But we have the mind of Christ.
Paul likely had Isaiah 40:13 in his thoughts when he wrote the above words (from the Greek OT rather than the Hebrew—the Hebrew has the word for “Spirit,” while the Greek has the word for “mind”). Either way, Paul confidently makes the point that it is he and his fellow Christians who share in the “mind of Christ.” This is a momentous claim! Taking care to not misunderstand Paul as saying that any of us can plumb the depths of the thoughts of Christ, we must realize that we can understand His obedience and faithfulness. We can live in such a way that we reproduce—and reflect—the love Christ has for others. We can be pleasing and holy before God. This is only because of Christ in us. We have focused this entire month on Romans 12:1-2. We have talked about being a holy people. We have discussed his command to reject conformity to this world. We have seen as the apostle urges us to be a transformed people—to be a people who are continually being formed into Christ. To be formed into something is to take on its shape. Children (and some adults!) take clay or putty and form it into different things—objects and animals and the like. In construction, concrete workers use “forms” in order that wet, liquid concrete will form up in a particular shape, and at a specific width, depth, and length. Similarly, we have Christ as our spiritual “form.” We are being transformed such that our life and work is being formed into his life and work. This is the work of our merciful God. Enjoy today as we worship, and as we conclude this series on transformation.
–Ricky