Some of the most prolific teachings and parables that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, taught us are those that were aimed at our minds and the way we think. He made it clear to us that the quality of our minds will overwhelmingly influence the quality of our lives. He brought us Good News about what he came to the earth to make available to us. This ‘Good News’ is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and by knowing and believing it, we can be transformed. We can change our minds to be in line with the mind of Christ, and this will catapult our faith to a level that pleases God and brings us an amazing amount of fulfillment in life.
To begin, let’s start with how things were when Jesus Christ walked upon this earth. People were in horrendous bondage. Sure, today we have our problems, and many of them are critical, but nothing compared to the oppression that many suffered during the time of Christ’s ministry on earth. The terror caused by the Roman government controlled the lives of people, and the condition of the poor and sick was like nothing we’ve ever seen. Life for them was incredibly hard, and when we consider this, we can relate to the words of Jesus Christ in Luke 4:18-19(NLT). He said, “18 The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.”
He spoke words of liberty, and he did so at a time when the minds of many were malnourished and suffering from a lack of truth. This was an enormous work for one man, but Jesus Christ was no ordinary man. He walked upon this earth fully God and fully man, and he showed us how to walk with the power of God’s Holy Spirit. He showed us how to break free from curses and darkness by our faith in God. He was not at all deterred or overwhelmed by the task that laid again. He was confident and compassionate because he knew who he was, and he knew who sent him. Jesus Christ walked with the power of the Holy Spirit. He did everything God wanted him to do, and he did it in an astoundingly short period of time.
Jesus Christ wanted the people to know that although they were enduring unspeakable hardship and bondage, there was a way to be free. This is the Good News, and we should embrace it more and more with each passing day. Folks living during the time that Jesus Christ was on the earth were not born again. They didn’t have the Holy Spirit as their Guide, Comforter, Teacher, and inner Source of power. Therefore, they had no concept of what it is to operate in, by, and through the Spirit. Jesus Christ is the King, the greatest King of all eternity. He left his throne to come to earth as a Messenger, High Priest, and Prime Minister. He did this to demonstrate something foundationally phenomenal for those of us living on earth, and it’s how to live with power and authority through him.
He said in John 14:6(NLT), “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” He personally showed us the way; because he IS the way. He showed us the truth, for he IS the truth. He showed us the life, for he IS the life! We had nothing more than a hint of what was available in the realm of God’s Kingdom, but Jesus Christ came down and brought it to us up-close, in person, live, and in technicolor.
Our High Priest is a King, and he was sent to earth, a planet that his Father created for the habitation of humanity. He was sent by God to make us a part of God’s Kingdom. Heavenly Father could have done things quite differently had He chose. He could have created us, and then given us a place in heaven to occupy instead of on earth, but He didn’t do things this way. Earth is the place of our dwelling, and our earth suit—the body—is the creation that allows us citizenship in this place. Without a body, we can’t be here. With a body, not only do we have life on earth, but we have received access to a more than abundant life through Jesus Christ.
To live in abundance, love, peace, joy, power and strength, we must operate here exactly as the Master taught us through His life, ministry, and example. We must have a Kingdom state of mind, which is the mind of Christ. We must understand that we are in the world, but not of it. We are inter-dimensional beings, for our bodies are on earth and our minds and hearts are always in that higher place.
Jesus Christ told us in Matthew 6:33(KJV), “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” You and I are commanded by Christ to seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness above all else. We are God’s children. We belong to Him, and we were created with His purpose in mind. If we veer away from His purpose, we will not be satisfied with the results life gives us. We cannot seek the world’s righteousness or seek our own system of righteousness. We are a part of God’s Kingdom, and God meant for us to rule over our lives through His Spirit—through HIS righteousness. There is no other way to be free of bondage and affliction; there is no other way to live a life of abundance, where God’s blessings and promises will flourish in our lives. We must seek God first in all that we attempt to do.
Access to God’s Kingdom is possible by having a relationship with Him through Christ. It’s what He’s wanted all along. He has established His Kingdom on earth through us, and if we will not take our rightful place as Kingdom dwellers on earth, then we are living far beneath our privilege. Understand that you must be filled with the inner prosperity and wholeness of Jesus Christ before your outward reality can be transformed. Study God’s Word so that you know Christ and his teachings in a greater way. Knowledge about Jesus Christ is the missing piece in every one’s life. He said in John 8:32(NLT), “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” If you pray earnestly, the Holy Spirit will give you the revelation that makes you confident in your Kingdom reality. Then, you will have reached a level that most have yet to discover, and like Jesus Christ, you will have the faith, love, peace, joy, and power that comes from a Kingdom state of mind! ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
“A Kingdom State of Mind”, written by Reverend Fran Mack, edited by Kim Times for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2016. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.