This morning as I awoke the Lord put two things before me in the sweet, personal, and intimate way in which He calls me to commune with Him as the day begins. The first was this:
1.) “Follow Jesus who has the mind of the Christ,” then
2.) “Be led by the Spirit, who gives YOU the mind of the Christ.”
I got out of bed, went downstairs, fed the cats, then sat down to look more closely at these two directives, to explore this Word before me.
There is a subtle difference between the two. However, it seems to me, as one who believes the Bible and believes in the incarnation of God in Jesus, the Christ, and in the Triune nature of God that includes the Holy Spirit in holy communion together- Three Persons, One God- the subtle difference is pretty close to negligible.
I have the example of the life and ministry of Jesus to follow. He lived and taught by means of the mind of the Christ that was accomplished by the Spirit of God dwelling within Him for the purpose of fulfilling the will of God. Jesus bears the fullness of God. He IS the Christ. I, on the other hand, have only that of the mind and heart of the Christ which is given to me by the Holy Spirit.
I have the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit who brings that same mind of the Christ to bear in transforming me through the renewing of my mind, so that I may have not only the lived example of the mind of the Christ in Jesus to follow, but also the living presence of the mind of the Christ through the same Holy Spirit in Him also in me to lead me.
In the former matter, following Jesus, I am exercising a choice to act by my own will to do so, just as the disciples did for three years. However, as is clear, they believed they were “all in”, but they often lacked understanding. They yielded to the temptation of the flesh by sleeping at a point when Jesus urged them to stay awake and pray and needed their support the most. Then they fled in fear when the very thing Jesus told them to expect actually happened.
If I have yielded my will to the living presence of the Holy Spirit in me, I am cooperating in giving my spirit and my soul (i.e., my mind, emotions, will, conscience, and personality) over to be molded into the image of Jesus, the Christ, to be led by the same Holy Spirit that led him. God’s will is now the operating mandate as I am led, by submission to the Holy Spirit and bringing one into new standing as a steward, ambassador and co-heir in the kingdom of God with Jesus. One is committed to being used by God, willingly, gladly, and gratefully- spirit, soul, and body, even if being used by God is only clear after the fact, in some cases. It entails trust and obedience, not questioning or needing to be given “insider” information, because the “insider” is already at work within, providing what is needed, as it is needed, to fulfill God’s will.
One who is following Jesus may make a choice to quit following. One being led by the Spirit has entrusted all of one’s self to the Guide and Provider. Additionally, the Holy Spirit always glorifies God in Christ. All of the Triune nature of God is in harmony on this. God cannot deny or contradict God’s own self.
It is worth asking, it seems: “Is one following Jesus or being led by the Spirit?”
Are you “all in” following Jesus?
And, have you welcomed the Holy Spirit to have full access, to lead “in all” areas of your life and will?
Do you consider them the same? Is this another distinction between justification and sanctification?