Having the Mind of Christ

Intro

Text - 1 Corinthians 2.16

Title - Having the Mind of Christ

Background

various thoughts on the value of the mind to man

“I think, therefore I am” - signifies self-consciousness

homo sapiens - thinking man, man is said to be the only ‘animal’ with the capacity to think of himself and his surrounding

“the mind is the womb of the spirit” - WMB

free moral capacity - the human will

Jesus shows us a different way to use our mind

“i seek the will of Him who sent me”

Paul’s statement assumes that we Christians have the mind of Christ

what does it mean to have the mind of Christ?

how does it happen to the believer?

A Comparison of 2 Different Minds

Matthew 16:21–24 NKJV

21 From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. 22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Jesus shows his disciples His ultimate destiny and goal on earth

Peter resists, in effect, the will of God

Peter’s mindfulness of the things of man was “satanic”

Jesus introduces complete self denial to His disciples

If being mindful of the things of man/self is ‘satanic’, being mindful of the things of God is “Christ-like”

New birth and the renewing of mind

Titus 3:5–6 NKJV

5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

The Holy Spirit does 2 things here:

regeneration - rebirth, new birth

renewing - reestablishing something in a like-new and improved fashion

the renewing happens in the mind

Ephesians 4.22-24

Romans 12.2

The renewing of the mind is one sure sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

the renewed mind has renounced sin and the old life

the renewed mind desires to learn about God and His will

The renewing of the mind is the the starting point to having th emind of Christ.

Colossians 3:1–4 NKJV

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

The 2 sides of the mind of Christ

To have the mind of Christ means 2 things:

it means to have the ability to understand the things of Godas Jesus did, by the Holy Spirit.

it means to have the mental attitude - mindset, behavior - that is “Christ-like” as a result of one’s knowledge of the things of God

Paul’s case against the Corinthians -

1 Corinthians 2:14–3:1 NKJV

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. 1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

we - the apostles - have the mind of Christ, because we understand the things of God, which the natural man cannot receive

the apostles learn the things of God and learn how to behave properly and accordingly

you Corinthians, on the other hand, are carnal christians, babes in Christ, and unable to gain the things of God

the Corinthians cannot recive the things of God, resulting in carnal behaviors

Paul’s case in Ephesians -

Ephesians 4:11–14 NKJV

11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,

the central idea is the mature man, the measure of the strature of the fulness of Christ

the 5-fold ministry were given for 2 primary reasons

to attain unity faith and knowledge of the Son of God

intellectual maturity

to attain mature behavior

behavioral maturity

the mind of Christ is gained when the Christ grows on both side/areas - intellectual and emotional

Growth in knowledge of the things of God SHOULD naturaly result in emotional maturity.

Growth in knowledge alone results in a barren Christian

Growth in emotion alone results in unstable Christian disposition

Conclusion

Man’s fulfillment is when he is able to accomplish everything that he desires to do.

Christ’s fulfillment is when He has fully the will of the Father.