What does it mean to have the mind of Christ? Presbyterians often focus on the intellectual side of things. We often spend a lot of time debating doctrine. In fact, I suspect that some of you may have secretly dreaded a series of catechetical sermons, because of the doctrinal focus. But the catechism wasn't designed simply to teach doctrine. It was designed to teach the church the basics of the Christian faith. And while that certainly includes doctrine, it also includes practice. That's certainly the way the apostle Paul teaches us about the humiliation and exaltation of Christ in Philippians 2. Paul speaks to the church, and calls us to have the same mind. And he's not talking about how we all need to have the same view of the millennium. The word here is phroneo--and in this context it means to think a certain way, to have a certain perspective or mindset.

Essentially, Paul is saying that your attitude towards one another--the way you think about each other--is to be the same as Christ's attitude toward you.

First, Paul says, if Christ is at work in you, then his attitude--his mindset--his perspective on life- should characterize all of you. In verses 1-2 Paul sets forth four sets of if-then statements. "If you have any" of these four things, "Then make my joy complete ..." in these four ways. Let's line them up in a row: First, if there is any encouragement from being in Christ, be like-minded (literally--"have the same thoughts"). Christians are to think in the same way--to have the same mindset, the same perspective. And the reason why is because we have been united to Christ, and his attitude, his mindset, has become ours. Second, if there is any comfort from his love, have the same love. Third, if there is any fellowship with the Spirit, be united in your very souls--be harmonious because the one Holy Spirit indwells all of you. And finally, if there is any tenderness and compassion, be intent on one purpose--and here again we have the word phroneo: "think the same thoughts." If Christ has really united you to himself, then think the same thoughts as his people.

What thoughts should you think? This is the second point: The chief characteristic of this mindset, this attitude, is humility. Paul insists that you are not to do anything out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but rather that you are to consider others better than yourselves. In verse four, all translations water down the force of what Paul says: Paul did not say "Each of you should look not only to your own interests" he said, "Each of you should look NOT to your own interests, but to the interests of others." Paul is saying that the Christian has no business looking after his own interests. After all, as we will see, Jesus Christ was not concerned with his own interests, but with the interests of his people. Even so, you are not to seek your own good, but the good of others. True humility puts aside all selfish ambition and vain conceit, and seeks to encourage and love others, putting their needs and interests first. 

For instance, you all probably know someone who is "married to his job." Such a man often thinks that needs to do this to provide for his family. In some instances that may be true, but that is rare in this country. Often he is too concerned with status, standard of living, just plain "keeping up with the Jones's." But if it interferes with his responsibilities as a husband and father, then it is nothing but selfish ambition. If it damages the interests of his wife and children, then it is simply vain conceit. 

More subtle perhaps is the way we interact in the church. Too often we are more interested in promoting our own concerns, then with humbly submitting to the interests of others. The church turns into a battlefield of competing interests, everyone convinced that his or her way is the right way, and true humility becomes hard to find. How often do you ask others how you can help? Or has it gotten to the point that no one is willing to admit that they need help? True humility is willing not only to give assistance, but is also willing to ask for help when it is needed. But that can only happen when Christians are willing to put down their defenses, and reflect the encouragement, compassion, fellowship, and tenderness which we have in Christ.

But how can we do this? How can we be truly humble? How can we put aside our selfish ambition, and really consider others better than ourselves?

Paul answers by pointing us to Jesus Christ. Our third point is that true humility is rooted and grounded in the humiliation of Christ--in his incarnation, his suffering and his death. After all, consider the heights of his glory throughout all eternity past as he dwelt in perfect unity with the Father before all ages. He was in the form of God, but he was willing to set aside his glory and take the form of a servant.

Q. 27 Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist? 

A. Christ's humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.

When Paul says that he "emptied himself" or "made himself nothing," it was not that he emptied himself of his deity. Had he done that he could not have saved us. Rather, he veiled his glory by taking on the form of a servant. He who was God--the eternal I AM--came as a man, for the glory of God, and the salvation of his people. This is the most amazing act of humility: God, the immortal, eternal, holy, wise, unchanging Creator of the Universe, became a creature. The eternal Son of God was born of a woman. The Divine Lawgiver became one under his own law (Galatians 4:4). He who knew not sin, whose very nature was righteousness in itself became sin for us, and for our salvation. He who had life in himself--who had given life to all creatures--died, was buried, and descended into hell. He who had existed in most perfect communion with the Father from all eternity was forsaken by his Father, and that bond of communion was broken. 

How often do you stop to consider what really happened in the incarnation? How often do you stop to think about the stupendous implications of his little phrase, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" At that moment, the spotless Lamb of God had taken upon himself the sins of the world. The holy one of Israel now bore the brunt of God's wrath against sin. Yes, the physical pain of crucifixion was excruciating, but the isolation of the eternal Son of God from the Father, and the outpouring of the Father's wrath, was greater than any agony known to mankind. 

Do not think for a moment that it was only the humanity of Christ that felt that agony. There have been those who say that even while Christ's humanity was suffering, his divinity was enjoying a perfect relationship with the Father, but that divides Christ's person into two. Yes, he had two natures and two wills, but it was the whole Christ that suffered. Nothing less would do. Only one who was true man could pay the price for our sin. But only one who was true God could give that sacrifice infinite worth. It was the person of Jesus Christ that suffered, according to the properties of his human nature. Why did the Eternal Son of God do this? Because he considered you to be more important than himself. 

That used to shock people, but today we seem to think that it makes perfect sense. Of course God loves us--why shouldn't he? Because you are a rebel and a traitor, you are a wicked and despicable sinner. You take every opportunity you can to further your own interests. Talk about selfish ambition! Just look around you! Our whole society has become consumed by greed. Just look at the horrid commercialism that has engulfed Christmas! Why has this happened? Perhaps it is because our hearts are basically polytheistic. We seek for happiness and blessing from any number of sources, setting our hopes and desires on people, our work, or ideas, and not setting our hopes and desires upon God alone. Jesus said to love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. Yet we give our hearts and minds to all sorts of other things. So why should God love you? He doesn't need you. You stink in his nostrils. You have rebelled against his commandments, ignored his grace time and again, and you have preferred your own interests to his. What should stop him from sending you straight to hell? 

Fortunately, God is not a man. He is not a creature, that he should think like we do. He does not reward us as we deserve, but rather he shows mercy, and displays before us the very humility which we have failed to exhibit. He placed your interests--your salvation--above his own interests, above his own comfortability. Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of God, did not regard being equal with God a thing to be grasped, something to hold on to, but willingly emptied himself of his glory, and became a man, just so that you and I could be saved.

It is this humility which Paul calls us to. And yet Paul does not stop there. Paul goes on to point us to the exaltation of Christ in verses 9-11. [READ] If all we had was the humiliation of Christ, it would be a poignant, tragic illustration of humility, but also a rather hollow one, because Christ's death only has meaning in the context of the resurrection.

Q. 28 Wherein consisteth Christ's exaltation? 

A. Christ's exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day. 

In the exaltation of Christ, his victory gains meaning for us, because it is the resurrected and ascended Christ who sat down at the right hand of the Father, on the throne of David, inaugurating the kingdom of God He was given the name above all names. 

What does this mean? It means that Jesus Christ has been made Lord of the universe, not merely as God--he was that before--but now as the human king over all things. It is at the very human name of Jesus that all creatures will bow, and every tongue will confess that the Messiah, Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This means that humanity has been restored to favor with God--and all who bow the knee to Jesus Christ, and humble themselves before him, will also be exalted with him. The Eternal Son of God has returned to the right hand of God, but something new has happened. There is now a man sitting at the right hand of the Father as well. Jesus Christ, the one who is true God and true man, is now the sovereign Lord of the universe, and everyone who belongs to him will share in his glory. Therefore, Paul is saying, if this is the sort of God and Savior that you have, keep working out your salvation with fear and trembling because God will accomplish his good purposes--and he is the one who is at work in you. 

Verses 12-13 return us to the original thought of verses 1-4. You are to have the attitude, the mindset, the perspective of Christ Jesus. This attitude is chiefly characterized by humility--and humility is defined by the person and work of Jesus Christ. Therefore, because you are in Christ, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, because it is God who is at work in you both to will and to do for his good pleasure. This fear and trembling is not the fear of losing your salvation, but the fear and trembling that should come when you realize how awesome God really is. Paul is saying something like this: "If one day all creation is going to fall on their faces at the name of Jesus, shouldn't we experience a little of that fear and trembling now?" 

Further, this fear and trembling is not to be confused with terror. Only five verses later Paul is going to call the Philippians to rejoice in the middle of their trials, so clearly this is not some sort of terror. But rather let us consider the reason why Paul tells them to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. It is because God is at work in them both to will and to do for his good pleasure. For Paul, that is a reason for fear and trembling. Perhaps you and I have become so used to thinking about God being at work in us that we forget how incredible that really is. Before the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost it was a rare thing for God to work IN his people. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit only worked upon a few--usually the leaders--the kings and the prophets or judges. It was only because of what Jesus Christ did in his death and resurrection that God was able to pour out the Holy Spirit upon all his people. Now, the Holy God can work in the hearts of sinful people, because Jesus Christ has taken away our sin, and given us his righteousness.

Finally, I would like to call your attention to a small point of grammar, which indicates a huge point in theology: the "you" in verses 12 and 13 is plural. Paul is not simply telling individuals to work out their salvation independently, rather he is telling all of you to work out your salvation together--for it is God who works in you. Or perhaps we should translate it, "it is God who works among you" to will and to do for his good pleasure! This goes back to something he said in chapter 1, verse 19, "I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance." That word deliverance should be translated salvation, because it is the word which always means salvation every other time Paul uses it. Paul understood that he was not an island. He was not a Lone Ranger Christian. He needed the Philippians. In fact, Paul needed them so much that he said that the Philippians' prayers would result in his salvation. That is how much you need each other. Salvation includes not merely justification, but also sanctification and glorification. Your salvation is already accomplished in Jesus Christ, but in the ongoing application of redemption, God uses other believers for his purposes in your salvation. Your prayers for one another have an effect. When the church is strong, it is because Christians are praying for each other when the church is weak, it is often because Christians are cold in their prayers. So all of you, together, as Michiana Covenant Church, are to work out your salvation--together--why? Because it is God who is at work in you--it is he who will bring to completion the good work which he has begun in you.

But if God is at work in you, then your lives ought to show it. It will take time. You, like everyone else, are a stubborn, selfish, greedy, unkind sinner, and it's going to take time, but you must begin to put into practice the attitude of Christ, the mindset of humility. Don't let our selfish and greedy culture lure you away. Put the interests of others ahead of your own. One of my professors in commenting on this passage has said that the only obstacle to unity in the church is selfishness. You would do well to think about that! This much I will say to all of you: you have not shown forth the humility of Christ toward one another. (Since none of you is perfect, I'm pretty confident of that one!) Most of you think that you know what is best for yourself and for the church. But seriously, if you will honestly put the interests of others ahead of your own and resist the temptation to insist upon having your own way, but with humility and gentleness, you seek to be united in spirit and purpose, then I cannot imagine any obstacle that could hinder your love for one another. But I would encourage all of you to meditate upon this passage in the coming weeks--Philippians1:27-2:18, but especially 2:1-11--and pray that God will give you the grace to put these words into practice.

Copyright © 2003 Peter J. Wallace