IN PHILIPPIANS 2:5 THE APOSTLE PAUL ADMONISHES, "Let this mind be in
you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Every Christian should strive to
have the mind of Christ, that is, to be spiritually minded. "For to be
carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and
peace" (Romans 8:6). In verse 13 Paul says "For if ye live after the
flesh, ye shall die, but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds
of the flesh ye shall live." To mortify the deeds of the flesh means
"to put to death" the deeds of the body that are wrong and contrary to
spiritual or Christian living. After all, this is the only way to have
the mind of Christ, who said, "...the Father hath not left me alone; for
I do always those things that please him" (John 8:29)
What Will Our Minds Be Dwelling On?
If we have the mind of Christ, what will our minds be dwelling on? The
Psalmist David says, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel
of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the
seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in
his law doth he meditate day and night"(Psalms 1:1,2). Will we be
thinking of new ways and devices to make more and more money; will we be
thinking of bigger and better and more expensive recreation to entertain
ourselves and impress our friends? Or will we be more concerned with
the spiritual life and preparation for eternity? After all, death is
coming to all. What about thinking about ways to build up the
church and contribute what we can to make it strong? "The apostle Paul
said, "Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might" (Ephesians
6:10). If we have the mind of Christ we will be concerned with reaching
the lost with the gospel. We will be interested in saving our friends
and relatives by encouraging them to come to the services and to do what
is right. If we have the mind of Christ we will have a desire to
increase our understanding of the will of God that we may better serve
Him and be able to teach and help others get to heaven.
Some Have Never Increased Much In The Knowledge Of The Scriptures
We are told in Colossians 1:10, "We desire...that ye might walk worthy
of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and
increasing in the knowledge of God." In spite of such teaching there
are some in the church who claim to be living the Christian life who
have never increased much in the knowledge of the scriptures; who know
very little more now than they did when they first obeyed the gospel.
How can a person have the mind of Christ if he knows nothing about
Christ. Knowledge of the scriptures today is not a spiritual gift. It
is something that is acquired by study. Paul the apostle said, "Study
to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). Peter
says, "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
Knowledge Is One Of The Graces
Knowledge is one of the graces we are to add to our faith (2 Peter 1:5).
The wise man, Solomon says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge" (Proverbs 1:7). Maybe some of us do not fear the Lord enough
to put forth the effort to increase out knowledge of His will. "For to
fear God and keep his commandments is the whole duty of man"
(Ecclesiastes 12:13). If we are going to have the mind of Christ, we
have to know what God’s will is, so we can do it, as Jesus did. Read the
Bible and take advantage of opportunities to learn from others, and
listen to the preaching of the gospel with the intention of
increasing our understanding.
The Christian Life Is Worth Living Wholeheartedly
The Christian life is worth living wholeheartedly, or it is not worth
living at all. We should instill in the hearts of out children a love
for the scriptures and the desire to know what the Bible teaches. Also,
we should encourage every Christian to have the mind of Christ. The very
best way to do this is by example. "Let this mind be in you which was
also in Christ Jesus."
