Having the mind of Christ
When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others. For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:13-16
Part of growing up to maturity is to deal with growing pains. As we get older, all the more we face challenges; financial pressures, emotional stress, and relationship issues. These are the downsides of getting older but with these experiences, they open up our minds and we gain wisdom. What we do not understand when we were young are now becoming clearer as we get older. What is true to the natural world is also true in spiritual realm. From the text, the message that the apostle Paul and the other apostles spoke was not an ordinary, natural message. Human wisdom that comes from human reasoning is limited in expressing spiritual matters. It is by the Spirit of God that we would be able to understand spiritual truths. It is the role of the Holy Spirit within the life of every believer that will help them accept the things of God. It is by the Holy Spirit that Christians open up their hearts to God. God’s word to those who do not have God in their lives “sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it.” The reason they could not understand God’s word is because they made a decision not to listen for they prefer the life they are living rather than submitting to God. The Lord Jesus Christ gave an illustration of this problem through the Parable of the Sower (see Matthew 13:3-7). He described man’s varying capacity to grasp the gospel. The implication is that when we do not have the Spirit of God in our lives, we are going to resist God’s word and His commands. This will lead us to make wrong judgments for we will rely on our own human wisdom. It is also important to understand that even if you have the Spirit of God in your life because you made a decision to accept Christ as Lord and Savior you should not assume that you will automatically be guided by God’s Spirit. We have to constantly evaluate our lives if we are becoming dependent in having the Holy Spirit lead us. “Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves” (Galatians 5:16). We will always be confronted to make decisions in life. People who are led by the Spirit of God will be equipped to make judgments that will benefit them and will give honor to God. If you live your life allowing the Spirit of God to teach you from God’s word, then you will have the mind of Christ. When Jesus promised His disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit in their lives, He said, “the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26).
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
New sermon upload on YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSPDrqCW0MA