The Mind of Christ

1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

To be a ‘Christian’ is much more than an affiliation or claim of belief. The world is full of beliefs and if religion was nothing more than a philosophy or way of life, then each would hold the same value. But they are not equal—not even close.

If you were to examine the patterns of belief in history, you would find myriads of god’s, religious practices, ceremonies, statutes, and effigies of relics, each devoted to a particular belief. For many ancient peoples, the belief was aligned with a desire for prosperity. The Egyptians worshipped the Nile since it brought forth food and cleansing, the sun since it brought warmth and light, they worshipped birds and animals and even themselves. When the Lord raised up Moses to confront Pharaoh and the all of his Egyptian beliefs, God’s plan was more than releasing His people so they may worship Him, it was to confront false ideology and wicked idolatry and so He placed the world on notice through a demonstration of power like never seen before. When God was done, He had made it clear….There are no other god’s before Me!

The first commandment was not a quiet whisper, it was a shout that resonated across the globe. The Lord, He is God, and there will not be another god that stands before Him. In other words, any person who follows after these false representations of God’s glory will not be able to stand before the living God of Creation. Every idolator will fall. They will bow before the Lord, they will fall in shame before His holiness, and all of their false worship will be cast into the abyss of eternal death known as the Lake of Fire.

These “god’s” cannot actually stand before the Lord. How can a tree that was whittled into the likeness of a false god do anything other than lay motionless on the ground? The stones carved can do nothing but slowly erode over time and crumble back into the dust from which they were formed. The pendants and statues are only lifeless depictions, held by those whose hearts seek after their own desire for god and reject the One who formed them.

Many people who have been deceived by demonic influence or false religion lack spiritual insight, they do not know truth simply because they don’t know the Lord.

Muhammed, Joseph Smith, Charles Russell, false prophets and pastors galore and consequently many wicked Popes through the years have deceived millions into following a lie.

What is it that separates Truth from falsity? Why are true believers in Christ different?

They have the mind of Christ.

In other words, the Spirit of Christ, (Holy Spirit), fills the hearts and lives of those who truly believe. When the presence of the living God fills a life, it transforms them forever. A person will never be the same when God enters and dwells within the heart.

The same Spirit of God who was there at the formation of the world, the One who helped David and countless other followers, still works today in and through God’s people.

The Presence of the Lord

Psalm 54:4 “Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life.”

The Sprit of God has always been present upon the earth, but it was the blood of Christ that allowed people to receive the Spirit of God and become His temple.

John 16:7 “Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.”

As God’s presence settled upon the newly dedicated temple on Jerusalem’s holy mount, and the shekinah glory filled the holy of holies, so God’s people have now become His holy place. There is great joy in the presence of the Lord and it fills the hearts and lives of the redeemed.

What has changed? Why did it require a mountain, tabernacle, or temple to meet with God?

Since the fall of Adam, mankind has been separated from the presence of God. Sin is more than a broken commandment, it is a forfeiture of relationship to God. Sin is a personal offense against God’s holiness. The greeks referred to it as hamartia, or a failing to hit the mark.

Imagine an Ancient Greek arrow being fired at a target and completely missing, it would have been referred to as a sin. What mark are we missing when we sin?

Righteousness.

*If I want to walk in relationship with God, I miss the opportunity when I sin. When I offend God’s moral law, I offend Him personally. The pathway of walking in fellowship with the Lord is in righteousness and truth. Sin is a self centered path that seeks relationship on our own terms.

Righteousness as it pertains to God is His perfection. Sin corrupts and breaks the relationship God designed for mankind to enjoy. When Jesus came, it was in righteousness that He lived and it qualified Him to take our sin upon Himself.

Romans 10:3-4 “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

By keeping the law perfectly, Jesus completed the work of righteousness as a man. This is a feat that only God could accomplish. The righteousness of God can only be received by accepting and believing in Christ alone. There is simply no other way.

When a sinner is made righteous through the blood of Christ, they are brought back into relationship with God. They move from a position of seeing the world through carnal eyes to seeing the world through God’s eyes. Spiritual growth begins to occur and an understanding of God begins to take form.

Philippians 2:1-5 “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from 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 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”

Paul outlines what a transformed heart and mind begins to look like…

• Carrying forth the love of God
• Walking in unity
• Being led by the same Spirit
• Considering others first
• Walking in humility

It is so easy in this darkened world to allow the love of God to grow cold. There is so much cruelty, so many people seeking their own pleasure and success. The world will roll over people who show kindness, generosity, and love…at least, that’s what they say.

But the people of God are different. They live to please the Lord and dying to oneself is the expectation from the beginning. Without love, they are nothing.

If you want to have the mind of Christ, it begins with faith, and continues in obedience. We can have a knowledge of truth and not walk in it. But for those who embrace the path of righteousness, they are transformed into the image of Christ. Each step of faith, each act of love, brings you closer to Him.

It is a worthy endeavor but requires sacrifice. Are you willing to pay the price? To give up who you were that you might become all that the Lord called you to be?