Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:
The main theme of Philippians chapter 2 is the mind of Christ.
In verses 6 to 8, the attitude of Christ's mind toward 4 different things is revealed.
Let's see what it is.
1. To Position
What was the position of Christ? - Equality with God (v6)
The Supreme, who ascends to God as God, descends without holding on to that position and renounces that equality.
Remember those who are after positions, that is not the mind of Christ.
• Moses, who rejected being called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, is the Old Testament mediator who demonstrated the mind of Christ ( Heb 11:24,25)
Jesus
• After Jesus had fed a large crowd of people, they began to discuss among themselves who they believed Jesus to be.
• Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." (John 6:14)
• Basically, they are saying, “This is the one we’ve been waiting for!" This is the one God told us would lead us!” They referred to Moses’ prophecy from Deuteronomy 18:15-18.
• Jesus’ great power had convinced them that He needed to be their king and lead them into war to free them from the Roman Empire.
So what did Jesus do?
JOHN 6:15 15 Then Jesus, knowing that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.
Once Pilate asked Him, "Are You a king then?"
• Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." (John 18:37)
• However, Jesus did not come to be a King like the other kings of this world. His kingdom is not like the rest of the kingdoms of this world.
• Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here." (John 18:36)
Jesus refused the crowd’s attempt to make Him their king because they wanted Him to be like the other rulers of this world.
Nevertheless, God’s word promises us that, in his second coming, Jesus will rule the nations as the mighty King! Hence, let us walk in the path of Christ and be prepared. Amen!
Can we say no to privileges an positions?
2. To Riches
He emptied Himself V7
The attitude of Jesus towards earthly riches
The richest man became the poorest in this World
• The richest man in the universe was the poorest the world has ever seen.
• He could have lived in the most luxurious comfort in this world, but he had no penny to give offering in the temple.
Look at Christ's attitude toward money.
In the Mountain
• When the devil said that he would show you all the kingdoms of the world and their glory and give you all these things, his response was, Satan, get the hell out of me. Mathew 4:8,9
• Who has the heart of a greedy person to make money even if he bows down to the devil?
Attitude about Money
Jesus declared, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!” He then sates that it is easier for a camel to go through “the eye of a needle” than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.
Was Moses a fool who counted the reproach of Christ as greater wealth than the investment in Egypt?
(“He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward Hebrew 11:26)
A proper relationship to God puts a proper relationship to money in its proper place,
Jesus Christ became poor by heaven’s standards so that I could become rich by earth’s standards. (2 Corinthians 8:9)
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, “No man can serve two masters, he will either be loyal to one or the one.”
Then Jesus concludes this consideration by saying, “You cannot serve both God and money!”
Satan’s lie Number 1
Jesus warns in Luke 12:15, “Beware of covetousness, for even when a man has more then enough, his wealth does not give him life.”
Satan’s lie Number 2
The Bible does not say that money is the root of all evil.
1 Timothy 6:10 does say, “The LOVE of money is the root of all evil.” Money, of course, is necessary, but we should never love it, or allow it to control us.
Satan’s lie Number 3
Listen to these Proverbs from God’s Word: Proverbs 21:6, “Dishonest gain will never last so why take the risk?” Proverbs 28:8, “He that by unjust gain increases his substance shall lose it?” Proverbs 20:21, “A fortune can be made from cheating, but a curse goes with it.” Proverbs 15:27, “Dishonest money brings grief to all the family.” That is what God’s says about dishonesty!
Does Your Attitude Toward Money Bring You Closer to Christ, or Do You Walk Away Sad?
James 5:1-3 paints a picture of the person who hoards money and does nothing noble with it
A. James 5:1-3 ~ Don’t Hoard money Greedily – Manage it Wisely READ
The Bible never condemns the accumulation of wealth, only the abuse of wealth.
It is not a sin to have riches; it is a sin to hoard riches.
• There are many examples in the Bible of godly wealthy people –
• Abraham, Job, King David, Solomon, Nicodemus, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Joseph of Arimathea and Barnabas.
Abraham was a rich man and he is a man of faith and character. However, when Lot, Abraham’s nephew, became rich, it ruined his character and family.
B.
I think of the boy that catches a butterfly. Wanting to keep it to himself, he clutches it tightly. At last when he takes a peak to gaze on his treasure, the butterfly wings are torn and wrinkled. Hold tightly onto money and it changes you… the moths eating away your clothes, the corrosion, like a battery that is not used, money becomes toxic when it is hoarded. The wording of the Bible is well chosen when it says, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” It’s not the money. It’s the attitude.
God never intended the accumulation of money/wealth to be a goal in itself. We are to use our money wisely, not hoard it.
C. James 5:4: Don’t Withhold Money Deceitfully – Earn it Honestly READ
Be honest with your money…
Don’t Withhold It Deceitfully – Be honest with your money.
D. James 5:5-6 Don’t Spend Money Selfishly – Share it Generously. READ.
God will bless you as you give.
? Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV): "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Generosity is a godly character.
? The richest investment is to invest in other people.
? The most satisfied people are those who are generous with their time and money in building other people up.
generosity is what God wants from us
Be wise.
Be honest.
Be generous. All three are needed.
To be a disciple of Christ means :_
? to be wise with the resources he gives us,
? be honest as we faithfully fulfill our obligations and commitments,
? and be generous as we look to help others as a priority of our calling.
Attitude is everything.
3. To Service
He took the form of a servant (v7)
Not just a form, but He took the form of a servant,
The Father introduced the Son in Isiah 42:1 as Behold my servant whom I uphold
A servant who speaks justice to the nations, who does not shout, does not make a noise, does not make noise in the streets. Righteous servant. Servant who justifies many by his knowledge
Let me take your attention into the Passover night.
? There you see a perfect servant
? Usually on Passover in Jewish families, the slaves are one who wash the feet of family members.
? But in the upper room, who will do this work? None of them are small, they are all big.
But the greatest among them, the Lord and Master, the guru, wrapped a towel around his waist and washed the feet of the disciples one who is going to betray him John 13:4-17)
? And he said 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Who needs these blessings?
In Philippians 2, the height of Christ's lowness is made clear by connecting it to the mind of Christ.
V-8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Words such as servant, obedience, and even death on the cross should be studied together.
Servant - The servant dies to his own will and lives to the master's will.
Christ's death on the cross is the obedience of the servant to the Father, the master.
Psalms 40:6- Sacrifice and offering you did not desire- but my ears you have opened.
What is the meaning?
Psalm 40 says: You have pierced my ears. What does this mean? In the jubilee year, there is a process of tying the freed slave to the stake and piercing his ear to declare that he will serve his master for life. This shows the servile attitude of Jesus to the Father's will.
? A servant is trusted by his Master.
? A servant is faithful to his Master.
? A servant is judged by his Master.
? A servant is honored by his Master.
A Servant
? Faithful
? Available
? Teachable
? Flexible
? A Servant Is Humble
? A Servant Prepares
? A Servant Perseveres
? A Servant Serves Where Needed
Do we have this mind of Christ towards divine services?
Do we aspire to the role of a slave?
4. To sufferings
Became Obedient v8
• Isiah 53:10 says He caused him the suffering.
• God-inflicted suffering has divine determination behind it
• In acts 17:3 Paul in his preaching he says: Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead.
• Luke 24:26 says; _ Messiah must suffer these things and then enter his glory?
• That suffering was necessary for God's will to be done by the hand of Jesus.
• Every Christian should have the mind of Jesus who responded obediently to suffering.
• Only when we respond as Christ responded to these four areas above do we become Christ-minded.
Jesus told us pain and suffering would be a part of our lives
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Jesus doesn’t simply say we’ll have trials and sorrow and then leaves it to us to figure out. Instead, he promises peace and reminds us that he has overcome the world
This is why the Apostle Paul who experienced much pain and difficulty can boldly declare these words in Romans 8:28,
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Our pain and suffering have a Purpose.
Paul chooses his words carefully, and notice he writes we know.
For a man who underwent beatings, shipwrecks and multiple imprisonments, Paul recognizes something that is absolutely essential for us to remember as believers – our pain is not meaningless but has a purpose. And not just some situations, he writes all things.
Every individual God used mightily throughout Scripture went through seasons of hardship.
? Moses had to flee his family who wanted to kill him,
? Elijah had people seeking his death,
? Queen Esther risked her life in order to save the Jewish people,
? Jesus’ disciples were all martyred for their commitment to Christ and our Savior was beaten and crucified for us.
Yet Scripture repeatedly speaks to how our suffering never concludes without God’s power working through it supernaturally.
Our pain and suffering often sets us up to see God’s supernatural working in our lives
Our suffering never concludes without God’s power working through it supernaturally.
Principles for walking with God through difficult days:
1. Bring your pain to God don’t run from him.
? When you run from God in seasons of challenge, all you’re left with is your own limited ability to cope with what you’re walking through.
? On the other hand, God invites us to draw near to him that we might experience his peace, healing, and closeness and this is what Scripture points us towards.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” Psalm 34:18
? The Bible never instructs us to suppress our pain, but instead, shows us where to direct it.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Psalm 147:3
? Like our need for a surgeon to address physical wounds to our body, God desires to conduct divine surgery on our soul which results in supernatural healing despite how difficult our challenge.
? When we bring our pain to God we recognize that there is a purpose and in time the One who loves us unconditionally will reveal his divine purpose through it.
2. Fill your life with God’s Word and God’s people.
? If you treat physical sickness with the inappropriate medication, not only will your sickness continue, but it could become worse.
? When you fill your life with God’s Word and surround yourself with people who speak hope and encouragement into your life, your experience will be much healthier.
? But when you fill your life with God’s Word and surround yourself with people who speak hope and encouragement into your life, your experience will be much healthier.
“How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey.” Psalm 119:103
“Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” Psalm 34:8
“When I discovered your words, I devoured them. They are my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God of Heaven’s Armies.” Jeremiah 15:16
? When we fill our minds with God’s Word, we are reminding ourselves of who our God is, what he’s like, and we replace the lies of the enemy with the truth of our good God.
3. Don’t be filled with worry, overflow with worship.
? Something powerful happens when we actively choose to worship through our suffering.
? We aren’t denying reality, we are simply redirecting our posture from one of worry to one of worship.
? Worship changes our perspective. Worship speaks about where our confidence and hope resides.
? Worship redirects our thinking. Worship places the results in God’s hands.
Whether your pain is the result of relationship challenges, financial struggle, health diagnosis or anxiety about the future, when you begin to worship the Lord through your struggle, spiritual chains begin to break so that you aren’t ruled by your circumstance but you set your sights on something higher.
? This why Paul and Silas could praise when chained in prison.
? They recognized God was using their imprisonment for the spread of the gospel which ultimately resulted in the first New Testament church on the continent of Europe.
4. Believe that God will turn your sorrow into great joy.
? One of the paradoxes of Christianity is that our good God uses pain for our good. Meaning that our biggest sorrows can result in our greatest joy.
? When you think about Jesus’ greatest sorrow – suffering the shame, punishment, and death for our sin, the result was great joy – the redemption of humanity and the opportunity for a relationship with the living God.
Our pain and suffering will not last forever
Jesus willingly suffered the greatest pain because he knew the end of the story, and so do we. Scripture shows us in Revelation 21:3-4,
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
? Jesus willingly suffered the greatest pain because he knew the end of the story, and so do we.
Eternity is coming, and our pain and suffering will not be totally forgotten, but the sting will be removed and eternity will be even greater as a result.
As you walk through suffering today or in the days to come, remember the words of our Savior Jesus Christ:
A careful study of Philippians 2:1 through 11 will summarize the mind of Christ in three words.
A. Selfless Mind
• The other was considered superior to himself.
• Look at the quality of others, not your own.
• He gave everything to others except himself.
• Others were made everything.
B. Sacrificial Mind
• What does the phrase "even unto death on the cross" illustrate? V8
• Jesus died and sacrificed himself.
C. The serving Mind.
For betterment of others
Conclusion
• Those who have such a mind will be raised by God, the most raised. No doubt, it is His justice
• Our Lord is the one who takes us from the valley to the high mountain.
• Our Lord is the one who lifts us out of the pit of destruction and sets us on a high rock
• Our Lord is the one who raises up from the heap and sits with princes.
• I was humbled, and he saved me. Where there is humility there is salvation.
• It is better to be lifted by God, and those who try to exalt themselves will be mocked.
• The standard of divine ascension is the mind of Christ.
Lets have Christ Like attitude to:-
a) To Position- Equality with God
b) To Riches- Emptied Himself
c) To Service Servanthood
d) To Suffering Obedient
