“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8
It was Katie B. Wilkinson, who wrote in the first stanza of a hymn: “May the mind of Christ my Saviour, live in me from day to day, By His love and pow’r controlling All I do and say.” How could Ms. Wilkenson even hope to come close to the realization of such words, and the experience of walking in Christ’s footsteps by thinking as He thought? For every consideration of any and every subject concerning the true life of faith in Christ, we always begin with Him, first as Creator, then Redeemer. We begin specifically at the cross, where the Son of God overcame all resistance and opposition, both physical and spiritual, to accomplish perfectly His work of redemption. In that declared work, finished and sealed by His precious blood, there are truths which became not only a reality to the every believer, but a revealed power by which all could be accomplished in the life, howbeit with certain limitations.
We begin in the consideration of the thoughtlife of the believer by Paul’s great statement, “…But we HAVE the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2:16) What did Paul mean by this? At the very moment when Christ uttered the words, “It is finished,” the world changed. How? Jesus had told his disciples that after His death and resurrection, they would receive the “promise of the Father,” which was the Spirit of God. Jesus also had told them concerning the Spirit, that He was with them, but would be IN them. The powerful demonstration of the Spirit of God being poured out upon all flesh became a realization on the day of Pentecost. Again, something very extraordinary occured on that day. With the outpouring of the Spirit, the church, or body of Christ was born. Everyone born of the Spirit would belong to that body, the living dwelling place of the Spirit of Christ. Also, in giving the Spirit, God the Father also placed into Jesus Christ, in eternal union with Him, every believer. As Paul would later explain in his letters, being IN Christ was not just a change in spiritual postion with regard to having peace with God. We discover that because of this union with Christ, that Christ became the believer’s life, and all that was IN Christ became part of that life by the Spirit. Where in Adam, the unbeliever derived all from himself, his sinful and meager resources, to be or do something good, now in Christ, the souce of all life and being became possible. All in Adam had been crucified with Christ, so that the believer could now live and drink fully from this living Spring, this mighty River of life, that being Christ by the Spirit. So, in Christ, all is available to the believer that he should receive it by faith. The Spirit of wisdom and revelation has been given to him that he should know the things freely given to him by God, but also, he has received he Spirit of strength and power, by which he can believe, overcoming all that would militate against the life of faith in the Son of God, and that, receiving from Him all that is in Him. How then is this matter of having the mind of Christ, and then practically thinking Christ’s thoughts, to be realized on a daily basis?
We must consider three things, that are essential: aims, limits, and possibilities. What is the aim? It is to be as Jesus told us, “Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (Matt. 5:28) Knowing our limitations to appropriate Christ for every need at all times, there is forgiveness and cleansing, restoration and reviving. However, there are great possibilities that exceed what we can ask or think, all because of His power working in us.
Dear Father, Fill our minds today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.