The Mind and the Host Series : Study 1:The Mind without a body
The Mind And The Host Series : The Mind without a body. Study 1
Sabbath Afternoon Message Notes [25/07/20]
Tarisai P Ziyambi
In researching the subject of the mystery of the mind I have concluded that we are fearfully and wonderfully made and there are mysterious knowledge concerning our being which we haven't discovered yet. In Jeremiah 17:9 we are told "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" This means that we really don't know what we are capable of doing when circumstances change, it is in a crisis that character is revealed.The brain is the organ of the mind just as the lungs are the organs for respiration.What is the mind? According to Webster 1838 dictionary the mind is "The intellectual or intelligent power in man; the understanding; the power that conceives, judges or reasons". It is not my intention to be discussing the mind and body argument this Sabbath, I totally understand that neurologists cannot scientifically point exactly where the mind is located in our within. I am suggesting that the mind is not tangible like the brain which I believe houses it, I perceive that the mind is more spiritual in nature than we tend to understand therefore it is malleable and susceptible to change unlike the brain. There is a mind that is without the body we are being commanded in Philippians 2:5 to acquire by the same voice that spoke into existence the thoughts of His Mind into a void therefore the existence of things that are is the evidence of the mind without though manifested in the within.May I suggest that there are three minds in this earth (your mind, Mind of God and the mind of Satan) and cannot share the same space without controversy (1 Timothy 3:16). There are four stories regarding the subject of the mind I would have liked to discuss today but probably only one will do. The stories for consideration in the future study on the subject of the mind will be that of Adam before the fall and after the fall, King Saul after his rebellion and rejection, King Nebuchadnezzar after his self exaltation and after his repentance and finally the mind of Jesus as revealed by the scriptures. So what am I trying to archive by sharing this study? Answer : By the end of the study I hope to have challenged the listener and the reader to consider the mind which was also in Christ Jesus and cast out of the casket the other mind of sin and death.
Scripture reading Galatians 4:19-31 "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you,I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you.Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free".
The brain is the organ and instrument of the mind, and controls the whole body. In order for the other parts of the system to be healthy, the brain must be healthy. And in order for the brain to be healthy, the blood must be pure. If by correct habits of eating and drinking the blood is kept pure, the brain will be properly nourished.— 1MCP 60.1
The relation which exists between the mind and the body is very intimate. When one is affected, the other sympathizes. The condition of the mind affects the health of the physical system. If the mind is free and happy, from a consciousness of right doing and a sense of satisfaction in causing happiness to others, it creates a cheerfulness that will react upon the whole system, causing a freer circulation of the blood and a toning up of the entire body. The blessing of God is a healing power, and those who are abundant in benefiting others will realize that wondrous blessing in both heart and life.—Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 13, 1890.
Nine Tenths of Diseases Originate in Mind—Sickness of the mind prevails everywhere. Nine tenths of the diseases from which men suffer have their foundation here. Perhaps some living home trouble is, like a canker, eating to the very soul and weakening the life-forces. Remorse for sin sometimes undermines the constitution and unbalances the mind. There are erroneous doctrines also, as that of an eternally burning hell and the endless torment of the wicked that, by giving exaggerated and distorted views of the character of God, have produced the same result upon sensitive minds.—Testimonies for the Church 5:444 (1885). - 1MCP 59.2
The unstudied, unconscious influence of a holy life is the most convincing sermon that can be given in favor of Christianity. Argument, even when unanswerable, may provoke only opposition; but a godly example has a power that it is impossible wholly to resist.—Gospel Workers, 59.
True character is not shaped from without, and put on; it radiates from within. If we wish to direct others in the path of righteousness, the principles of righteousness must be enshrined in our own hearts. Our profession of faith may proclaim the theory of religion, but it is our practical piety that holds for the word of truth. The consistent life, the holy conversation, the unswerving integrity, the active, benevolent spirit, the godly example,—these are the mediums through which light is conveyed to the world.—The Desire of Ages, 307.
Every human being, created in the image of God, is endowed with a power akin to that of the Creator—individuality, power to think and to do. The men in whom this power is developed are the men who bear responsibilities, who are leaders in enterprise, and who influence character. It is the work of true education to develop this power, to train the youth to be thinkers, and not mere reflectors of other men’s thought. Instead of confining their study to that which men have said or written, let students be directed to the sources of truth, to the vast fields opened for research in nature and revelation. Let them contemplate the great facts of duty and destiny, and the mind will expand and strengthen. Instead of educated weaklings, institutions of learning may send forth men strong to think and to act, men who are masters and not slaves of circumstances, men who possess breadth of mind, clearness of thought, and the courage of their convictions. - Ed 17.2
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross"Philippians 2:5-8
The Psalmist says: “The entrance of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple.” As an educating power the Bible is without a rival. No scientific works are so well adapted to develop the mind as a contemplation of the great and vital truths and practical lessons of the Bible. No other book has ever been printed which is so well calculated to give mental power. Men of the greatest intellects, if not guided by the word of God in their research, become bewildered; they cannot comprehend the Creator or His works. But set the mind to grasp and measure eternal truth, summon it to effort by delving for the jewels of truth in the rich mine of the word of God, and it will never become dwarfed and enfeebled, as when left to dwell upon commonplace subjects. - FE 84.2
"For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. *****And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" - Romans 8:6-10.
Since God is the source of all true knowledge, it is, as we have seen, the first object of education to direct our minds to His own revelation of Himself. Adam and Eve received knowledge through direct communion with God; and they learned of Him through His works. All created things, in their original perfection, were an expression of the thought of God. To Adam and Eve nature was teeming with divine wisdom. But by transgression man was cut off from learning of God through direct communion and, to a great degree, through His works. The earth, marred and defiled by sin, reflects but dimly the Creator’s glory. It is true that His object lessons are not obliterated. Upon every page of the great volume of His created works may still be traced His handwriting. Nature still speaks of her Creator. Yet these revelations are partial and imperfect. And in our fallen state, with weakened powers and restricted vision, we are incapable of interpreting aright. We need the fuller revelation of Himself that God has given in His written word. - Ed 16.3
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. - Genesis 2:19
Have you not sometimes wondered who gave the names to all the birds and animals? Your Bible tells, in the second chapter and nineteenth and twentieth verses. It says that on the sixth day God brought all the birds and animals to Adam, the man whom He had made, to see what he would call them; “and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.”
"The holy pair [Adam and Eve] were not only children under the fatherly care of God, but students receiving instruction from the all-wise Creator. They were visited by angels, and were granted communion with their Maker, with no obscuring veil between. They were full of the vigor imparted by the tree of life, and their intellectual power was but little less than that of the angels. The mysteries of the visible universe—“the wondrous works of Him which is perfect in knowledge” [Job 37:16.] afforded them an exhaustless source of instruction and delight. The laws and operations of nature, which have engaged men's study for six thousand years, were opened to their minds by the infinite Framer and Upholder of all. They held converse with leaf and flower and tree, gathering from each the secrets of its life. With every living creature, from the mighty leviathan that playeth among the waters, to the insect mote that floats in the sunbeam, Adam was familiar. He had given to each its name, and he was acquainted with the nature and habits of all. God's glory in the heavens, the innumerable worlds in their orderly revolutions, “the balancings of the clouds,” the mysteries of light and sound, of day and night,—all were open to the study of our first parents. On every leaf of the forest, or stone of the mountains, in every shining star, in earth and air and sky, God's name was written. The order and harmony of creation spoke to them of infinite wisdom and power. They were ever discovering some attraction that filled their hearts with deeper love, and called forth fresh expressions of gratitude" CE 207.1.
To the man, the word of God came directly, and so was a direct revelation to him in that sense. To the man there came also the word of God through the creation that was round about him; and as he read it, he received the thought of God, and so received the revelation of God in that sense. Ibid p.29.4
Many people read this passage as if it said that God caused all these creatures to come to Adam, or pass before him, that he might give names to them; that is, that they had no names before, and as they passed by before him, he gives to each a name; and that has been its name ever since. For instance, here came an animal walking nobly up. As to name, it is nothing yet; but as Adam looks at it, he says, “I’ll name that a horse;” and a horse it has been ever since. Another comes lightly springing by. As to name, it is nothing; but Adam said, “I’ll call that a gazelle;” and a gazelle it has been. And so on, through the whole list of beasts and birds. But that is neither the word nor the thought of Scripture. ibid 29.6
Was not each one of these animals the same precisely before Adam saw it as afterwards? Was not its nature, and were not its characteristics, identical before with what they were afterward? Assuredly. But the record is not that God brought these unto Adam to have him give names unto them, as though they had no names as yet. The record is, that God brought them unto Adam, “to see what he would call them.” It was a test of Adam’s unity and harmony with the creation which God had formed, and not a means of getting names for the animals. Ibid 30.1
And Adam’s unity with God and the creation which he had produced, was completely demonstrated. For as all the beasts and birds passed before him, at a look Adam read the thought of God expressed in each; at a look he caught the special characteristic that made each what it was; and without hesitation he spoke the word which described the essential nature and characteristics of each. And this he followed through the whole range of the animal creation; and in not a single instance did he miss. “For whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof;” that was exactly what it was. In the word which he spoke, that creature was defined.
This therefore demonstrates that the range of his knowledge was as wide as creation; that his mental vision was so clear that at a look he could read the nature of each creature; and his mind acted with such precision that he could, without hesitation, correctly read the essential nature of each creature as it came. This shows also that the mind of the man was so perfectly in harmony with the mind of God that in the created things he could catch the thought of God expressed in each. And this he did so completely that it is not too much to say that his mind itself was but the expression of the divine mind. Ibid 30.3
Man, as he was before sin entered, standing in unity with God, and with the creation of which he was a part, receiving the thought of God, in his word expressed, whether directly or through creation to him, saw things as they really were. He saw them in their true light. He saw them as they were in the thought and according to the mind of God. And thus would it have ever been had he remained in unity with God. And submission to the word of God as spoken directly to himself was the means of his remaining in unity with God. Ibid 30.5
And this difficulty of the mind of man now seeing things as they are not, was not limited to the seeing of that one tree; it extended to the erring of all creation; for it was thus that it came about that darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people. But note: the change by which man came to see the things of creation in reverse order, came to see things as they are not—this change was not at all in the creation, but solely in the mind of man. And so long as man remains in that mind and in that darkness, he never can see creation as it truly is. Ibid 31.3
But God did not leave the man in that darkness, and possessed of that mind, without hope. Into that darkness he caused the light to shine. He said, even that very day, to the deceiver who had drawn man to his mind and into the darkness, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and here seed.” That promised seed is Christ, the desire of all nations. And there, through him, there was opened to man the way back from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God, and from the mind of Satan unto the true mind of man, the mind of Christ.ibid 31.4
And from that day to this the word to man has ever been, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” This is otherwise expressed in another word, which from that day to this has ever been rung out from God to man,—“Repent;” that is, change your mind.ibid 31.5
Christ is the gift of God to man, to lead him out of the darkness into the light; from the mind of Satan to the mind of God. He is the Way, and the only way, out of the darkness and into the light, from the power and mind of Satan to the power and mind of God. Ibid 31.6
Jesus chose unlearned fishermen because they had not been schooled in the traditions and erroneous customs of their time. They were men of native ability, and they were humble and teachable,—men whom He could educate for His work. In the common walks of life there is many a man patiently treading the round of daily toil, unconscious that he possesses powers which, if called into action, would raise him to an equality with the world’s most honored men. The touch of a skillful hand is needed to arouse those dormant faculties. It was such men that Jesus called to be His colaborers; and He gave them the advantage of association with Himself. Never had the world’s great men such a teacher. When the disciples came forth from the Saviour’s training, they were no longer ignorant and uncultured. They had become like Him in mind and character, and men took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. - DA 250.1
It is not the highest work of education to communicate knowledge merely, but to impart that vitalizing energy which is received through the contact of mind with mind, and soul with soul. It is only life that can beget life. What privilege, then, was theirs who for three years were in daily contact with that divine life from which has flowed every life-giving impulse that has blessed the world! Above all his companions, John the beloved disciple yielded himself to the power of that wondrous life. He says, “The life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us.” “Of His fullness have all we received, and grace for grace.” - DA 250.2
The greatest deception of the human mind in Christ’s day was that a mere assent to the truth constitutes righteousness. In all human experience a theoretical knowledge of the truth has been proved to be insufficient for the saving of the soul. It does not bring forth the fruits of righteousness. A jealous regard for what is termed theological truth often accompanies a hatred of genuine truth as made manifest in life. The darkest chapters of history are burdened with the record of crimes committed by bigoted religionists. The Pharisees claimed to be children of Abraham, and boasted of their possession of the oracles of God; yet these advantages did not preserve them from selfishness, malignity, greed for gain, and the basest hypocrisy. They thought themselves the greatest religionists of the world, but their so-called orthodoxy led them to crucify the Lord of glory. - DA 309.2
The same danger still exists. Many take it for granted that they are Christians, simply because they subscribe to certain theological tenets. But they have not brought the truth into practical life. They have not believed and loved it, therefore they have not received the power and grace that come through sanctification of the truth. Men may profess faith in the truth; but if it does not make them sincere, kind, patient, forbearing, heavenly-minded, it is a curse to its possessors, and through their influence it is a curse to the world. - DA 309.3
Jesus takes up the commandments separately, and explains the depth and breadth of their requirement. Instead of removing one jot of their force, He shows how far-reaching their principles are, and exposes the fatal mistake of the Jews in their outward show of obedience. He declares that by the evil thought or the lustful look the law of God is transgressed. One who becomes a party to the least injustice is breaking the law and degrading his own moral nature. Murder first exists in the mind. He who gives hatred a place in his heart is setting his feet in the path of the murderer, and his offerings are abhorrent to God. - DA 310.2
It is the love of self that brings unrest. When we are born from above, the same mind will be in us that was in Jesus, the mind that led Him to humble Himself that we might be saved. Then we shall not be seeking the highest place. We shall desire to sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of Him. We shall understand that the value of our work does not consist in making a show and noise in the world, and in being active and zealous in our own strength. The value of our work is in proportion to the impartation of the Holy Spirit. Trust in God brings holier qualities of mind, so that in patience we may possess our souls. - DA 330.4
The Lord says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.” Isaiah 26:3. Our lives may seem a tangle; but as we commit ourselves to the wise Master Worker, He will bring out the pattern of life and character that will be to His own glory. And that character which expresses the glory—character—of Christ will be received into the Paradise of God. A renovated race shall walk with Him in white, for they are worthy. - DA 331.2
When the mind is not under the direct influence of the Spirit of God, Satan can mold it as he chooses. All the rational powers which he controls he will carnalize. He is directly opposed to God in his tastes, views, preferences, likes and dislikes, choice of things and pursuits; there is no relish for what God loves or approves, but a delight in those things which He despises; therefore a course is maintained which is offensive to Him. - 1MCP 22.3
Only If We Yield—Satan cannot touch the mind or intellect unless we yield it to him.— Manuscript 17, 1893. (The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 6:1105.) - 1MCP 26.1
Satan Uses Influences of Mind on Mind—Cast out of heaven, Satan set up his kingdom in this world, and ever since he has been untiringly striving to seduce human beings from their allegiance to God. He uses the same power that he used in heaven—the influence of mind on mind. Men become tempters of their fellowmen. The strong, corrupting sentiments of Satan are cherished, and they exert a masterly, compelling power. Under the influence of these sentiments, men bind up with one another in confederacies, in trade unions, and in secret societies. There are at work in the world agencies that God will not much longer tolerate.— Letter 114, 1903 - 1MCP 28.3
Satan’s Studied Purpose to Employ Powers for Selfish Ends—Satan has nets and snares, like the snares of the fowler, all prepared to entrap souls. It is his studied purpose that men shall employ their God-given powers for selfish ends rather than yield them to glorify God. God would have men engage in a work that will bring them peace and joy and will render them eternal profit; but Satan wants us to concentrate our efforts for that which profiteth not, for the things that perish with the using.—The Present Truth, September 1, 1910. - 1MCP 28.4
What Religion Does—True religion ennobles the mind, refines the taste, sanctifies the judgment, and makes its possessor a partaker of the purity and the holiness of Heaven. It brings angels near and separates us more and more from the spirit and influence of the world. It enters into all the acts and relations of life and gives us the “spirit of a sound mind,” and the result is happiness and peace.—The Signs of the Times, October 23, 1884. - 1MCP 34
We have seen that, possessed of the mind that is in Satan, and so dwelling in the darkness, man sees the things of God, the things of the creation of God, in directly reverse order. The things that are not in anywise so he sees to be the only things that are really so. And with that mind, and in that darkness, he never can see otherwise. But the gift of Christ has been made, that man might escape from this false mind and its darkness. In the mercy of God, he is called to change his mind, to “let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus.” This change, from the darkness to the light, from the mind of Satan to the mind of Christ, places man where he can again see the creation as it is. And the word of God spoken directly to man is the only means of maintaining this proper standing and relation to God, and to the creation of which he is again a part. “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” “If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creation.” And from the darkness unto the light, from the power and mind of Satan to the power and mind of God, Christ alone is the Way. And Christian growth is nothing else than under the brooding power of the Spirit by God, the transformation of the Spirit of God, the transformation of the man by the renewing of his mind, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, where he stands again in perfect unity with God and the creation of which he is a part, and wherein again he shall be able to correctly read the thought of God in the word of God to him directly, and the thought of God also to him through his word in creation. And from the darkness where the light meets him, and from the subverted mind which is supplanted by the true mind, the mind of Christ,—from there unto the standing in his native place in perfect unity with God and the creation, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, the word of God, spoken directly to him, under the brooding power of the Spirit of God, is the true guide. Thus Christ, as the word of God, and the word of God in Christ, is the only way to the correct reading of the word of God in creation.ibid 61.1
The necessity of man’s having another than the natural mind in order to do right thinking, is emphasized in Lord’s call, in the words, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” ibid 61.2
As near as any man can come with his own native, natural mind, to think- ing correctly concerning God, is no nearer than earth is to heaven. But the expression, “as far as earth is from heaven,” is the very expression of ultimate, infinite distance. Then, since man’s natural thoughts concerning God are as far from being correct as earth is from heaven, so as near as a man can come with his own natural mind to thinking correctly concerning God, is as far as he could possibly get away from it.
The only true thoughts concerning God are the thoughts of God himself. The only true thoughts, then, that any man can have concerning God, are God’s own thoughts. And since these thoughts are as far from man as the heavens are from the earth, the only way that ever a man can possibly get them is for the Lord to give them to him. And the only way in which the Lord can give to a man his thoughts, is for him to speak to the man; for only words express thoughts. And this demands that there shall be a revelation of God, from God direct to man. God has spoken to man, and this in order that man shall know.
To be continued...
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