Lord’s Library contributor Lonetta Key offers a Mind of Christ meaning in the Bible with key Scriptures and commentary. Check out Lonetta’s blog: Living Before God’s Face. Lord’s Library’s Ministry Leaders Series is a collection of contributed articles written by ministry leaders on key Christian topics.
Let’s begin a blog focusing on Philippians 2:3-8. The central theme for this study is to explore the Mind of Christ meaning in the Bible from verse 5. See Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
This verse encapsulates a broad scope—it casts a large swath. And it is quite a challenging order made by Paul. He does not say “now here is an idea—why not give this a try?” No; Paul simply tells us this is what to do.
We are to imitate Christ’s mindset. The term “mind meld” was a popular practice of the Vulcans in the Star Trek Next Generation TV series. They had the capability of totally absorbing the entire mental essential nature of another person. That is what we are to have with Christ.
But in order to fully live out this edict it is necessary to know what Christ’s prevailing attitude was—to comprehend as much as humanly possible the components of His psyche in all aspects, both as the Son of Man as well as the Son of God. We will examine how He attitudinally approached life in general.
In the paragraphs to come we are going to examine the Mind of Christ meaning to see what it means to have the attitude Christ Jesus exhibited while here on earth. We will also delve into the descriptors Paul uses to enumerate those attributes.
Mind of Christ Meaning
The Mind of Christ in Action
We begin delving into the mind of Christ meaning by examining His actions and interactions during His earthly tenure. It is obvious from subsequent verses (6-8) that this is the time period to which the apostle is referring as he mentions the Lord being made in human likeness and His death on the cross: “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
First of all, in Luke 2:41-52 we have recorded the incident of Jesus’ multi day discussion in the temple with the teachers at 12 years of age: “Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast. And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing. And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business? And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”
In verse 47 we find his activities included listening to these elder gentlemen and asking questions. But also He apparently was giving some pretty bodacious feedback Himself. Luke tells us that all who were involved were amazed at His understanding and His answers: “And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.”
This should motivate us to be prepared to visit with others about the Lord and be ready with factual information. But to me, the main point is, that as with Jesus, we should be driven to imitate His life’s goal. In today’s popular vernacular, His mission statement was to be about His Father’s business. And he never once was deterred from that declaration.
Another illustration of our topic comes from Matthew 9:36: “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”
The words “when he saw the multitudes” denote Christ’s physical involvement. And what was His reaction to that connection with the needy, the marginalized, those without a compass? It was to feel empathy and to have an understanding of their plight. Not to chide them nor berate them.
How do we respond in similar circumstances? Is our first thought to reach out—to have a heart of acceptance and compassion? Or do we find ourselves judging and condemning?
Once again we are given an insight into our Lord’s attitudes from Matthew 14:14. It reads: “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.”
This passage takes the Lord’s expression of sensitivity to the masses one step further. He is propelled into action by curing their maladies. And like Christ, action is expected of us when we see the need.
Acts 10:38 is a great passage with which to close this section: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
A simple but provocative statement—He “went about doing good.” This pretty much says it all. This is the mindset we are to emulate. May it be said of each one of us “They went about doing good.”
The Mind of Christ: Prayer, Humility & Guarding Against Negativity
As we pursue our understanding of what having the mind of Christ means, we will be concentrating on the attitudes He displayed.
Jesus did not burden His mind with worry nor did He waste time ruminating over dilemmas. Nor, even though He was God personified, did He depend on His own strength. Instead, we often find throughout the Gospels that He spent time in prayer to the Father.
A few of these passages are found in Luke 3:21; Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:45:
- Luke 3:21: “Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,”
- Matthew 14:23: “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.”
- Mark 6:45: “And straightway he constrained his disciples to get into the ship, and to go to the other side before unto Bethsaida, while he sent away the people.”
Following Christ’s example allows us to walk the pathway of peace.
We also gain valuable insight into another attitude first mentioned in Philippians 2:5 but amplified in verses 6-8. They provide descriptions of Christ’s attitude of humility. He lowered Himself to come to earth in human form and suffered the ultimate degradation of being put to death on a cross—a punishment reserved for common criminals. In fact, He was crucified between two thieves.
Oh dear friend whenever we are inclined to think more highly of ourselves than we ought—or to take sole credit for successes instead of including God—let us remember the humble stature of the Savior of the world.
We know from Matthew 4:1-11 that Satan tried to infiltrate and poison the mind of Christ. But we also read that He overcame victoriously by refuting every temptation with Scripture. The devil tries to do the same with us. But just as Christ protected and shielded his psyche from the pummeling of the devil, so must we do the same if we are to have the mind of Christ. We must eradicate Satan-inspired thoughts like pest exterminators and eradicate vermin.
Part of emulating the thinking of Jesus is not allowing negative attitudes or thoughts that are detrimental to our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. And how do we dispel these flawed perceptions? Again we turn to Paul who, in this same book of Philippians, chapter 4 and verse 8 gives us a specific list of where our minds should dwell: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
He does not say let them pop in and out of your head, or suggest we might try pausing for a moment to consider them. Rather Paul wants us to concentrate on these things that personify Christ’s mindset.
Following the mental footprint of the Lord directs us to a constructive and productive journey through life.
Submission, Contentment & Trust in the Father
Now I would like for our thoughts to be focused on how we can ascertain Christ’s state of mind indicated by examples He set for us.
Let us consider how Jesus accepted His mission—His prime reason for His sojourn on earth. He was completely resigned to His Father’s will. We ascertain this not only from His frequent assertions regarding His single-mindedness in coming to us in human form. But also from His statement in the Garden of Gethsemane as He contemplated His death. See Mark 14:36: “And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
How do we measure up in our submission, commitment, and consecration to God’s plan for our lives? Is our primary aim to live constantly before God’s Face and in His Presence—to accomplish His will?
Interestingly enough this same Christ whose mental demeanor we are to emulate, also included an appeal for help from His Father. See Matthew 26:39: “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” This is deep. It signifies to us that if the Son of God felt free to mention to His Father the possibility of a way out of the impending horrific experience of suffering, it is completely permissible for us to do the same.
Another example exhibiting Christ’s innermost thought patterns is His contentment with His physical lot in life. In Matthew 8:20 the Lord says: “And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” And that is it. No complaining following.
Oh my goodness I fear this may land pretty close to our front door mat for some of us. I think frequently some other verbiage besides contentment might be more appropriate in characterizing our attitude toward the tangible circumstances in which we find ourselves. Maybe words such as dissatisfied, disturbed, and unhappy might more accurately articulate our disposition.
As difficult as it may be the challenge, in the words of Paul, is to learn to be content no matter our resources, our financial status, or our lifestyle. See Philippians 4:11: “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus.
The Mind of Christ: Purpose, Resolve & God’s Will
Now we are going to spend our time on one Scripture that I feel potently exemplifies the mind of Christ and is an attribute each of us needs to model. And the operative word of this study is “purpose.”
Luke 9:51 says: “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem,” To “set one’s face” is a Hebrew idiom that literally means “to head in a certain direction” and also implies strong intentionality or purpose.
Jesus “set his face” to go to Jerusalem. Now this was not just a casual, “how ‘bout toddling on up to Jerusalem to hang out for awhile” decision. There was a definite purpose for this choice of geographical location—an intentional reason for that decision.
This was His final trip to that city as Christ prepared for His torture and impending death. And on the way He had several objectives to accomplish. By way of clarity, there was a lot of varied teachings and activities over a period of time between Luke 9:51 and the time of the Lord’s death.
Think of this for a moment. Since Jesus knew His ultimate purpose was to be achieved in that location His setting His face toward Jerusalem was indicative that He accepted that purpose. And He set out to accomplish it.
I think there is also another possible meaning to be deduced from the phrase “set his face.” Could it be that these three words signify a resolve—a determination to go through with the horrific ordeal awaiting Him?
Ah—purpose. Perhaps a word we do not often include in our normal day-to-day language. But its very utterance holds the promise of being life-enforcing. Consider with me where your ultimate purpose lies. Do you know what it is? If not what importance have you placed on deciphering what it might be? And once that determination has been made are you driven to see it through to the end?
It is pretty difficult for us to “set out face” in a purposeful direction if we do not know what God’s plan is for our lives and what He wants us to accomplish. It is fairly impossible to resolve an agenda when we have no idea what God’s design for our life is.
Or perhaps you are very aware of God’s purpose for you but you are not willing to pursue it. If this is the situation you are faced with may I suggest praying for the courage and strength to live up to God’s potential for you. I love Philippians 4:13 and often refer to it in my writings; it provides the magic ingredient for the above dilemma: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
May each of us be challenged to ascertain our purpose and set our face resolutely in that direction with unswerving steadfastness. Praise God, praise God. All things are possible through Him.
Insights from His Teachings on Love, Forgiveness & Devotion
As we continue contemplating how we might attain Christ mindedness let us take a look at how His teachings provide insight into His thinking. What can we learn about His mindset from this enlightenment? What was the central theme?
First of all, we will consider Luke 6:27:28: “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” Wow! This compilation of directives reflects a most unusual attitude toward people that certainly are not easy to be nice to much less treat kindly, to say nothing of actually loving.
Take a moment to let each one truly sink into your innermost self. You may find your disposition toward these people taking a 180-degree turn around.
Now we turn our attention to Matthew 18:21-22: “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
Once again we are gripped by how far short we often fall of living up to the standards set by our Lord. I can so relate to Peter—can’t you? Thinking we are truly being magnanimous in our actions and feelings and impressing God. And then we feel His gentle chiding as He says, “Uh—you are not quite there. Perhaps you might want to try again and up your game a bit.”
I close with an admonition from Matthew 22:36-38: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.”
Christ makes it absolutely clear that our most important task is to love His Heavenly Father as He does. There is no allowance for not being totally in love with our God with every facet of our entire being.
Obviously, this blog has not even begun to scratch the surface. But hopefully, it will serve as a launching pad encouraging you to spend some time reading more of the wonderful wisdom, guidance, and instruction Christ shared.
Jesus taught from His corp—His teachings were who He was. What He taught was what He thought—the mind of Christ.
The Mind of Christ Meaning: Empowered by His Strength and Transformed for His Purpose
Here is something phenomenal. This Man whose mindset we are to emulate is the same One who gives us the power to do just that. We are not commanded to an action without the means to attain it. In the very same letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians exhorting them to be Christ-minded, two chapters later he makes an amazing and encouraging statement. See Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
I was presented with an opportunity the other day to mirror Jesus’ mindset in a small way but believe me it was dicey there for a few moments. I was coming home from church wearing open-toed shoes. And as I started up the sidewalk suddenly I was met with a huge puddle of water completely covering the walkway. I looked up and there were two ladies hosing off mats.
Now instead of washing them over the planter bed which of course would have absorbed the water, they chose to do it over the sidewalk. As I approached them they muttered something about getting my shoes and toes wet. Well, my first reactive thought was to register my displeasure but then thankfully the attitude of Christ took over and I just smiled, said “hello” and navigated as best I could through the puddle.
Do know though I have certainly had times when the outcome was not so righteous!
Life presents us with these circumstances frequently. It may seem insignificant at the time but remember each chance we have to achieve the attitude of our Savior we lay the groundwork for future victories from the minimal to the maximal.
As I mentioned in one of the earlier sections, I am a true Trekkie. I enjoy all the old Star Trek series. The Vulcans—one of the humanoid species—had a practice they called mind meld. And as they began the ritual they would say, “ Your mind to my mind; your thoughts to my thoughts.” Practice mind melding with our Lord. Pray that your mind will be morphed into that of the Master’s. As Jesus was heavenly minded so will you be.
Bringing this series to a close I pray they have blessed you and perhaps given you some new challenges in imitating the mind of Christ. I leave you with these two passages. When I read these Scriptures it brings to mind the image of a sort of mental dialysis. A complete flushing out of the old and a total infusion of the new:
- Ephesians 4:23: “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”
- Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Until we sit down together for our next visit, continue living before God’s face.
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