The Mind of Christ: Part 2

In Part one of this topic, we looked at what the mind of Christ is and how we receive it. Now let's look closer at what the mind of Christ does and how best we can use it.

God doesn't give us anything for the sake of us having it. Everything he does has a purpose and it's important for us to know what that purpose is so that we can put it to use.

So what is the purpose of the mind of Christ?

1 Corinthians 2:12 gives one answer to this, it is so that we might know the things that God has freely given to us. There are things that God wants we, his children, to know. The natural man can not understand these things. They are beyond what we with our human wisdom could understand (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Knowing things beyond a worldly understanding gives us a discerning spirit. We are able to make better judgments and decisions. When you have the mind of Christ you don't jump into something because everyone else is doing it or because it feels good. You don't follow the advice and teachings of just anyone, you line up what they say God's word.

We were not meant to be blind followers running here and there from one man of God to another. Everything we do, say, hear, see and read should be founded on his word and it's the mind of Christ that equips us to do this.

This isn’t something that happens overnight. As stated in Romans 12:2, we have to renew our minds. We do this by getting rid of anything that is contrary to his word. Anything that takes up space that isn't glorifying him or takes our thoughts away from him. 

By holding onto these things we effectively quench the Holy Spirit. All these words and thoughts get in the way and hinder us from not only making the right decisions, but they also hinder us from being able to fully understand his word and guidance.

This is where development comes in. We have to take our thoughts captive and also spend time with God through prayer and quiet time.

Having the mind of Christ means we know those things we should and shouldn't think about. If a thought comes into our mind we have the strength and discernment given to us by the Holy Spirit to either discard it or dwell on it.

However, this process goes beyond letting go of negative thoughts, because these will continue to come back. Once we get rid of these thoughts we need to replace them with something else. If our mind is left empty, we leave room for negativity to return, just as the evil spirit that returns to the body it was cast out of returns with companions (Matthew 12:43-45). 

Once we get rid of these thoughts we need to fill our mind with scripture and with the things of God.

When it comes to keeping our mind renewed, the word of God is our guide with the help of the Holy Spirit. Having his word on our mind keeps our thinking in line with his. It stops us from believing in lies either about ourselves or the things of God. More and more we begin to think like him (Hebrews 4:12). 

Having the mind of Christ is about developing our own mind. 1 John 2:27 says that we know all things so we don't need anyone to teach us.  This verse refers to our spirit, our mind, on the other hand, doesn't have that understanding and so needs to be developed in order to make full use of the mind of Christ that we have been given and have the understand given to our spirit.

Spending time in the things of God helps us do this. However, the way we relate to others also has an impact. We become more and more like the people we spend time with (Proverbs 13:20; 22:24-25). The people we associate with can determine how we develope the mind of Christ within us. It's easier to do certain things when people around us are also doing it. They can provide encouragement, support, and accountability. We sharpen and teach each other (Proverbs 27:17).

The mind of Christ opens up so much to us, things that were once hidden. The Holy Spirit is there to guide us and opens our eyes and hearts to the things that we didn't previously understand. However, the Holy Spirit won't do it all. We have a vital part to play in keeping ourselves firmly focused on God and having a desire to be led by his spirit.

This is a continuous process, which comes from remaining in his word, meditating on it, memorizing it and not being so consumed by the influences of this world