Is anyone familiar with this teaching of the 'Christ Mind'?

[Ziku]

Firstly, greetings all. I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season.

So, my friends, I am new to this group, well this is my first post anyway. Let me just start off by saying usually around this time of year, I do some sort of 'stocktake' on the past year and how I can hope to try and improve the following year. I was researching some spiritual growth type of materials on the web and came across this gentleman called Robert. A. Clark who is a proponent of this teaching of 'The Christ Mind' (probably synonymous with 'Christ Consciousness'). Here is what he writes right off the bat:

The Christ Mind

Let this Mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 2 : 5)

“I and My Father are One”

is the seed, (the idea), that will lead us into the ‘Kingdom of God’... into a consciousness of Oneness... into the ‘Christ Mind’! This seemingly egotistical idea sets in motion the real Spiritual Rebirth. By no other means can we enter the Kingdom of God. By no other means can we attain the Christ Mind.
​

Now to me this seems like eastern mysticism/New-Age teaching under the guise of Christianity but I'm not as knowledgeable on some of these matters. A quick glance through this book (freely available online called The Christ Mind -- 440 pages approx) shows also a denial of Christ's deity. As I said however, I am not as studied to be able to label or distinguish from which school of though these teachings originate, and that whole new-age movement of the 60s and 70s was before my time.

Kindly brothers and sisters, does anyone know more about these teachings and care to share your thoughts and opinions? I am very interested to see what some of y'all have to say. It smacks of all that "Law of Attraction' teaching that was all the craze some years back, not so long ago now.

I look forward to your responses.

For reference sake the links are:

The website: www . thechristmind . org
The book: www . thechristmind . org/thechristmind . pdf

 

[CGL1023]

I would say it sounds somewhat like Roy Masters -- with that conclusion I would stop reading it. I don't know much about Roy Masters but I have never liked anything he says. I think his teachings are New Age but I am not trying to be an expert on him.

 

[friend of]

Hmm well, as Christians we deeply desire to conform to the likeness of Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:18
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

10 Bible verses about Imitating Jesus

 

[MyGivenNameIsKeith]

The Father is the mind, The Son the body, The Holy Spirit the spirit. Just as we are made in his image... mind, body, and spirit. It is much more to find your knowledge of Christ, in the Word of God. The way is plain to those who seek the holy nature of God. Likewise, the knowledge that is known of God is given to those who ask. It is unwise to read 440 pages of a book riddled with a false mysticism that would beset you and lead you to a conscious path away from the living God.

 

[amariselle]

Firstly, greetings all. I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season.

So, my friends, I am new to this group, well this is my first post anyway. Let me just start off by saying usually around this time of year, I do some sort of 'stocktake' on the past year and how I can hope to try and improve the following year. I was researching some spiritual growth type of materials on the web and came across this gentleman called Robert. A. Clark who is a proponent of this teaching of 'The Christ Mind' (probably synonymous with 'Christ Consciousness'). Here is what he writes right off the bat:

The Christ Mind

Let this Mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. (Phillipians 2 : 5)

“I and My Father are One”

is the seed, (the idea), that will lead us into the ‘Kingdom of God’... into a consciousness of Oneness... into the ‘Christ Mind’! This seemingly egotistical idea sets in motion the real Spiritual Rebirth. By no other means can we enter the Kingdom of God. By no other means can we attain the Christ Mind.
​

Now to me this seems like eastern mysticism/New-Age teaching under the guise of Christianity but I'm not as knowledgeable on some of these matters. A quick glance through this book (freely available online called The Christ Mind -- 440 pages approx) shows also a denial of Christ's deity. As I said however, I am not as studied to be able to label or distinguish from which school of though these teachings originate, and that whole new-age movement of the 60s and 70s was before my time.

Kindly brothers and sisters, does anyone know more about these teachings and care to share your thoughts and opinions? I am very interested to see what some of y'all have to say. It smacks of all that "Law of Attraction' teaching that was all the craze some years back, not so long ago now.

I look forward to your responses.

For reference sake the links are:

The website: www . thechristmind . org
The book: www . thechristmind . org/thechristmind . pdf

"Christ-consciousness" is definitely a New Age teaching. I would stay away from anything that promotes it and mixes it up with Scripture.

I would also stay away from anything that denies Christ's deity. Just from what you wrote (I'm not familiar with the book or the author) I would say he is promoting "another Jesus."

God bless.

 

[Ziku]

Thank you all sincerely for your comments thus far and you have so far confirmed my suspicions. I do not intend on reading the book. It is, I must say, quite seductive in it's rendering. The thing that set off alarm bells quite instantly is 'languagery' such as 'Oneness', 'the spirit' (with a small 's'), 'source' etc. etc. I'm not so familiar with it, but I suspect this is New-Age teaching/mysticism. I just wish I could find a more definitive refutation of this teaching/book/author whether online or off, but it seems the author has seemed to fly under the radar so-to-speak. I may call in to one of the various Christian talk shows I regularly listen to via satellite. Thanks once again so far and God bless you all.

 

[Sarah G]

Basically he is saying that the 'self' or 'I' that everyone feels is a spark of God. Like God is an ocean and you have a drop of the ocean in you. We are all ocean and yearn to get our drop of ocean back to the ocean proper, because separation is unpleasant (his view, not mine). He believes that because we all have the drop of ocean (God) or the spark that we are all gods. ​

He doesn't believe Lord Jesus Christ is his saviour, rather he believes that Jesus was self-realised, that is to say, that Jesus knew that he had a spark of God in him, therefore he knew that he was God...or a god...that he was/is one with God.
​

Why the concept of being one with everything is not a Christian belief is a whole other thread.

I have tried really hard to explain something here but I fear that I am not doing a good job!

TLDR: Whenever someone tells you that they are God or a god or that you are God or a god, run away very quickly!


The Christ Mind

God...
is the 'I am' within us.


We are all One.
(The Christ Mind)

The 'I' within me that says, 'I' am Robert.
The 'I' within you that says 'I' am John / Jane Doe,
or whoever, is the same 'I' that said,
some two thousand years ago,
"I and my Father are one."

The belief that we are mere 'Human beings',
is the greatest of all illusions.
Man is the Spirit of God embodied.
' I ' am the 'light' that lighteth every man that cometh into the World.


''Our salvation does not lie in accepting Gods son 'Jesus' as our Lord and savior. It lies in realizing and accepting the fact that the Eternal Himself (the Father), is the "I" within us! As Jesus realized! When we see that the "I" within us is our true identity, and that this "I" IS God (the Father), we begin to take upon ourselves the 'likeness of the Father'. That likeness, is the Christ! In this realization lies our salvation.''

The scriptures tell us that Man is made in the image and likeness of God. If we were taught as little children, that we are 'gods', we would be more naturally inclined to make this realization our goal in life as we grow and mature. To instruct us in achieving this end, is the responsibility of the Church! Our purpose in life should be to 'become as aware of being God (the Father), as 'Jesus' was'. To become the Christ, and to function AS the Christ (as the Father), must become our ultimate purpose, our ultimate goal in Life! Only in this consciousness, can we attain the transfiguration. Only in this consciousness, can we experience the ascension as did Enoch of old. In this consciousness, we need never die!

"I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me there is no savior."
Isaiah, 43 ; 11

Source: The Essence ofThe Christ Mind

 

[Blood Bought 1953]

God has given us free will...we are free to believe any anti Bible hogwash we choose.Best of luck with it!

 

[Ziku]

Basically he is saying that the 'self' or 'I' that everyone feels is a spark of God. Like God is an ocean and you have a drop of the ocean in you. We are all ocean and yearn to get our drop of ocean back to the ocean proper, because separation is unpleasant (his view, not mine). He believes that because we all have the drop of ocean (God) or the spark that we are all gods. ​

He doesn't believe Lord Jesus Christ is his saviour, rather he believes that Jesus was self-realised, that is to say, that Jesus knew that he had a spark of God in him, therefore he knew that he was God...or a god...that he was/is one with God.
​

Why the concept of being one with everything is not a Christian belief is a whole other thread.

I have tried really hard to explain something here but I fear that I am not doing a good job!

TLDR: Whenever someone tells you that they are God or a god or that you are God or a god, run away very quickly!

Thanks, Sarah, for that response.

I get the gist of what you are saying, and actually that is the same problem I had, namely trying to cut through or parse the convoluted metaphysical language employed by proponents of these types of teachings. There is much psycho-babble, for lack of a better term, that is used in that book.

I already had suspicions right from the get-go and you're right, as soon as I came across those terms such as 'oneness', 'the source' etc. it was already suspect. Then of course I came across that infamous 'we are Gods' teaching then I just stopped reading at that point. It's that little gods teaching except this author is so bold as to claim we are God (with the big 'G')!!! That's downright blasphemous. I mean if humans were God, then explain how a human being -- deranged one at that -- could go on a murderous tirade into a church building, shoot and kill what on the surface would appear to be other believers? Another thing this author said was that the 'outward perception' we have of our self is the satan. Again looking at the case of say a mass murderer who does not have The Holy Spirit dwelling within, and who has not been saved I'm reminded of this passage of Scripture:

25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? (Matt 12:25-26)
​

So how could satan, let alone God destroy himself? Clearly this 'Christ Mind' teaching is a heretical false teaching.

Many thanks for your response, I appreciate it.

God bless.

 

[MyGivenNameIsKeith]

Thanks, Sarah, for that response.

I get the gist of what you are saying, and actually that is the same problem I had, namely trying to cut through or parse the convoluted metaphysical language employed by proponents of these types of teachings. There is much psycho-babble, for lack of a better term, that is used in that book.

I already had suspicions right from the get-go and you're right, as soon as I came across those terms such as 'oneness', 'the source' etc. it was already suspect. Then of course I came across that infamous 'we are Gods' teaching then I just stopped reading at that point. It's that little gods teaching except this author is so bold as to claim we are God (with the big 'G')!!! That's downright blasphemous. I mean if humans were God, then explain how a human being -- deranged one at that -- could go on a murderous tirade into a church building, shoot and kill what on the surface would appear to be other believers? Another thing this author said was that the 'outward perception' we have of our self is the satan. Again looking at the case of say a mass murderer who does not have The Holy Spirit dwelling within, and who has not been saved I'm reminded of this passage of Scripture:

25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: 26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? (Matt 12:25-26)
​

So how could satan, let alone God destroy himself? Clearly this 'Christ Mind' teaching is a heretical false teaching.

Many thanks for your response, I appreciate it.

God bless.

In other words, what we are all saying, is read your Bible.