Ezekiel Kimosop

What does it mean to have the mind of Christ?
The context of this question lies in 2 Cor. 2:10-16 where Paul was proclaiming that believers have the mind of Christ. Unlike the carnal minded man, those who are truly in Christ can, by His Spirit, perceive the spiritual things of God. This is evidence of our communion with Christ through the Holy Spirit.

In answering this question, I wish to relate it to Paul's use of the same phrase in Philippians 2:5 which says "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."

To have the mind of Christ in this context is to be willing to suffer for the good of others; to deny self of one's volition prompted by sacrificial love for others. 

Paul was calling on believers to consider the interest of others. He demonstrated that Jesus did not consider equality with God something to hold onto but chose of his volition to forfeit His divine glory and heavenly privileges and took on human form and accepted to suffer even to the point of death. In so doing, Jesus accomplished God's purposed and was exalted back to His position of glory. (Philippians 2:8-10). 

There is no greater sacrifice than what Christ paid for our redemption and there can no greater expression of love than his dying on the cross for condemned sinners. 

In the context of the above teaching, the Bible calls on us to count the costs of our calling by willing to suffer cost to advance God's purposes on earth. Notice that God was exhorting the Philippians on being mindful of others and the need to consider others better than ourselves (Philippians 2:1-4). He used the example of Christ to drive his point home. 

The Bible teaches in Matthew 5:13-14 that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. These descriptions place on us a moral responsibility for leading spiritual lives that will attract and transform the lives of others. We must rise above lethargy and procrastination to an action oriented practical living that demonstrates that we have been transformed by Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17-18). This is only possible if we totally yield to the control and admonition of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus sacrificed his life to free us from sin and death. We too on our part, having received the fullness of His grace, should take the message of his love to the lost and dying so that they too like us may share in Christ's redeeming grace. This will cost us our time and resources and even our social reputations. Are we willing to suffer for Christ's cause? 

For millions of believers through the church ages, it cost them lives of great deprivation, disease and even death when they chose to respond to the Macedonian call. I am reminded of great missionaries such as David Livingstone and Cameron Scott who died in Africa while seeking to turn the continent to Christ in the late 1800s. Their efforts were not in vain because true to their great faith millions of Africans have come to Christ over the two centuries. There are many other heroes of faith who suffered to lead thousands and millions to saving faith. These heroes had the mind of Christ.

Apostle Paul himself sacrificed personal liberties to serve God. He chose a life of celibacy even though he was entitled to marry. He suffered gruesome perils such hunger as shipwrecks, beatings and imprisonments and persecutions by false teachers (2 Cor. 11:22-30). When he was finally imprisoned in Rome, he faced death in confidence after serving gallantly as a great missionary to Macedonia and Asia Minor. He too had the mind of Christ. He declares in 2 Timothy 4:7-8 that he had finished the race and kept the faith. 

If ever we seek the mind of Christ, we should ask ourselves what legacy we shall leave and what impact we shall have exerted on the lives of those whom God has placed in our charge, those within our sphere of influence whose lives cry for our attention and decisive action. 

This is the mind of Christ.

April 07 2015 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report