In Mark 8:33 (AMPC), Jesus says to Peter,
“…you do not have a mind intent on promoting what God
wills, but what pleases men [you are not on God’s side, but that of men].
And in Romans 8:5 (NIV), Paul says,
"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."
What’s up with all this “mind” talk? Jesus talks about it, then Paul and looking in the Old Testament we come across verses like Ezekiel 36:26-27 where God Himself said,
"And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit
in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender,
responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my
decrees and be careful to obey my regulations."
That’s a serious promise there, a drastic surgical procedure that sounds like mind replacement. You see the Hebrew word translated heart in this particular verse is Lev, and Lev means mind. So God said “And I will give you a new mind…I will take out your stony stubborn (self-willed) mind and give you a tender, responsive mind.”
Doesn’t that sound like mind replacement to you? From this
verse it is quite apparent that God had always planned for His children to have
His mind so that we would think as He thinks but it hasn’t quite worked out
that way.
For instance, before becoming Abraham, Abram, egged on by
his wife Sarai, took matters into his own hands because they thought that God’s
promise to him was too incredible to be credible. He failed to think as God thought
and was easily swayed to bring about the promise himself, which was a big
mistake, the effects of which are still being felt today.
But all was not lost in Old Testament days for there were
some who walked in step with God, displaying the mind of God, in their
thinking; people like Enoch and Noah and Elijah and David, a man after God’s
own heart (mind) and even Adam, before he followed his own way, walked with God.
God gave these men hearts (minds) to know Him (see Jeremiah 24:7). They obeyed
God and engaged in intimate communion with Him.
And in the New Testament, Jesus walked with God; they had a
deep personal connection.
Apostle Paul tells us, “Let this mind be in you, which was
also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5 KJV) and in 1 Corinthians 16:2 (ESV),
“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to
instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
Do we have the mind of Christ? We could, it’s been given but
we haven’t accessed it because the mere thought of having the mind of Christ,
to me at least, is so inconceivable that it is incomprehensible. But that is exactly
what Scripture challenges us to do.
To have the mind of Christ is to have His perspective, His
attitude toward people, circumstances and situations. Even for devout
Christians this proves difficult. As a matter of fact, Jesus’ own disciples –
His closest followers – didn’t think the
way He did.
Beloved, no matter how devout you are you do not
instinctively have the mind of Christ. You have to pursue it as you would
pursue any goal, you have to wholeheartedly seek the mind of Christ.
As you continue walking on the road to Pentecost, walk
with God’s Spirit in close communion with Him, for this is the only way for the
mind of Christ to be developed in you – being
aligned to and in step with Him, so that His thinking replaces yours.
Shelley Johnson “On the Road to Pentecost: Mind Replacement“
© 2025, May 14, 2025
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