A New Mind: Receiving the Mind of Christ

Introduction

"The moment you accept Jesus Christ as Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says 'All Things become new.'" Throughout Scripture, we find 30 distinct transformations that occur at the moment of salvation. This document explores the twenty-fifth of these transformations: receiving a new mind.

The Profound Declaration: We Have Christ's Mind

1 Corinthians 2:16

"But we have the mind of Christ."

This remarkable statement is not expressed as a future possibility or a gradual development but as a present reality for believers. It is not that we "will have" or "might eventually develop" the mind of Christ—we already "have" it as a result of salvation.

This transformation is only possible because of our transition from being "natural" people to "spiritual" people through the new birth. Before salvation, we were spiritually dead and therefore unable to comprehend spiritual realities in their fullness.

The Natural Mind vs. The Spiritual Mind

Before coming to Christ, Scripture describes the human mind as:

Characterized by Futile Speculation

Romans 1:21 describes those who reject God as becoming "futile in their speculations." Without divine revelation, human attempts to understand ultimate reality lead to false conclusions and deceptive worldviews.

Exchanging Truth for Lies

Romans 1:25 states that unbelievers "exchanged the truth of God for a lie." The natural mind rejects divine truth in favor of more comfortable falsehoods that align with human preferences and desires.

Darkened and Depraved

Later in Romans 1, Paul describes those who persistently reject God as having "depraved minds" that call evil good and good evil. This moral inversion results from continued rejection of divine truth.

Unable to Comprehend Spiritual Truth

1 Corinthians 2:14 states that "a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised." Without spiritual life, a person cannot truly grasp spiritual realities.

Peter's Experience: A Case Study

Matthew 16:13-23 provides a fascinating illustration of the interplay between having the mind of Christ and reverting to natural thinking.

Revelation Knowledge

When Jesus asks His disciples who people say He is, they offer various popular opinions. But when He asks for their personal understanding, Peter declares: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16).

Jesus immediately identifies the source of this insight:

Matthew 16:17

"Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven."

This moment perfectly illustrates the supernatural understanding available through divine revelation. Peter didn't arrive at this conclusion through human reasoning or education but through divine enlightenment—an example of having the mind of Christ.

Reverting to Natural Thinking

Just moments later, however, Peter demonstrates how quickly believers can revert to natural thinking:

Matthew 16:21-23

"From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.' But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's.'"

The same Peter who had just received divine revelation now argues against God's plan of redemption, thinking from a purely human perspective. Jesus' stern rebuke identifies this thinking as not merely mistaken but actively opposing God's purposes.

This dramatic shift demonstrates how believers can move from operating with the mind of Christ to functioning from natural human reasoning, even within moments.

The Source of Spiritual Understanding

1 Corinthians 2:1-16

A deeper understanding of the mind of Christ is found in 1 Corinthians 2, where Paul explains:

1. His approach to ministry: Not with human wisdom but focusing on "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" (v.2)

2. His reliance on the Spirit: Not persuasive arguments but demonstration of the Spirit's power (v.4)

3. The source of true wisdom: Not the wisdom of this age but God's hidden wisdom (v.7)

4. The means of revelation: "God revealed them through the Spirit" (v.10)

5. The Spirit's unique qualification: "The Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God" (v.10)

6. The parallel with human understanding: Just as only a person's spirit knows their own thoughts, only God's Spirit knows God's thoughts (v.11)

7. The gift we've received: "We have received... the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God" (v.12)

8. The mode of communication: Spiritual truths explained in spiritual terms (v.13)

9. The natural person's limitation: Cannot understand spiritual things because they require spiritual discernment (v.14)

10. The spiritual person's advantage: Can appraise all things while not being appraised by natural thinking (v.15)

11. The conclusion: "We have the mind of Christ" (v.16)

This passage reveals that having the mind of Christ is not about heightened human intelligence or superior reasoning abilities, but about having the indwelling Spirit who knows the thoughts of God and can reveal them to us.

The Spirit's Role in Revealing Christ's Mind

The Holy Spirit facilitates our access to the mind of Christ through various means, including specific gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12. Five of these gifts relate directly to receiving and communicating divine revelation:

1. Word of wisdom: Supernatural insight for specific situations

2. Word of knowledge: Divine information not obtainable through natural means

3. Prophecy: Speaking forth God's message for edification, exhortation, and comfort

4. Tongues: Supernatural utterance in unlearned languages

5. Interpretation of tongues: Supernatural understanding of messages given in tongues

Paul equates tongues with interpretation to prophecy, as both involve God speaking His truth to His people. These gifts represent ways the Spirit activates the mind of Christ within believers.

Practical Implications of Having Christ's Mind

Having the mind of Christ has several practical implications for believers:

1. We can understand Scripture correctly: The same Spirit who inspired the Bible indwells us to help us understand it

2. We can receive specific guidance: Beyond general biblical principles, we can receive specific insights for particular situations

3. We can discern truth from error: The Spirit helps us recognize deceptions and falsehoods

4. We can see situations from God's perspective: We can view circumstances not just from human viewpoints but from divine ones

5. We must choose to utilize this resource: Having the mind of Christ doesn't automatically guarantee we'll think according to it

The Choice Before Us

Like Peter, all believers face the ongoing choice of whether to think according to the mind of Christ or according to natural human reasoning. We have both capacities, and we must deliberately choose to set our minds on God's interests rather than man's.

Having the mind of Christ is not automatic in its expression, even though it is immediate in its availability. We must cooperate with the Spirit by:

1. Submitting our thoughts and perspectives to God

2. Studying Scripture to align our thinking with God's revealed truth

3. Being attentive to the Spirit's promptings and guidance

4. Rejecting worldly wisdom when it contradicts divine wisdom

5. Practicing spiritual discernment in all aspects of life

Conclusion

When we accept Christ, we receive a new mind—the mind of Christ. This transformation gives us access to divine perspectives, insights, and understanding that were previously inaccessible to us as natural people.

This new mind operates through the indwelling Holy Spirit, who knows the thoughts of God and can reveal them to us. Through the Spirit, we can understand spiritual truths, receive divine wisdom, and see situations from God's perspective.

However, like Peter, we must choose whether to set our minds on God's interests or on human concerns. Having the mind of Christ is both a gift received at salvation and a capacity we must deliberately exercise through ongoing submission to the Spirit's guidance.

As we learn to think according to the mind of Christ rather than natural reasoning, we experience one of the most profound and practical aspects of becoming a new creation in Christ.