THE VERY MIND OF CHRIST - PART 1

WEDNESDAY 03 MAY 2023

Reference: 1 Corinthians 2:16 Amplified Bible (AMP) "For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND and PURPOSES OF THE LORD, SO AS TO INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes]."

The mind of Christ is the preparatory element of His ministry while in this world. It's from His mind that the divine thoughts and purposes of God were implemented on earth. I can tell you that the Scriptures, especially the new testament, is all about the mind of Christ (see John Chapter 5: verses 39 and 46). I can also assure you that so many of us as Christians have the mind of Christ only by mere confession (word of mouth). Why did I say so? The mind of Christ is too deep and it functions meekly in all state of affairs.

The AMP noted that having the mind of Christ is to be guided by His thoughts and purposes. For instance, in Luke 6:27-29 , Jesus expressed this mind by saying, "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them (NIV). Do you truly understand what it means by not responding back, reacting, or putting up any resistance, when someone slaps you on one cheek, let alone presenting the other cheek for the second or extra slap?

Beloved, that's the very mind of Christ. It exercises active patience and longsuffering in spite of troubles, and it endures all manner of treatment, especially those caused by cruel people. Isaiah 53:7 reads, "He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth [to complain or defend Himself]; Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before her shearers, So He did not open His mouth" (AMP). Now thoughtfully consider this manner of mind, in order to understand why many Christians only gain it to a certain degree.

The mind of Christ is a sound mind. He demonstrated this mind when he calmed the storm. The Bible says, "Then Jesus got into the boat and His disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"(Matthew 8:23-27 NIV). Beloved, his mind was at rest and so he was never afraid of the storm, even when they woke him from sleep. To that effect, apostle Paul wrote: "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV).

Have you ever heard the quote: Be yourself, don't try to be someone else. And the right people will love you for who you are - by Auliq Ice? This is not the case for those in Christ Jesus. I think a key characteristic of having this mind is our absorption into something greater than self, that is, losing oneself to a greater mystery, Christ. This is because we are called to submit our will to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and function according to His Word, not according to our will. However, it's not enough to have someone's mind, like the mind of Christ. You must find out what His mental faculty or capacity is made of. So it matters what fills up your mind per time (Philippians 4:8 KJV). The mind of Christ is the "crystal clear" mind that can sustain heightened focus. It's a mind that gets into a state of full concentration on the Word when trying to solve a problem. And it's a mind that is never absent-minded from the Lord.

You don't have the mind of Christ by just getting filled with the Holy Spirit because Paul wasn't talking about the Holy Spirit here. You gain the mind of Christ by embracing and acting on His teachings intentionally (John 8:31 NLT). The main reason you get filled with the Holy Spirit is to be led and guided into all the dimensions of truth, namely Christ, because He knows the mind of Christ (see John 14:26 and 1st Corinthians 2:11 The Voice). Stay tuned for part 2. Shalom!

Scripture Reading - John 14:9-11; 1 Corinthians 1:30; John 15:10; 1 Timothy 1:15-16.

Exuberant Declaration: I have the mind of Christ, which is a mental excellence, faculty and system governed by the Word. I'm constantly receptive and responsive to spiritual realities which form my fixed cognizance and saturate my memory. Blessed be God!