July 3
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THE MIND OF CHRIST IN US
14 But a natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But the one who is spiritual discerns all things, yet he himself is discerned by no one. 16 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ. – 1 Corinthians 2:14-16
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In this letter, Paul continues to explain the difference between the natural person and the spiritual person. He also touches on spiritual discernment and having the mind of Christ.
What is Paul talking about here when he says “natural person”? He is referring to our old self before we were born again in Christ. Before the fall of Adam and Eve, we were made exactly in God’s image. The original sin of our first parents did a number on all of us. Because they took the bait of Satan to eat the fruit that they were restricted to eat, we now have the natural tendency to prove that we can know things that God knows. We have a tendency to disobey and satisfy our own desires instead of pleasing God and obeying him. This is why God gave us Jesus Christ because we cannot undo the damage that was done by the sin of our first parents. It was the sacrifice on the cross that God gave a resolution to the problem of our nature to sin. In verse 14, Paul clarifies that the natural person would never understand spiritual things because he finds it foolishness. Only the God’s Spirit makes us see things of the spiritual realm. The mind of an unbeliever will never understand the truth that is revealed by the Holy Spirit alone.
In verse 15, Paul explains the one who has the Spirit of the Lord living in them. They hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. God has given them the gift to discern and understand things that they don’t see. The unbeliever or unregenerate person will not comprehend what a spiritual person sees or understands. They do not get revelations from the Holy Spirit since they do not belong to the kingdom of God. In John 10:27, it says that those who belong to God, hears his voice. In John 8:47, it also states that those who do not hear the word of God does not belong to Him.
In verse 16, Paul has an explanation about how to have the mind of Christ. Those who seek the Lord with all their hearts, minds, soul and might will definitely have Christ’s wisdom. It is only given to those who love Him and those who serve Him. No one can know Christ’s mind unless they belong to Him.
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REFLECTION
• How can we continually have the mind of Christ as believers?