The following article is by brother David Deffenbaugh who used to preach for the S. College congregation in Tahlequah but now preaches for the S.W. congregation in OKC. Some really good thoughts here.
The Mind Of Christ
Best remembered from Jesus’ stinging rebuke of the impetuous apostle Peter is, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matt. 16:23). Memorable words to be sure. The real charge from Jesus, though, was that “you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Consequently, He told the well-meaning fisherman, “You are a hindrance to me.”
Who would want to be charged with hindering the cause of Christ? That certainly wasn’t Peter’s intention. Nevertheless he failed to grasp the reality of the Messiah’s role, one that included Jesus’ death. Where did this misguided thinking come from? According to Jesus it came from men. These happened to be noted, religious men. Still, they were men, and mistaken at that.
Where Peter failed we might just as easily do the same. In our endeavors to serve God we can fall prey to our own minds being dominated by the things of men, not God. We, like Peter, would be more closely aligned with Satan than God. This doesn’t have to be “anti-Jesus” thinking but merely misguided ideas about God and his will.
How does one guard from becoming a hindrance to Jesus? The answer is found in Paul’s claim that we have access to the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). Just previous he described that as the revealed and proclaimed message of God given by the Holy Spirit (vv.6-13). Paul also here distinguishes between “natural” and “spiritual” people (vv.14-15). The latter is able to receive and accept the message of God, the former is not.
As a spiritual person we embrace the inspired message of God and so come into possession of Christ’s mind. Our minds, then, are set on the things of God and not of men and so avoid Peter’s failure.
What an incredible thought, we have the mind of Christ.
Brethren, we need take serious thought to what brother Deffenbaugh says here. Is it possible that I am hindering the cause of Christ in any way. We must do what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:5 where he says, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless, indeed you fail the test!”
Until next week, I love you all,
Dan
The Mind Of Christ
Best remembered from Jesus’ stinging rebuke of the impetuous apostle Peter is, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matt. 16:23). Memorable words to be sure. The real charge from Jesus, though, was that “you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Consequently, He told the well-meaning fisherman, “You are a hindrance to me.”
Who would want to be charged with hindering the cause of Christ? That certainly wasn’t Peter’s intention. Nevertheless he failed to grasp the reality of the Messiah’s role, one that included Jesus’ death. Where did this misguided thinking come from? According to Jesus it came from men. These happened to be noted, religious men. Still, they were men, and mistaken at that.
Where Peter failed we might just as easily do the same. In our endeavors to serve God we can fall prey to our own minds being dominated by the things of men, not God. We, like Peter, would be more closely aligned with Satan than God. This doesn’t have to be “anti-Jesus” thinking but merely misguided ideas about God and his will.
How does one guard from becoming a hindrance to Jesus? The answer is found in Paul’s claim that we have access to the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). Just previous he described that as the revealed and proclaimed message of God given by the Holy Spirit (vv.6-13). Paul also here distinguishes between “natural” and “spiritual” people (vv.14-15). The latter is able to receive and accept the message of God, the former is not.
As a spiritual person we embrace the inspired message of God and so come into possession of Christ’s mind. Our minds, then, are set on the things of God and not of men and so avoid Peter’s failure.
What an incredible thought, we have the mind of Christ.
Brethren, we need take serious thought to what brother Deffenbaugh says here. Is it possible that I am hindering the cause of Christ in any way. We must do what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 13:5 where he says, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless, indeed you fail the test!”
Until next week, I love you all,
Dan
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