In these letters to the Corinthian church, Paul is dealing with
some very practical, earthy issues in their spiritual health. This text seems
foundational to that work. Why? Paul regularly witnessed the miracle of people
coming to Christ and experiencing God’s forgiveness and new life. But
I imagine he noticed what we have also noticed. Far too often the new life
we’re talking about somehow gets short-circuited. We hear the wonderful
things the Bible promises a Christian, but too often they seem to elude our
grasp. The question is: does it have to be that way? Is this just how it is
trying to live a Christian life this side of heaven? Is the struggle simply
something with which we will always have to put up?
Perhaps Paul is trying to say to these first Christians and
to us that there is a way truly to live the life of Christ here and now. And
it has everything to do with whether or not our minds have been captivated
by the mind of Christ. The important question is: how does it happen?
There are a number of ways to approach an answer to that question,
but the text for today, particularly verse 16, presses the issue of how our
lives are changed through our union to Christ. Verse 16 expresses one of the
most profound thoughts in the Bible: “We have the mind of Christ.”
Amazing.
It may be useful to allow other Pauline texts to speak to this
seminal verse. For example, in his letter to the church at Rome, Paul tells
them we access the mind of Christ through offering ourselves to God as a living
sacrifice. He says very practically, “Do not conform any longer to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”
(Romans 12:2). The New Living Translation has it this way: “Don’t
copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into
a new person by changing the way you think.” Sounds like there’s
a decision involved over which we have some measure of power, albeit enabled
by grace. The practical and personal question is: will I align my thoughts
and beliefs with the messages coming to me from this world, or will I align
my thoughts and beliefs with what God says is true?
Another example. In his letter to the Philippians Paul says,
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians
2:5, KJV). He then describes what that would mean: that He humbled himself,
that He poured out His life in love, that He became a servant. Apparently
having the mind of Christ involves not only what goes on between my ears,
but also what I do with my hands and feet and mouth toward others.
The idea is not just in Paul. In His final words to His disciples
Jesus says, “Everything that I learned from my Father I have made known
to you” (John 15:15). Then He describes in the next chapter how that
happens. Jesus talks about the fact that the Holy Spirit is going to come
in a new way, and then He says, “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes,
he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). And then, “the
Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you” (John 16:15).
Seems clear the life we were meant to live is a life where the very Spirit
of Christ himself lives in us and changes, shapes, reveals, guides, makes
us think differently than we ever could without Him.
This is what Paul is talking about in our text when he contrasts
human wisdom with spiritual wisdom. Human wisdom would say, “Forget
this idea of having the mind of Christ. That’s ridiculous because Christ
is God and you are not.” But spiritual wisdom is able to see that God
is offering to us as a gift of His grace not only the chance to be forgiven
and healed, but also the chance to be made new. How does that “newness”
really happen? In how we think, in our graced ability to align our minds and
therefore our whole lives with the truth of God’s Word.
(For the full manuscript
of this sermon go to www.preachersmagazine.org and click on “Sermons”)
One of the tasks of the preacher is to anticipate the “congregational
blocks” that may arise at the reading of any particular text. This text
certainly has one as people respond to the amazing declaration: “But
we have the mind of Christ.” What is your first reaction to that astounding
statement? I have to admit that sometimes when I hear this verse my first
reaction is, “Umm, I don’t think so.” The mind of Christ
must be perfect. The mind of Christ is holy, full of love, and totally at
peace. Does that describe me? Does that describe you? So what in the world
can Paul mean by this?
In preaching this message I went from addressing that congregational block directly to guiding the people to think about the power of the human mind. Anecdotes and research abounds to help make this point. We should also note the language of our religion is typically the language of the heart. This is rightly so, for the essence of God’s relationship with us is love. But somehow in the mysterious mix of what makes me a human being, it’s my mind that really is the arena where God is revealed. Yes, God revealed himself in a human body, but most missed the point. Paul says here that they didn’t get it or “they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (v. 8). Now with the death and resurrection of that God-human, the Spirit has been given to reveal more fully than ever before not only who God is, but also what He has freely given us (v. 12). In this knowledge we may be transformed, by the renewing of our minds. Yes, we have the mind of Christ.
