Text: Philippians 2:5

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Introduction:

CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) Los Vegas, Miami, New York, Criminal Minds, all TV shows. 

Profiling: Behavioral Evidence, the Practice of Patterns.

Investigate the scene, the clues lead to a person, and then investigate the person (a person of interest). They often profile the mind of a criminal.

But what about “Christian Scene Investigation?” Profiling the Mind of a Christian.

What role can profiling (Behavioral Evidence) play in determining whether you and I are committed followers of Christ? 

Jesus profiled the Scribes and Pharisee. Matthew 23:25-26 (heart problem)

Paul profiled the Church at Corinth. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (mind problem)

If you had to assign a degree of trustworthiness in financial matters to, say, Barnabas or Ananias and Sapphira, who would you choose? 

Barnabas had developed a reputation in the early church.

Acts 11:24

For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

When Barnabas brought a gift of money to give to the early church, there is no evidence that either his motives or honesty were questioned.

Acts 4:36-37

36, And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,

37, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.

But, Ananias and Sapphira were immediately revealed to be greedy deceivers who apparently had little or no history in the church 

Acts 5:1-11

    1.      Paul the Profiler

The apostle Paul was a profiler of sorts.

Titus 1:6-9 (1 Timothy 3:1-13)

Paul “profiles” Christian leaders (elders and deacons). If you have men among you who have displayed these characteristics and behaviors in the past, Paul indicates, they will likely make good leaders in the future. 

We still use Paul’s profiles when choosing elders and deacons in the church today. 

He also profiled bad leaders.

Titus 1:10-11

In addition, Paul profiles people whose lives are under the control of the Holy Spirit 

Galatians 5:22-23

22, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

23, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Paul also profiles people whose lives aren’t under the control of the Holy Spirit 

Galatians 5:19-21

19, Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

21, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The former manifests traits such as love, joy, and peace, and the latter displays behaviors such as immorality, discord, and selfish ambition. 

    2.      The Profile of Jesus

And that brings us to the bottom line of profiling in Christian Scene Investigation: Christlikeness is the ultimate profile because when a person is like Christ, we know the character traits and behaviors to expect. 

How do we develop the profile of Jesus? By having what the apostle Paul calls “the mind of Christ”

1 Corinthians 2:16

16, For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Philippians 2:5

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Every believer is to be filled and led by the same Holy Spirit that led Jesus;—living a life under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:9-10

9, But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

10, And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

Ephesians 5:18

18, And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

And just as Jesus was motivated to speak and act by God the Father through the Spirit 

John 5:30; 8:28, 42; 12:49; 14:10

So Christians are to speak by the Spirit’s leading.

Mark 13:11; Luke 12:12; John 16:13

If the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; Galatians 5:22-23) was the profile of Jesus (and it was), and if we have the same Spirit as Jesus (and we do), shouldn’t our profile be the same as His? The answer is, obviously, Yes. 

    3.      Profiling and Predictability

The human mind can actually become debased through sin 

Romans 1:28

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

We can pursue futile and vain goals and objectives in life 

Ephesians 4:17

his I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,

We can set our minds on temporal, earthly things instead of on heavenly things

Colossians 3:2

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

And we can allow our minds—our faith and confidence in God—to become shaken by events around us 

2 Thessalonians 2:2

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Those traits and behaviors are not of the Spirit. If they ever begin to characterize us, we can know that we have left the Spirit’s control and are not living with the mind of Christ. 

While criminal profiling always focuses on others, Christian profiling can focus on ourselves as well. If you developed a profile of your own life, using the fruit of the Spirit or the characteristics of a church leader as an outline, how close would it be to a profile of Jesus? The goal of Christian Scene Profiling is not judgment or a guilt trip, but motivation to renew our minds.

    4.      Closing

Romans 12:2

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Yielding to the Spirit moment by moment so as to have and manifest the mind of Christ. 

There’s nothing wrong with being predictable when it means showing up and acting like Jesus!