WHAT GOVERNS OUR MINDS
P. L. Johnson
The word “mind” really involves the will. Sometimes we use the expression, ‘he was not minded to do that’. We mean it was not his will, or it was not his thought, or his feelings were not in that direction. That is really the thought here, it is not just the thinking process, but the mind. There were those of whom Paul had to say that they minded earthly things (Philippians 3: 19). It refers to what one goes in for. Peter was on the wrong line, and the Lord says, “thy mind is not on the things that are of God, but on the things that are of men”. Peter’s movements and thought process, as well as what he willed and desired, were on a human level. My exercise is that there is always the danger of having the light and knowledge of the assembly but seeking to carry it out on a human level with human feelings. So what He says to Peter is, You are not governed by what is divine, you are governed by what is human.
There is a verse in John that says, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them”, John 13: 17 (A.V.). Mr. Darby translates that as “blessed” instead of “happy”. I remember noticing that word ‘blessed’ as I looked it up in the Greek and it is normally translated ‘happy’. I thought that maybe the word ‘happy’ sometimes could be used in a human way, as we speak of a ‘happy person’; the meaning of ‘blessed’, I believe, would involve happiness, but not just in a human way. It is not just being a happy person. There are persons who have that kind of personality, outwardly they are happy persons. So “happy are ye if ye do them” is not that kind of happiness. It is happiness and blessedness that is felt in the soul, “blessed are ye if ye do them”. That is what I think the Lord is saying here, “thy mind is not on the things that are of God, but on the things that are of men”.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any one desires to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”. Think of the exercise of that. I wanted to emphasise more this second portion that I read because I believe this brings in the exercise that is required to use the light and knowledge of Christ and the assembly rightly. Otherwise it becomes formal and ritual; but here there is to be exercise, “let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”. What we need is self-judgment, because there is always the tendency of being on the line of the things that are of men; not profligate things, just taking things up humanly, everything being governed by human motives and human interests and human desires. While we are in the world, and we are human beings with a certain amount of human things we have to do, here it says of such, “thy mind is not on the things that are of God, but on the things that are of men”. That is where the will and the heart are and what a person is given up to. We do not want to be given up to the things that are of men. We know that one of the greatest things that is of man is to have all of the nice things in life, to be able to have many pleasures and things of that nature, as the mind is set on them. In His mercy God gives things to meet our temporal needs, but this is not that one would set his desires upon that, but rather, “If any one desires to come after me, let him deny himself”.
I was thinking, too, of verse 25, “For whosoever shall desire to save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it”. You will notice that Mr. Darby has a note, ‘The word signifies both ‘life’ and ‘soul’’. I do not think this has to do with soul salvation, it has to do with life here. If you are one who desires to save his life, that means you are not fully committed to the Lord. You want to have things for yourself, thinking of yourself, and you really lose the life that God has for His people to enjoy. Then “whosoever shall lose his life for my sake shall find it”, means that we put the Lord first in everything.
Otherwise we will lose out on the life that God has for His people, “what is really life”, as Paul says (1 Timothy 6: 19). The Lord says, “For what does a man profit, if he should gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?” We might have many worldly advantages—I do not mean worldly in the sense of evil—I mean just things that belong to life in this world, and there is nothing wrong with having the things of life, l am not saying that, but you notice here it says, “For what does a man profit, if he should gain the whole world?” All of that can never make up for the loss of his life with God and with Christ, his spiritual life. He can never make up for the loss of that, “or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” I was just thinking that we have this light and knowledge in the first part, of Christ and the assembly, but here we see the practical side that goes along with it. We are to have not only the light and understanding but the exercise that goes with it.
In verse 27 there is the reward, “For the Son of man is about to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to each according to his doings”. I was impressed with that, it is not according to what he knows, but his doings. I think it is proper the way it is put in scripture here, the light and knowledge come first. Again I want to emphasise that I think it is absolutely essential that believers come into the light of Christ and the assembly, to have the knowledge and understanding concerning that, just like Peter did. It was given to him; flesh and blood had not revealed it to him, it was made known to him. We come into the light first, but there should be along with that an exercise that we would be minding the things that are of God, not the things of men; our interests and our pursuits are not to be for things in this life. I think that is what He is saying, What if one gains the whole world? Our interests and our pursuits are not for that, but in the life that we have there might be the entering into the fulness and enjoyment of what is really life. Then in the end it will be rendered to each according to his doings. I just leave this word with us because I think it is something to consider. It is not according to what we know and what we are able to say, but it is what we do that counts. May the Lord bless the word.
Word in meeting for ministry, Denton
3 October 2000