“Have you the mind of Christ?”
Do I see the beauty of a holy
life as Jesus saw it? Do I see lost people through
His eyes? Do I understand the eternal purpose of God
with the same conviction that Jesus had?
The apostle Paul said, “We have
the mind of Christ” (I Corinthians 2:16). What are
the implications of having that mind?
In contrast to the pagan false
“wisdom” Paul sets forth the wisdom from God, “That
is found in the righteousness and sanctification and
wisdom of God in Christ. God has chosen the foolish
things of the world to shame the wise.”
Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of
God.
In God’s magnificent wisdom, He
has been “well-pleased through the foolishness of
the message preached to save those who believe,” and
the message preached is “Christ crucified.”
The unregenerate, sensual
person who lives his life as if there is nothing
beyond the physical “does not accept the things of
the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him,
and he cannot understand them because they are
spiritually appraised” (I Cor. 2:14).
In contrast Paul says the
believer in Christ has “received” not the spirit of
the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we
might know the things freely give to us by God” (v.
12).
We have the mind of Christ
because we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us.
Therefore, since we are new creatures in
Christ, our habit of mental activity needs to be
like that of Christ.
The apostle Paul uses the word
“mind” signifying the exercise of the mind,
including our emotional and spiritual responses
creating activity. It refers to
understanding, intelligence, and mental presence.
It is the whole knowledge of Christ including
emotions and volitions based on thought.
Perhaps John 17 reveals the
mind of Christ in its rare beauty.
“Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His
eyes to heaven, He said, ‘Father, the hour has come;
glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even
as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to
all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal
life’” (John 17:1-2). That is the
passion of God incarnate. He came
to reveal the Father and give eternal life to all
who will believe on Him. In the
mind of Christ, we understand the cross.
Only then will the passion our preaching be
“Christ crucified.” "For I
determined to know nothing among you except Jesus
Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2).
The mind of Christ is revealed
in the cross. In the mind of
Christ we see “the beauty of holiness.” Christ came
to reveal the holiness of the Father and the
sinfulness of sin. The cross of
Jesus exposes our sins, and we stand condemned
before a righteous God. The cross
reveals the mind of our Savior who knew no sin and
became so identified with us that He gave Himself as
the substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf.
The mind of Christ reveals an attitude of
self-emptying and humility so profound that He would
empty Himself “taking the form of a bond-servant and
being made in the likeness of men” and give Himself
a ransom for sin. "Being found in
appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming
obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross" (Philippians 2:8).
Jesus saw everything in
perpetual relationship to His Father.
He saw the whole universe related to the
Father and for that reason He gave His life in
obedience to Him. The master
passion of Christ Jesus was to glorify His Father in
saving sinful man.
“We have the mind of Christ”
when we see the Father in all of His holiness.
“We have the mind of Christ” when we sin as
it breaks the heart of a holy and righteous God.
We have the mind of the Savior when we
understand the penalty for sin must be paid in full
by a divine, sinless substitute.
“We have the mind of Christ” when we feel the
passion of His soul in submission to the will of
God, even unto death.
If I have the mind of Christ, I
can see the infinite beauty of holiness as He saw it
when He clothed me in the robes of His perfect
righteousness. "He made Him who
knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2
Corinthians 5:21).
Do I have that same passion to
see lost people as He saw them?
If I have the mind of Christ, I will pour out my
life in obedient sacrifice and believe and trust in
Him.
Hear my prayer, oh God. I give
my mind to you; let me think the way Christ thinks.
Help me make the choices the way You would
choose. I want to do what You
would do and feel as you feel. Help me to obey
You—even unto death!
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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Unless otherwise noted "Scripture quotations taken from the NASB."
"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE" © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org)Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://www.bible.org/. All rights reserved.
Wil is a graduate of William Carey University, B. A.; New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Th. M.; and Azusa Pacific University, M. A. He has pastored in Panama, Ecuador and the U. S, and served for over 20 years as missionary in Ecuador and Honduras. He had a daily expository Bible teaching ministry head in over 100 countries from 1972-2005. He continues to seek opportunities to be personally involved in world missions. Wil and his wife Ann have three grown daughters. He currently serves as a Baptist pastor and teaches seminary extension courses in Ecuador.
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