lord is good.' We find that we continually learn more and more out of the Word of God and even the same Scriptures we've gone over how many, many times.

I'm finding that because I'm getting close to getting finishing reading and recording the New Testament. As I'm going through and reading it, I'm picking up all kinds of things from the Word of God that just have been buried in there all the time. And how many times have I read these things? Going on 50 years now, more than that, 1960—53 years! That is a testimony to the greatness of the Word of God that He can stack so much spiritually into the words that He inspired to be written that we learn and we learn and we learn.

Hebrews 10:15: "And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after He had previously said… [we are being perfected through the Holy Spirit] (Here's how it's done): …'This is the covenant that I will establish with them after those days,' says the Lord: 'I will give My laws into their hearts, and I will inscribe them in their minds'" (vs 15-16).

• that's the process of conversion
• that's the process of being prepared for a spiritual body and a spiritual mind
• that's the process of getting rid of sin within

Verse 17: "'And their sins and lawlessness I will not remember ever again.'" So, when we're changed, resurrected, it is just like a birth. You enter into a brand new environment, a brand new way of living that you have been prepared for. Just like a baby newly conceived, grows and grows and grows, because God is causing it to grow. It lives in a world of water and it doesn't eat; the mother feeds it through the umbilical cord.

The umbilical cord is quite a thing. I know, I was there when all of our children were born. When the umbilical cord and the placenta comes out, you just go 'huh,' because by time the baby is born that placenta is at least two-thirds the size of the baby. God created that special relationship so that the independent life of the baby would be fed from the mother's blood into the placenta and into the baby. That was just for that time, living in the womb.

So likewise, we're not living in the womb, but the Word of God is working within us to prepare us for being born again. The baby had to come to full term so it can live in another environment. What has to happen as soon as it's born? It must breathe! That's why they cry so loudly because it billows out the lungs. Then what has to happen? Now everything has to start operating so food comes through the mouth, not through the umbilical cord, into what now we have as a belly button. The heart also has to work differently, instantly. The heart has to shift from blood going to the umbilical cord to blood going through the heart and through the lungs, and so forth, for the child. Now instead of living in an environment of water, he/she comes out, and they have to breathe; they have to eat. Of course, mother's milk is the best. God invented it.

There are things in this life that we need now that are just like the umbilical cord. We won't need them when we are born into the Kingdom of God. All of the things that we were on this earth in the flesh are going to be changed and transformed so that we can live in the new environment of being spirit beings. That's going to be something. I got a little ahead of myself, but that's okay.

Let's see how this works with us. Here is the process, Rom. 12 Then we'll go back and see what God has done to make this process possible.

Romans 12:1: "I exhort you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, Holy and well pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service. Do not conform yourselves to this world…" (vs 1-2). We have to live in it. Sometimes that's pretty tough, but we still have to live in it.

"…but be transformed… [changed, renewed] …by the renewing of your mind in order that you may prove what is well pleasing and good, and the perfect will of God" (v 2). If we do that we can please God.

Let's see what Christ did. Let's come back to John 14. Here He was preparing the apostles for He was going to leave them through the process of the crucifixion. They didn't know anything about it. Remember Jesus didn't even tell the disciples where they were going to keep the Passover. That last Passover they were coming toward Jerusalem and the disciples saw them killing the lambs at the houses and they said, 'Lord, where are we going to keep the Passover?' He already had it prepared in advance.

He said, 'You go into Jerusalem and when you see a man carrying a pitcher of water, follow him. At whatever house he goes, you go and you tell the master of the house that the Master says, where will we keep the Passover, and he will show you a large upper room furnished.' So, they went and found it all. So He had it all worked out. What He's doing, He's preparing them to receive the Holy Spirit and He is telling them. That's why John 14, 15, 16, and 17 are really the most profound chapters in all the Gospels. Those we read every Passover because these are the words of the New Covenant.

John 14:15: "If you love Me…" I don't know what the Protestants do with this, because they say they love Jesus. Then they turn around and say He's abolished the law. That's schizophrenic, wouldn't you say?

"…If you love Me…" Do you love Jesus? Yes, I love Jesus! Why don't you keep the Sabbath? Oh, well, He did away with that nasty old law! No, it was Christ Who created it. Verse 15: "If you love Me keep the commandments—namely, My commandments."

Here is how God, with the begettal, works with us, v 16: "And I will ask the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that it may be with you throughout the age: even the Spirit of the Truth…" (vs 16-17). That is very interesting and profound because since we cannot practice sin, what is it that reveals to us here that we are sinning?

"…the Spirit of the Truth, which the world cannot receive because it perceives it not, nor knows it; but you know it because it dwells with you, and shall be within you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (vs 17-18). I'm going to go, but I'm going to come again.

Verse 20: "In that day, you shall know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you"—spiritually by the power of God.

Verse 21 is one of the most profound verses in the entire Bible. We come to the point that we know we need God. We come to the point that we repent and turn to God. What is the first thing that we desire to do when God begins working with us? We desire to get out of our messy life and our sins—correct? Yes, indeed! When we repent and receive the Holy Spirit, here is what happens with that begettal, coming from directly from the Father:

Verse 21: "'The one who has My commandments and is keeping them… [present tense participle] …that is the one who loves Me; and the one who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him.' Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, 'Lord, what has happened that You are about to manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?'" (vs 21-22).

Here's the answer, v 23. So, from vs 21-24, those are the most profound verses. These show the absolute dividing line between those who have the Spirit of God in them and those who don't.

Verse 23: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word…'" Everything He said. That's why we have AHarmony of the Gospels. You want to know about what Jesus taught? There it is! Paul wrote that if anyone does not adhere to the sound words of Jesus Christ that he is ignorant and knows nothing. Good paraphrase.

"'…he will keep My Word… [notice what happens]: …and My Father will love him, and We… [Father and the Son] …will come to him and make Our abode with him.'" There are two parts to the Holy Spirit:

• begettal from the Father
• the mind of Christ

You need both for eternal life. That's why Christ came to reveal the Father.

Verse 24: "The one who does not love Me does not keep My words…" Let me just give you a good example here. There are some Protestant sects, denominations, groups, whatever, who say this: 'Since Paul said Jesus was a minister of circumcision to the Jews, therefore, everything in the Gospels we do not have to follow.' Then they proceed to follow certain select texts of the writings of the Apostle Paul and that is their version of Christianity.

Here is Christ's version of it, v 24: "The one who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the Word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father's, Who sent Me." That is the whole heart and core of developing the mind of Christ. That's how it is done.

Let's come back here to Col. 1, and we will see virtually the same thing. Isn't it amazing, once you agree with the Bible and you accept the Truth and love the Truth and live by the Truth and have the Spirit of God the Father and Christ in you how everything fits together? Col. 1 is quite a chapter; I just got done reading it yesterday. A lot of things in reading it again really brought an awful lot to my mind.

Colossians 1:9: "For this cause we also, from the day that we heard of it, do not cease to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding." The education that God is giving us through His Word is for perfection and we have to carry it out.

Verse 10: "That you may walk worthily of the Lord, unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God… [we are to grow and grow and grow in the knowledge of God] …Being strengthened with all power…" (vs 10-11)—from God:

• strengthened to overcome
• strengthened to change
• strengthened to do the things that God wants us to do

"…unto all endurance and long-suffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father… [because it's the Father Who begets us] …Who has made us qualified for the share of the inheritance of the saints in the light" (vs 11-12).

He also shows how you came out of this world, through whatever circumstances you were in, v 13: "Who has personally rescued us from the power of darkness…" That's how we've escaped the clutches of Satan the devil. God the Father made it happen through Christ.

"…and has transferred us unto the kingdom of the Son of His love" (v 13). Now we are under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of God. None of the rest of the world is, just those who have the Holy Spirit of God.

Verse 14: "In Whom we have redemption through His own blood, even the remission of sins; Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation" (vs 14-15). He was the firstborn from among the dead. That's what it's referring to, we'll see here in just a minute.

Verse 16: "Because by Him…" I want you to think about this. Don't ever think: oh, poor, little old me. The most powerful, loving and most important Being in the universe has dealt in our lives. He has rescued us through Christ. Think about His sacrifice! Think about what He went through!

Verse 16: "Because by Him were all things created, the things in heaven and the things on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether they be thrones, or lordships, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him and for Him. And He is before all, and by Him all things subsist" (vs 16-17). He holds it all by the Word of His power. Now then, think about it. Are you then important to God? Yes, indeed!

Verse 18: "And He is the Head of the body, the church; Who is the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He Himself might hold the pre-eminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him… [Christ] …all the fullness should dwell; and having made peace…" (vs 18-20). That is peace between us and God! Why does He say peace? Because the carnal mind before conversion is 'enmity against God, not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be.'

"…through the blood of His cross, by Him to reconcile all things to Himself; by Him, whether the things on the earth, or the things in heaven." (v 20).

Verse 21 tells us how God has rescued us from Satan the devil and what it actually really means: "For you were once alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works… [everything comes out of up here in your mind] …but now He has reconciled you… [to God] …In the body of His flesh through death to present you Holy and un-blamable and unimpeachable before Him; if indeed you continue in the faith grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the Gospel, which you have heard, and which was proclaimed in all the creation… [a prophecy, present tense and future] …that is under heaven; of which I, Paul, became a servant" (vs 21-23).

That's quite something! When I was reading through Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians and it started in 2-Corinthians, how many Scriptures go way out in time. Really amazing!

Verse 24: "Now, I am rejoicing in my sufferings for you…" We can all learn one thing. Since we don't rejoice in trials that we go through, we have never reached the level of conversion that Paul did.

"…and I am filling up in my flesh that which is behind of the tribulations of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the Church; of which I became a servant, according to the administration of God that was given to me for you in order to complete the Word of God" (vs 24-25). He knew he had to finish writing the Word of God.

Verse 26: "Even the mystery that has been hidden from ages and from generations… [still is to those that God hasn't called] …but has now been revealed to His saints; to whom God did will to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory" (vs 26-27). That's something! That's what God wants us to do.

We'll put together a couple Scriptures and we will finish about the mind of Christ as a starter because everything that we do is to develop the mind of Christ. Here's how God does it.

Ephesians 2:8: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this especially is not of your own selves; it is the gift of God. Not of works… [our own human works] …so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship… [God is working in us through His Spirit] …created… [this is how we get the mind of Christ] …in Christ Jesus unto the good works that God ordained beforehand in order that we might walk in them" (vs 8-10). God is working in us, forming, creating in our minds the very mind of Christ! That's why we have the Word of God.

Philippians 2 tells us what we need to do; this is something that we must let happen because God is doing it. It must be with our full cooperation.

Philippians 2:5: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." If you have a trial or problem and you think that's heavy for you to bear, look to Christ. If you think that you've been snubbed, or whatever it may be, look at what Christ had to give up. Remember, He created the heavens and the earth. He made all human beings. He is the One Who determines who receives the Holy Spirit or not.

Verse 5: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus; Who, although He existed in the form of God… [that's Who He was—God] …did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, But emptied Himself, and was made in the likeness of men, and took the form of a servant" (vs 5-7). Gave up everything to come and save His creation. Only He could do it. Couldn't be anything else.

"…and took the form of a servant; And being found in the manner of man, He humbled Himself…" (vs 7-8). So, whenever you have difficulties come along and it's hard to take, think about what Jesus voluntarily gave up and this will help you to develop more of the mind of Christ.

"…and became obedient unto death…" (v 8). Isn't that something? He let human beings—under the inspiration of Satan the devil—crucify Him! If there's, I think, one thing that Mel Gibson has in the movie concerning the crucifixion of Christ—The Passion of the Christ—is the scourging. You think about what Jesus went through being scourged the next time you have a little pimple on your back that hurts really, really bad and you have to have someone squeeze it out for you. Jesus had His back ripped open so that He could save us. That demonstrates the evil of the carnal mind.

Verse 9: "Therefore, God has also highly exalted Him and bestowed upon Him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of beings in heaven and on the earth and under the earth" (vs 9-10).

• under the earth; those in the grave
• on the earth; those who are living now
• beings in the heaven; all the angels, the 24 elders, and so forth

"…every knee…" that again is one of those verses that goes out in time and reaches back in time and comes to the second resurrection—does it not? Yes, indeed! I want you to think how great the Word of God is.

When it talks about these things and teaches us these things, it's just like Jesus said. 'The words that I speak to you, they are Spirit and they are Life.'

Verse 11: "And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father…. [here is what we need to do]: …So then, my beloved, even as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God Who works in you both to will… [He gives you the will and the desire] …and to do according to His good pleasure" (vs 11-13). Everything that we do is to the pleasure of God and you can please God. That's another whole sermon.

Can you really please God? The answer is yes, and the Word of God tells us how we can do it!

Verse 14: "Do all things without complaints and disputes." Boy, if the Churches of God could learn that today that would be a miracle.

Verse 15: "So that you may be blameless and without offense, innocent children of God in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation… [I wonder what Paul would write about if he lived in this time?] …among whom you shine as lights in the world."

• This is how we have the mind of Christ!
• This is why God has given us His Holy Spirit!

As we look out and see the world going on, see the things taking place—I know watching the news the other day, everybody had a solution for everything, and yet, they never knew the cause as to why! All the problems we see out there are related to sinning against God and forsaking God. God has called us

• to learn
• to change
• to grow
• to overcome
• to prepare

When that day comes, the resurrection is here, then we'll be ready to work! Then we'll be ready to clear the problems of this world.

Scriptural References:

• 1-Corinthians 1:23-31
• 1-Peter 1:1-5
• 1-John 3:1-9
• Ephesians 1:9-14
• Psalm 50:1-6
• Psalm 25:1-10
• Psalm 37:27-31
• Hebrews 10:15-17
• Romans 12:1-2
• John 14:15-18, 20-24
• Colossians 1:9-27
• Ephesians 2:8-10
• Philippians 2:5-15

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Ephesians 3
• Hebrews 12:1-2
• Genesis 1:14
• Matthew 20
• John 6:44
• John 15-17

Also referenced:

From The Holy Bible in Its Original Order:

• Appendix P: What Does it Mean to Be Born Again?
• Appendix Q: What Does it Mean to Be Born of God?

Book: A Harmony of the Gospels by Fred R. Coulter

FRC:lp
Transcribed: 8-11-13
Formatted: bo—8-12-13

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