"The Spirit Of Christ"
From the way a great many people talk it is evident that they do not understand what the Spirit of Christ is. With some it seems to be a sort of a "fit-in" of sweetness regardless of what conditions exist. I am certain that such a spirit is not the Spirit of Christ.
The language of the Holy Spirit, through Paul, has this for us to consider. "Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Rom. 8:9.) Let it be remembered that this language was directed to the church. The church must have the Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of Christ is exactly where the blood of Christ is. Figuratively speaking, the blood of Christ is in his body, just like my blood is in my body. But the body of Christ is the church. "For his body's sake, which is the church." (Col. 1:24.) So the blood of Christ is in his church. Since the Spirit of Christ is where the blood of Christ is, it follows that the Spirit of Christ is in the church. One, then, must be a member of the Lord's church in order to possess the Spirit of Christ.
Since one cannot reach the body of Christ unless one is "baptized into Christ," it is evident that one cannot possess the Spirit of Christ without being baptized. (Gal. 3:27.) Many people are loud and long in their claims of having the Spirit of Christ, or Holy Spirit, and yet they are as loud and long in arguing against the necessity of baptism as a saving act in salvation. The Scriptures are very plain in teaching that we do not receive "the gift of the Spirit" until we receive water baptism. "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38.) Until one is baptized in the name of the "holy three," as revealed in Matthew 28:19, that one does not have the Spirit of Christ, neither has that one reached the blood of Christ. In no sense does one have any reason to confuse the "gift of the Spirit" which all true believers receive at baptism, with Holy Spirit baptism, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as in the case of the apostles and Cornelius. The gift of the Spirit and baptism of the Spirit are in no sense identical. If one has the Spirit of Christ, one also has the Holy Spirit, and one also has the Spirit of God. We cannot have one without having the other two. Where one is all are.
We manifest the Spirit of Christ in at least four different ways. These four ways we now call to your attention.
1. When we teach as he taught we manifest the Spirit of Christ. To talk about having the Spirit of Christ, as many do, and then deny some of the things Christ taught is folly indeed. Jesus taught: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved." (Mark 16:15-16.) Now if we have the Spirit of Christ we will teach the same thing. To say we have the Spirit of Christ, and yet to reject baptism in order to be saved, is evidence a plenty that we have neither God or Christ's Spirit at all. Let us read the following Scripture: "Whosoever goeth onward, and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the teaching of Christ, he hath bath the Father and the Son." (2 John 9.) This quotation is from the Revised Version. Our Lord taught that we must commune weekly. Many who claim to have the Spirit of Christ do not commune at all. Just how can one reason-ably claim to have the Spirit of Christ when that one refuses the teaching of Christ.
2. We manifest the Spirit of Christ when we love what he loved. Christ loved the heavenly Father enough to obey him. (Heb. 5:8-9.) If we have the Spirit of Christ we will also love the heavenly Father enough to obey, him. Make no claim to the Spirit of Christ when we are living in disobedience to God.
Christ loves all his followers. Do we love our brothers and sisters in the Lord? Or do we love some and hate some? If we hate we are as murderers. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer." (1 John 3:15.) If we claim to love the Lord and hate our brethren, the Holy Spirit classifies us as "liars." (1 John 4:20.)
"Jesus loved the church and gave himself for it." If we have the Spirit of Christ, we, too, will love the church, and give ourselves for it. Indifferent members of the church are not manifesting the Spirit of Christ.
Our Lord loved "righteousness." Yes, he went about doing good. He commended the good in people. Do we love righteousness? Or are we just lukewarm? We must pursue righteousness if we make good our claim that we have the Spirit of Christ. And we must go about doing good, and commending the good others are doing.
3. But to manifest the Spirit of Christ we must hate what he hated. Of our Lord it was said, "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity." (Heb. 1:9.) Jesus could not condone sin. He was opposed to evil in every form. How one can claim to possess the Spirit of Christ, and then uphold drinking, gambling, dancing, and what have you, I just don't know. "Sin no more," was the admonition of Jesus to the woman caught in adultery.
4. We also must live as he lived to manifest the Spirit of Christ. We will not live to perfection all the time as Jesus lived. But we will improve our living. Our speech will be more holy. Our good deeds will be more generous. We will multiply our kind words and diminish our unkind words. Our "meat will be to do the will of him that sent Jesus." Our prayer will be: "Thy will be done."
Because Jesus was good does not mean that he was mushy and soft. He condemned sin, and sinners. His speech at times was plain and cutting. It had to be. Circumstances determined how strong was the teaching of Jesus. To imbibe his Spirit, and to follow his lead, should be our every aim.