Its Consciousness
“Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, and he himself is judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he should instruct Him: But we have the mind of Christ.” — 1 Cor. 2. 14-16. “Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that the Son raay glorify Thee: even as Thou gavest Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom Thou hast given Him, He should give eternal life. And this is life eternal, that they should know Thee the only true God, and Him Whom Thou didst send, even Jesus Christ... O righteous Father, the world knew Thee not, but I knew Thee; and these knew that Thou didst send Me; and I made known unto them Thy name, and will make it known; that the love wherewith Thou lovedst Me may be in them, and I in them.” — John 17. 1-3; 25-26 “Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” — Phil. 2. 5 ‘a = ies 2 roe ese ‘The Life.
= there is a most definite consciousness which is oe
- the Christian, and our present subject has to do with that. — a se ‘The order of procedure in the Christian economy ‘i - first the fact, then faith taking hold of the fact, and finally feeling growing out of the faith which takes hold of the — a ‘fact. Whenever faith fastens upon the fact, feeling follows.. 3 “se What, then, is this feeling, this consciousness of the Christian? Just as the life of the Christian is Christ, and the 3 “sustenance of the Christian life is Christ, and the expression — of the Christian life is Christ, so the consciousness of dicta e Christian is that of Christ Himself. That is the whole answer. 2 Ps
That is the essential light in which all the colours commingle, ee All I can do is to attempt to break the light up into some Pej agents component parts. There is no music outside that name, 3 wale apart from Him. When Christ dwells in a man 1,
ae and the man’s life is sustained by Him, He thinks, feels, — and is conscious in that One.
In writing to the Thessalonian Christians the apostle speaks of their “spirit, soul, and body.”’ That expression has been used to indicate the presence of a threefold fact in human personality. In some senses that is true. Perhaps the more correct way to state it would be to say that man is a spirit, indwelling a body, and having a mind or consciousness. The nature of this consciousness depends upon the relation which the body and the spirit bear to each other. It may be fleshly, it may be spiritual. The mind which is the centre of the being as to its consciousness will reflect pre-eminently that which is regnant in the personality. Where the flesh reigns the mind will be fleshly. Where the Spirit reigns the mind will be spiritual. In unregenerate man the consciousness is fleshly. The physical side of nature crowned and considered perpetually, the mind is necessarily fleshly. The regenerate man, on the other hand, is one in whom there has taken place the restoration of a Divine order, and his own spiritual nature is recognised as the supreme fact in his personality. Where this is so, the consciousness becomes spiritual, He looks at all things from the standpoint of the spiritual.
In writing to the Corinthians the apostle makes a positive declaration, ‘we have the mind of Christ.” In writing to the Philippians, he enjoins them “have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” The word “mind” in the first verse is not exactly the same word Paul used when he wrote “have this mind in you.” It is in some senses a
simpler word, meaning less, and yet in the present study, of — 41 Thess. 5. 23 greater value. We shall do no violence to the real thought of the apostle if we substitute for “mind” the word “intelligence” — “We have the intelligence of Christ.” That is the sense in which we have the consciousness of Christ.
Thus we have here the statement of an essential fact, and an injunction to realise that fact in experience. This is the perpetual method of the apostle in urging Christians to the fulfilment of the ideal of the Christ life. He states a position with great clearness, and yet urges as a duty the realisation of the truth declared. As on other occasions, he says, “Ye have put off the old man... put off the old man” 1 “Ye have put on the new man... put on the new man”; so in bringing these two statements together, we adopt the same method. “We have the mind of Christ” ... “Have the mind of Christ,” which simply means, respond in experience to the fact of your privilege. Let the Christian who shares the Christ life, live the Christ life. Let the Christian who has the mind of Christ, have the mind of Christ.
“We have the intelligence of Christ.” The apostle here quotes, adapting the literal form to the necessity of his own argument, the old-time words — “Things which eye saw not, and ear heard not, And which entered not into the heart of man. Whatsoever things God prepared for them that love Him.”’ These words are constantly quoted by Christians to prove that we cannot know these things — a curious misquotation of Scripture. Read the context and you will find that Paul quotes it to show that that condition has passed away, that the Christian does know, for he goes on, 1Col. 3. 9 3Col, 3. 10 31 Cor. 2. 9 (cf. Isa. 64. 4)
Py fs AS yi as te “But unto us God revealed them through the Spirit.” The apostle declares here that the natural man cannot know what the spiritual man does know, and that the consciousness which the natural man lacks, the spiritual man has. So that the great subject here is that of the Christian consciousness, the Christian intelligence, the Christian mind, which means more than intelligence, including also the emotion, and the will, that consciousness intellectual, emotional, volitional, which is the result of spiritual life and spiritual indwelling.
The purpose of the present study is that of examining this great fact. This is the surest way to the realisation of the experience. In proportion as we have full knowledge of our privileges in Christ are we likely to abandon ourselves to all the glorious possibilities; and so realise our. standing as a state.
In his Epistle to the Philippians, after charging the saints that they have the mind of Christ, the apostle proceeds not so much to describe that mind as to declare the activities that grow therefrom. The sublime passage which follows, describing as it does the coming of the Son of God from the high state of the eternal glory down to the lowest level of man’s degradation and need, constitutes an almost startling unveiling of the mind of Christ. As we watch with wonder and adoration the method of the Master, we discover His mind. As we examine the conduct of the Christ, we are made aware of His consciousness.
There can be but one thought uppermost in such a study. It is that of His love. ‘Love is the active principle behind
the great humiliation. But it may reverently be inquired, ‘zt Cor. 2. 10.
ost at this poi, ria us.; turn to Nhe ereat intercessory et in which the Lord is speaking immediately to His - er. Tn the earlier sentences of the prayer He says, is “And this is life eternal, that they should know Thee the: y true God, and Him Whom Thou didst send, even sus Christ.” At the close of the prayer we read again, sO righteous Father, the world knew Thee not, but it 1ew Thee; and these knew that Thou didst send Me; — d I made known unto them Thy name, and will make us known; that the love wherewith Thou lovedst Me Bos bei in them, and I in them.” oe Here carefully notice the sequence. Speaking of fie: cists that He has made to His disciples, He says, “I made known unto them Thy name,” and further affirms that the reason for this is that the love of God which He ‘ noe had for Christ may be in them. Then it is evident that anise the back of the love consciousness was the knowledge of God. This harmonises with that original word, “This is ‘life eternal, that they should know Thee the only true God.” The supreme consciousness of Christ, then, was the consciousness of God. Everything else was coadiGoncdae Se and included within this supreme knowledge. He was a; a conscious of God supremely, over all, and under all, and in all, and through all. We may therefore consider this “consciousness as objective and subjective, as the knowledge =: of Sse ad as the knowledge of syeeyiaite else in ae te The supreme intelligence of Christ was the intelligence of: God, and therefore His knowledge of all other things being — related to that, was true knowledge, truth and never error, light and never darkness, nor even twilight. If He saw a flower, He saw God. If He saw a child, He saw God. If He saw the movements of His age, He saw God. Now this is not Pantheism. Jesus did not imagine that the flower was God. He did not think that the child was God, or even part of God. Wherever He looked, and whatever He saw, the supreme fact evident to His mind, underlying and enwrapping all works and words and thoughts, was the God-consciousness.
This objective consciousness was manifest on every side of His personality. Intellectually, emotionally, and volitionally, His mind was conscious of God. Jesus of Nazareth was a perfect instrument, perfectly adjusted for the perfect realisation of God and truth. His intellect was unclouded, His emotion was undegraded, His will was perfectly poised and balanced in true relation to a supreme authority.
Think of the perfect consciousness resulting from that perfection of the instrument, so that God was intellectually apprehended. To the mind of Jesus the knowledge of God was not speculative or argumentative, but personal and immediate. He knew God not by the demonstration of an intellectual argument, but by personal contact and — spiritual communion. It is worthy of notice that in all His preaching He never once argued for the existence cf God. The great fact to Him was one that admitted of no denial, and therefore needed no defence. He never con- — sidered that there was any necessity to prove the existence of God. “My Father,”* “My Father,” and the infinite music runs on through all the story of His life.
Then not only was God known to Him, He was emotionally apprehended by Him. He knew God as to His love. We take again the word which demonstrated the fact of His consciousness intellectually, and use it as in harmony with the emotional consciousness, “Father.” It was not a new word, but it gained infinite meaning as He spoke it. It was not even a new word for God, for it was known long before He came in the flesh. Jesus so constantly used it in such varied circumstances that somehow it became radiant with new meaning, and whenever He ssid “Father,” the very anthem of love broke upon the listening air. “The Son Who is in the bosom of the Father”? was conscious of, and actuated by, the love of God. All the great utterances in which He spoke of the Father to men thrilled with the tenderness of the Divine heart.
And yet once more, not only was He intellectually and emotionally conscious of God, He was volitionally conscious of God. He knew that the will of God was the ultimate authority for all those created by God, their final court of appeal. He knew God is, that was intellectual apprehension. He knew He is Love, that was emotional apprehension. He knew He is King, that is volitional apprehension. Wherever He looked He saw God, whatever ‘He listened to He heard God, wherever He found Himself
He was in the presence of God.
We have the mind of Christ. This is eternal life, to know Him. It is varied, many-sided, many-coloured, having all kinds of expression. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for
1John ro. 30 2John 1. 18
they shall see God.”’ That this was so in the case of Christ becomes evident from the most casual survey of the story of His life. Whether in the commonplaces or the crises, in the small details or infinite duties, He is ever revealed as One Who is acting in the consciousness of the presence and power of His Father.
This objective consciousness of God necessarily issues in a subjective consciousness determined and dominated thereby. He was of course conscious of all the facts by which He was surrounded in life. And yet His consciousness of these was created and conditioned by His consciousness of God. Every form of being was seen by Him in relation to God as Origin. All purpose was seen by Him in relation to God as Love. And all realisation was seen by Him in relation to God as King. What lay behind the-universe to the mind’ of Christ? God. What was the solution of the mystery of the earth: God. He looked into the face of a man, and what did He see: The image of God, even though that image was oftentimes defaced. Only spiritually enlightened eyes see that image as He saw it. He saw God everywhere, and the vision was interpretative of all else.
And not merely in these things, but in everything else. He saw God in human history. All movements were for Him tested by the relation they bore to God. Stretching out over all the affairs of individuals and of nations He saw the precise line of the Divine will and purpose, and that it was to be measured in its relation to God as Love. His was the true altruism, the true utilitarianism. Some people seem to want to divorce utilitarianism and beauty. Not so
1 Matt. 5. 8 the Christ. In the true consciousness of God there is no
divorce between these things. It has been said —
“Straight is the line of duty,
Curved is the line of beauty.”
That is surely false. How far is it possible to draw a straight line without it becoming a curved one? Unless you are a believer in the flat earth theory, there is no straight line that does not curve into beauty. The final geometric symbol of God is the circle. “It is He that sitteth above the circle of the earth.”” And every line of duty that appears straight to-day, tramp it long enough, and it will grow into beauty. Christ saw that. He saw the purpose of love at the back of all the austerity and severity of law. His vision of the race was the vision of the commonwealth. Oh, those little things He said that are so profound in their philosophy, “One is your Teacher, and all ye are brethren.” That is the true nation, the true commonwealth. The only true monarch and King is God’s anointed King, and the race will never have its true commonwealth until He come. Christ was conscious of love enfolding and enwrapping everything.
Then all the realisation of purpose was seen by Jesus in relation to God as King. Things were to be rejected according as they failed to coincide with that standard of requirement. All responding to Divine intention in character and conduct was satisfactory in itself and permanent. A man never finds real freedom of the will until he has found the seat of authority, and has put Christ there as King. Christ knew that. That was His meaning, when
1Jsaiah 40, 22 2 Matt. 23. 8
He said, “Seek ye first His Kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
This God-consciousness, moreover, dominated the emotional side of His nature. It created in Him a great unrest, and an unending sorrow. His God-illumined intelligence, revealing the failure of all that harmonised with the Divine intention, created sorrow, because of the infinite love of the Father, which expressed itself in Him with unvarying insistence. In the presence of this failure there could be for Him no rest, no cessation of activity, no sitting in personal ease. “My Father worketh even until now, and I work”? are words that reveal a Divine discontent with all that was unlike God. This discontent manifested itself occasionally in the tears that told of His anguish, and perpetually in the sacrificial service which characterised the busy years.
And yet again, contradictory as it may seem, this consciousness of God in the emotional nature gave Him an unbroken peace, and an unceasing joy. In the heart of this imtercessory prayer, which was uttered when the shadow of the Cross fell over all His life, He prayed that His disciples might have His joy. How strange a petition it seems! He was pre-eminently in the presence of the world’s sin and sorrow the Man of Sorrows; and yet the highest desire of His heart for men is that they may share His joy. This joy in the midst of sorrow was due to His consciousness of the ultimate victory of God in love over sin. Not only His intelligence, but His very heart was linked to the Throne of the Eternal. He knew God, and knew Him in all the majesty of His infinite and unfailing
1 Matt. 6. 33 2John 5. 17
1 a Divi e discontent in the ‘presence of si sin, ‘yet 5 as also a joy and content in the absolute assurance ae of the ultimate triumph of love. pr tees ns See And yet once more, and this is the sequel to walle “ise, already been considered, His will was always submissive —: to the will of God concerning all the things by which He was surrounded. Intellectually conscious of God, and certain 3 of that Love which never failed, He was, moreover, con — scious of the infinite wisdom and tender compassion and assured triumph of all the will of His Father. — Therefore,? with unswerving loyalty, He submitted Himself to that — oe will, whether it chose for Him the path of sorrow or of 2 joy, knowing right well that such wisdom and such love i it mecould only choose the best, and must lead right onward ie ie
to all highest victory. oy This, then, is the mind that is in the Christian. The fee pds’ Bad final consciousness of all those in whom Christ lives and reigns, is the consciousness of God. This may appear = a at first to be a statement which hardly harmonises with —: experience, and yet a careful consideration will prove that itisactually true. In the light of such consideration we may i be very much tempted to say that we have no such consciousness. We become submerged in the necessary duties 4; of this life, and are ever surrounded by so many facts which — a - appeal to us, that it would seem as though forgetfulness of — God, rather than consciousness of Him, characterises the = experience of most of the days. It should, however, never i: a be forgotten that perpetual consciousness of God does not ee eee mean actual thinking of Him in the surface Lose Ady
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ve oee eae ites i Was a activities of the mind. It is rather a perpetual and deep subconsciousness, which almost unconsciously, yet constantly, and effectively dominates other feelings, masters all impulses, and holds in check the surface activities of the mind.
There can be no finer illustration of it than the illustration of the constant consciousness of each other which exists between man and woman in the marriage relationship. They may often be separated from each other, and during the periods of separation will think of a thousand matters,
and be busy in as many directions. Whole hours will
pass in which the sacred relationship is not present to the surface of consciousness. And yet the relationship is never forgotten. It is a subconsciousness, holding all the life in relation to itself, and making impossible any deed, or word, or thought even, which is out of harmony with that supreme matter.
That is the true consciousness of every soul in whom Christ dwells. The immediate surroundings and conditions of the life of the Christian may be exactly what they were before relationship to Christ commenced. And yet they are absolutely different. Before the life was yielded to Christ the day was spent in the doing of certain routine duties in some schoolroom, or store, or office. That life will be continued. After it has been abandoned to Christ, — the same duties have to be performed, the same kind of persons have to be dealt with, and yet the whole is radically
changed. The old life was temporal, the new is eternal.
In the past the duties had no relation to God. In the present — every minutest detail is immediately related to Him, He in whom Christ dwells is conscious of God as Christ was conscious of God. To such an one a little child is no longer an interesting and playful animal, or even merely an undeveloped member of a human race, destined to get on in the world. It is rather one of those strange and marvellous beings whose angels always behold the face of the Father in heaven, rather than offend whom it were better
that a mill-stone should be hanged about the neck, and
the person offending drowned in the depth of the sea.
When Christ is at the centre of the life men cannot be looked upon as they were. An unregenerate man, looking into the face of another man, sees in him an opportunity for his personal enrichment in some form. His question is, How much can I get out of that man? It may not always be money, but perhaps friendship, and love. Christ summarised the whole attitude in the words, “Ye love them that love you.”’ But if Christ be in the life, then the question is an entirely new one, How much can I put into that man? How much can I do for him? The man is still there, but the God-consciousness creates an entirely new view of him.
Or, again, a man of the world will pick up his newspaper and see that two great Powers are threatening to engage in an awful struggle, and he immediately thinks of the effect which will be produced upon the markets. A Chris-
tian man taking up his paper, and reading of such possibility,
will think of widows, and orphans, and suffering, and
sorrow.
And yet again in this same connection the man of the
world will feel in his heart a sense of panic in the presence
1 Matt. §. 46
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of national struggle. But the man looking at all these things with the God-consciousness, will be at peace in the deepest fact of his life, for he will recognise the Divine movement, and will hear above the turmoil the voice of God saying, “I will overturn, overturn, overturn it... until He come Whose right it is; and I will give it Him.”? The one man looking only at the things seen may be troubled and perplexed, and speak of chaos. But the other from his consciousness of God will be quiet and calm, as he is conscious of the certainty of the emergence of the cosmos from the chaos.
This supreme consciousness must have the effect of destroying everything that is low and mean and base. All littleness and meanness of motive become impossible to one to whom God is the all-inclusive fact. Conscious of God, a man has no place in his being for jealousy, criticism, cynicism. Nothing so broadens the outlook, and ennobles the impulse, and dignifies the conduct as a consciousness of God which illumines the intelligence, and conditions the emotion, and masters the will.
The measure in which Christ has possession of our lives is the measure in which our consciousness of God is keen and alert. If we find it necessary to defend the existence of God to our own hearts, or to remind ourselves occasionally and spasmodically of His government and His love, it is because we are failing to live in immediate fellowship with Christ Himself. It is impossible to force this consciousness. As a matter of fact, it is ours if indeed we have been born again of the Spirit of God. “We have the mind of Christ.” He is the revelation of God to us. To know Him
! Ezek, 21. 27
ITS CONSCLOUSNESS at
is to know God, and to know God is life eternal. Are. there any two words which being brought together mean quite the same as these two words? Life, eternal life! There is no narrowness in that. There is. no meanness there. There is no selfishness, no cynical criticism, no little halfblind pessimism, no childish frivolity. Everything is spacious. free, infinite, grand, majestic. “We have ‘the mind of Christ.” Let it be ours by response to all His indwelling, to obey the injunction, and “have the mind
of Christ.”