THE MIND OF CHRIST

There is a popular spiritual hymnal often sung which lyrics state, “Oh to be like Jesus, to be like Jesus, it’s my desire to be like Him;  so meek and lowly, so high and holy, it’s my desire, to be like Him.”

Wonderful sentiments indeed.   But to be like Jesus means we have to walk like Jesus, talk like Jesus, love like Jesus, suffer like Jesus and forgive like Jesus.  Is that what we really want?   I hope the answer to that is an energetic and enthusiastic “YES!”   And if the answer is yes, we have to understand that in order to be like Jesus something has to be done about what they call our “stinking thinking.”    That is, we need a complete renovation of that vast wasteland which we call a mind.    This discarding of our corrupt consciousness will cause it to be made infinitely better than what it is in its frail and destructive human state.   As Philippians 2: 5  tells us, we need something to replace our messy mentality.   Something new, something holy, something powerful:   “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…”

I offer you a simple description of the kind of mind that was in Christ Jesus.    It was a mind that was totally devoted to being one with the Father as well as being obedient to the Father.    But let’s dig into that at bit.   Believe it or not, you can be obedient to the Father but not be one with the Father.   Huh?   Think about it.   Remember the rich young ruler in Matthew 19, Mark 10 and Luke 18?   By His own admission he was obedient to the commandments of God but we found out that he was not one with God.  

On the other hand, you cannot be one with God and not be obedient to Him.   To put it into defining terms, obedience without oneness is just being religious, while oneness with obedience indicates a powerful spiritual intimacy.   For example, the seemingly virtuous scribes, Pharisees and other impious authorities in the Bible were hypocritical religious exhibitionists, while Jesus was the sanctified Son of God who was openly displayed as the ultimate example of a true spiritual connection with the Father.   That is, oneness with obedience.

So, if we are going to be like Jesus, we have to have the spiritual mind of Jesus which is a mind that is automatically responsive and compliant with the commands and desires of God.   And how do we obtain that spiritual mind?    Well, frankly speaking, we have to be changed.   As stated in  Romans 12: 1-2,  “ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable (spiritual, logical) service.  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.”

Being transformed in heart, mind and soul is the only way you will know how to be that living sacrifice and what you need to do, or not do, to please God.   But how does this transformation happen?   Can we do it on our own or just get a little help from our friends?   Sorry, but no!   Only God can do this.   And this is only after you willingly submit yourself to being that living sacrifice by virtually giving up everything.

When you humble yourself and come before the holy presence of the Father, brokenly acknowledging your faults, sincerely believing in the saving power of Jesus’ blood, and with a godly sorrow for your transgressions, you will experience the glory of Ezekiel 36: 26-27 which says, “And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you.  I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.   And I will put My Spirit in you so that you will follow My decrees and be careful to obey My regulations.”   Then when something is wrong, or is going wrong, the mind of Christ in you will prick you in that new heart and check you in that new spirit.

For example, while in Greece on a missionary journey and being run out of Thessanolica and Berea, Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens.   He was astonished at what he saw which was the whole city devoted to the worshipping (idoloatry) of false gods.   He was so taken aback that scripture describes his spirit as being stirred, which means greatly distressed.   So he preached Jesus to them but they rejected this and even slandered him with insults calling him a babbler, which is basically a low class motormouth.

But this is not surprising because when foolish pride, concrete hearts and filthy minds get involved, the result is predictable.   As stated in  1 Corinthians 1: 22 & 23,  “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:   But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness.”    Paul was telling them that he wasn’t impressed by or interested in their culture, their intellect, their philosophy or their beliefs.   He was delivering to them the key to God’s Kingdom, but they were having none of that.

So Paul addressed their ignorance in Acts 17:

[16] Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

[17] Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

[18] Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

[19] And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

[20] For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

[21] (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

[22] Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious (hyper-religious).

[23] For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.  Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.

Paul didn’t want to talk about their immature infatuation with “arts and crafts,” but cleverly used one of their own altars to expose the absurdity of their misplaced devotion.   For had they any knowledge of the Lord of all Creation, they would never have put their trust in those lifeless graven images.   He then went on to describe the glory of the Lord in this stunningly spectacular narrative:

[24] God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

[25] Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

[26] And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation…

And he wasn’t just talking to be talking, but his intent was to direct them to the only One Who deserves all praise, honor and glory, as explained in Verse 27:   “That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us:”    Like the woman with the issue of blood who put all her effort into touching Jesus and was rewarded with virtue pulsing through her body where she was able to feel the healing power of Christ.   If you want to be changed, just touch Jesus like she did and He will touch you.   You will feel the hand-raising, head-shaking, heavenly healing of your soul which will change everything.

Don’t let the enemy distract you or divert you from your divine destiny.   Be as the Song of Solomon says:

[1] By night on my bed I sought Him whom my soul loveth: I sought Him, but I found Him not.[2] I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek Him whom my soul loveth: I sought Him, but I found Him not.

[3] The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye Him whom my soul loveth?

[4] It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found Him whom my soul loveth: I held Him, and would not let Him go…

All of this was designed to get the people to one place.   A place where you come into the presence of God’s tender compassions.   That eternal, all-loving One Who is willing to overlook your past indiscretions if you are willing to ask for forgiveness.    “And the times of this ignorance God winked at (overlooked);  but now commandeth all men every where to repent:   (Acts 17: 30)

Only then will you truly begin to understand what that good, acceptable and perfect will of God is because in your earthly condition you have no chance of comprehending.   Why?   Because you have the wrong kind of mind. Consider this:

  1 Corinthians 2:

 [9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.

[10] But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

[11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

[12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

[13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

[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.

If you don’t know Christ today or have drifted from Him, I echo Paul’s pleading with the Romans to come and know Him in an intimately spiritual fashion.   And for those who are spiritual, never forget for a minute that you have been blessed with an extraordinarily incredible gift.   There is no bigger deal than being one with God.   So live your life and operate fully in His goodness.    The world will be against you,  “But ye have an unction (anointing)  from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”  (1 John 2)  And that's because you have the mind of Christ.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSgBjDypbs8&list=RDuSgBjDypbs8&start_radio=1