The mind of Christ

THE MIND OF CHRIST
Name of Christ: The Bread of Life (John 6:35)
We are going to explore how to develop a mind like that of Christ. How to think like he did, and using those thoughts, putting them into motion in our own lives. We are called to have the mind of Christ. Not just a good mind, a sharp mind, or the most intelligent mind, but the mind of Christ.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
And be not conformed ... - The word rendered "conformed" properly means to put on the form, fashion, or appearance of another. It may refer to anything pertaining to the habit, manner, dress, style of living, etc., of others.
Of this world - The word used here properly denotes an age, or generation of people. It may denote a particular generation, or it may be applied to the race. It is sometimes used in each of these senses. Thus, here it may mean that Christians should not conform to the maxims, habits, feelings, etc., of a wicked, luxurious, and idolatrous age, but should be conformed solely to the precepts and laws of the gospel; or the same principle may be extended to every age, and the direction may be, that Christians should not conform to the prevailing habits, style, and manners of the world, the people who know not God. They are to be governed by the laws of the Bible; to fashion their lives after the example of Christ; and to form themselves by principles different from those which prevail in the world. In the application of this rule there is much difficulty. Many may think that they are not conformed to the world, while they can easily perceive that their neighbor is. They indulge in many things which others may think to be conformity to the world, and are opposed to many things which others think innocent. The design of this passage is doubtless to produce a spirit that should not find pleasure in the pomp and vanity of the World; and which will regard all vain amusements and gaieties with disgust, and lead the mind to find pleasure in better things.
Be ye transformed - The word from which the expression here is derived means "form, habit" morphē. The direction is, "put on another form, change the form of the world for that of Christianity." This word would properly refer to the external appearance, but the expression which the apostle immediately uses, "renewing of the mind,." The meaning is, do not cherish a spirit. devoted to the world, following its vain fashions and pleasures, but cultivate a spirit attached to God, and his kingdom and cause.
By the renewing - By the making new; the changing into new views and feelings. The Christian is often represented as a new creature.
Your mind - The word translated "mind" properly denotes intellect, as distinguished from the will and affections. But here it seems to be used as applicable to the whole spirit as distinguished from the body, including the understanding, will, and affections. As if he had said, Let not this change appertain to the body only, but to the soul. Let it not be a mere external conformity, but let it have its seat in the spirit. All external changes, if the mind was not changed, would be useless, or would be hypocrisy. Christianity seeks to reign in the soul; and having its seat there, the external conduct and habits will be regulated accordingly.
> Six times the New Testament describes or implies what the Christian's mind is to be like:
1. ALIVE - ROMANS 8:6
2. SINGLE-MINDED - 2 COR 11:3
3. LOWLY - PHIL 2:3
4. PURE - TITUS 1:15
5. RESPONSIVE - LUKE 24:45
6. PEACUFUL - ROMANS 8:6

ALIVE
Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
For to be carnally minded - Margin, "The minding of the flesh." The sense is, that to follow the inclinations of the flesh, or the corrupt propensities of our nature, leads us to condemnation and death. The expression is one of great energy, and shows that it not only leads to death, or leads to misery, but that it is death itself; there is woe and condemnation in the very act and purpose of being supremely devoted to the corrupt passions, Its only tendency is condemnation and despair.
But to be spiritually minded - Margin, "The minding of the Spirit." That is, making it the object of the mind, the end and aim of the actions, to cultivate the graces of the Spirit, and to submit to his influence. To be spiritually minded is to seek those feelings and views which the Holy Spirit produces, and to follow his leadings.
Is life - This is opposed to death in Rom_8:5. It tends to life, and is in fact real life. For to possess and cultivate the graces of the spirit, to be led where he would guide us, is the design of our existence, and is the only path of happiness.
John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of
God abideth on him.
Hath everlasting life - Has or is in possession of that which is a recovery from spiritual death, and which will result in eternal life in heaven. The
Christian here has a foretaste of the world of glory, and enjoys the same kind of felicity, though not the same degree, that he will there.
> Jesus went further than saying we live. He wants us to be alive. Jesus says in John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to
kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Our choices reflect and
demonstrate whether we have life or death. When you set your mind on the Spirit, you experience life. The mind that is alive chooses the spiritual in
preference to the fleshly.

SINGLE-MINDED
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be
corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
As the serpent beguiled Eve - The word "serpent" here refers doubtless to Satan, who was the agent by whom Eve was beguiled. Satan adapts his temptations to the character and circumstances of the tempted. He varies them from age to age, and applies them in such a way as best to secure his object. Hence, all should be on their guard. No one knows the mode in which he will approach him, but all may know that he will approach them in some way.
Through his subtilty - By his craft, art, wiles. The word implies that shrewdness, cunning, craft was employed. A tempter always employs cunning and art to accomplish his object.
So your minds should be corrupted - So your thoughts should be perverted. So your hearts should be alienated. The mind is corrupted when the affections are alienated from the proper object, and when the soul is filled with unholy plans, and purposes, and desires.
From the simplicity that is in Christ -
(1) From simple and single-hearted devotedness to him - from pure and unmixed attachment to him. The fear was that their affections would be fixed on other objects, and that the singleness and unity of their devotedness to him would be destroyed.
> The mind of Christ is single-minded in devotion to Christ.
> There is a Spiritual problem: Concentration is difficult because we are being bombarded by so many distractions. We think about a hundred different things in a day.
> *My thoughts: We are not able to control our minds. Our minds wander thinking about things that have little value to our lives. Because we are so distracted, God gives us a way to bring our focus back into perspective. He gave us His Son, Jesus Christ. We are think as He did. Have the mind He had. Have a one track mind devoted to things of Christ. We could not handle, nor are we responsible enough, to control our own minds. That's why God seeks for us give Him control over our lives. This includes our minds and thoughts. God giving us ultimate control over our minds would be like puting an ant behind the wheel of an 18 wheeler, fully loaded, traveling at 100 mph. It's not possible.
> Single-mindedness is the discipline of attention. The single-minded Christian pays attention to Christ, His commands, His Person, and His ways.

LOWLY
Philipians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than
themselves.
Let nothing be done through strife - With a spirit of contention. This command forbids us to do anything, or attempt anything as the mere result of strife. What we do is to be by principle, and with a desire to maintain the truth, and to glorify God. And yet how often is this rule violated! How often do Christian denominations attempt to outstrip each other, and to see which shall be the greatest!
Or vain glory - The word used here - κενοδοξία kenodoxia occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, though the adjective - kenodoxos - It means properly empty pride, or glory, and is descriptive of vain and hollow parade and show. Suidas renders it, "any vain opinion about oneself" -
But in lowliness of mind - Modesty, or humility. It here means humility, and it stands opposed to that pride or self-valuation which would lead us to strive for the ascendancy, or which acts from a wish for flattery, or praise. The best and the only true correction of these faults is humility.
Let each esteem other better than themselves - Compare 1Pe_5:5. This is one of the effects produced by true humility, and it naturally exists in every truly modest mind. We are sensible of our own defects, but we have not the same clear view of the defects of others. We see our own hearts; we are conscious of the great corruption there; we have painful evidence of the impurity of the motives which often actuate us - of the evil thoughts and corrupt desires in our own souls; but we have not the same view of the errors, defects, and follies of others. We can see only their outward conduct; but, in our own case, we can look within.
> The mind is to be lowly. One cannot be humble unless he is lowly. The opposite of lowliness is haughtiness, pride, or arrogance. We learn to submit to one another through the body of Christ by lowliness. The lowly Christian has the security of understanding his position under the greatness of God.

PURE
Name of Christ: Image of the invisible God (Colosians 1:15)
Titus 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Unto the pure all things are pure - The principle of the declaration is, that a pure mind - a truly pious mind - will not regard the distinctions of food and drink; of festivals, rites, ceremonies, and days, as necessary to be observed in order to promote its purity. The conscience is not to be burdened and enslaved by these things, but is to be controlled only by the moral laws which God has ordained.
But even their mind and conscience is defiled - It is not a mere external defilement - a thing which they so much dread - but a much worse kind of pollution, that which extends to the soul and the conscience.
> Purity is depicted as the natural state of the Christian. Impurity is reached by corruption of the mind and conscience.
? Why is it difficult to maintain a natural spiritual state? Constant assault of information on our senses. Tempters have opportunities to take us into realms of thought never known before. T.V., RADIO, INTERNET, MOVIES, MAGAZINES. Lets look at what these devices bring into our lives:

LUST, JEALOUSY, ENVY, GREED, ANXIETY/WORRY.
> To overcome the temptations of impurity, you must want to be pure. You have to have a passion, a desire to be sincere in purity, and God will provide you with a way to escape.
Psalm 101:3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes - That is, I will propose no wicked thing to be done; I will have no such object in view; I will employ no one to do that which is wrong.
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
But God is faithful - This was the only source of security; and this was enough. If they looked only to themselves, they would fall. If they depended on the faithfulness of God, they would be secure. The sense is, not that God would keep them without any effort of their own; not that he would secure them if they plunged into temptation; but that if they used the proper means, if they resisted temptation, and sought his aid, and depended on his promises, then he would be faithful.
But will with the temptation ... - He will, at the same time that He allows the trial or temptation to befall us, make a way of deliverance; He will save us from being entirely overcome by it.
? What is the safest way to maintain purity in the face of temptation? Knowing you have God's strenght already before the temptation, and seeking to be pure in mind according to the mind of Christ.

RESPONSIVENESS
Luk 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,
Opened he their understanding - Enabled them fully to comprehend the meaning of the prophecies which foretold his death and resurrection.
Hence, we may learn:
1. That "facts," or the farther disclosure of truth, will yet remove the "mysteries" that we now see in religion.
2. That our prejudices and our preconceived opinions are one cause of our seeing so many mysteries in the Bible. If a man is willing to take the plain declarations of the Bible, he will commonly be little perplexed with mysteries.
3. That God only can open the mind so as fully to comprehend the Scriptures. He only can overcome our prejudices, open our hearts, and dispose us to receive the ingrafted word with meekness, and with the simplicity of a child. See Act_16:14; Jam_1:21; Mar_10:15.
4. The design of God’s opening the understanding is that we may be acquainted with the Scriptures. It is not that we may be made wise above what is written, but that we may submit ourselves wholly to the Word of God.
> Christ saw in His disciples their willingness to want to learn from Him. Their minds were open to Christ, yet they were single-minded.
> Here is the opposite of responsiveness:
2Co 3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:
2Co 3:13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:
2Co 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
2Co 3:15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
2Co 3:16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.
But their minds were blinded - The word used here (πωρόω pōroō) means rather to harden; to make hard like stone; and then to make dull or stupid.
Which vail is done away in Christ - In the manifestation, or appearance of Jesus the Messiah, the veil is removed.
> To be unresponsive to God is to be spiritually dull-witted. We must not be responsive to anything and everything. Only to God. Spending time with God in prayer, and in His Word, will help cultivate the kind of responsiveness God desires from each of us.
? What are two disciplines that can indicate a responsive mind? Spending time in God's Word; Prayer.

PEACEFUL
Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Peace - But to be spiritually minded, phronēma tou pneumatos - a spiritual savour (the wisdom that is from above, a principle of grace) is life and peace; it is the felicity and happiness of the soul. The life of the soul consists in its union with spiritual things by the mind. A sanctified soul is a living soul, and that life is peace; it is a very comfortable life. All the paths of spiritual wisdom are paths of peace. It is life and peace in the other world, as well as in this. Spiritual-mindedness is eternal life and peace begun, and an assuring earnest of the perfection of it.
> Peace is a fruit of the Spirit.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Peace - As the result of reconciliation with God;
> It is God's work that is providing peace. Jesus had peace. He promised rest to the weary and burdened (Matt 11:28).
* 3 things to do in developing the mind of Christ:
1. Set your mind - be Alive, Single-minded, Lowly, Pure, Responsive, and Peaceful.
2. Renew your mind - Rid yourself of those things of the world. Get rid of those things that pollute your mind.
3. Gird up your mind - Pray without ceasing; Be in God's Word constantly.