Have the Mind of Christ

J“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 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 in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

How do people in a local church achieve the selfless traits mentioned in verses three and four from yesterday’s devotion? The answer is given in the statement, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Verse 5) We must have the mind or attitude of Christ. He was in the form of God and never stopped being God even when He took on another form, that of being one of us.

• In so doing He expressed the attitude of self denial.  Jesus said we should “deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him.” (Matthew 16:24)  
• His was a mind also of service, or servant-hood. See Him as He washes the disciples feet in John 13:1-16.  
• He also humbled Himself. (verse 8)  “God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.” (I Peter 5:5)  
• He was obedient to the Father’s will. “Not my will, but thine be done.” (Luke 22:42)  
• And finally, His obedience led Him all the way to Calvary and death. If we have been saved “we have been crucified with Christ, nevertheless we live, yet not us, but Christ living in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us.” (Galatians 2:20) When He died at Calvary we died with Him.

For us to become selfless instead of selfish, we must let Him take over our thinking, our attitude and our very lives. He must live in us.