SETTING OUR MINDS ON JESUS

THE MIND OF CHRIST

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God...

No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

We have received the Spirit Who is from God,

that we may understand what God has freely given us.

The spiritual man... (has) the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2.10-16

1 Corinthians 2. 14--The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The man without the Spirit of God, including the Christian who neglects personal meditation on the ways of God for his life day by day, will not have the "mind" of Christ. Lack of desire to know and love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength prevents understanding and insight into the deep thoughts and ways of God.

By default such men are filled with foolishness and destructiveness.

Genesis 6.5--The Lord saw that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil (destructive) all the time.

Isaiah 26.3,4--You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.

"Inclination" and "steadfast" are the same Hebrew word. It means what is the source of our thoughts, words, and actions. Note how the words I have italicized bring out the idea of how what is in our hearts direct what comes out of us, as Jesus says in Mark 7.20-23,

Genesis 8.21--...Every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.

1 Chronicles 28.9--And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts.

1 Chronicles 29.18--I know, my God that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent.

It is important to see that what we do and say, even what we think, come from the "inclinations" and "motives" of our hearts, because, the good news is:

We can choose to put godly motives and intentions

into our hearts.

Romans 12.1-2--I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not comform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Colossians 3.1-2--Set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated....Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

We can "cultivate" the mind and attitude, the very heart and love of Christ--Phil. 2. 5.

We can "work out our salvation" because God desires to work within us "to will and to do of His good pleasure"--Phil. 2.12-13.

We can have the mind, motive, inclination, heart of God working within us.