The Mind of Christ

THE MIND OF CHRIST

I Cor.2: ¹⁴ But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
¹⁵ But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
¹⁶ For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

I Cor.2: ¹⁵ But the spiritual man tries all things [he ^[g]examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him].

¹⁶ For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

I usually only quote the King James version. It is only because I am used to it. But in this case I believe the amplified gives us a fuller platform from which to build upon. “The mind of Christ”. What a thought! What a truth! The phrase itself relates to us as humans because God does not have different parts which include a “mind”. The word “mind” suggests some form of thinking and God does not think. He knows. God knows everything from eternity past to eternity future without the process we know as thinking. This, of course, is really beyond us completely and yet the Spirit beckons us to know Christ more fully and with His guidance and revelation.

That in and of itself is a great mystery. That the infinite Spirit can communicate to a finite mind is a miracle of grace. And it is one thing to communicate do’s and don’ts, but to communicate the mind and the heart of the Second Person of the Trinity is an unparalleled wonder. But here is where it gets even more profound if that is possible. The Scripture declares we “have the mind of Christ”. And that is only possible because we have “Christ in us the hope of glory”. I realize we are dealing in territory mostly unknown and irrelevant within much of the church, but it carries with it a glory that is quite foreign in this temporal world.

When we say the mind of Christ we are referring to His heart, His will, and His very Being. And God has not only redeemed our souls but He has given of Himself to us in an incredible personal and intimate way. Does that not speak loudly of His unfathomable love? As if the gift of eternal life was not enough, God comes and inhabits our very beings. What words can provide a complete understanding of that miraculous mystery? This is the fine china of truth. But how can we fully grasp that truth in such a way that will also allows us to manifest it in the here and now?

The church has become consumed with the temporal and all the legalisms and moralisms so that it no longer knows, much less seeks, to allow the mind of Christ to control and envelope our lives in such a way that men can see Christ through us. Fallen men give up smoking and drinking. Fallen men avoid pornography and drugs. Fallen men are against abortion and gay marriage. Fallen men are rich and prosperous. But no fallen man can ever be a conduit for Christ and know His mind and heart. It is a great tragedy that the church has diminished and diluted and distilled the power of Christ living in a redeemed life until what is left are arguments over clothing and tithing and elections and pitiful allegiances to a fallen and wicked nation.

This is not the gospel; this is not God’s Word; and this is not Christ.

Can you grasp the enormity of what I am saying and the implications it casts upon the church? If you can see what has happened then you can perhaps understand the spiritual situation in the church is abysmal and crafted after a religious system and not after Christ. To put it succinctly, the church no longer preaches Christ because the church no longer follows Christ because the church no longer knows Christ.

But oh the soaring majesty of the Risen Son of the Living God! Please, I beseech you, take your eyes off of this world and look upon the eternal feast of glory which shines through the Risen Lord! Everything, and I mean everything, about this world seeks to draw us away from Christ and His heart. What a colossal waste when we feed at the world’s trough while the Spirit bids us come and dine at the table of His awesome fellowship. To seek and find Christ is not just for the lost sinners of this world. It is also for those who have been grafted into His family. And He Himself empowers us to seek and to find more of Him if we are willing to sacrifice the fallen crumbs of this present world.

To have and embrace and live through the mind of Christ translates you into His realm. And even though we work and play and eat and do other things in this temporal world, our hearts are prisoners of His heart. We see the things of this world through our earthly eyes, but we look at Him with our hearts. He is our portion and we are pilgrims traversing this earthly sod seeking His face and doing His bidding. And through the power of love we receive His Word and hear His Spirit and follow His steps. This is no mind trick. This is a sacred mystery which has been entrusted to those who diligently seek His heart.

Does that sound too mystical and ethereal? Oh please do not dismiss it that easily. I do not suggest it is without cost or that you become irrational and draw attention to yourself. No, never. But I am exhorting us to press toward the mark of His high calling. I am exhorting us to dig deeper wells of living water that gushes from His Spirit. I am exhorting us to lay aside the sins and the weights that keep us from entering into the hallowed ground of His presence. I am exhorting us to humble ourselves before Him and embrace Him as Lord of all.

If we truly have the mind of Christ then how can we be so obsessed with earthly matters? Does not that mind speak to you of eternal things? Does not that mind lead you into walking in the Spirit? Does not that mind speak to you of Jesus and not of man? And does not that mind speak to you of gospel love for sinners? There is precious little time left before the door of the gospel is closed. We must be about our Father’s business and embrace the mind and heart of our Redeemer. Be still and know that He is God.

And in that stillness is the hum of the Potter’s wheel as He shapes and corrects and molds us into the image of Christ Himself.

And that, my friends, is a mystery of grace for all eternity.