Pursue the Mind of Christ
Read the Text: Philippians 2
Memorize the Text:
I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.
(Philippians 4:13, CSB)
Consider the Text: Philippians 2:1-11
Believers need to pursue a life that develops toward having the mind of Christ. When Christians live with the mind of Christ, they seek to live in obedience to the Lord, true love, and genuine unity. These traits only occur in the follower’s life when they pursue to live like Christ. The apostle Paul detailed how Christ modeled this life for us in Philippians 2 and called believers to follow the example.
PURSUE THE MIND OF LOVE
Christ demonstrated the need to love God and others in his time on earth. He showed the necessity for loving God with all of one’s heart through the time spent with his Heavenly Father and his obedience to the will of the Father. At the same time, Jesus modeled a love for others as he endured the cross so that humanity would have an avenue to receive redemption. The love shown by Christ exemplifies the love that believers need to live out today. Followers of Christ must seek to love God with every ounce of their life and love others the way Christ loved others.
PURSUE THE MIND OF UNITY
When Christ lived in obedience to the will of the Father, he demonstrated unity, the unity within the Trinity. The apostle used Jesus’ model of unity to challenge believers to unify around the ways of the Lord. This means Christians need to unify around the truth of God’s Word and the ways the Lord calls the believer to live in. At the same time, believers become unified in the love of God. This type of love leads to a bond that overcomes the hindrance to unity. This occurs through love that promotes seeking forgiveness, extending mercy, and working together. Unity also occurs when we unite around the mission of God and seek to serve the Lord together as one body pursuing the one true calling of the Lord.
PURSUE THE MIND OF HUMILITY
Jesus modeled humility in his obedience to the will of the Father. Therefore, the believer needs to seek a life of humility before the Lord. Humility begins when believers recognize their position before the Lord. Christian need to see the greatness, glory, and holiness of the Lord, which leads to the understanding of one’s humble state in the presence of God. At the same time, believers must live in humility to treat each other the way the Lord calls believers to live. Jesus demonstrated this form of selflessness by leaving the glories of heaven for our sake. Thus, we need to live selflessly for the sake of others.
BATTLE THE #SELFIE
The biggest threat to pursuing the mind of Christ is the self. We tend to love the self more than love others. We attempt to elevate the self by name-dropping and seeking what we gain in an activity. At the same time, we break down the existence of unity by promoting the self over others and our desires over the needs of others. We must battle the threat of fake humility, where we discuss our humility but remain trapped in pride. Thus we need to ask, “What am I pursuing? Am I pursuing the mind of Christ or the desires of the self?”
This blog is part of the Coffee and Quiet Time with Jesus Devotional Series found at equippingfaith.com. Join the journey of reading through the New Testament this year. More information can be found at equippingfaith.com.
