Mind: thinking, understanding, insight
Thought: to think, to reason, to imagine or meditate on
Having the mind of Christ means we look at life from our Lord's point of view, having His values and desires in mind. It means to think God’s thoughts and not think as the world thinks. It's a shared perspective of humility, compassion, and dependence on God.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul is contrasting the unbeliever (the natural man) with the believer. When we have the mind of Christ, it is in contrast to the wisdom of man (verses 5-6). It involves wisdom from God, which was once hidden (verse 7) and it cannot be understood by those without the Spirit (verse 14). When we have the mind of Christ, we have discernment in spiritual matters (verse 15).
Mind of Christ – What perspectives did Christ have?
When believers have the mind of Christ, they understand God’s plan for the world, and understand that He wants to bring about His purpose. It doesn’t mean that we are infallible and can start “playing God” in the lives of other people. The Bible describes several things that Jesus valued. With the mind of Christ, believers should value them as well.
- A desire to bring glory to God. In John 17:5, Jesus said, “And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.”
- A desire to see the "lost" saved. Luke 19:10 says, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost
- A proper perspective on humility and obedience. Philippians 2:5-8 explains, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!”
- A compassionate heart. Matthew 9:36 shows Jesus’ compassion on the people, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
- Prayerful dependence on God. Luke 5:16 says, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Therefore, having the mind of Christ we should:
a) think and act as Jesus did
b) do the will of God and not our own
c) be completely and totally dependent on God
d) trust God and not depend on our own understanding
e) submit and follow God's leading
f) make decisions that mirror the mind of Christ.
g) see the suffering of others and be moved into action to help
h) bring every thought that is not of God captive (under His control)
Mind of Christ – How do we develop it?
The mind of Christ is given to believers through the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 says, “…but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.So, in order to have the mind of Christ, a person must first have the Holy Spirit (God's Spirit). This comes with saving faith in Christ. Romans 8:9 says, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” After salvation, a believer’s responsibility is to yield to the Holy Spirit’s leading and let the Spirit transform his or her life. Having the mind of Christ begins with surrendering the heart and loving Jesus with every ounce of our being. Having the mind of Christ requires faith, developing a mind-set on the things of God through a working knowledge of Scripture, and through an obedient, and intimate connection with the Spirit of God.
Having been encouraged by Paul concerning the "mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16; Philippians 2:5) we are enabled to develop it through the ministry of the Holy Spirit - God's Spirit.
Having the mind of Christ means we look at life from our Lord's point of view, having His values and desires in mind.
We must be constantly aware that Christ is in us, and with us, indwelling us by His Spirit.
This brings all of life to a higher plane. This is not something we strive to achieve; this is spiritual fact. We are committed to Christ, and He is now our Lord, and He has sovereign authority over us. He has committed Himself to us; we're in covenant together. We live for Him, with Him, and by His enabling. With Paul you can say, "For to me, to live is Christ" (Philippians 1:21). This now makes available to us the mind of Christ.
We must constantly depend on the Holy Spirit.
He cleanses, empowers, and fills us so that we now live "according to the Spirit" and not according to our sinful nature, as unsaved people do (Romans 8:4-5). Our mind is now controlled by the Spirit (vv. 6-9). As we live now in the Spirit, we depend constantly on the Spirit, our ever-present Counselor, to alert us; to remind us; to suggest ideas, words, and actions; to motivate and encourage us; or to check - correct and restrain us. We trust Him for His guidance in all our decisions.
We must have a constant desire to please God.
To have the mind of Christ is to share the attitude of Christ, Who said:
"The One Who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him" (John 8:29).
"My food...is to do the will of Him Who sent Me and to finish His work" (John 4:34).
"I seek not to please Myself but Him Who sent Me" (John 5:30).
We must let this same motivation, control us as we share the mind of Christ. More important to us than success, the praise of others, or our own wishes – more important than all else – must be our desire to please God, to sense His loving pleasure in us.
The constant spirit of prayer (Constantly breathe the spirit of prayer and give priority to prayer)
Prayer was the very life-breath of Christ when He was on earth. He took whatever steps were necessary to find time and a place for prayer. He arose early in the morning to pray, prayed in the evening, and on occasion prayed all night. He went outside the village to be alone with God. He sent His disciples away so He could be alone in prayer. He climbed the mountain to find a secluded place to pray. But also, again and again wherever He was, He lifted His eyes and prayed. Prayer was as natural and as necessary to Christ as breathing.
Christ chose to live and minister during His incarnation, using the same methods and spiritual resources available to us. Normally as He ministered He derived His power by prayer, not by relying on His divine omnipotence. He prayed before He multiplied the loaves and fishes and before He raised Lazarus from the dead. He told Peter that Satan would try to sift him, but He prayed for him (Luke 22:31).
Today, Jesus reigns sovereignly by intercession; His throne is an intercessory throne. He "lives to intercede" (Hebrews 7:25). He is "at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us" (Romans 8:34). To have the mind of Christ is to make prayer a priority; to cover and saturate all we do by prayer, and to pray without ceasing. To have the mind of Christ is to share His intercessory burden for the Church and the world. A vital part is receiving in prayer the constant flow of guidance as the Spirit brings prayer needs to our minds and hearts. Prayer is listening as well as speaking. So we're enabled constantly to know and do His will.
A constant surrendering of our hearts (Surrendering the heart to Jesus requires relinquishing control over every area of life)
In Luke 14:26 Jesus said, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.” Jesus was not advocating a lifestyle of hatred, but simply teaching where one’s priorities must lie. He was putting into perspective the life a believer must live. The believer must live for Him in everything he or she does, in every relationship they have, with every word they speak, and with every breath they take. Surrender is possible because of Jesus’ great love for His people. Jesus said in John 15:9, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.”
Considering Jesus' love requires deliberate reflection on the richness of His ministry.
Jesus left heaven to live a sinless human life, was rejected by His own creation, was put to a brutal death, and was denied by His own disciples while feeling forsaken by the Father (Mark 15:34). Hebrews 12:3 says, “Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Capturing what Jesus did, brings about a surrender and a love in the believer’s heart that fulfills the command found in Mark 12:30, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
The basic principles of having the mind of Christ begin with surrender and end with intimacy. In between these two things is faith in and obedience to God’s will. The believer develops a working knowledge of God’s will through the reading of Scripture and exhibiting faith in the actions of daily life. In the end, the believer simply falls in love with a God who is already in love with him or her, and thus practices a lifestyle that strengthens their relationship with the Savior and they begin to think and act more like Jesus.
