In 1 Corinthians 12:3 Paul says “No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit.” John writes something similar in 1 John 4:1-3, which reads, “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.” Both Paul and John emphasize the importance of the Holy Spirit in recognizing and confessing the truth about Jesus and his lordship.

But what exactly do these scriptures mean? Does the Holy Spirit miraculously work on some people’s hearts to bring about this confession? If so, why doesn’t He miraculously work to change everyone’s hearts so that all will confess the same truth? What exactly is the role of the Holy Spirit as it pertains to the Christian’s confession about Jesus?

No One Can Say “Jesus is Lord” Except in the Holy Spirit

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:1-3

As discussed in the previous part of this study, the Corinthians had become so consumed by their spiritual gifts that they had forgotten to use those spiritual gifts in the way they were intended to be used. That is, they were not governing the use of their spiritual gifts with Christ-imitating love.

As Paul addresses this problem, he begins by reminding them of something very important. Being led by the Spirit must not be confused with simply being led by something.

You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led.
1 Corinthians 12:2

Before the Corinthians became Christians, how is it that they had been led into paganism? We don’t know. Perhaps it was just an emotional pull in their heart. Maybe it was just how they were raised. Maybe they had been wrapped up in a cultural movement. We simply don’t know. But Paul’s point is clear. Whatever it is that led them into paganism, it clearly was not the Holy Spirit. People are led to believe certain things in many different ways, and not all of them are good. That is why Paul gave the Corinthians a test.

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 12:3

Just as the Holy Spirit had not been the one who had led the Corinthians into paganism, so also, when anyone says “Jesus is accursed”, it clearly was not the Holy Spirit leading them to say that.

Who is Paul talking about here? Who in Corinth was saying “Jesus is accursed,” and why were they saying it? Most likely, Paul was referring to the same people he referred to back in chapter 1, who rejected the word of the cross as foolishness.

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:18

The idea that Jesus became the anointed Lord of the world, not by conquering his enemies, but by dying at their hands, is a concept that many struggled to accept. To them, the word about the cross sounded foolish. Or as Paul put it,

We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:23-24

Why is it that some are able to see the wisdom of the cross, while others dismiss the cross as foolishness? According to Paul, the only way a person can wrap their mind around the wisdom of the cross is by the Spirit of God.

For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except by the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself judged by no one. For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:11-16

There are many clarifying observations which can be drawn from these verses. First, notice once again the close connection between a person’s “thoughts” and their “spirit.”

“Who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person which is in him?”
“No one comprehends the thoughts of God except by the Spirit of God”
“Human wisdom” is contrasted with what is “taught by the Spirit”
Those who are not “spiritually discerned” are not able to “understand” the things of the “Spirit” of God
The only way we can “understand the mind of the Lord” is if we “have the mind of Christ.”

Paul identifies the “spiritual” person as one who discerns, and understands the mind of Christ. As we learn to think like Christ, we accept the things of the Spirit of God.

Secondly, we can see that for Paul, following the Spirit of God is a choice. We must choose to accept the “words” which are “taught by the Spirit” rather than accept the “words taught by human wisdom.” We can only accept the wisdom of the cross as we choose to accept the God-breathed words of God’s Spirit.

With this idea in mind, Paul’s statement a few pages later in chapter 12 makes a lot of sense. The only way a person can confess that “Jesus is Lord” is to learn to think like God. We do this when we choose to accept His words, and we choose to mimic the mind which we see in Christ on the cross. So long as we dismiss the suffering as foolishness we will never be able to confess that Jesus is Lord. As long as we think of suffering as a curse to be avoided, we will be led to the conclusion that Jesus is accursed.

Instead of retaliating against and defeating his enemies, Jesus conquered them by dying for them. We must learn to think about suffering and personal sacrifice the same way the Spirit of God does. Without that, we will never truly be able to confess that Jesus is Lord.

By This You Know the Spirit of God

John teaches that we should discern the Spirit of God by giving a very similar test.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.
1 John 4:1-3

The people to whom John was writing were in danger of being confused, or worse, completely led astray by false prophets. The problem with a false prophet is that you cannot tell a false one from a true one, at least not at first sight. They seem devout. They seem sincere. They seem reasonable. They claim to be speaking a word from God. But John knew that not every teacher claiming to be from God actually teaches God’s words.

How can we tell the difference? How do we discern if a teacher’s ideas accurately reflect the mind of God or not? How do we “test the spirits”?

According to John, you must listen to their teachings very closely. Such people are not likely to come out and claim they are “anti-Christ,” but gradually their fatal flaw will be revealed. That is, when push comes to shove, they do not really believe that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.” Just as Paul’s opponents could not wrap their minds around the wisdom of the cross, so John’s opponents could not accept that Jesus’s death on the cross was actual, real, fleshly suffering and death. They could not accept that letting your flesh suffer was actually good news.

When they talked about Jesus, it was not the real Jesus, but a version of Jesus they made up for themselves – one that didn’t actually require the self-denial of the flesh. The Spirit of God, however, recognizes and embraces Jesus’s fleshly incarnation. Even though false prophets may sound convincing at first, they ultimately oppose Jesus as they oppose his fleshly suffering. The “spirit” they teach is described as “anti-Christ.”

The Significance of Confession

To confess that Jesus, who came, suffered, and died, in the flesh, is now the “Lord” is one of the most basic statements of the Christian faith (Rom. 10:9; Phil. 2:11). This confession is not simply about uttering the right words about Jesus, but really buying into the truth that the crucified Jesus really is the Lord. It is not enough to simply confess that we like a whole lot of things about Jesus. We must confess the real Jesus. The crucified Jesus.

Accepting the real Jesus is not easy. It requires that we accept the particular words, the words of God (1 Thess. 1:5; 2:13). It requires that we accept the mind of Christ, who suffered on the cross. We can only confess that Jesus is Lord by the Spirit of God.

The Mind of Christ

On May 20, 2023 By Tyler BoydIn Holy Spirit

This article is the 18th in an ongoing series on the Holy Spirit. Click here for links to all the articles in this series.

According to Romans 8, it is only those who set their minds on the things of the Spirit who can please God (8:5-8). It is the Spirit who gives Christians the hope of resurrection (Part 15) and relates them to God as children and heirs with Christ (8:9-17). In this passage, Paul briefly, but explicitly, emphasizes that this hope is directly connected to the cross (Part 17). The Holy Spirit relates us to God as children only if we are willing to put to death the deeds of the body (8:13) and suffer with Christ (8:17).

The connection between the Spirit and the cross, mentioned only briefly in Romans 8, is emphasized continually throughout the entire New Testament. Recognizing this connection is critical if we are to rightly understand and apply the New Testament’s teachings about the Holy Spirit.

What Does it Mean to Be a Christian?

The key question Paul addresses in his letter to the Galatians is this: Who is Israel? Who are those who are to be recognized as God’s true people? The Spirit and the cross are at the very core of Paul’s answer to this question. Throughout the letter, Paul emphasizes that God’s people are not identified by their fleshly characteristics. Israel is not defined as those who are circumcised as Jews, but as those who are in Christ.

But what exactly does this mean? What does it mean for our identity to be “in Christ”? Paul sums up his argument in a great climatic statement found in Galatians 2:20.

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

Although Paul does not yet mention the Spirit by name, he does speak of the indwelling of Christ – “Christ lives in me.” Even more specifically, Paul speaks of Christ in terms of his self-sacrificial love. Christ, who lives in him, is the Christ “who loved me and gave himself for me.”

According to Paul, to be “in Christ” means that Christ is “in” them, so that what is true of Christ is true of them. It would be reasonable to conclude, therefore, that a person in whom the crucified Christ lives would themselves be a person characterized by the same kind of self-sacrificial love we see in Christ.

But rather than stating this conclusion quite so explicitly, Paul develops this conclusion by discussing the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of the Crucified Son

Following the discussion of Christ’s self-sacrificial love, Paul’s co-crucifixion with him, and Christ living “in” him, Paul immediately reminds the Galatians that they too had received the Spirit.

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain – if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
Galatians 3:1-5

Paul says that the Galatians had “received” and “begun by” the Spirit, a reference to the time of their initiation into Christ. Moreover, Paul says that their conversion was in response to the message about Christ’s crucifixion. “It was before your eyes that Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.”

Once again, the Spirit is inseparable from what we see in Christ on the cross. It was initially the preaching of the cross that led to the Galatians reception of the Spirit. Moreover, Paul goes on to specifically identify the Spirit as “The Spirit of his Son.”

But when the fulness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying “Abba, Father!”
Galatians 4:4-6

Just as Paul was “crucified with Christ,” and now had Christ living “in” him, so too when the Galatians responded to the message about the crucifixion, they too received the Spirit of God’s Son who was sent into their hearts at the time of their conversion.

A Spirit of Self-Sacrificial Love

Both Paul and the Galatians had received the Spirit of God’s Son at the time of their co-crucifixion with him (i.e. baptism, Gal 3:27). Paul goes on to describe walking in the Spirit as a life of self-sacrificial, Christ-like, crucifixion-style, love and faithfulness.

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Galatians 5:6

Do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
Galatians 5:13b

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is not law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:22-24

In other words, the past act of Christ’s faithful obedience and love, namely his crucifixion, is applied to the lives of those who are “in Christ” through the Spirit as they live with that same kind of faithful obedience and love (and joy, peace, kindness, etc).

The Mind of Christ

As was observed at the beginning of this study (Part 1), the word “Spirit” was always closely connected to a person’s words, or thoughts, or mindset. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is described as a very particular mindset, namely that of Christ on the cross. This is emphasized not only in Romans and Galatians, but throughout the entire New Testament.

For example, in Ephesians Paul stresses the importance of maintaining the “unity of the Spirit” (Eph. 4:3). Paul then urges the Ephesians to be “renewed in the spirit of your minds” (Eph. 4:24). That means putting away things like lying, anger, theft, and corrupt talk (Eph. 4:25-29), which according to Paul would “grieve the Holy Spirit of God” (Eph. 4:30). Instead, Paul urges the Ephesians to mimic the example of Christ, or more specifically, the example Christ on the cross.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 4:32-5:2

Similarly when Paul reminded the Philippians of their “participation in the Spirit” (Phil. 2:1), he had something very particular in mind. It wasn’t the idea of following a still small voice in your heart. Nor did he reduce it down to simply following the Spirit-inspired scriptures. Paul reminded Christians to remember their participation in the Spirit so that they would maintain a particular Christ-like mindset.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:1-8

This was not just Paul’s viewpoint either. John also viewed the presence of God’s Spirit as the imitation of God’s love.

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us His Spirit… So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
1 John 4:13, 16

By “love” John specifically had in mind the kind of love we see in Christ on the cross.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
1 John 3:16

The True Church

How then do we recognize the true people of God? The question is as relevant today as it was when Paul wrote Galatians. When all is said and done, this question can only be answered by going to the cross.

Not only was Christ crucified, but when Christians were baptized, they were put to death with him (Rom. 6:1-4). But this co-crucifixion did not end in baptism. Baptism was only the beginning. The whole world, with it’s fleshly passions and desires, must be crucified to the Christian, and the Christian must be crucified to the world (Gal 5:24; 6:14-16). When we live in this crucified way, we can say with Paul, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).

This then, is at the very heart of the New Testament’s teaching about the Spirit. Christ’s church is not defined by their fleshly identity. They are recognized as such because they have been crucified with Christ. The cross is the dividing line between the Christ’s church and the world. So it was in the first century, and so it is today. That is why Christians must keep in step with the Spirit.