“…Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5
In the first letter by the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, he makes a most extraordinary statement, the first part of which is in the form of a question. He writes: “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him?” (2:16) He then adds, “…But we have the mind of Christ.” There is in this statement the presentation to the believer of a door, an entrance point, a certain access granted by the Father, to know God. Key to this true knowledge of God is the mind, that place where our thoughts are born, nurtured, and applied to the life, and living. If there is one thing that the Psalms were designed to give to men, it was the elevated, high and holy, thoughts of God. We might say that with the coming of the Lord Jesus in particular, the purpose of HIs words, both verbal and written in Scripture, was to elevate our concepts, and thoughts, of God, His ways, and purposes, to heights beyond the thoughts of sinful men, and this world. The miracle of Paul’s words, that we have the mind of Christ, is essential to realize if we would grasp something of a heavenly altitude in the worship and praise of God. This miracle is also realized on this earth, as it is in heaven, when Christ’s thoughts dominate, and reign, in our lives and hearts. Every high and holy thought of God, every true and good impression, is given by God in Christ. This is part of this “great salvation” that belongs to the believer in Christ, for when the Father placed the believer IN CHRIST at the moment of the new birth, his access to the vast riches of the blessed knowledge of God in Christ was opened to him. It is true that the believer’s limitations and capacity to know the mind of Christ is so very small in comparison with the vastness of God Himself. But, in His mercy and grace, God has chosen to put the believer into a living union with Christ, that he or she might appropriate the blessed, high and holy, yet lowly thoughts of Christ, as they are in heaven, to be revealed in every believer, and the church, His body, on earth. Well did Paul write to the Roman believers on this subject: “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out.” (11:33) It might seem to us that even this declaration is beyond our capacity to know, realize, and live, but then we turn to the very encouraging words by the Spirit through the Apostle: “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might KNOW the things that are freely given to us of God.” (1 Cor. 2:12) God, in His word, has provided abundantly great and wonderful truths for us to discover of Himself, words that lift us up beyond the depths of despair and degradation of this earth, to the heights of heaven. The Spirit of God takes these truths and makes them real to the soul and heart. It is as we trust Him to do so, that we begin to think Christ’s thoughts. It is as we live in communion with Christ, walking by the Spirit, that His thoughts become our own. We are strengthened by the Spirit, not only to discover these wonderful truths, but we are enabled by Him to believe, and choose to make them our own by faith. The vast resource of the mind of Christ is ours by virtue of our union with Christ. The measure of our possession of such thoughts, and truths, will depend upon the response of faith from our hearts. It is as we see God in His Word, that the Spirit strengthens us to believe, and think His thoughts.
Dear Father, Strengthen us by the Spirit to walk, knowing and appropriating the mind of the Lord Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.