Introduction
Like many in their younger days, I became interested in Martial Arts. Although I did some Tae Kwon Do (the art of hand and foot), I gravitated to Jiu Jitu, a gentler form of Japanese unarmed combat and physical training. I wasn’t intrigued with breaking bricks and 2×4’s (it hurt) but wanted to be able to take down my opponent without physical damage, if need be. These arts, as do any art or sport, required devotion, a lot of time, and, much training. In martial arts, you would perform many “Katas” (meaning forms – like a dance)” over and over again until boredom is replaced with muscle memory. Repeating Katas, studying books, watching videos, and competing as much as you have time, becomes a passion and even a lifetime devotion for those pursuing these arts. The key and result was a development of “muscle memory” where Katas and defensive or offensive moves were administered without thought. You just did it. I remember reading and talking to competitors who were involved with weapons. Some took up swordsmanship using foils, sabers, rapiers, etc. were so proficient and had so much muscle memory that they could fight multiple opponents using both hands independently. This took many years of extreme discipline and training. They sacrificed everything, at any cost, to become the best at what they did. Another good example of muscle memory is that which is developed by musicians. A piano player has great muscle memory. He sees a note and his fingers automatically hit the keyboard without thinking where he has to put his hands. We as Christians have a goal of reaching a level of Holiness where all awareness of ourselves and of what God is doing through us is eliminated. “A Saint is never consciously a saint – a saint is consciously dependent on God.” (OC) Like Yoda you “don’t think, just do”. This is not muscle memory as I described above but is Spirit memory. You can also call it “Having the Mind of Christ” at all times, under all circumstances, and under any condition. This is the theme of this paper.
Definitions – my definitions for this paper
Discipline
Most of us know what discipline means but few of us want to put in the time, effort and dedication needed to be disciplined. I wrote in a previous paper that people, in general, are afraid of a disciplined man. Why? Because they can’t be controlled by things and circumstances around them.
“… but none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course…” the apostle Paul wrote in Acts 20:24.
The Mind of Christ
Having the mind of Christ is the state of being continuously in touch with Jesus that you don’t even have to think of Him or His will, you simply know it and do it.
Muscle Memory
The condition of your body where your muscles react to a stimulus without having to give it any thought. It is as though your muscles have a mind of their own. This is often exhibited in returning soldiers with PTSD. They react to stimuli without thinking. Sometimes to the detriment of family and friends. My son, who has PTSD, was in a restaurant with his family when he heard a loud exploding noise. Immediately he was under a table. Everyone laughed at him because it was only a backfiring car.
Knowing God
Many know of God but many, including Christians, do not know Him. I do not know Him but by only a little and that’s all it will ever be even though I continuously seek that goal with all my heart. I often think of things and reason that they are good and wise and that this must be what God is thinking. NO! I, we, must stop projecting my (our) humanness into Him. God is not human. He is an awesome and almighty God! He is Spirit, and we must talk to Him in Spirit and Truth.
The Path From From Here to There
In all honestly, I don’t know how to get there. If I follow what I do know, mentioned above, it means practice, practice, practice. Or, immerse myself in all things God until He is all there is left. In the spiritual sense, you can’t get there without the power of the Holy Spirit. However, you can discipline yourself. The Bible tells us the whole story of how to live this disciplined life. Remember, first, there is the natural “discipline yourself” and then comes the spiritual. The natural man must be overcome by the spiritual.
“However, the spiritual didn’t come first. The natural precedes the spiritual.” (1 Corinthians 15:46) TPT
Depending upon the individual, whether or not he is one who easily surrenders, getting there is a grueling and laborious exercise.
1. You have to know Him. Though you may be prompted by the Holy Spirit, the decision to follow Jesus is a personal one and must be a personal commitment made on a natural level. Continuing to get to know Him is also natural and personal. It takes the “renewing of your mind”. This takes time. You take time with a friend if you want to get to know him. Spending time with God is the only way you can get to know Him.
2. We must begin with what we have, and, we have the Holy Spirit. When I first became aware of my Born Again status my mind exploded and enlarged a thousand times. All things became new indeed. Without the Holy Spirit, I tried of my own accord to embrace the ministry thinking that is what He wanted. I went to a seminary and studied to become a priest. Being in the Seminary was a discipline of its kind and quite grueling for me, but that wasn’t what God wanted. I failed all the way. But, when I was Born Again I found a new companion in Jesus. I knew of Him before but never this way. I also found His Word. A handbook on how to get from “Here to There”. I devoured His Word and I continue to do so.
3. Read – He has written a Manual for us to read and follow. When I say “read” I mean read and study with a pen in hand and notebook by your side. By taking notes I recorded new revelations, unknown thoughts, and a means by which I applied His Word to my life. I remember when I first began to go to church regularly our pastor always had us wave our Bibles and notebooks in the air emphasizing that we should always have them with us in church. I carried a small Bible in my hip pocket so I could read the Bible any time I had a pause or break in my day. I read commentaries on His Word but reasoned and only believed if the commentaries confirmed what the Holy Spirit was saying. I read other books that gave me incite on how to defend my faith, history books, current events, and future events. The more I read and reread, the more understanding I had of Him and His ways. Do this and, continue in meditation on the Word, pray, worship, and praise. In time your Spiritual Memory will begin to take over. What you first learn through your head soon goes into your spirit and then is automatically projected out.
4. Meditate – Stop reading and think about what you are reading and what the Bible is saying. How does it become practical where I can apply it to my life. Seek understanding and knowledge always. Then stop and listen. You may hear Him speak, you may not. But continuously exercise these habits.
5. Pray – Yes, pray about (not for) your needs and desires. Pray for your loved ones, family and friends. Pray to know His will. Pray just to draw closer to Him. Then be silent. Stop again, enjoying His presence. Silence is as much as part of prayer as speaking.
6. Forgiveness – You can not come before His throne without forgiveness. You can not stand before Him soiled. He will not accept you. It is part of the cost where presumption has no place. Do not assume. Forgive and be forgiven. Make forgiveness an act of your will and an automatic response to adversity.
“So then, if you are presenting a gift before the altar in the temple and suddenly you remember a quarrel you have with a fellow believer, leave your gift there in front of the altar and go at once to apologize to the one who is offended. Then, after you have reconciled, come to the altar and present your gift.” (Matthew 5:23) TPT
7. Praise and Worship – Be sure when you praise and worship that you include reverence and a sense of awe, wonder, and amazement at that fact you are even able to spend time in His presence. I am also in the habit of worshiping and praying (in English and the Spirit) throughout my day whenever the thought hits me.
Let’s Put All This Together
Remember what we are looking for is a relationship with Him By Any Cost. We are looking to develop such a closeness to God that we don’t even have to think about it we just are.
The author Oswald Chambers (OC) says this: “Most of us live only within the level of consciousness – consciously serving and consciously devoted to God. This shows immaturity and the fact that we’re not yet living the real Christian life. Maturity is produced in the life of a child of God on the unconscious level until we become so totally surrendered to God that we are not even aware of being used by Him. When we are consciously aware of being used as broken bread and poured-out wine, we have yet another level to teach – a level where all awareness of ourselves and of what God is doing through us is eliminated.”
Wow! I am still working on the “broken bread and poured-out wine” part. I am writing this today because only today was I remembering my Martial Arts friends and the discipline, devotion, and time they put into their passion, applying this to Christianity. They practiced their art at any cost.
More Thoughts
God did not do everything for us on the Cross. He only delivered us from sin, not from our “self”. In many instances, we must deliver ourselves and not expect God to deliver us.
We must “… demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One. ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) TPT
Stop saying “I can’t” when you must. When you pray don’t say “I suffer from wondering thoughts.” Stop! God has given you the power and capacity to overcome but it takes continuing discipline and self-accountability. We have a carnal life that must be transformed into a spiritual life. It will cost you! It cost Jesus the Cross. That is what Paul meant when he stated that:
“My old identity has been co-crucified with Messiah and no longer lives; for the nails of his cross crucified me with Him. And now the essence of this new life is no longer mine, for the Anointed One lives his life through me— we live in union as one! My new life is empowered by the faith of the Son of God who loves me so much that he gave himself for me, and dispenses his life into mine! (Galatians 2:20) TPT
Conclusion
When all has been said and all efforts have been made, when you have gone through all your trials, temptations, illnesses, and persecution and your goal is reached, you will never know you are there.
“It is one thing to go through a crisis grandly, yet quite another to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, and no one paying even the remotest attention to us. … All that is noticed is the power of God coming through you all the time. To be utterly unnoticeable requires God’s Spirit in us making us absolutely humanly His.” OC
There is just you and your God. Nothing else matters. The peace that passes understanding will be all over you. You will only continue to persevere. You will be “in Christ’ as He is in you. You will have the mind of Christ and your effort “By Any Cost” will not even be realized. It will no longer be important.
My goal is God Himself… At any cost, dear lord, by any road. OC
The only thing left is the cost of the Cross and that was paid in full.
Enough Said
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O LORD, God of hosts.” (Jeremiah 15:16) ESV
