Philippians 2:5 says, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” This verse encourages believers to have the same attitude, perspective, and way of thinking that Jesus had during His time on earth. In order to fully understand what it means to have the mind of Christ, we must first examine the context surrounding this verse.
Context of Philippians 2:5
Philippians 2:5 falls within a larger passage of Philippians 2:1-11 where Paul is exhorting the Philippian church to unity and humility. He urges them in verse 2 to be “of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” This unity is made possible by each person “counting others more significant than themselves” (verse 3) and “looking not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (verse 4).
After laying this groundwork, Paul then presents Jesus as the ultimate model and example of what this humility should look like. He points to Christ’s willingness to lay aside His rights and privileges as God to take on human flesh and die on a cross to save sinful mankind (verses 6-8). The One who existed in the very nature of God and was equal with God did not cling to His divine rights but instead humbled Himself to become a man and serve others even to the point of death.
It is against this backdrop that Paul exhorts believers in verse 5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” In other words, as followers of Christ, we are to demonstrate the same humility and consider others above ourselves just as Jesus did.
The Attitude and Perspective of Christ
When Paul says to “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,” he is talking about allowing our attitude and way of thinking to be conformed to Christ’s. Here are some key aspects of the mind and perspective that Jesus exhibited:
- Humility – As mentioned, Jesus humbled Himself tremendously in leaving His heavenly throne to come serve mankind (Philippians 2:6-8). He gave up His rights and did not cling to His divine privileges.
- Obedience – Jesus was completely obedient to the will of His Father while on earth. He said, “I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38). His mindset was one of wholehearted obedience.
- Selflessness – Jesus was not self-seeking or self-centered. He went around healing others and ministering to their needs (Matthew 4:23-24). He said He came not to be served but to serve (Mark 10:45).
- Sacrifice – Jesus sacrificed everything, even His very life, for the sake of others. He died on the cross for sinful mankind while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). He submitted to torture and death when He could have called legions of angels (Matthew 26:53).
- Love for others – The mind of Christ is marked by agape love – the selfless, unconditional love that seeks the highest good of others. Jesus exhibited this love everywhere He went as He healed the sick, spent time with sinners, fed the hungry, and welcomed children.
- Compassion – Jesus was moved to compassion when He saw others hurting and in need (Matthew 9:36, 14:14, 15:32). His heart went out to broken and lost people, desiring to heal them. The mind of Christ overflows with compassion.
- Concern for God’s glory – Jesus sought first and foremost to honor His Father and bring glory to God (John 17:4). All that He did pointed people to the Father. The mind of Christ desires God’s glory above all.
This is by no means an exhaustive description, but these are key glimpses into the selfless, servant-hearted, others-focused mindset that Christ exemplified. As believers, the exhortation is for us to allow the Holy Spirit to renew our minds (Romans 12:2) so that we can increasingly reflect the mind of Christ in our attitudes and actions.
Practical Application
How can we cultivate more of the mind of Christ in our daily lives? Here are some practical tips:
- Spend time meditating on who Christ is – His nature, character, life, and example. The more we gaze on Jesus, the more we become like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18).
- Study the life of Christ in the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Seeking to know Christ more intimately shapes our minds to be more like His.
- Pray regularly for the Spirit to renew your mind and transform you into Christ’s image (Romans 8:29). Yield yourself to the Spirit’s work.
- Make choices each day to exhibit the mind of Christ – choose humility, sacrifice, selflessness. Small choices shape habits and attitudes.
- Serve others following Christ’s example. Look for everyday opportunities to overlook yourself and to turn your attention to the needs of others.
- Give preference to others and consider them as more important than yourself (Philippians 2:3). Treat all people with value and honor.
- Confess pride and self-focus when you stumble. Repentance clears the heart of wrong mindsets.
- Soak in Scripture and biblical truth. As we immerse our minds in God’s Word, it renews and transforms us.
These are just a few suggestions for ways that we can actively pursue having the mindset of Jesus. It requires intentionally yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. We cannot manufacture the mind of Christ on our own, but as we cooperate with God’s Spirit, He shapes us increasingly into the image of Jesus Christ our Lord and sets our minds on things above (Colossians 3:1-2).
Theological Implications
Having the mind of Christ should impact us theologically as well. Here are some key theological implications:
- It deepens our understanding of Christ’s divine nature – As we seek to have Jesus’ mindset, it helps us grasp how Jesus could lay aside His rights as God to humble Himself on our behalf.
- It enlarges our view of Jesus’ humanity – We gain insight into the perfection of Christ’s humanity. He lived in total dependence on and obedience to the Father through the Spirit (John 5:19).
- It expands our understanding of the Trinity – Jesus’ submission to the Father while on earth reflects the eternal relationship that exists within the Godhead. Each person of the Trinity honors and submits to the others.
- It highlights the centrality of the gospel – Jesus’ incarnation and death for sinners is the ultimate demonstration of His mindset of humility, obedience, selflessness, and sacrifice.
- It emphasizes the importance of sanctification – God doesn’t just forgive us but transforms our minds and hearts to be more like Jesus. The Spirit’s renewing work is key.
- It shows God’s grace and mercy – That the perfect Son of God would humble Himself and give His life for sinful humanity reveals God’s extravagant grace and boundless mercy.
- It glorifies Christ – Jesus alone lived a perfectly obedient life motivated only by selfless love. As we exalt His unique mindset, Christ is glorified.
These theological truths enrich our faith as we come to know Jesus more intimately. The more we grasp His mindset, the more we understand who He is, what He accomplished, and what He is still doing today through the Spirit.
Key Bible Passages
In addition to Philippians 2:5, there are many other Bible verses that give insight into the mind and perspective that was in Christ Jesus:
- Matthew 11:29 – “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
- John 5:19 – “So Jesus said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.'”
- John 6:38 – “For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
- John 13:3-5 – “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”
- John 13:14-15 – “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”
- 2 Corinthians 8:9 – “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
- Philippians 2:3-4 – “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
- Hebrews 12:2 – “…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Meditating on passages like these helps renew our minds to be more like Christ’s. They give powerful glimpses into Jesus’ humility, love, selflessness, obedience, sacrificial leadership, and devotion to the Father’s will.
Misconceptions
There are some common misconceptions when it comes to having the mind of Christ:
- It means removing our personality – God created us as unique individuals. Having the mind of Christ does not mean becoming identical clones with no distinction. Our personalities remain, but are transformed by the renewing work of the Spirit.
- It leads to pride – Some wrongly think having Christ’s mindset will puff them up with pride. But true Christlike thinking recognizes all abilities are from God and leads to humility not pride.
- It requires perfect obedience – We cannot duplicate Christ’s perfect obedience in our flawed humanity. But God graciously grows increasing obedience in us by His Spirit as we yield to Him.
- It means copying Christ’s actions – Having Jesus’ mind is deeper than just copying His actions. It requires asking what motivated His actions, and allowing the Spirit to grow similar motivations within us.
- It ignores our humanity – Jesus was fully divine but also fully human. As humans, we are not expected to escape feelings like sorrow, grief, or weariness, as Jesus Himself experienced. But in all things, we look to the mind of Christ as our example and guide.
- It happens instantly – Developing Christ’s mindset happens gradually as a lifelong process of spiritual growth. Our minds are renewed step-by-step as we cooperate with the Spirit’s transforming work.
The mind of Christ does not eliminate our humanity or demand sinless perfection. It is not just external actions. But as we grow in relationship with Jesus, the Spirit works to shape our internal thought patterns, motivations, and attitudes to be more like His.
Conclusion
To “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” is a profound and powerful exhortation. It is a call to pursue humility, obedience, selflessness, sacrifice, compassion, and service to others after the pattern Jesus modeled. It requires inviting the Holy Spirit to renew our way of thinking so that it aligns more closely with who Jesus is and yielding ourselves fully to His will.
This transformation of the mind is neither easy nor instant. But as we fix our eyes on Jesus through Scripture and prayer, seeking to know Him more intimately, we open ourselves to the wonderful work of the Spirit conforming us ever closer to the image of Christ. The more we come to share in His mindset, the more our lives will reflect His glory to the world around us.
