A Transformed Mind - The Mind of Christ

A Transformed Mind - The Mind of Christ

taken largely from J. Oswald Sanders, A Spiritual Clinic (1958)

The mind of Christ can be summarized as His thoughts, desires, motives and all of the governing impulses of His life. - Sanders

Sanders said that the reason we have so little influence in the world today is because we Christians manifest so little of the mind of Christ. "Men see little in our lives which would make it worth while sacrificing what they already have."

He goes on to list three essential qualities, or attitudes of mind, that mark the mind of Christ, Moses and Paul, that we seldom possess in any great quantity today.

First, in their counting. Jesus did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. Phil. 2:6-7
Moses choose the ill-treatment of the Israelites to the pleasures of Pharaoh's palace. Heb. 11:25-26
Paul counted all things loss  for the sake of Christ. Phil. 3:7-9

They did not cling to their "rights" but gladly renounced them in the interests of others. That sounds a lot like the exact opposite of what we often hear from people today, in and out of the church!

Second in their self-abasement.  Merriam-Webster defines abasement as: to lower in rank, office, prestige, or esteem. The word we would typically think of is humble. 
Jesus humbled Himself taking on the form of a servant. Phil. 2:7
Moses humbled himself, choosing to suffer with God's people rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Heb. 11:25
Paul called himself a bondslave of Christ. Romans 1:1

No matter how you look at it, humility is to be a mark of a follower of Jesus. It is no surprise then that the world promotes the exact opposite at every turn.

Third, in their self-oblation. Again Merriam-Webster defines oblation as 1. the act of making a religious offering or 2.something offered in worship or devotion : a holy gift offered usually at an altar or shrine.
Jesus choose death, even death on a cross, as a sacrifice for all mankind. Phil. 2:7-11. 
Moses asked God to blot him out His book if rather than not forgive Israel's sin. Exodus 32:31-32.
Paul showed his love for Israel as well when he wished that he could be accursed instead of Israel. Rom. 9:3.

All three men showed their love for others in their willingness to sacrifice their own lives. Jesus did offer His life as a sacrifice and both Moses and Paul were willing to offer their lives and did in many ways.

Our attitude, our mind, is seen clearly in the things that we run after. Position, Power and Money seem to be at the top of many people and unfortunately the church is not immune to the temptation to follow self. Sanders mention that when one "influential and worthy" pulpit fell vacant there were 250 applicants! And yet there are many small churches around the world without a pastor willing to serve. What were those 250 men seeking? Surely not humble, self-sacrificial service.

Today, our desire is to be served by others. Often wealth is seen as a means of securing the praise, adulation and service of others. Jesus came to serve.
The mind of Christ is usually the opposite of the mind of the world. The two are at battle and only a complete transformation of our mind will change us. Jesus' mind led him to the cross. Where will the mind of Christ lead you?

"There is no other spiritual law of fruitfulness. We musts prepare to die once and for all to do the things which appear indispensable to the earthly mind. Only as we consent to die will we live again in others. To take up the cross daily and follow our master in self-abasement and self oblation may not seem an alluding prospect, but when we dare to do it we will find, with Samuel Rutherford, that the cross will be to us just such a burden as wings to a bird."

So how do we develop, promote and sustain the mind of Christ in the midst of a broken world that fights against the things of God at every turn? That my friends, will be the topic of our next show. Until then, Keep Running!