O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 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.
— Romans 11:33-12:2
In the previous post we talked about the mind of the Lord and how it is available to all who desire it. The question is, do you REALLY desire it? As you read this post, think about how much you REALLY desire the mind of Christ. The following are some of the wonderful blessings that come with having the mind of Christ:
- Having this mind is a foundation for knowing God’s will (Ephesians 5:17).
- Having this mind helps us to live a more sanctified life (Romans 11:33-12:2).
- Having this mind is necessary for spiritual discernment (1 Corinthians 2:14-16).
- Having this mind will unify Born-Again Believers (Philippians 4:2).
What Child of God would not want these blessings?
There is, however, a cost that comes with having the mind of the Lord. Paul states the cost in Philippians 2:5-8 –
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
Here are just a few points to make note of in this passage –
- Our Lord made himself of no reputation.
- Our Lord took the form of a servant.
- Our Lord was obedient unto the death of the cross.
Let’s take the first point – Our Lord made himself of no reputation. Isn’t it in our nature to want to have a reputation? From a five-year-old losing a tooth to a newly-graduated college student, it is a natural tendency to feel pride in an attainment of status. Now, let’s zoom out of this present time for a moment. You are now looking at all of human history as we know it. How significant is that five-year-old losing a tooth or a college diploma in the realm of eternity? We have been taught from an early age to gain an earthly reputation, but earthly reputation is insignificant in the bigger scope of eternity (Matthew 6:2, 5, 16). Now, we are still zoomed out looking at the whole of human history. Take a look at Jesus’ reputation summarized beautifully in Hebrews 1. He was there before the beginning. He had an infinitely glorious reputation already. He gained yet more reputation by how He lived during his earthly ministry (Hebrews 1:9). But what did Jesus do? He made himself of no reputation. Kind of makes our desire for earthly reputation look pretty foolish doesn’t it? We just need to make sure that all we do, all our accomplishments, and all our attainments are for the glory of God.
Here is our second point – Our Lord took the form of a servant. The King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and Creator of the universe is now seen washing the disciples feet. Here’s an exercise – you can’t tell anyone you did this or you failed. Schedule a time to go to the church house and spend a day cleaning. Pick up trash, wash the toilets, wipe the mirrors and windows, dust the nooks and crannies – all without telling a single person. Can you do it? When you’ve gotten too big for the little things, you’re too little for the big things. Having the mind of Christ involves being willing to serve others for the glory of GOD.
Now for the third point – Our Lord humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He humbled and submitted Himself to the plan of the Father. Having the mind of Christ involves having this simple, submissive attitude, willing to obey the will of the Father no matter what the cost. But notice this – He became obedient unto death, EVEN THE DEATH OF THE CROSS. He was so willing to obey the will of the Father, He went all the way to the cross to be crucified! That was His mission. If the God of the whole universe could lower himself for you and me to be crucified on a pitiful cross, isn’t it reasonable to sacrifice our time and desires for him and to him?
It’s sad to hear those who profess to be born-again complain about being overtaken by their besetting sin. Sure we may all have that one sin we struggle with the most, but why does it overtake us? Why would John the Beloved proclaim in 1 John 5:4, “for whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” if this victory isn’t really accessible to us? I believe the sad fact of the matter is that when we let a besetting sin overtake us, it shows we aren’t willing to follow the steps of Jesus to our own crosses. We do not put forth enough effort into nurturing our spiritual man. We do not arm ourselves with the mind of Christ. Remember, WE HAVE ACCESS TO THE MIND OF CHRIST!
So, let’s return to our first question . . .
do you REALLY desire the mind of Christ?