the first one encourages proactive taking on of the burden of mental conditions,
He is saying that mental illness is medical.
But to me it looks like the Bible is clear how our minds have a spiritual level of function, not only a medical-physical level.
And the Holy Spirit gives us a spirit of "a sound mind" (2 Timothy 2:7), and we have > "be renewed in the spirit of your mind." (Ephesians 4:23) And we need the mind of Jesus, which is spiritual (Philippians 2:5-11). And Jesus is almighty so no power can keep us from having His mind.
Physical genes do not decide what is possible with God, spiritually.
So, to me there is our spiritual level of having a healthy mind.
And there are spiritual things . . . of sin . . . which make us unsound > every one of us, because every one of us is not perfectly like Jesus. So, if I am correct about this > every one of us is mentally still more or less ill. And we need to get the diagnosis right so we can understand what is needed and how to be cured.
God is committed to curing what is because of sin. There is no option about if God wants to cure us of what is sinful in how our spiritual minds are working.
"Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16)
"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted." (Galatians 6:1)
So, as we get God's correction of our spiritual minds, now we are to have compassion for others >
"He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness." (Hebrews 5:2)
So, he is right to say not to condemn anyone with mental illness. But we need to deal with however sin is effecting the person's spiritual mind so the person spiritually is not functioning in the mind of Jesus > Philippians 2:5-11. If someone is not obeying our basic Christian command to have the mind of Christ, then somehow the person is not obedient, and Paul says there is "the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience." (in Ephesians 2:2)
I would say all of us are not obeying by having the mind of Jesus the way we need to. So, there are no special cases of mentally disobedient people; we all need more curing and correction > Hebrews 12:4-14.
"And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." (Ephesians 5:2)
Are we all loving any and all people, like Jesus on the cross cared for and had hope for any and all evil people???? And do we "first of all", then, pray with hope for any and all evil people, including wrong politicians???? 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
If we are functioning in the mind of Christ, we do love like this. And this comes from our spiritual heart.
But the speaker says there are lies of unworthiness which come from the heart of mentally ill people. If these come from the heart, the heart is spiritual! And Satan is the father of lies, right? So, if someone is claimed to be mentally ill, but is trusting evil thoughts from one's spiritual heart, the person has a heart problem . . . including if he or she believes he or she can not be loved by God. Romans 5:5 is so clear, how the Holy Spirit shares God's own love with every child of God, "in our hearts"; so it is a spiritual problem if a person's heart is telling that one he or she is not worthy to be loved by God.
So, I am concerned if the speaker knows what he is saying.
After all > in case a problem is only organic, in somebody's brain > the person spiritually can be loving and caring like Jesus. One's physical brain does not decide how our character is like Jesus or selfish. A physical medical problem can not stop God from sharing His own love with us, "in our hearts". Because God's love is almighty and "casts out fear", we have in 1 John 4:18.
So, it is crucial to get the diagnosis correct, so we know what needs spiritual correction and curing . . . which we all need, more or less.
He talked about "fears". Well, the Bible is clear how God's love with almighty power "casts out fear, because fear involves torment," we have in 1 John 4:18. And yes it is clear how fears are included in a number of mental illnesses. So, in such a case, I have to offer how there is sin in the mix, if we are giving in to fear because we are not God's way in His love.
God's word is clear > "Be anxious for nothing" > Philippians 4:6-7 > no fear, then, is excused as being only a medical condition, then, I have to consider. My paranoid stuff, then, is sin, since it involves fears and lying to myself about what is not true about people. Plus, in my reacting to problem people I always am imagining unloving ways of dealing with them; how I am capable of reacting is an indication of how my character-spiritual really is, yes or no????
My character is spiritual, like God's love or not. I find that as God changes my nature, now I am more natural to first care about problem people and not trust the lies I get in my imagination, plus pray with caring and blessing and compassion and hope for problem people.
My main problem, then, of my paranoid nonsense is my own selfish self which has me reacting in ways mainly caring about my own self and having control. But it is written >
"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)
So, wanting to control problem people, wanting to lord myself over them to control and condemn them, is not God's way; so it is sin in my mental function. It is anti-Jesus, not only some innocent brain function problem . . . I would say.
Also > "if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" (in Matthew 5:46)
I suspect many people have major mental problems because they have made idols out of certain people. And so they are weak so they can give in to worry and how worry pathologically lies to them in their minds. This is because they have a love problem in their nature so they can pick and choose their love idols and then be ravaged and abused and raped or molested by the lying and torment of worry.
So, a major player in mental problems is because of our selfish loving and being concerned only or mainly about our own selves. And this is sin because Jesus clearly says we must deny ourselves in order to follow Him > Luke 9:23.
But the video speaker is right to say not to stigmatize and condemn ones who have more obvious mental trouble. But I would test if and how anyone's mental problems are only medical . . . only in one's brain chemistry which is physical. I would not assume that secular people are qualified to get this diagnosing correct; a lot of them don't even believe we have our spiritual level of function. And they are saying mental problems can not be cured by medications. Well, of course they can't, if our personalities have spiritual roots and our fears come and get the better of us by means of our sin weakness. And if we are thinking lies which maintain us in deep trouble, this is not obeying how Jesus guarantees us "rest for your souls", in Matthew 11:28-30.
"'Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.'" (Matthew 11:28-29)
This is commanded by Jesus. A physical medical problem can not stop us from loving in God's grace with His own peace in our hearts which are spiritual. So, in case a person is suffering mentally and emotionally and is not submitting to our Father in His peace > Colossians 3:15 < God's word says there is "the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience," in Ephesians 2:2.
It is clear in scripture, that we can live in God's peace, even while we have medical problems. Paul says he even took "pleasure" in his "infirmities", right? 2 Corinthians 12:7-15. So, if a mental illness is really only organic, then deeper we can be submitting in our spiritual hearts to God's grace changing us to have the mind of Jesus and so we are loving any and all others as ourselves.
Any of us, in my opinion, still can give in to Satanic things of fear and worry and lies in our minds. And God is committed to correcting us so we function more in His love. This is not optional, something that "maybe" God will do > this is basic to what His grace almighty succeeds in doing in us. So, why trust and worship excuses??
