Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

The Master Key

Part 7, Your Mind & The Mind of Christ

We all know it is important to have a good mindset. For believers, Jesus is our Alpha to Omega. As it relates to our mindset, Jesus is Lord over our minds. This is a spiritual reality that brings real everyday benefits such as joy, success, and fruitful living, not only for yourself, but for others.

Mark 12:30, ’And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31"And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

1 Corinthians 2:12, Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For "Who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

MASTER KEY: You can choose your thoughts and think things on purpose. You don’t have to just think about whatever falls into your mind.

In a world full confusion and mental anguish, believers in Christ share a unique advantage. Not only do we have access to the word of God, which provides us the plan for life and explains to us the meaning of life, we also have the person and the presence a Jesus Christ in our lives.

We have both the foundation and the reality of God’s presence in Christ. Many times in our society, people must rely on theories and models in order to learn. Most religions in our world ask people to trust in concepts and high ideas. 

However, in the Christian faith we also have concepts and lofty ideals, but we also have the reality of a spiritual and firm foundation on which to build our concepts and ideals.

Prov. 14:12, There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.  (Show bridge falling apart)

MASTER KEY: Life’s most important questions cannot be answered solely from our own understanding. 

In Matthew 16:13-20 Jesus asked the question, "Who do men say that I am?" From their understanding, His disciples got it wrong. Peter got it right when he sought the Lord's insight, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."

This kind of information is lost to us when we live only in our feelings, opinions, and understanding.

We don’t only have to rely on opinion or our intellectual ability and capacity to figure out the meaning of everything. We serve a living God who will make his way clear.

“Confusion leads to becoming lost. We are not lost because we are going to wind up in the wrong place. We are going to wind up in the wrong place because we are lost.” (Dallas Willard)

MASTER KEY: The Mind of Christ with our mind is wisdom, insight, and understanding that come from our relationship with Jesus Christ. It comes in the form of thoughts and understanding inspired of God.

Confessions of Faith:

1. Mortify my mind | Romans 8:5-8,12-14

“Carnality does not control my lifestyle. My mind is the property of Jesus. Satan, keep your hands off! I am dead to sin and alive to God. I am dead to things carnal and alive to things spiritual. I am a debtor to the Holy Spirit who gave me life.”

2. Clear my mind | 1 John 3:11-12

“I clear from my mind of thoughts of anger, envy and disappointment at others. I give place for the peace of God to flood my mind. Jesus, you are my peace. I dig up seeds of bitterness and cast them away. I have the mind of Christ.” (Heb. 12:14-15; 1 Cor. 2:16)

3. Renew my mind | Ephesians 4:23

“I have the power through my Lord Jesus Christ to replace wrong thought patterns with thoughts that please God. I can root out, pluck down, throw down and destroy anything in me that is not of God. I can build and plant anything that is of God.” (Jer. 1:10)

4. Set my mind | Colossians 3:1-4

“I am a decisive person by the grace of God. My mind taps into to riches of God’s wisdom, knowledge and understanding. My mind is innovative, creative and productive in every purpose of God. I and disciplined in my thought life and repel every fiery dart from Satan.”

5. Focus my mind | Romans 6:16-18

“I see clearly what I must do. There is no cloud of confusion in me. My mind will grasp everything I need to know. I cast down imaginations and opinions born of pride. My mind is the tool and servant of my Lord Jesus Christ!”

6. Guard my mind | Proverbs 4:10-26

“I guard my mind from the seeds of Satan. My mind is the gateway to my heart and I will protect the treasure of God’s Word in me. The cares of this world; the deceitfulness of riches; and the lusts of other things will not choke the Word in me. God’s healing power dominates my body and mind. The forces of the life of God flows out of me to bless others.” (Mark 4:19)