The mind of Christ is essential for spiritual unity in the church, aligning us with others who share His mind as our Standard. Division arises when we stray from His mind, revealing carnality. Though we possess a measure of Christ's mind, it grows gradually, requiring humility and rejection of selfish ambition and human reasoning. His mind compels compassion, endurance in suffering, and trust in God's will over fleshly desires. To grow in His mind, we must seek Him wholeheartedly through the Holy Spirit, applying God's Word with humility. This ongoing process, incomplete until resurrection, ensures correct scriptural understanding and guides responses to differences with love and unity.

Playlist:

playlist Go to the Mind of Christ (topic) playlist

Filter by Categories

How Much of the Mind of Christ Do We Have?

Sermon by David C. Grabbe

To achieve spiritual unity in the church, we must all be of the same mind as Christ. When we share the mind of Christ, we will also be united with others who hold to His mind, as He is our Standard. Despite unique experiences and perspectives, we can still be of one mind—Christ's mind—in our understanding and approach. However, division arises in the church when someone is not aligned with the mind of Christ, revealing carnality rather than His influence. Each regenerated child of God possesses a measure of Christ's mind, though not in its fullness, as it develops by degrees and varies in different areas. This growth toward the fullness of Christ's mind is a long process, incomplete until the resurrection when corruption is transformed into incorruption. The mind of Christ compels us to respond to differences with compassion, brotherly love, and courtesy, rather than reviling, which is contrary to His nature and repels His mind. Suffering is another aspect of Christ's mind, exemplified by His silent endurance and trust in the Father's righteous judgment, even when not defended in His mortal life. We are called to arm ourselves with this same mind, contrasting the flesh's lusts with the will of God, and to mortify the flesh to grow in alignment with His mind. The flesh, driven by self-concern and impatience, opposes the mind of Christ, which prioritizes the Father's will, trusting Him to defend, provide, and right wrongs while waiting patiently. Being of the same mind as Christ requires moving away from selfish ambition, conceit, and self-importance, which drive out His mind and separate us from God and other members of His Body. Conceit, even in subtle forms like leaning on our own understanding, inhibits the development of Christ's mind, while humility and acknowledgment of our incomplete knowledge foster growth. The fleshly mind defends itself and resists admitting error due to pride, whereas seeking Christ's mind pursues unity with Him at any personal cost. Factional motives, prioritizing a group over God's truth, also hinder alignment with Christ's mind, creating division and hypocrisy within His Body. To grow in the mind of Christ, we must seek Him with all our heart and life, continually asking, seeking, and knocking, as the Holy Spirit embodies Their mind and is a gift the Father is pleased to give. The flesh, however, resists this wholehearted seeking, unwilling to sacrifice its comforts or prioritize the Kingdom of God, allowing distractions and cares to choke out growth in Christ's mind. Division in the church signals a degenerating relationship with God, underscoring the need to dedicate ourselves to seeking Him fully, recognizing fleshly influences and factional motives, so we can grow into the same mind as the Father and the Son.

How the Human Mind Shapes What We Believe

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

In the midst of a society gripped by conflicting opinions and interpretations, the importance of adopting the mind of Christ becomes paramount for true understanding. Without the mind of Christ, no one can correctly interpret the Scriptures, as reliance on human reasoning leads to faulty conclusions. Human reasoning, often biased against truth, can distort even a single aspect of understanding, rendering the entire concept flawed. We must work diligently to replace human reasoning with godly reasoning to discern and comprehend the truth of God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, godly wisdom is revealed, enabling us to rely on the Holy Bible to weigh human reasoning and determine if it aligns with divine truth. Unlike human wisdom, which is temporary and leads to calamity, godly reasoning is eternal and fosters a relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ. By embracing the mind of Christ, we can transform our thoughts, ensuring that our interpretations and opinions reflect the wisdom from above rather than the destructive fallacies of human reasoning.

The Same Mind

Sermonette by Joseph B. Baity

We must not allow ideological differences to overshadow our shared faith, far greater than the lesser issues which currently divide us.

Marriage and the Bride of Christ (Part One)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ is a fundamental principle for those filled with the Spirit, as it reflects the mind of Christ Jesus. This submission is not merely a good act in itself but is driven by a deep reverence for Him, distinguishing the Christian from the world. It is a voluntary act, akin to soldiers in a regiment who surrender individual control for the sake of unity, mirroring the selfless nature of Christ. The motive for this submission is rooted in the fear of Christ, which encompasses a desire to please Him and a dread of disappointing or grieving Him. This fear is not just terror but a loving concern to reflect His love and glorify His name through our actions. As Christ taught, serving one another is a clear command, a way to show gratitude for His sacrifice and to demonstrate that we are His disciples through love for each other. Living in the fear of Christ means being conscious of His gaze upon us, knowing that our conduct represents Him to the world. We are to embody His humility and selflessness, realizing that we are members of one body, prioritizing the good of the whole over personal gain. This mindset, which was in Christ Jesus, leads us to forego personal rights, to listen and learn from others, and to be ready to suffer for the sake of the cause. Ultimately, the call to submit to one another in the fear of Christ is a call to let His mind be in us. It is to live with lowliness of mind, manifesting the fruit of the Spirit in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. By doing so, we honor Him and ensure that personal relationships within the church and homes are peaceful, loving, and pleasant, glorifying the name of God.

The Same Mind, Judgment, and Speech (Part Two)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

The apostle Paul provides a major key to unity in I Corinthians 2:16, stating, "But we have the mind of Christ." The path to having the same mind and judgment is not to impose our own knowledge on others, as we might be mistaken. Instead, each individual must strive to grow in the mind and judgment of Jesus Christ, speaking as He would speak. He is our Standard, and if we possess His mind, we will align with others who also share the mind of Christ. However, not everyone will pursue what God thinks on a subject to the same extent, so differences will persist. Even though we receive the mind of Christ at baptism through the Holy Spirit, we do not receive its fullness. It requires a lifetime for His mind to become our primary operating principle, so we must not assume every thought we have reflects the mind of Christ. We must continue to apply the principles in God's Word, searching the Scriptures, testing the spirits, seeking counsel, and remembering that our knowledge remains incomplete, necessitating ongoing humility. God has granted us access to the mind of Christ, but we must persistently seek it, not only for answers about His Word but also for guidance on responding to brethren who may not share our knowledge. The mind of Christ teaches us how to apply the principles in God's Word with humility, enabling us to correct a brother without causing unnecessary harm and to contend for the faith without harsh judgment.

The Post-Resurrection Last Words of Christ (Part One)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

We must be involved in proclaiming His message, feeding the flock, living His example, assuming the responsibilities of our awesome commission.

Is the United States a Christian Nation? (Part Two)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)

A true Christian is sanctified by a specific body of beliefs and how he lives. No mainstream church in America has ever yielded itself to the right doctrines.

Christ Our Wisdom

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

The concept of the Mind of Christ is central to understanding true wisdom as a divine gift. By having the Mind of Christ, we gain the beginnings of His wisdom, not in its totality, but as a foundation for godly living. Christ Jesus became for us wisdom from God, serving as our source of true understanding. It is through Him that we are made wise, learning the character of God, His law, and the hope of eternal life. This wisdom is not obtained through human philosophy but through the instructions and work of Christ. Christ communicates wisdom to us in several profound ways. Through His ministry, He has instructed us in the true knowledge of God and the great truths pertaining to our salvation. By His word and Spirit, He has led us to recognize our true condition, turning us from folly to walk in the path of true wisdom. As the source of wisdom for His called and chosen, He enlightens us in confusion, guides us in His way of life, and leads us to truth. Even those ignorant in worldly wisdom, when taught in the school of Christ, possess more true knowledge of lasting importance than can be learned in all the schools of worldly philosophy. The wisdom embodied in Christ stands in sharp contrast to the wisdom of this world. While worldly wisdom is based on human reasoning and lacks divine revelation, the wisdom from Christ reveals essential truths hidden from those without the Holy Spirit. These treasures of wisdom and knowledge, hidden in Him, must be explored through prayer, Bible study, and teaching to attain the spiritual riches available. Christ, as the great representative of God the Father, is the means by which we become truly wise, offering a wisdom that surpasses all human understanding and leads us to salvation.

The Millennium and Union With Christ

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The millennial situation will resemble the behavior of our forebears; it will be our responsibility to lead them to hope, joy, character, and faith in God.

Mutability and Our Christlike Response

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We all change repeatedly throughout the stages of life, as do others, requiring constant adjustment as to how we evaluate and treat others.

Marriage and the Bride of Christ (Part Twelve)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

As husband and wife are commanded to become one flesh, members of the Bride of Christ become spiritually unified through the indwelling of God's Spirit.

Christ's Mission Statement

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Luke 4:16-21 and Mark 1:14-15, statements from Christ made at approximately the same time, constitute the composite mission statement directed at His disciples.

The Same Mind, Judgment, and Speech (Part Three)

CGG Weekly by David C. Grabbe

Despite our differences, Jesus Christ is our commonality. As we pursue His image, we will have greater harmony with those seeking the same thing.

The Same Mind, Judgment, and Speech

Sermonette by David C. Grabbe

With the mind of Christ, we can agree with our spiritual siblings. We do not receive the fullness of Christ's mind at baptism; we must continue to seek it.

The Second Resurrection and Union With Christ

Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

We are going to have to find ways to make God's way appealing to people of alien cultures, gently bringing them to a tipping point.

The Holy Spirit

Sermonette by

God's Holy Spirit typically refers to the mind of God and Christ, which is added to our human spirit to create a sound mind by which we witness of God.

God Has a Dream

'Ready Answer' by Staff

We might think that God's mind is unfathomable. However, we often fail to realize that God's mind is an open book—the Bible!

Man's Greatest Challenge (Part Three)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The minister's main task should consist of exhorting on spiritual matters rather than worldly ones, rejecting the profane in favor of the spiritual.

What Is the Holy Spirit?

'Ready Answer' by David C. Grabbe

Even theologians admit that the Holy Spirit is a mystery to them. Yet the confusion comes from pagan thought patterns that have affected how Scripture is read.

Real Comprehensive Communication

Sermonette by Mark Schindler

Only by activating the power of God's Spirit can God's people enjoy quality communication with God, giving them vast insight into the purposes of God.

The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Five)

Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh

God's Spirit is the essence of His mind rather than a third person. With this Spirit, God opens our minds, dwells in us, and transfers His nature to us.

Pitfalls of Scholarship

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

While we find much biblical scholarship useful and productive, without God's Spirit, most biblical scholarship is at best a mixture of good and evil.

What Do We Have to be Proud Of? (Part One)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The concept of the mind of Christ emerges as the climactic solution Paul offers to the Corinthians' problem of pride, division, and misplaced reliance on human wisdom. Paul spends the opening chapters of I Corinthians dismantling the Corinthians' inflated self-perception, in which they believed they possessed superior knowledge and judgment. Their partisan divisions—claiming allegiance to Paul, Apollos, or Cephas—revealed a deeper spiritual defect: they were operating according to worldly wisdom rather than God's wisdom, and this distinction becomes the central theme through which Paul builds his case. Paul establishes that worldly wisdom, whether from Jews seeking signs or Greeks pursuing philosophical reasoning, cannot comprehend the gospel, which appears as foolishness to those without God's Spirit. True wisdom is described as a hidden mystery, something no human being could discover through natural faculties, but which God has revealed through His Spirit. This sets up the critical distinction in I Corinthians 2: the human spirit gives people the capacity to understand physical and intellectual matters, but only God's Spirit grants insight into spiritual things. Believers, having received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, gain access to realities that remain utterly closed to the natural man, who lacks the spiritual equipment to perceive them. This progression culminates in I Corinthians 2:16, where Paul declares that believers "have the mind of Christ." This statement represents the pinnacle of his argument about wisdom, showing that because Christ dwells in believers through His Spirit, they share access to His very mind and can draw upon divine wisdom for making judgments and evaluating circumstances. This is presented as an extraordinary reality: through the Spirit, believers are given a genuine link to Christ's own understanding, enabling them, in principle, to judge situations as He would. Yet Paul immediately confronts the Corinthians with the reality that they were not living out this privilege. Despite having received the Spirit, they continued behaving as carnal people, marked by envy, strife, and division, thinking as the world thinks rather than accessing the mind of Christ available to them. This failure to exercise their spiritual faculties parallels a broader human tendency to fall back on worldly knowledge and experience rather than seeking godly wisdom, even among those who have been converted for a long time. The mind of Christ, then, functions as the counterpoint to human pride and self-glorification. Rather than boasting in men or trusting their own accumulated wisdom, believers are called to recognize that their only true distinction comes from being in Christ, who Himself became wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption for them. Access to Christ's mind is meant to replace reliance on worldly reasoning and human leaders, correcting the Corinthians' fundamental error of exalting fallible teachers instead of the Source of all wisdom. Paul's entire argument moves toward this reality as the necessary foundation for humility, unity, and the eventual correction he intends to deliver to a congregation that had mistaken arrogance for spiritual maturity.

Tests of True Knowledge

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

A person who is puffed up parades his knowledge by exhibiting impatience, intolerance, or a false modesty, marginalizing what the uneducated in their minds.

That No Flesh Should Glory

Sermon by Mark Schindler

Having God's spiritual gifts should not incline us to exercise any measure of pride because we have nothing that has not been given to us by God.

Teaching Us to Think (Part Two)

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

God instructs us to be living sacrifices. Too many drag this change out over decades, thereby self-limiting the process of sanctification.

God the Father (Part 3)

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

The Father's purpose is to make us Christ-like, abounding in godly love. God is able to turn horrendous and gruesome circumstances into ultimate blessings.

Why We Do Not Vote

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

Christians have been called out of this world's politics, voting included. As ambassadors of Christ, we cannot participate in the politics of another country.

Real Conversion

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The process of conversion is actually God's workmanship creating a new spiritual being with godly spiritual character- the image of Christ.

Differences of Opinion

Sermon by Martin G. Collins

Satan champions self-opinion and mob behavior. God's church has never been immune to division because each member has only part of the truth.

The Five Paraklete Sayings

Sermon by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The five parakletos sayings of Christ prove that the Holy Spirit is the essence, mind, and power of God and Christ in us, providing us assistance and counsel.