The Mind of Christ

Philippians 2:1-8

2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
2:2 Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

vs 1-2 In the previous verses (1:28-30), there is an exhortation to be mindful that the privilege of bearing the name of Jesus brings the reward of tribulation. If we, as the Children of God, find our consolation in Him, if we are comforted by His love, if we know the fellowship of His Spirit, and if we experience deep affection and great mercy because of His compassion, we should share this same joy with one another. Paul even proclaimed that this type of unity among the believers would have made his joy complete (fulfilled).

vs 3 Don’t do anything for selfish ambition or to exalt yourself above others; we should humble ourselves before one another and delight in seeing the success of others–even above our own promotions.

vs 4 We shouldn’t be so consumed with our own needs, but should be mindful of the needs of others. If we are God’s Children, we should realize we are not going to lack anything that we need. We should have a heart for the needs of those less fortunate than us. All of our efforts shouldn’t be so self-centered that we don’t have compassion for those who are truly in need.

vs 5 Let this mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus. This is something we must choose to do. We must desire to have the mind of Christ.

v 6-8 What mind was (is) in Jesus?–Jesus, who is the fulness of all that God ever has been or ever will be, did not come to earth as a great ruler or dignitary, but He took upon Him the form of a servant, made in the likeness of man–the Creator took upon Himself the role of the creature. He humbled Himself–He, as a man, had to take complete control of His human nature–all the wants, fears, doubts, desires, etc. that a human experiences–and bring them under subjection to the obedience of God’s will. Even to the point of the gruesome death of the cross for a world that did not want Him.

Paul instructs us to have this same mind, this same willingness to deny ourselves for the benefit of others.

Colossians 3:12-15
3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

v 12 We must put on these things. This is another exhortation for us to make the choice to be changed in our mind and attitude. We must put on the mind of Christ and let the peace of God rule in our hearts (v15).

v 13 Even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. If we have the mind of Christ, we will do the works of Christ. Just as Jesus was willing to overlook our faults to give us the opportunity for forgiveness, we should also be willing to show mercy instead of judgement.

v 14 Put on charity. The power of love is the only thing that can keep us in perfect adhesion. Willing to overlook failures, willing to help one another with burdens, being kind to one another, humbling ourselves toward one another, being patient with one another, forgiving our brother’s trespasses against us–doing these things are what will keep the body of Christ in unity.

v 15 We must let the peace of God rule our hearts. When we delight in God’s Word, we will allow it to be the governing authority of our heart and mind. As we become more aware of His ways and His thoughts, we will realize that our ways and our thoughts are foolish. We will realize that we have been “called out” of the world and translated into His Kingdom. And be ye thankful!

I can only imagine the expression on the faces of the self-righteous Pharisees when they proclaimed to Jesus, “Abraham is our father” and Jesus replied, “If you were the children of Abraham, ye would do the works of Abraham.”(John 8:39) How that word must have cut to the quick of their heart. They could not avoid judging within their own minds to see if their lives could size up to the example set forth by Abraham. This same challenge is given to us as the seed of Christ. Of course, we can never be the perfect example that He is because everyone of us have already fallen short, but we can judge our heart against His Word. If our actions and our conversations reflect those of Jesus, we can be sure that we are well on our way to having the mind of Christ.

John Burkett