The Mind of Christ

July 23

2 Chronicles 26-28

Psalm 83:9-12

Proverbs 18:19-21

I Corinthians 2

The Mind of Christ

“Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.  And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.  The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned…. ‘For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct Him?’  But we have the mind of Christ.”  I Corinthians 2:12-16 ESV

Have you ever wondered how spiritual truths that seem so clear to you are completely baffling to those who do not know Jesus?  These verses explain why this is the case.  When we receive Christ into our hearts, we receive the Holy Spirit to indwell us.  This is not just a warm feeling of God’s presence or peace.  The Holy Spirit Himself dwells within us, so we have the benefit of all of the fullness of who He is working in and through us all the time.  That means we have His power, His wisdom, His knowledge, and His mind.  He gives us the ability to comprehend things that we previously could not comprehend.  He gives us understanding and discernment to make wise decisions.  He gives us the power to stand firm on biblical principles instead of caving to the pressures of the world around us.  He gives us self-control and patience when it would be easier to indulge our own desires and lusts. 

The ability to understand biblical truths is not natural.  There are many very intelligent people who have studied the Bible thoroughly who do not understand the truths it contains. They can give you detailed explanations about the definitions of the Latin and Greek words and how they were translated.  They can give you information about cultural norms and customs when it was written, but they have no idea how it applies to their own life or why they need Jesus to save them.  There are also many people who are not considered to be intelligent by the world’s standards who grasp deep spiritual truths and rely on God’s Word to make wise decisions and live productive and fruitful lives.  Intellectual capacity is not the prerequisite for understanding and applying biblical truth.  Accepting Jesus as our Savior gives us redemption and eternal life.  If that was the only benefit, it would certainly be worth it, but we are also given the benefit of His help in this life.  He promises hope for the future and His presence and power here and now.