Joel M Bradshaw

14The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.–1 Corinthians 2

1. UNDERSTANDING. The Holy Spirit inspired the biblical text to be written by different human authors over many years. He is the one that enables you to understand His Word. Anyone who reads the Bible and is convicted by it is being led by the Holy Spirit.
2. ACCEPTANCE. Biblical change is a part of what theologians call sanctification. It’s the lifelong process where the Holy Spirit progressively makes you less like the former you and more like Jesus. After understanding the Bible, the Holy Spirit leads the Christian to accept what the Bible says.
3. JUDGEMENTS. This daily making of judgements is called biblical discernment. The Christian stores the Bible in his heart and regularly studies the Bible and the Holy Spirit guides and directs the Christian through that Scripture. The Christian regularly makes Biblical decisions regarding right and wrong in both faith and practice. This is where having trusted friends to encourage and biblically counsel is a great help.

The outside Christian should be living a different life. Words, attitudes, and actions should all reflect the new person in Jesus rather than the former person stuck in sin. But what really sets the Christian apart is within. We are able to understand and apply the Bible in our lives because the Holy Spirit is living and active in us. He transforms your mind from just being concerned about you to being more like Jesus!

There is therefore biblical hope for any situation you face. The Christian doesn’t just have a change of allegiance, but is progressively enabled to be more like Jesus. This means that we are constantly convicted of our sins. We are motivated to repent. And we long to live the new life in Jesus. The Holy Spirit grows His fruit on our branches and we see great change in both our insides and outsides.

The mind of Christ at work means I am no longer governed by the mind of Joel. My selfishness is either my inner boss or Jesus is. My priorities are therefore directed by the Bible. My thoughts, feelings, and motivations all have the goal of glorifying God the Father just as Jesus did. I will not fully get there this side of eternity, but the Holy Spirit is progressively at work in me. I have the mind of Christ. This is what sets the Christian apart to understand, accept, and apply the Bible to our lives. This is the chief way the Holy Spirit works within us.–JMB