Christ said that “He knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for He Himself knew what was in man.” Jn 2.25. What is the spirit of man? It is the carnal spirit. Man naturally has a spirit of self-justification. Man excuses sin and blames others for their faults. The natural man has a spirit of accusing others of the same sins they excuse in themselves. Rm 2.15. The natural man loves the sin and hates the sinner, while God loves the sinner and hates the sin. Gods' Spirit is totally opposed to the natural spirit of man. Man says love your friends and hate your enemies. They love those that love them and hate their enemies, but God on the other hand asks of the born again Christian to “love your enemies and do good to those that despitefully use you and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you.” Mt 5:44.
The spirit of Christ or the Spirit that actuated and moved Him is totally opposed to man's spirit. God asks us to forgive those who maliciously harm and oppose us. Christ on the cross prayed for His persecutors and asked His Father to forgive them, for He said, “They know not what they do” Lk 23.34. When the Roman soldiers punched Christ on the face, he meekly asked what was His crime. What was His sin? What would have been our response? We would have arced up and spat fire at such unjust treatment. We would have stood up for ourselves and for our offended rights. However, the Spirit of Prophecy says Christ did not contend for His rights. He didn't defend Himself or stick up for Himself.
Christ was often silent and patient. However, the spirit of man is that of impatience. Christ stands for truth and the people's salvation. He labors untiringly and takes no thought for the sake of self. Man says gimme, gimme, gimme this thing, give me that thing. Christ's Spirit thinks of His Father, His angels and His Father's kingdom. Man thinks of number one, Me, myself and the other me that nobody knows.
My task is to compare man's spirit and Christ's, that we may compare ourselves to Christ and see what spirit we are. Now why? Some of us may be mistaken of what spirit we are! Jesus said of James and John His disciples, that they did not know what spirit they were of. They were called sons of thunder, natural men. Christian? Certainly. Servants of God? Yes. But they still were not born again. Like so many Christians. People put down the disciples, but they were better Christians than most of us at that age.
Christ asks His Spirit-filled and Spirit-led people to live for the future, whereas the spirit of the world is to live for today, the here and now. Live for the moment. Live for the day.
The spirit of man when abused is to rant and rage, accuse, point the finger or pout. The spirit of Christ enables a spirit of long suffering, patient endurance and quietude. Christ's Spirit is of peace within, while all mankind has a Spirit of warfare, turmoil and strife. The Bible says ”There is no peace to the wicked,” they are like the raging sea, foaming out their rage and discontent. Christ's Spirit offers rest for human restlessness.
Christ said, “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Mt 11:28-30. Christ's offer is to those who do not have his spirit of rest.
Man's spirit is of warfare, turmoil and strife. Christ's Spirit is one of peace and rest. The Spirit of man is of much bitterness and dissatisfaction. Whereas Christ's abiding Spirit fills the God-shaped hole. Man's spirit chafes and stresses while Christ's grace smoothes the machinery of relations and calms, lessening friction. Man is empty and hollow within, while Christ is full of the abundant life. Man is empty while Christ is rich in grace. His is a Spirit that satisfies. Christ's Spirit evokes contentment, while man is naturally discontented. Man is dissatisfied, Christ alone can satisfy the heart of man. Christ's Spirit is of supreme love to God and impartial love to man: while man's spirit is of partial partisan love and much hatred.
But Christ's Spirit evokes love and His love suffers long. His love is kind, love does not envy others, love does not parade itself , and love is not puffed up. Love does not behave itself unseemly. Love seeketh not her own. Love is not easily provoked. Christ's Spirit thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in truth. Christ's Spirit bears all things, endures all things. Christ's Spirit bears with all kinds of mistreatment, it believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Christ's Spirit is not jealous or boastful, it is not arrogant or rude. Christ's Spirit does not insist on its own way. Christ's Spirit is not irritable or resentful. Such divine love does no wrong. This is the spirit that Christ inspires in the new birth. Is this you?
