Possessing The Mind Of Christ

To See as Jesus Sees

“He who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he will instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:15-16).

This is one of the most staggering statements made in the New Testament. Paul says that it is actually possible to be free of our carnal, jealous, fearful, unbelieving thought-life and, in its place, possess “the mind of Christ”!

This promise is wonderfully profound. Indeed, it is one thing to be taught edifying principles and truths about the Lord, yet quite another to actually posses the very thought-life of Christ! Listen to what Paul says,

“For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God.

"Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words” (1 Cor. 2:11-13).

When we were born again, we received into our spirits the Spirit of God. A spiritual man is one in whom God’s Spirit has risen in internal ascendancy. Paul tells us that a spiritual man can discern or appraise all things. It is unfortunate that some versions translate “appraises” with the word judges. Some Christians have actually used the word judges as a green light to become judgmental, which they associate with being spiritual. God does not want us to be judgmental, He wants us to be discerning. Indeed, a spiritual man is one who has renounced a judgmental attitude and, in its place, he possesses a redemptive attitude, which is the mind of Christ.How does Jesus view life? How does He look at the imperfections of our world? Paul taught in Philippians 2:5-8

“Have this attitude (KJV: “mind”) in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God . . . emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Christ's attitude was simple. Jesus saw the fallen, rebellious condition of mankind and then did everything necessary to redeem it. Although the world deserved judgment, He “did not come to judge the world, but to save the world” (John 12:47). And, with this very same motive to spread redemption, He said, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).

The Son of God saw the need of the world and emptied Himself to meet it. He gave up all that was His in the Godhead - His privileges, powers and position as the very form of God - and took the form of man. Then He humbled Himself further, remaining obedient to death in order to secure our eternal redemption. This is the mind that we are to have in us “which was also in Christ Jesus.”

Out of the nature of selfless love emerges the mind of Christ. The moment we accept that we are called to lay down our lives for others, we are beginning to understand what it means to posses the mind of Christ. The spiritual man appraises all things: he sees both the need and the answer and he is willing to be a bridge to complete redemption. The spiritual man possesses discernment: he knows the activity of the human heart, its vulnerability to demonic manipulation, its inability to rise out of woundedness. Knowing God's grace toward himself, he pays the price to see freedom come to another.

Beloved, if your motive is love, if you are guided by hope, if you desire to possess Christlikeness, if you love humility and walk with an unoffendable heart, you will certainly find the thought-life of God. You are possessing the mind of Christ.

Lord Jesus, how much I want to think like You. Lord, I want to possess Your mind and be moved by Your heart. Grant, Master, that I would receive in a greater way the character and nature of the Holy Spirit, that I might know the thoughts of God toward the world around me. For Your glory I pray. Amen.

Copyright Francis Frangipane http://frangipane.org/

Used with permission