HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST
1 Corinthians 2:16
"For who
has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?“
But we have the mind of Christ.”
•
We must start by realizing that God does not
think or reason as we do.
Isaiah 55:8,9
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,“
declares the
LORD.
"As the heavens are higher than the
earth, so
are my ways higher than your ways and my
thoughts than your thoughts.”
Romans 11:33-36
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom
and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who
has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has
ever given to God, that God should
repay
him?“ For from him and through him and to
him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
1 Corinthians 2:16
"For who has known the mind
of the Lord that he
may instruct him?“
But we have
the mind of Christ.”
•
The Christian
objective is to understand God’s will and way by learning to think as He does.
•
The only way
to learn how He thinks, reasons and feels is to learn how Jesus thinks, reasons
and feels.
•
It is difficult to put the concept of knowing
Christ and having the mind of Christ into words, but it means the Lord should
become real to us, and that we should be conscious of Him and conscious of His
presence
•
HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST
•
SHAPES OUR
MORAL AND ETHICAL STANDARDS
-Directly affects our response to pain
and hardship
Hebrew 12:5-8
“ And
you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's
discipline,
and
do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he
loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a
son.“
cont.
“Endure hardship as discipline; God is
treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone
undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.”
•
FACING
LIFES STRUGGLES,WE NEED TO KNOW OF HIS CONTINUAL PRESENCE
Matthew 28:20
“…and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age."
HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST
- Motivates our response toward
fortune, fame, power,
pleasure.
John 14:1-3
"Do
not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust
also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it
were not so, I would have
told you. I am going there to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come
back and take you to be with
me that you also may be
where I am.
HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST
- Gives us strength when
we are
tempted (Matthew 4, “it
is written”)
HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST
- Keeps us
faithful and courageous
when we are outnumbered
Romans 8:28-32
“And we know that in
all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called
according to his purpose. For those God
foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
“And those he predestined, he also called;
those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
“What, then, shall we say in response to
this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own
Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him,
graciously give us all things? “
THINKING LIKE CHRIST
- Enhances our worship and prompts our praise
THINKING LIKE CHRIST
-Determines our lifestyle
and
dictates our philosophy.
1 John 2:15
“ Do not love the world or anything in the
world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. “
THINKING LIKE CHRIST
•
Gives meaning and significance to
relationships
John 13:34,35
“A new command I give you: Love
one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my
disciples, if you love one another."
HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST
•
Sensitizes our conscience and creates the
desire to be obedient
•
Stimulates hope to go on, regardless.
FIVE ETERNALLY SIGNIFICANT THINGS ABOUT
HAVING THE MIND OF CHIRST
1. Having the mind of Christ gives
us the desire to be
like Him.
1 Peter 1:14-19
“As obedient children, do not conform to the
evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you
is holy, so be holy in all you do; for
it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
•
“Since you call on a
Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers
here in reverent fear. For you know that
it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed
from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb
without blemish or defect. “
HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST
- Reveals the truth about
ourselves
Galatians 6:14
“May I never boast except in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to
the world. “
HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST
Colossians 1:15,16
“He is the image of the invisible
God, the firstborn over
all creation. For by him all things were
created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones
or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.
“
HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST
-Makes us stronger and more
secure.
Philippians 4:13
“I can do everything through him
who gives me strength.
Ephesians 3:20
“Now
to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
according to his power that is at work within us,”
HAVING THE MIND OF CHRIST
-Introduces us to eternal dimension of existence.
John 17:3
“Now this is eternal life: that
they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
1
Corinthians 2:9
“ However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen, no ear has
heard, no mind has
conceived what God has prepared for those
who
love him”--