The Mind Of Christ
What’s On Your Mind: Discover the power of Biblical Thinking • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 25:12
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Review
Turn to Philippians 2:5-8.
When Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians, he challenged them to reject their old way of thinking. Their spirit had been regenerated at the moment of salvation. They still had the sin nature, but now they had a choice - would they obey the old sin nature - the flesh - or would they obey Christ, their new master? They did not have to think like the unsaved anymore. Instead, Paul challenged them to submit their thinking to the Spirit’s renewing.
The Holy Spirit will renew our thinking as we deepen our knowledge of Jesus Christ through the Scriptures. We saw this from Colossians 3:10 and other verses. As you go through the life-long process of knowing Jesus, as He becomes more and more real to you, your thinking will begin to reflect His thinking. You will live the mind of Christ.
Message
Message
This evening we are going to finish our series by identifying what the mind of Christ will look like. As the Holy Spirit renews your thinking, your thinking will be different. It will be like Christ. That change will be evident in several ways.
Read Philippians 2:5-8.
There are at least three distinguishing features to the mind of Christ:
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A mind of selflessness - Philippians 2:5-7a.
Just as children often reflect the likeness, the appearance of their parents, so also does Jesus reflect the form or the likeness of God. Why? Because Jesus is God. When Jesus walked this earth, He did not consider himself to be stealing God’s glory when He claimed to be God, because He knew that He was God.
If I claimed to be God, I would be stealing God’s glory. I would be seizing what is not mine. I would be making myself equal with God. Jesus did claim to be God, but He did not furiously try to retain God’s glory for himself either. No! Notice instead what He did beginning in verse seven:
“[He] made himself of no reputation…”
Jesus Christ was God in the flesh, but He did not desperately fight to have that glory recognized for Himself. Instead, He made a deliberate decision to lay aside His own glory and direct glory to the Father.
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For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
Jesus did not come to earth for His own self or to fulfill His own objective, but His Father’s. In effect, Jesus was saying, “It’s not about me.” He had a mind of selflessness.
Standing between us and eternal success is self! We are our own worst enemy. D. L. Moody said, "The man I fear the most is the one who walks underneath this hat." When Abraham Lincoln was running for president of the United States, a reporter asked him if he feared any of his opponents. Lincoln thought for a moment and responded, "Yes, one." The reporter was surprised since he was doing very well in the polls. He said, "Really, which one do you fear?" Lincoln said, "I fear a man named Lincoln. If I am defeated in this election, it will be by a man named Lincoln." - What’s On Your Mind, Dr. John Goetsch, page 120.
Application: Christian, as you live alongside your family from day to day, have the mind of Christ and remember these words: “It’s not about me.”
Christian, as you interact with other people and you are tempted to defend yourself, have the mind of Christ and remember these words: “It’s not about me.”
Christian, as you serve alongside your church family, have the mind of Christ and remember these words: “It’s not about me.”
As you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind, that transformation will be evident as you become more selfless.
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A mind of service - Philippians 2:7.
Notice the contrast that Paul gives in verses 6-7. Jesus laid aside the form of God and took on the form of a servant. Christ didn’t lay aside any aspect of His divinity, but He did choose to be a servant unto all.
“Albert Einstein declared, “It is high time that the ideal of success should be replaced by the ideal of service.” - What’s On Your Mind, Dr. John Goetsch, page 123.
No matter where you go, no matter the condition of the economy, finding people who are willing to be a servant is a hard thing to do. During His earthly ministry, Jesus stepped up and did just that.
It’s important that when we think of the word “service”, we also think of the word “servant.” Sometimes we do service and we forget that we are a servant.
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In John 13:17, Jesus told his disciples:
If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
He made that statement as he taught them about serving. Jesus had just washed their feet, something that only servants did in their culture. Jesus did it himself and then taught them to be servants of others. If they obeyed, they would discover true happiness - they would discover the joy in serving Jesus.
Application: Christian, don’t just serve; be a servant like your Savior.
As you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind, that transformation will be evident as you become a servant to others.
Thirdly, the mind of Christ is apparent as:
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A mind of submission - Philippians 2:8.
Contemporary society … does not value personal submission. Rather, it teaches that the ideal, the highest position a human being can attain, is that of personal autonomy.
STEPHEN B. CLARK,
MAN AND WOMAN IN CHRIST
The word “submission” is not a popular one in our American vocabulary. It goes against the grain for all of us. Like selflessness, and like serving, it is not natural for us, but it is possible as we grow in our knowledge of Christ, who submitted himself to his Father.
Our Savior’s choice to humble himself was an internal change, but it was manifested as he submitted himself to die on the cross for you and me.
Application: Christian, “are you willing to do anything that God asks you to do? Is there anything that you are unwilling to do?” - What’s On Your Mind, Dr. John Goetsch, page 127.
You are called to submit to Christ unconditionally just as Christ submitted to His Father unconditionally.
One person said,
“The purpose in life is not to find your freedom, but your Master.” - PT Forsyth - What’s On Your Mind, Dr. John Goetsch, page 128.
The mind of Christ is not one that says, “what can I get away with as a Christian?” The mind of Christ is one that says, “what can I do to show my love for God?”
That mind is a mind of submission.
As you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind, that transformation will be evident as you grow in submission to Christ.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Christian, what’s on your mind? Is it thoughts full of distractions and things that don’t have any eternal value? It is thoughts of worry, anxiety, and fear? Is it thoughts very much like how you used to think before you were saved?
If so, it’s time that you have the mind of Christ. It’s time for you to fill your life and thinking with the Word of God so that you can grow in your personal, intimate knowledge of Christ. As you make that effort, the Holy Spirit will renew your mind, and you will find yourself living the mind of Christ.