The children of God are begotten of the holy Spirit to the “high calling” (Philippians 3:14) or heavenly calling (Hebrews 3:1) of this Gospel age. They have something offered to them which attracts their minds away from the trifles and delusions which captivate the minds of other people. Theirs are higher joys, higher ambitions – for a higher social standing, for greater riches and for a kingdom – for heavenly riches and a heavenly and eternal kingdom. The ambitions inspired by these heavenly promises are holy ambitions, full of mercy and good fruits, and operate along the lines of love, while the operations of the earthly ambitions are along the lines of selfishness.
The man or woman whose aim is lifted from these earthly vanities and placed upon the heavenly, exercises a sounder judgment in respect to all the affairs of this present life. Why? Because he looks upon them from a comparatively disinterested standpoint. He is in the world, and obliged to live, and to provide things needful and honest in the sight of all men; but being relieved of worldly ambitions, he is proportionately relieved from the pressure of avarice, covetousness, pride, etc. He is better enabled to think and to act justly, and to exercise kind sympathy toward all.
This Spirit of a sound mind, or better judgment of the experienced Christian, is not a correction or repair of his earthly or fleshly mind, but is a new mind or disposition. That person has been begotten by the word of truth. James 1:18 (KJV), “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth,…” The truths of the exceeding great and precious promises focus our new minds, the mind of Christ, on heavenly hopes. 2 Peter 1:4 (NKJV), “by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
The Christian’s mind will be sound in proportion as he receives and is filled with the holy Spirit. This will be rapid or slow in proportion as his love for the Lord and his righteousness is fervent or cool.
It was Christ who inquired, “For what will a man exchange his soul (his being – his existence)?” (Matthew 16:26) A man with a sound mind would not exchange the most valuable thing which he possesses (his being), for anything – wealth, fame or office. And in proportion as any receive the Spirit of a sound mind, this will be their estimate.
Thus the mind of Christ is a mind focused on glorifying God. As Paul wrote, “…one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14 (RSV)
Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1068: “Do I Have a Sound Christian Mind?”
The powerful effects of power, love and a sound mind on our lives
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CQ Rewind Show Notes
