Accept the Mind of Christ
Having the mind of Christ means accepting and applying His standard of conduct and receiving His empowering energy to live a life that contributes to God's glory.
J. Stuart Holden emphasizes the profound claim that believers have the mind of Christ, highlighting how this is justified when one responds to Jesus Christ, unites with Him in faith, and is born again. Having the mind of Christ means accepting His standards of conduct as revealed in His word and Gospels, serving as a guide for one's actions and decisions. Additionally, believers receive the Spirit of Christ as an empowering force that enlightens, restrains, guides, and creates energy within them, leading to active participation in God's work. Yielding to Christ does not diminish one's personality but rather enhances it, enabling individuals to reach their full potential and contribute to God's glory in the world.
Text
"But we have the mind of Christ"
(2 Cor. 2:16). I do not know that the apostle ever makes a greater claim for himself and his fellow-believers than this. And yet how entirely justified it is. For when a man responds at first to the overtures of our Lord Jesus Christ, unites with Him by faith and appropriates His proffered pardon, cleansing and adjustment with God, when he is thus born again, this is his endowment. For "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ," the expression of Christ Himself dwelling within him, is, in fact, the authentic mark that the great transaction has been effected. A Christian is one who has the mind of Christ in a two fold fashion. He has accepted and enthroned the mind of Christ as the standard of conduct--the mind of Christ declared in His word and in His life as these are recorded in the Gospels. The mind of Christ is the straight-edge by which he tests the horizontal of his life and the plumb-line by which he judges its perpendicular. Then further, he has received the mind, that is, the Spirit of Christ, as an enlightening, restraining, constraining, rebuking, guiding, empowering, creating energy And the loyal application to life of the standard unfailingly assures the putting forth of the energy in life.
This is not to proclaim any Gospel that leaves men and women mere passive automata. It is of the essence of the truth as it is in Christ that they are made intelligent and active co-workers with Him. Your personality will not be destroyed, nor even impaired, by your yielding to the control of Him Who holds its secret key. It will be developed to its maximum possibility, until your life in its every part makes its full contribution to God's glory in the world.
Sermon Outline
- The Mind of Christ
- The Spirit of Christ as an Energizing Force
- The Application of the Mind of Christ
- Yielding to the Control of Christ
- Developing Personality through Christ
- Contributing to God's Glory
Key Quotes
“But we have the mind of Christ” — J. Stuart Holden
“A Christian is one who has the mind of Christ in a two fold fashion” — J. Stuart Holden
“The mind of Christ is the straight-edge by which he tests the horizontal of his life and the plumb-line by which he judges its perpendicular” — J. Stuart Holden
Application Points
- Yield to the control of Christ to develop your personality and contribute to God's glory.
- Apply the mind of Christ as a standard of conduct to guide your life and decisions.
- Receive the Spirit of Christ as an enlightening, restraining, and empowering force to live a life that makes a difference for God.