THE MIND OF CHRIST The Context The context of this saying is most remarkable. Jesus had just finished declaring, "Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him" (6:53-56). -- Tomorrow:
"For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man. For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE SHOULD INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor 2:11-16, NASB).
Devotion 9 of 28
"Flesh," or the natural part of man, is to be crucified, not praised or vaunted (Gal 5:24). Hear the words of the Savior. "It is the Spirit who gives life; THE FLESH PROFITS NOTHING; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life" (John 6:63, NASB). Other versions read, "the flesh counts for nothing" (NIV), "the flesh is of no value" (BBE), "the flesh doth not profit anything" (YLT), "the flesh is of no avail" (NAB), and "the flesh has nothing to offer" (NJB). This is, indeed, a strong saying, and is stated with unusual clarity.
The Lord had already offended his hearers by saying "the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (6:51). The Jews began to argue among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat?" (6:52).
The Jews thought Jesus meant cannibalism when He referred to eating His flesh. In fact, from a linguistic point of view, there is no possible way to disprove their erroneous supposition. Instead of Jesus launching into an explanation that would put an end to such thought, He seemed to fortify their thinking by declaring unless they ate His flesh and drank His blood, they had no life. He went on to say the possession of eternal life depended on eating His flesh and drinking His blood, He affirmed "For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink" (NIV).
Jesus was specifically saying that His flesh, though physically ingested, could bring no profit to the spirit of man. Although His flesh was necessary for the experience of temptation and the accomplishment of His appointed death, man could derive no eternal benefit by consuming His flesh. In order for Christ to benefit any individual, He must be ingested spiritually. That is, men must become "partakers of the Divine nature" (2 Pet 1:4), or "partakers of Christ" (Heb 3:14)--i.e., He must dwell within their hearts by faith (Eph 3:17).
Men could not be born again, reconciled to God, receive the Holy Spirit, or have peace with God until, Jesus left this world. His flesh really obscured His Person. It was like a "veil" that concealed His majestic glory (Heb 10:20). It was, as He Himself said, "expedient" for Him to "go away," else the Comforter, or Holy Spirit, would not come (John 16:7). The source of eternal life was not the biological flesh of Christ, or His bodily presence, but the words of life that He spoke. That is why He continued, "The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63b).
We must not miss the powerful import of these words! If, in the human sense of the word, Christ's flesh profited nothing, what can be said of the flesh, or humanity, of those who "have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23)? If Jesus bodily presence had to be removed from the grasp of men before they could gain eternal life, who can justify parading the flesh of those who need a Savior? This is precisely why it is written, "Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer" (2 Cor 5:16, NKJV). However you look at it, "the flesh profits nothing!"
Nature gives us absolutely no benefit in the spiritual realm. Our flesh is always and only a liability, to be subordinated in the power of the Spirit (Rom 8:13). Jesus' flesh concealed His real Person. He declared flesh "profits nothing," and it is in our personal interest to energetically embrace His announcement. It was not directed to the Apostles alone.
If men were to have "the mind of Christ," even His bodily presence had to be withdrawn from them. It was not until He left this earth that God poured forth His Spirit upon all flesh, reconciling them, making peace through the blood of Christ's cross, and giving them the Spirit of adoption.
The irony of this situation is that Jesus' flesh was holy and without blame, and His blood was "innocent blood." If, from the standpoint of God's eternal purpose, contact with His flesh brought no profit, you may be sure no other "flesh" will profit us. Christ's flesh once emanated with Divine glory (Matt 17:1-5). Yet, a risen and glorified Christ, enthroned at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens, brought more profit to this world than did His bodily presence. The impact of the exalted Christ upon the Apostles themselves far transcended the impact He had upon them during His bodily presence with them for over three years.
Unfortunately, we live in a period when the blasphemous "Age of Reason" has permeated the landscape of Christianity. "Flesh" is regularly paraded before us as though it had some worth, and could bring us eternal advantage. We have "doctors," "masters," and experts in "divinity." A flood of experts in organization, expansion, economics, and leadership have inundated the church. But they have only served to confirm, "the flesh profits nothing."
How I desire to be able to say this with greater clarity and with more forcefulness! If there is one preeminent weakness in the modern church, it is its glaring carnality. It is too fleshly, too worldly, too much immeshed with the condemned order. It is wedded to the world, and the world is its wedded name. Within the perimeter of its influence lie thousands of spiritually emaciated souls, starving and weak for lack of spiritual benefit and profit. It is a saddening thing to behold. However, it surely confirms to us, "the flesh profits nothing."
Who is the individual that will dare to contradict the words of our Savior? -- "The flesh profits nothing!" If any are tempted to do so, let them follow Job the patriarch in laying their hand upon their mouth, forbidding such foolishness to pour from their lips (Job 40:4).
PRAYER POINT: Father, in Jesus' name, grant me grace to decipher what is of the flesh, that I might avoid it, and not allow its unprofitableness to influence me.