We Have the Mind of Christ

Turn in your Bibles to , please.

Two weeks ago, we finished chapter 5 and started in chapter 6 of Hebrews. There was a scathing rebuke from the author for the readers to move on from the elementary teachings of Christianity to the more mature teachings. He said that there was much more that people needed to know but they were stuck on the basics. They were consuming a diet of baby milk instead of eating solid food. So, we are going to look at some things that may help us as we try to move to the more mature things of God and what He wants for us.

It is always neat to watch God at work in my life when it comes to sermon preparation. I spent all last week reading in Hebrews with the intention of continuing in that this week, but the more I read, the more I felt like I could not do the next set of passages in Hebrews justice without some serious research and study for a full week. When I got back here, I started reading and something kept coming back to mind that came up several times this last week in conversations with Pastor Dave in Cayman. , But we have the mind of Christ. NKJV

This is not the first time it's come up and the question always is the same right after...What does that mean exactly? "We have the mind of Christ." Well who wouldn't get excited about that if you know anything about Christ at all? Someone made millions coming up with WWJD years ago. Well guess what, if we have the mind of Christ, we should KNOW what Jesus would do! Let's take a look at what Paul has to say about this.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For "who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ. NKJV

Paul's Speech and Wisdom

Paul explains here that he was never a great orator the likes of the great politicians and philosophers. But, his letters and his speeches tell us that he was quite the speaker. He doesn't claim a great wisdom although we know that he was a well educated man. He studied under Gamali-el who was considered one of the greatest teachers of the law and was a Pharisee himself. Paul's point in this all is that it was never about him and it was always about Christ. He didn't try to persuade people of anything by his speech or wisdom but instead as he said, he brought nothing to them but "Jesus Christ and Him crucified." The message is simple and it all points in the same direction, Jesus. As James McDonald said, "We have one product here, He's free and His name is Jesus." Everything revolves around Him. The Bible starts talking about Him at the beginning in Genesis and ends talking about Him in Revelation. And He is the focal point of everything that is in between.

Our Faith Should be in the Power of God and not in the Wisdom of Men

Paul admitted that he couldn't persuade anyone of anything about God. We can talk about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit until our lips fall off, but if the power of God is not present, we speak in vain. God's Spirit is the One who convicts man of his sin and brings him to repentance. We are but vessels of that Holy Spirit. While Stephen Hawking may have an IQ of 160 and be considered a genius, I believe that I'll take my info on the hereafter from God and not from him. His claims are that there is no God and also that we don't need God. Pretty bold statements for someone who is not only limited to this earth but is limited to what he can come up with in only a theory. I have eyewitness testimony about a Man being resurrected from the dead. Further in this letter we'll read this , For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. NKJV Stephen Hawking may think that he is smart and wise and so may many of the scientists and philosophers of this world, but all of them will realize their wisdom was but folly when it comes to God, heaven, salvation and eternity when they leave their earthly body and stand before God Almighty.

Our faith should be in the power of God it says. The power of God is demonstrated by changed lives. The power of God is demonstrated in fruit. Fruit is a difference that is produced in the lives of the people. The fruit of the Spirit in peoples lives; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. The power of God is the boldness to preach the Gospel. The power of God is eternal life in Christ. The power of God is, I'm not the same man that I used to be! , For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." NKJV

The Wisdom of God

In the next verses, 6-8, Paul gets ready to tell us all about God's wisdom for us. The Apostles have brought us wisdom. God has revealed wisdom. But, it is not wisdom of this age. It is not wisdom of the smartest of men either now or to come. Plato and Socrates could not know this on their own. Einstein couldn't compute in his mind what God has in store. The highest of IQ cannot conceive what God knows and has delivered to us through His Spirit.

The wisdom of God is the gospel of salvation. Although it was in effect from before the foundations of the earth, although the prophets announced it time and time again, although the date and time was spoken hundreds of years earlier, no one knew, no one understood exactly what God had in mind. All of their human wisdom would not reveal it to them.

Revealed Through His Spirit

"Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him." But, God revealed them to us through His Spirit. We cannot know the things of God, the wisdom of God on our own. It can be revealed to us but ONLY through the Spirit of God. And, the Spirit of God searches and knows not just the fundamentals and the basics but the "deep things of God." This is what we talked about two weeks ago. God has deep things for us to know. He desires to reveal them to us but He won't do it unless we search it out. We have to desire it for Him to give it. , If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. NKJV

Try this one on: , It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter. NKJV

Listen to how Clarke sees this.

This has been understood as referring to the revelation of God's will in his word, where there are many things concealed in parables, allegories, metaphors, similitudes, etc. And it is becoming the majesty of God so to publish his will, that it must be seriously studied to be understood, in order that the truth may be more prized when it is discovered. And if it be God's glory thus partially to conceal his purposes, it is the glory of a king to search and examine this word, that he may understand how by Him kings reign and princes decree judgment. Prophecies are partially concealed; and we cannot fully know their meaning till their accomplishment; and then the glory of God's wisdom and providence will be more particularly evident, when we see the event correspond so particularly and exactly with the prediction. I know not, however, that there are not matters in the Book of God that will not be fully opened till mortality is swallowed up of life. For here we see through a glass darkly; but there, face to face: here we know in part; but there we shall know as we also are known. - Clarke

We should be yearning to search out the mysteries in the Word and let God reveal them to us. He longs for us to want to know Him and His Word and His plans better. No one has completed studying this book. It's not possible. But it is our duty and our pleasure to search it out. We can only do this because we have the Spirit of God within us. 11...no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. We have all we need but God does not just give us these things without some effort on our part. We don't understand the mysteries of God by sitting on our behinds watching TV or playing video games or spending hours upon hours on Facebook. We do it by spending time with God, in His Word and in meditation and prayer.

The Things of God are Foolishness to Natural Man

We can explain the things of God to natural men but they will despise it, ridicule it, call us crazy, insult us, and even insult God. Even if they desired to understand, they would not be able without help from the Holy Spirit. The things of God are not carnally understood but are spiritually discerned, Paul says. In verse 15 it says, But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. What Paul is talking about here is judging spiritual things. We judge, we have a view of the things that have been revealed to us through the Spirit and when we speak of these things we may be judged by others (natural man) wrongly. We have discernment in spiritual matters that natural man does not have. Blindness in spiritual matters is the just result of a carnal life. How can a natural man judge the things of God because he does not know the mind of the Lord that he may judge? BUT...

We Have the Mind of Christ

To have the mind of Christ is to be obedient to the Word and revelation of God through His Spirit in us.

The mind of Christ is different from and far superior to the wisdom of man (v. 5-6)

The mind of Christ reveals mysteries through the wisdom of God that were once hidden. (v. 7)

The mind of Christ comes to us through the Holy Spirit which is given by God. (v. 10-12)

The mind of Christ cannot be discerned by man without the Spirit. (v. 14)

The mind of Christ gives believers discernment in spiritual matters. (v. 15)