THE MIND OF THE KINGDOM

I have always believed the best way to fully comprehend the doctrines of the Bible is to go back to the source of the doctrine for study. It is the Lord Himself who laid down the mindset of the born-again believer. The Lord taught the mind of the Kingdom in no uncertain terms. Later, in the epistles written by His disciples, we are given more detail how to accomplish this mind of the Son of God. It is necessary to reiterate or explain what is meant by “to accomplish” this mind. The Body of Christ and even those who have been privy to the revelation of “Walking in the Spirit” have not fully understood the method by which the mind of Christ becomes evident in our daily walk.

Matthew 22:37-38

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.

This passage is the first time the Lord mentions the mind of Christ in any of His teachings. The Lord declares one must love God the Father with all their heart, which for the sons of God includes the hidden man of the heart, and/or the spirit or conscience (the new creature). The soul also, which is the spirit of the mind, and the fleshy mind itself must be consumed with love for the Father. If we are to walk in the Spirit, we must obey this commandment. Obeying the commandments of God is the way to accomplish the will of God through our body.

If any born-again believer is asked if he or she loves the Father, in most cases each of them would say, “Yes.” Nevertheless, the Lord said that if we loved Him, we would keep His commandments. The truth is most of us have not kept the commandments. We have sinned, and walked in the vanity of our flesh. Many have found it hard to love the Lord with all their heart, soul and mind.

1. The Sons of God are born-again; therefore, our life (being) is in Christ.

2. Christ is the Master. He is the life who has pleased the Father. He is the only one who can love the Father according to the above commandment.

3. If we never submit to the Lord as the Master, then we will never overcome opposition to righteousness.

Most try very hard to submit to a far-away Christ. Many focus on the words of Christ who walked the earth two thousand years ago. However, Christ now lives in us. Christ is the same today as He was yesterday. He is the one who loves the Father and refuses to disobey Him. He is the Christ who gave His life for the sins of others. We want to serve Christ who sits on the right hand of God; however many find it difficult to submit to the Jesus who lives within.

Jesus Christ taught the disciples which are called disciples because Jesus imparted His mind unto them. They heard Him and were taught by Him. The Word, Jesus taught the disciples, is recorded in the book of Matthew, chapters 5, 6, and 7 giving our first exposure to the mind of Christ. These chapters reveal the character of the faith. To walk in their attributes is to bring forth a manifestation of the Son of God. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17).

It does not come in observation and can only be seen in the character of its subjects.

The teachings on the mind of Christ are what the Church does not intend to accomplish. Without obedience to the teachings of Christ, we have no part with the Father.

Matthew 5:1-3

1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Those who are poor in spirit have emptied themselves of the love of worldly wealth and power. In contrast, there are many in the world who are poor in worldly goods but proud in spirit. However, those who are poor in spirit have learned how to abound as well as how to be abased and suffer need. They are not impressed with worldly gain. They have come into humble submission to the will of the Father without complaint or murmuring. They do not fear poverty should it be on the path the Master decides to take them. They are not high-minded and do not hold their personage in high esteem.

The poor in spirit realize that suffering for the Sons of God is an appointment. The Scriptures have declared it is given to us not only to believe on Christ, but to suffer for His namesake. If this suffering will cause us to maintain a good conscience toward God then so be it. That is the mind of the poor in spirit. They wait for the commandment that will arrest the forwardness of the flesh. They know that there is a Kingdom prepared for them in the millennium and throughout eternity. They are willing to wait and not compromise their integrity before God and man.

Even those who are rich in this world's goods can be poor in spirit. It simply means that they are mindful and sympathize with those who are poor in goods. They are willing to distribute and communicate with the poor. They are not afraid of loss. In fact, they welcome it for Christ’s sake. Thank God for the universality of grace. For those who are poor in this world's goods and those who are rich in the same both meet in the Kingdom of Heaven; meaning they are happy regardless of their state of being.

Matthew 5:4

4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

The Son of God must always remain sensitive to his own spiritual disposition. There must be a sincere remorse for every opportunity missed to glorify the Father. Although sin should not be an issue, his remorse for such should not be as that of Esau. His repentance must be real and heartfelt. Secondarily, there should always be a mournful condition of the heart for those who are ignorant, lost and out of the way. We must be able to mourn for the affections of others and their spiritual depravity. To walk in the Spirit is to be sensitive to our environment. This inward weeping is a manifestation of our compassion for our brothers and sisters in the world.

Matthew 5:5

5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

A layman's definition of meek is power under control. But I think here we need to expand that definition to include the power to control one’s spirit. The meek are slow to anger but they are easily pacified. They prefer to forgive rather than to avenge. They move in a quiet spirit and are not meddlesome in the affairs of others. The meek know how to wait. They are patient. They are not pushy or overbearing, proud or froward. They wait on the promises of God.

Matthew 5:6

6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled

Over the years I have had the privilege to minister to many who are seeking the Holy Ghost. After many days of seeking, some would ask why they have not received the Holy Spirit? The answer is individuals will receive the Spirit of God when they want it more than they want their own life. The same is true concerning walking in the Spirit. One must want to please God more than they want anything this world has to offer. This is the mind of the Kingdom. There are those who seek knowledge. They really want to know the Word of God and to be able to minister it to large congregations. But what they want stops short of what they are willing to do. We ought to seek righteousness, not platforms to preach.

It takes courage to change; one must admit being wrong. That is the test many will have to face concerning perfection as a Son of God. message.

Matthew 5:7

7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

With the judgment you judge, the same shall be judged to you. If mercy is not shown, it cannot be received any. To be merciful is to be pitiful toward those who offend. Many Christians find it very difficult to be merciful to those who are lost, forgetting that they themselves once were lost, ignorant and unworthy of the grace of God.

Matthew 5:8

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God

It is not a hard thing to walk in the Spirit if the heart is pure. Likewise, it is easy to maintain a pure heart when one does walk in the Spirit. David wrote in the 116th Psalm, “Great peace have they that love thy law and nothing shall offend them.” The heart becomes impure when we do not agree with God.

Matthew 5:9

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

The peacemakers are they who have no other agenda but that of God’s. They work with the Holy Ghost in all situations, circumstances and relationships. They desire to see reconciliation to God and man. The peacemaker does not impute sin to the charge of those who offend or break the laws of God.

Matthew 5:13

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

The Lord has called us the salt of the earth: but if the salt loses its savour, what is it good for? Jesus dared to say, “It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under the feet of men.” I think we really need to give heed to this statement, but the implication is that one can utterly be cast out of the Kingdom. This is quite contrary to the doctrines that teach eternal security regardless of the mindset of the constituents of the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of Light, in it is no darkness and sin will not survive in it. Those who choose to sin will not inherit the Kingdom.

Matthew 5:14-16

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Jesus went on to say, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” If we are to be the light of this world then in us can be no darkness. The only way that men will know that Jesus is Lord of the earth is that they see Him alive in us. This is a great responsibility. We are the only proof that Jesus is the Son of God. Are you willing to deny the Father of the glory He experiences when the Son is magnified here on earth? The Lord has given us a great light; in fact He has made us a great light.

The whole creation is waiting for the manifestation of the Sons of God. Until the Lord comes back to set up His physical Kingdom on the earth we must manifest the Kingdom in character and in deeds. This is the responsibility of the citizens who dwell in the Kingdom of God.

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled (St. Matthew 5:17-18).

Jesus came to fulfill the law. He walked in all that was written of Him. He opened the book and read about Himself. He learned what the will of the Father was and proceeded without controversy to perform it. Now He is our example. We too, must consider all that is written of the Sons and hasten to perform it. Jesus is the righteousness of the law and so are we. To walk in His Spirit is to proclaim that righteousness for all to see.

Matthew 5:19-20

19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus warns us of the penalty ministers will suffer for their own disobedience and the disobedience of others whom they have taught error.

20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The implication here is that we might be members of the Kingdom of Heaven, but if we teach those things that are erroneous or fail to walk in the righteousness of the Word, we too, will be expelled from the Kingdom. Beloved, let us hold on and embrace thoroughly those things that have been handed to us so graciously by the Holy Ghost. This is His time. It is His responsibility to bring the Church home to the Father and the Son without spot or blemish. Consider the mind of Christ and whether it is the same mind that is in you. We are not of this world nor do we walk in the mindset of the world. We are a peculiar race, citizens of another Kingdom. We are the Sons of the living God. We are Another Creation.