The Mind Of Christ

Philippians 2:5-8 “5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Introduction

We live in a word that prides itself on being proud, boastful, insulting and whatever it takes as long as our plans and needs are met.

But believers are to be the opposite of what people of this world are.

We see examples everyday in person, and in the media of how not to be in this present time.

Jesus is our example of how we should live in this world. He even prayed that his disciples would live in the world but not become a part of the world.

If we have the mind of Christ the task of living holy and righteous lives before God can be accomplished!

What Is The Mind Of Christ?

Jesus’ mind was that of humility.

It is written in John 10:30 where Jesus said; “I and My Father are one.””

When Jesus was born, God came down to earth and took on the form of a man through Jesus. He was completely human and completely divine.

He didn’t demand and hold on to His right as God. He set them aside for a time to become human to come and redeem the lost.

He didn’t have to suffer the most demeaning death on the cross. This was the most demeaning and painful form of execution of that day, but Jesus chose to remain humble and suffer for you and I.

I have brought to your attention in the past about the encounter in the Garden of Gethsemane. It is written in Matthew 26:52-54 where Jesus reminded the one who cut the temple guard’s ear off that He could have prayed to His Father and He would’ve received twelve legion of angels. And Jesus even healed the guard’s ear by putting back in place.

Jesus’ mind was that of servitude.

If anyone deserves to be served it’s Jesus.

He didn’t exploit His equality with God for personal gain.

He poured all of that out to become a servant. Like we would pour water into a glass, He poured out all of His divinity into human flesh so He could walk among men.

Having The Mind Of Christ

What does having the mind of Christ look like in us?

When you know who you are and whose you are, it’s not difficult to take on the role of servant and serve other people.

It’s not difficult to come down a notch or two to help someone who is lower than us. Romans 12:16 tells us “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.”

We shouldn’t be proud, we should remain humble. Pride has destroyed many relationships.

We should be willing to take on the form of someone who is of less regard than yourself to be help someone.

To have the mind of Christ means we are compassionate, patient and understanding to those who are trapped in the darkness of sin.

To have the mind of Christ is to go out into the world and be a reputable witness of God’s saving grace. And be willing to do it at all costs.

To have the mind of Christ is to be an example to the world of the finished work of Christ on the cross. We have the fruit of the Spirit which is LOVE, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL!

If the Lord left heaven and came down to us, we ought to be able to come out of the lofty places of our minds and go down to where the drug addicts are, where the homeless are, where the prostitutes, fornicators, homosexuals are, where thieves are…

Conclusion

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus!

People are quick to identify themselves as Christians, Believers and Disciples. The true test of being a follower of Jesus is how willing we are to put ourselves on hold to further the Kingdom of God.

There is a Hershey’s commercial of two girls sitting by a plate of chocolate with an unseen person giving them instructions.

The instructor says; “Take a piece of chocolate if you’re the tallest”. The girl on the right gets a piece, but the girl on the left doesn’t.”

The instructor says, “Take a piece of chocolate if you’re better at eating your vegetables.” Both girls get a piece out of the plate.

The instructor then says; “Take a piece of chocolate if you’re better at sharing.” The girl on the left, apparently isn’t good at sharing so she stops herself from reaching for the candy. But the girl on the right gets a piece of candy and hand it to the girl on the left.

The girl on the right knew she would have more chocolate than the girl on the left so she gave her the piece she was entitled to.

3. This is a very good example of the mind of Christ.

Like the girl on the right in this commercial who was entitled to the last piece of candy, Jesus gave up His right as God to share His life with us.

Jesus knew the scales were tipped in Satan’s favor, that we were in an uneven situation, but He temporarily gave up His right as God to make sure we could have a chance for Salvation!

It is my prayer that we remember what is written and apply these to your life

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

1 Peter 5:6 “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,”

Matthew 23:12 (NKJV): And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.