The Mind of Christ: Others
Notes
Transcript
In Philippians 2 we are told that as believers we “have the mind of Christ” and we are also told that the mind of Christ should be demonstrated in and through our lives.
Today I want to try to answer some questions about the Mind of Christ and how it relates to us as believers.
Notice with me
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
The first question I want to attempt to answer is...
How Did the Mind of Christ Reveal Itself?
How Did the Mind of Christ Reveal Itself?
By Giving Up in Order to Give (vv. 6-7)
By Giving Up in Order to Give (vv. 6-7)
Paul reminds his readers that the Lord Jesus Christ, although He is God the Son and the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe, He chose to EMPTY Himself and take upon the form of a SERVANT!
In contrast, people often HOLD ONTO their power and prestige and exploit their power for selfish gain. People will often use their power and prestige to THEIR ADVANTAGE. However, Christ did the opposite. He used His power and prestige for the GAIN and BENEFIT OF OTHERS!
He poured Himself out to become the ULTIMATE SACRIFICE for YOU and I. He didn’t empty Himself of His deity, but rather “He surrendered His right to manifest Himself visibly as the God of all splendor and glory.”
The Lord Jesus Christ gave up so much in order to GIVE to us eternal and abundant life. That’s who God is.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
God is a self-emptying God (v. 7), continually pouring himself out for the sake of others. (Ministry Pass)
By Obedience to the Father (v. 8)
By Obedience to the Father (v. 8)
After He took on the form of a servant and was born into this world through the virgin’s womb, He lived in obedience to the Father. He submitted to the Father’s will.
Part of being obedient to the Father’s plan involved death. Experiencing death for every man. Taking upon Himself the wrath of God that was deserved for every sin, by every sinner that had ever lived and that would ever live.
He would die as a common criminal. He would be crucified. This type of execution was the most degrading and more painful than we can comprehend. Yet He did not die for what He had done, but rather for what WE HAD DONE!
This was part of the plan from the beginning
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Where Does the Mind of Christ Come From?
Where Does the Mind of Christ Come From?
The “mind of Christ” does not come from our flesh. It does not come from our sinful human nature. It does not come from the world, our flesh and it certainly does not come from the Devil. So if we are going to have the mind of Christ. If we are going to follow His example it’s not going to be because we “tried harder” or “did more” but rather it’s going to be because we are:
In UNION with Him (in Christ Jesus)
In SUBMISSION to Him (We are told to “have this mind among yourselves”)
It’s possible to “have access” to something but not use it.
Through our UNION with Christ Jesus we have access to the “mind of Christ” but we must CHOOSE to surrender to this mindset!
Notice again the commands:
Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
We have a CHOICE of whether or not we are going to SURRENDER and SUBMIT to this mindset.
If you try to LIVE according to the “mind of Christ” without being in relationship with Him you will find it impossible!
It you try to LIVE according to the “mind of Chirst” without being in fellowship with Him you will find it frustrating!
But if YOU are in “RELATIONSHIP” with Him and are experiencing “SWEET FELLOWSHIP” with Him you will find His mind transforming more and more of your own!
KNOW JESUS
WALK WITH JESUS and then you will be able to WALK LIKE JESUS!
What are Some Practical Ways You and I Can Demonstrate the Mind of Christ Today?
What are Some Practical Ways You and I Can Demonstrate the Mind of Christ Today?
Unified by Him (v. 2)
Unified by Him (v. 2)
Paul begins this chapter by imploring the believers to be UNIFIED! He calls on believers to “be of the same mind.” This can literally be translated: “thinking the one thing.” As believers is not about “thinking MY thing” or “thinking YOUR thing” but rather it’s about “thinking His thing!”
He calls on them to have the “same love.” He wants them to be “in full accord” and of “ONE MIND.”
In other words he’s calling on them to be UNIFIED! If EVERY believer has the MIND of Christ and every believer is SURRENDERING to the mind of Christ it only makes sense that this will lead to UNITY! This is not the same as “uniformity” but rather UNITY.
If believers have the “mind of Christ” and they have experienced the “love of Christ” this same LOVE is going to be working and flowing in and OUT of their lives to others!
Max Anders said:
Being united in Christ, believers work together for the same purposes rather than seeking areas of disagreement and division. (Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary)
As I mentioned earlier if we are going to have this unity it’s going to be because we all surrender ourselves and our agendas to Him! Notice vv. 12-13...
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Surrendered to Him (vv. 12-13)
Surrendered to Him (vv. 12-13)
It would do us good to continually remind ourselves that the God we serve is PERFECTLY HOLY and PERFECTLY JUST and He had every right to abandon us to our own devices and leave us helpless and hopeless doomed to an eternity separated from Him.
To be in the presence of such a holy, powerful God should lead us to a “healthy fear and trembling.” God is LIGHT and in Him is NO DARKNESS at all! Light disintegrates the darkness, yet light also attracts! The little children flocked to Jesus.
So we are to “work out” (not work for) our salvation in “fear and trembling” (a healthy respect for WHO God is and WHAT God has done) and then SURRENDER to His working in our lives! He works in us and accomplishes His good pleasure in and through us!
Our responsibility is to SURRENDER to these good purposes and to HIs good pleasure! If we do His light will shine through us! Notice
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
Shining for Him (vv. 14-15)
Shining for Him (vv. 14-15)
Surrendering to His will and His work will not lead to “grumbling and disputing”, but rather living blameless and innocent lives.
Max Anders goes on to say:
Our life resembles our divine Father rather than our pagan neighbors. People recognize us as God’s children (see Deut. 32:5). Believers are to be so distinct from unbelievers that we stand out as positive models. If God is working in our lives, we are to be unlike the godless society around us. We are to make them curious as to why we are not like them. Christ, himself, said that we are to be “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). Paul says we are to be as conspicuous in the world as stars are in the dark nighttime heavens. (Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary)
When I was a child I used to love “glow in the dark” stuff. Sometimes the instructions would say something like this:
“For best results expose to a light source for several minutes.”
That’s the way it is with believers. If we are going to “SHINE as lights in this crooked and twisted world (v. 15) we too must be continually exposed and surrendered to the TRUE LIGHT SOURCE…the Light of the World—the Lord Jesus.
Notice also
holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
We HOLD FAST to the Gospel…the Word of God! Yes we live in the midst of a “crooked and perverse generation” but we do not hold on to that, we do not hold on to the “bad news” but rather we “hold on to Jesus…the Author and Finisher of our Faith!”
Do YOU have the mind of Christ today? If you are a born-again believer you do.
If you don’t know Christ you will never be able to live out these principles in the power and energy of the flesh. He came so that you might be rescued from the penalty and power of your sin. Then God can also use you as BRIGHT, SHINING LIGHTS to PENETRATE the darkness of the world around us.
If you do know Him I leave you with this one, last final reminder:
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,