1 Corinthians 2:16. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
You may remember from yesterday’s reading that the Corinthian Christians were all about gaining special wisdom and knowledge in order to achieve a greater level of spirituality. Of course only a few will ever reach the heights of this special knowledge. The select few. The “super-spiritual” Christians.
But the gospel’s message is the exact opposite. Christ’s union with every believer by the Spirit means that every Christian has the same level of spirituality. Look at how Paul walks us through it here in 1 Corinthians 2:
1 Corinthians 2:10. the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God – The Spirit understands the things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:12. Now we have received…the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God – We have the Spirit and can understand the things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:13. [we are] taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual – The Spirit is teaching us the things of God.
And then, in verse 16, Paul quotes Isaiah 40 asking, For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?
Answer: No one.
No one can teach God anything. No one can give him instructions. He’s never been schooled by anyone. Why? Because his knowledge, and wisdom, and insight, and perception have always been way beyond ours.
That is until now. Until union with Christ – But we have the mind of Christ.
In Christ, for the first time in history, God is truly knowable. No, we still can’t instruct God (that’s impossible). But we can understand God. We can understand the things freely given to us by God. How? Because we have the mind of Christ. And the mind of Christ is the mind of God.
Let this sink in – Christian, you share a mind with God.
It’s easy to let union with Christ just be reduced down to a nice way of saying I’m forgiven, or I’m saved, or I’m going to heaven someday. And all of these are true in Christ. But there’s so much more to it. You’re not only forgiven and heaven bound, the mind of God is in you! All his ways are revealed in Christ. All the mysteries of the universe are uncovered in the cross. Jesus is all of God’s “secret and hidden wisdom” (2:7). The Spirit reveals to us all the depths of God.
What does this mean for us practically?
1. It means there is no more knowledge or wisdom that you need, that you don’t already have, to make it through this life. God has not held anything back. All his wisdom is found in the shared mind of Christ. There is no further revelation needed. No waiting for further instructions. No “need to know” basis. Jesus is not the first clue on a lifelong spiritual scavenger hunt. He is totality of God’s wisdom in you.
2. It means that Jesus (his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and glory) answers all of life’s questions and teaches us everything we need to know for daily living. All of life boils down to four fundamental questions: Where did I come from? Why am I here? How should I live? Where am I going? Christ alone answers each of these questions. And now, with Christ’s mind in you, you have the answer to the most fundamental questions of life.
3. It means that you can think like Jesus today. His mindset can be yours today and every day. But what is this mindset? The answer is found more explicitly in Philippians 2. “Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.” The mindset of sacrifice, servanthood, humility, self-forgetfulness, worship, and love. As we meditate on the gospel of Christ we begin to see the world as Jesus does. We can evaluate truth through the revelation of his life. We can see spiritual realities beyond the physical world around us. Like Christ, we can walk by faith and not sight.
“To live is Christ” is to have the mind of Christ. His thoughts. His understanding. His knowledge. This is not mind control. It’s faith. It’s seeing Christ as all truth, all knowledge, and all understanding. His life and his death answer every question and reveal every mystery of God – the mysteries of salvation, meaning, purpose, eternity, love, life, and death.
The question for us today is will we “let his mind be in us?” What if we all filtered our thoughts through the cross? What if we all allowed Christ’s mindset of love and grace rule our own minds? How might the world change?
You
Do you filter your thoughts through the cross of Christ?
You in Christ
Do you believe you have the mind of Christ? What makes this easy/difficult to believe?
Christ in you
Is there a specific area of your life where you need to adopt the mind of Christ?
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Playlist: The Mind of Christ.
Click Here to listen to the playlist on Spotify!
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To see today’s post from the TLIC Family blog –> Click Here
To Live is Christ 