Just a Thought or Three
INTRODUCTION – Last week, we found that God’s thoughts cannot be reckoned (Ps. 40:5), cannot cease (Ps. 40:17), cannot be limited (Is. 55:8-12), and cannot be evil (Jer. 29:11). These truths should prompt us to think differently (Phil. 2:5-8; 4:8,9). Today, we will further consider our thoughts.
1. WE SHOULD BE STUNNED BY THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURAL STATEMENT.
I Cor. 2:16 – If this verse were not written down so clearly, we might think that the teaching that “we have the mind of Christ” is heresy. Is. 55:8a says of God, “My thoughts are not your thoughts.” Does this verse contradict I Cor. 2:16? No, it does not. Always study the context. Verse 15 uses the word “spiritual” to tell us that God the Holy Spirit is doing a divine work in us. We do not become gods. New Age teaching is nothing new: Satan said in Gen. 3:5b, “Ye shall be as gods,” and he is the father of lies and liars (see John 8:44). No, we do not become gods; rather, we can begin to understand things in a manner similar to the way that God knows things. The larger context, including verses 9-12, makes it clear that having the mind of Christ is dependent upon the work of God the Holy Spirit. Let us contemplate a few examples of this kind of thinking. Ps. 48:9 focuses us on the lovingkindness of God. This love is based on God’s essential and unchanging character and thus works out in His loving actions. Ps. 119:59 helps us to see the contrast between God and man, prompting a response of repentance. A NT parallel is I Peter 4:1,2. Rom. 12:3 encourages us to a genuine humility as we measure ourselves not against others but against the standard of Jesus Christ. The mind of Christ in the Christian is real, practical, and absolutely necessary.
2. THE ALTERNATIVE IS HORRIFYINGLY FRIGHTENING.
Rom. 8:6 – Our culture is obsessed with death, from doctor-assisted suicide to death cafés (a real thing) to taxpayer-funded death for unborn children. However, there is no preparation for what comes after death; there is no thought of eternity, of eternal life. This carnal worldview offers no peace – now or forever – and it offers no fullness of life – now or forever.
3. LET US THEN KEEP IN STEP WITH GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Rom. 12:1,2 – “Be” is in the passive voice. In other words, we do not transform ourselves. The work must be of God. Gal. 5:25b in the NIV states this thought precisely: “Let us keep in step with the Spirit.” “Renewing” is present progressive, indicating an ongoing process; this transformation must continue, for we still have a sin nature, and, given God’s eternality and infinity, we still have much to learn.
CONCLUSION – Our thoughts matter. As Prov. 23:7a reminds us, “As [a man] thinketh in his heart, so is he.” For the Christian, the mind of Christ in us through the Holy Spirit is real, and it is one of God’s great gifts to us now. The gift of salvation is also freely available to all. Believe in Jesus and His finished work on the Cross and in His resurrection, and you will receive eternal life in heaven with the Savior. The choice is clear and must be personal.
2019-09-02