The Christ Confidant Mindset: Spiritual Consciousness of True Worship, True Word, True Worth

By Anthony Benjamin Cosenza Ph.D.

Dr. Cosenza’s sixth book, The Christ CONFIDANT MINDSET: Spiritual Consciousness of True Worship, True Word, True Worth, offers a unique pespective on how to be a loving and compassionate confidant with the spiritual mind of Christ. After years of working with individuals and families across spiritual beliefs, levels and religions, Dr. Cosenza has discovered the significance of “mindset” in upholding true and proven values and principles for success in work and love. By exploring three subsets of the Christ Coinfidant Mindset, Dr. Cosenza encourages and enlarges our awareness of what and how we worship in truth. The characteristics and role of the Christ Confidant are provided that inspire compassion and kindness toward others in need. He unfolds poignant principles from the Bible that highlight the importance of God’s Word in bringing the wisdom and consciousness of God’s presence into every situation of need. Spiritual realities concerning worth and value unfold confidence of thought and a precision of action in helping, counseling and loving oneself and others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Aug 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781663242686

Anthony Benjamin Cosenza Ph.D.

In private practice over 40 years as a psychologist, Dr. Cosenza continues to counsel and serve as a confidant for individuals, couples and families in crises. He is a lifetime member of the American Psychological Association and served as associate professor at a graduate school for two decades. Since 1980, Dr. Cosenza has published several books on counseling, spirituality and crises. Contact the author, Dr. Cosenza: COVALENT COUNSEL (COVA) [e-mail] 1.917.957.4749

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Contents

Preface

SECTION I: OUR LORD, OUR CONFIDANT

Part IA Loving Confidant

1.    Love Awakens Spiritual Consciousness

2.    God’s Plan To Love and Be Loved

3.    God’s Workmanship

SECTION II: THE CHRIST CONFIDANT MINDSET

Part IISubset #1: Worship-Minded: Spiritual Consciousness Of True Worship

4.    Biblical Values in Worship

5.    Deceptions of Worship

6.    Cry of Worship

7.    Cries to the Lord

8.    Abba, Father

9.    Comfort of Christ

10.  Nine Manifestations of the Holy Spirit

Part IIISubset #2: Word-Minded: Seeking True Spiritual Word-Ship

11.  Integrity of the Scriptures

12.  True Conversations

13.  Cross-confidant

14.  The Christ: A Case History

15.  Forgiven in Christ

16.  Healed in Christ

17.  Word-Based Interpersonal Truth

Part IVSubset #3: Worth-Minded: Searching For True Spiritual Worth-Ship

18.  Errors of Worth-ship

19.  Spiritual Authority

20.  Power in The Christ

21.  The Name of Christ

22.  Biblical Truths Concerning Worthiness

23.  Synopsis and Sequence of The Christ Confidant Mindset

SECTION III: QUALITIES OF THE CHRIST CONFIDANT

Part VProfile Of The Christ Confidant

24.  Built-in Spiritual Confidant

25.  Virtues of the Christ Confidant (CC)

26.  Christ-Confidant Communication of Truth Part I

27.  Christ-Confidant Communication of Truth Part II

28.  Harmony with the Christ

Epilogue

Appendix A: Christ-Confidant Questionnaire (CCQ)

Appendix B: Christ-Confidant Goals

References

Preface

A confidant is one who is to be trusted and in whom we have confidence. He/she is the person who has our back and is honest and non-judgmental. According to Merriam-Webster’s, a mindset is a mental attitude or inclination; a fixed state of mind.

The Christ confidant mindset is a spiritual consciousness that reflects confidence in God, His Son, the inspired Written and spoken Word, and the working of the Holy Spirit. His/her spiritual ideas focus on worshipping the one true God, understanding the spiritual realities of the Word and accepting that he/she is a spiritual being with an inherent divine nature. He/she reflects the character and mindset of Christ and the qualities of an omnipotent and all loving God.

The Christ confidant does not put his trust or confidence in others, himself or even a familiar friend. God is the only one he trusts permanently and unconditionally.

Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path.

Proverbs 118:8: It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

Psalm 37:3: Trust in the LORD and do good;

II Cor.1:9: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:"

Psalm 41:9-12: Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

The essence of the Christ Confidant Mindset is encapsulated in the following scriptures:

Philippians 2:1-5:

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS:

The Christ confidant has a spiritual perspective that reduces fear by encouraging others to worship God, the true source of love and trust. The confidant does not foster dependence upon oneself or others for the resolution of life’s problems or issues. Consolation in Christ is the comfort, love and mercy shown to the needy by/for God. He explores with others spiritual principles and ideas. The joy of the Christ confidant is to be likeminded concerning a spiritual understanding of the Word, true worship, and our inherent divine nature.

The Christ confidant is not equivalent to a worldly description as a good friend, psychologist, counselor, or family member. As an ambassador for Christ, his ideas reflect the constant spiritual awareness of reconciling others back to the real confidant who is God and His Son.

II Cor. 5: 20: Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

As a spiritual guide, the Christ confidant redirects others to a gracious and fearless consciousness of a true understanding of God (true worship), His Word (Word-ship) and a true spiritual understanding of man (worth-ship).

Dr. Cosenza’s sixth book, The Christ Confidant Mindset: Spiritual Consciousness of True Worship, True Word, True Worth, is a culmination of forty years of biblical and psychological research on relationships and the underlying spiritual causes and effects of a loveless life. The author adapts and elaborates upon new ideas from his previous five books concerning spiritual wellness. How do we develop emotional harmony and spiritual consciousness in the midst of present-day flawed mental health systems and philosophies?

The Christ confidant mindset develops and is manifested through three subsets of spiritual consciousness. The author’s extensive work on the role of true worship, the written Word of God, and spiritual worthiness has been integrated with his biblical exploration of the comfort and forgiveness of Christ, his sufferings, and his resurrection victory. The spirit of the Christ continues to inspire men and women to effect healing physical and mental wholeness in themselves and others.

Through the Christ confidant process, the needy heart and the consoler grow in grace as they develop a heightened spiritual consciousness of Christ’s empathy and comfort, and the truth of the Word concerning his crucifixion and resurrection.

Spiritual man’s inherent divine nature is the Spirit of Christ that God created in man and His Christ.

God sent the spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba Father (Galatians 4:6). That spirit of the Christ is a spirit of power, love and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). This Christ Spirit takes the place of the absent Jesus (II Corinthians 5: 16). The Lord is that Spirit. Where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (II Corinthians 3:17).

Romans 8:9:

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him.

I Peter 1:11:

Seeking to know what person or time the spirit of Christ within them was indicating as he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.

God is Spirit (John 4:24). The Christ is the image of God [Spirit] (Colossians. 1:15). Every man and woman also has been created in His image (Genesis1: 27). The same spirit, the Christ Spirit, that raised Jesus [The Christ] from the dead, is also in us energizing our mortal bodies (Romans 8:11).

The Christ came to heighten our consciousness of the intimate spiritual relationship between man and God. The Christ Spirit, which is life eternal, has spiritual fruit and manifestations, which were brought to man’s consciousness at Pentecost (Acts 20). At that time, we received into manifestation the Holy Spirit, which is the heightened awareness that we are innate spiritual beings with power and gifts.

Outside of God and His Son, there is no way to experience true and lasting intimacy. The height and depth of spiritual closeness is to know and remain spiritually conscious of God in Christ in us (Ephes. 1:18-25). This spirit of Christ was created in God’s image and is eternally reflected in all men and women. The depth of our intimacy with God cannot be experienced in the world. The Father and I are one [in spirit] (John 10:30). "Abide in me, and I in you" (John 15: 17-23). God, Christ, spiritual men and women are all one in spirit.

I John 3:2:

Beloved, now are we the sons of God and it doeth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he [The Christ] shall appear, we shall be like him [The Christ], for we shall see him as he is.

The Christ Confidant Mindset is a bold and provocative spiritual outlook for maintaining spiritual consciousness of God. It is a unique spiritual journey for those who yearn to be transformed through a heightened awareness of their spiritual identification and completeness. We need to beware lest any man tries to confuse you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the principles of the world, and not after Christ (Col. 2:8).

Colossians 2:9-10:

For in him [the Christ] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete [completely; absolutely complete] in him [the Christ], the head of all principality and power.

SECTION I

OUR LORD,

OUR CONFIDANT

The Lord is our confidant whose spiritual counsel stands forever. Counsel from the Lord is not the counsel of Freud, Plato, Aristotle, or any other philosophy. It is not the counsel of ungodly people or those who use a standard other than the Bible. We, as spiritual beings, need His wisdom and inspiration to know anything about our hearts or those of others.

The Christ confidant mindset is an approach to healthy relationships that seeks the true love and comfort of God through worship, His Word, inspiration, and spiritual consciousness of one’s divine worth and nature.

Throughout fifty years as a psychologist and writer, the author often has been asked, What is the key to cherished relationships? In every discussion, he would encourage them to seek intimacy with God who is closer to us than our very breath life.

The Christ confidant is engulfed in spiritual man’s ability and willingness to love and be loved by God. It is a mindset of freedom from fear by understanding spiritual worship, a comprehension of the Word and a spiritual perspective on our eternal and inherent divine nature. This love then overflows into all other confident, true and harmonious interactions. Ongoing personal closeness with God also includes accepting His wise Written and inspired counsel as THE standard for all decisions, behaviors, and relationships in life. When man tries to direct his own steps or those of others without seeking God’s help, his efforts are fruitless and become man-made forms of worship of self and/or the world.

Jeremiah 10:23:

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

God never directs the heart by controlling people. He lovingly guides our paths by encouraging us to trust and acknowledge Him in all that we do. Consciousness of the power and love of God and His inspired Word are the major ways in which God is a true confidant for His people regarding all types of relationships.

PART I

A LOVING CONFIDANT

1

Love Awakens Spiritual

Consciousness

Matthew 22: 36-40:

Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This is the first and great commandment.

And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

John 4:16 states:

And we have known and believed the love that God hath toward us. God is love, and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.

Perfect love, our love for God and His love for us, is a love without fear and supersedes all