The Mind Of Christ

Philippians 2:1-5 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus

What Is The Church?

I remember when I was pastoring in North Carolina, an older woman was talking about a previous Pastor their church had. She told me, “The Pastor really loved Jesus, but he didn’t love us”. That made no sense to me at the time. How is it possible for a Pastor to love Jesus, but not love the Church? If you love the Lord, you will love the Church. What became evident to me as I pastored this flock that the people of that Church defined “love” as the world defines “love”, a selfish, self serving thing. Many of the “members” there wanted to do whatever they wanted to do, regardless of what the Bible said. Many wanted the Pastor to endorse their desires and man made traditions as if they were Scriptural. That is something Aaron would do. You remember Aaron, the High Priest of Israel? We read about it in Exodus 32.

The people whom God saved out of Egypt came to Aaron and demanded, “Arise, make us ĕlōhîm Who will lead us”. Aaron made them an idol representing the triune god. Aaron did not love the people. He should have pointed them to Christ.

Ĕlōhîm, by the way, is the Triune Name of God, the first use of the word “God” in our Bible. The very first verse of the Scripture says:

“In the beginning GOD {Ĕlōhîm} created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1, LSB).

Israel demanded not God, but a replica of God. God made man “in His own image” (Genesis 1:27), and now at Sinai man returned the favor. Man made God “in his own image”. This is what had been going on in North Carolina. This is what is going on all over America. The people demanded that the Pastor take their gold and valuables, and fashion a god to lead them. If he wants to stay on the “payroll”, he’ll do it.

A false god didn’t work at Sinai, and won’t work now.

Paul is not a “hireling”, but a man who loves the Church. So he PLEADS with them.

Paul pleads with the Church not to trade the glory of God’s Gospel, the leadership of the Scripture and the Spirit of the living God for a golden calf.

IF there be therefore any CONSOLATION
{paraklēsis} in Christ

Word Study: The word “CONSOLATION” is the Greek paraklēsis, which means “to come alongside and comfort”. Every person who has been saved has called on Jesus, and felt Him come alongside us and comfort us. A golden calf cannot comfort you. The proof that Jesus is the Christ, God in the flesh, the Messiah, is that He comforts His people. The Christ is “the COMFORTER of Israel” (Luke 2:25). When you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, He sends the COMFORTER to us. Jesus promised:

John 14:16-18 (KJV) And I will pray the Father, and HE SHALL GIVE YOU ANOTHER COMFORTER, that HE MAY ABIDEWITH YOU FOREVER; 17 [Even] THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU COMFORTLESS: I WILL COME TO YOU.

A Church is not filled with perfect people. A Church is filled with people who have been and will be comforted by the Presence of Christ. We share a common contact with Him. The early Church grew not because it had big crowds, but the Bible says:

Acts 9:31 (NKJV) Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the COMFORT {paraklēsis} of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.

The Church was built up because the people shared in “FEAR OF THE LORD”, a common respect for the command of Christ, and in the unifying “COMFORT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT”.

The Church Is Encouraged By God’s Word

if any COMFORT {paramythion} of love

Word Study: The Greek paramythion means to console or encourage, an encouraging word. The Christian shares the comfort of God’s Word with other Christians.

The comfort of the Word of God only comes to those indwelt and open to the Comforter of God, the Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

The godless are at war with the Word of God. But the Christian understands that:

Proverbs 30:5 (ESV) EVERY WORD OF GOD PROVES TRUE; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

We are soothed, consoled by it, encouraged by God’s Word.The lost person gains no comfort from the Word of God, but the Saint in Christ is blessed by it.

if any FELLOWSHIP of the Spirit

The reason the Christian is comforted by the Word of God and the unbeliever is not, is because the unbeliever does not have the Spirit of Christ. “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him” (Romans 8:9). The Scripture is clear,

1 Corinthians 2:14 (ESV) The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are FOLLY TO HIM, and he is NOT ABLE TO UNDERSTAND them because they are SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED.

If there is no FELLOWSHIP of the Holy Spirit, there can be no understanding of the HOLY SPIRIT writings, the Bible. The Christian Post notes:

“With Millennials and Generation Z leading the way, particularly among men, Bible reading among U.S. adults in 2025 is at its highest level in the last 15 years, according to new data from the “State of the Church” initiative. … Despite more Americans reporting regular Bible reading, fewer maintain that the Bible is 100% accurate. Only 36% of Americans now hold that the Bible is 100% accurate.”

The only thing a lost person can understand is the Gospel, and only then if God Himself opens their eyes. Recently the Comedian Jon Stewart was asked if he had faith or religion, to which he said “I wish I could get there. I’m the guy who asks, ‘but if He’s all powerful, why do children die?’” It is not until the Holy Spirit comes to a person and does His work of regeneration and indwelling that a person will find confidence and comfort in the Holy Scriptures.

if any BOWELS and MERCIES

In Greek thought “BOWELS” referred to deep or heartfelt emotions. “MERCIES” is a reference to outward acts of good that benefit those in need. The Christian is not self focused, but has been deeply effected by the New Birth, and is indeed a New Creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). What drives the believer is not selfishness, but selflessness. If you were to put this into modern English, it would be “If there is any deep, heartfelt love and merciful giving among you”.

That which makes a Church is a (1) shared Gospel experience, the comfort of Christ, (2) a shared joy in hearing the Word of God as it ministers to us through His Spirit, (3) a shared Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and (4) a shared heartfelt love that reaches out to help those in need.

Paul addresses the Church as the Church, IF they are the Church. He says:

The Church Must Seek To Have The Mind Of Christ,
Not The Mind Of The Lost World

Philippians 2:2-4 Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be LIKE MINDED, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let NOTHING be done through strife or vainglory; but in LOWLINESS OF MIND let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man ALSO ON THE THINGS OF OTHERS.

Paul is saying to the Church “if you have these four qualities, be on guard against the worldly mindset”. The worldly mindset is “life revolves around me and MY agenda”. You see the worldly mindset in the recent Mayoral elections in New York City, where an avowed Communist Zohran Mamdani was elected in November 2025 and will take office on January 1, 2026. Communism and Socialism has repeatedly failed and caused economic ruin because – though its intention is to give to all freely – it does not account for the sin nature in man.

Communism/ Socialism says “man is good, so let’s live to the betterment of mankind”. But it fails because man is NOT inherently good, but evil. Man without God, without Christ, is adrift in sin. But those saved by Christ are to have the mind of Christ, to give to the glory of God.

Paul calls the Church to be “LIKE MINDED”. Every believer is to have the mind of Christ. What does the mind of Christ look like?

Let NOTHING be done through strife or vainglory

The world wars against itself. Everything is a fight, everything is to be self serving, to be puffed up. God calls His Church to “SUBMIT TO ONE ANOTHER out of REVERENCE FOR CHRIST” (Ephesians 5:21, ESV). We are told:

Galatians 5:26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Illustrate: The only Person Who knows everything is GOD. We are all woefully broken, and subject to failure. In 1903 Samuel Langley attempted the first manned flight with his “Aerodrome” project. Langley’s Aerodrome cost approximately $70,000 to $75,000 (the modern equivalent of $2.74 million). Langley was the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute. He received funding for his project from the U.S. War Department (Army) and the Smithsonian. When the Aerodrome flight failed, the New York Times wrote an editorial on October 9, 1903 entitled “Flying Machines Which Do Not Fly”. The article went on to say:

“To build a flying machine would require the combined and continuous efforts of mathematicians and mechanics for one million to 10 million years.”

Lord Kelvin, the British Physicist and President of the Royal Society said in 1895, just 8 years earlier, “Heavier-than-air flying machines are impossible”. No one thought that airplanes would ever exist. But 69 days after the New York Times editorial, on December 17, 1903 the Wright brothers (Wilbur and Orville) launched the first airplane from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Whereas Langley’s Aerodrome was government funded $75,000 the Wright brothers was personally funded at $1200 (modern equivalent $44,000 today). Langley worked from a government site. The Wright brothers worked from their own Bicycle Shop. This goes to show you that humans are frequently wrong.

in LOWLINESS OF MIND let each esteem other
BETTER than themselves

We are not to puff up ourselves, but we are to live so as to serve others. We are to be nobodies, nothings, zilch.

Look not every man on his own things, but every man
ALSO on the things of others

Those who are Christ’s should be like Christ. It is okay to be concerned about yourself – but not to the exclusion of others. I have watched with interest how some of our members have helped me reach out to the homeless and the less than in our community. This is what Christ desires we do. The reason we come together as a Church is to feed on the Word of God, and to tune our minds to be like Christ’s mind.

Let Us Look To Jesus

Philippians 2:5-8 LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, which WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ was with the Father and the Holy Spirit at the beginning of Creation. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was WITH GOD, and the Word WAS GOD” (John 1:1-3). Jesus became Man and dwelt among us, but Jesus is BOTH GOD AND MAN. The Bible says “the WORD BECAME FLESH and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). When Jesus equated Himself to God, and He often did so (“I and My Father are ONE”, John 10:30), the Bible says:

The Jews, the Pharisees TOOK UP STONES TO STONE HIM.
John 10:31

They did this because, they said, “Jesus, YOU are BUT A MAN, and MAKE YOURSELF to be GOD” (John 10:33). They thought Jesus was robbing God of His glory by making Himself God. But Jesus went on to tell them:

John 10:37-38 (ESV) If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the FATHER IS IN ME, AND I AM IN THE FATHER.

Jesus Christ is eternal and everlasting God. But we are told:

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

Eternal God, but He lowered Himself to be born in a manger. Glorious God, but He put aside His Heavenly Throne to walk among us broken people. Made like us, Jesus was sinless and perfect. He showed us what God is like. The phrase “made Himself OF NO REPUTATION” is very interesting. This is the Greek kenoō, which means “to empty or void yourself, to make as if nothing”. Jesus is God, but He laid aside the privileges of God. He poured out Who He was, so that He could reach us. The Bible says that He …

became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus died for you. Jesus died for me. Jesus emptied Himself so that He could fill us up, so He could fix our deficiencies. Jesus put Himself LAST, so He could save us FIRST.

This is what God calls the Christian to. We are to pour ourselves out, so that others might be blessed. This is not so that you can be saved. It is so that others might be saved. We are called to live outside of the selfishness bubble, to live as ambassadors of Christ so that others might come to Him and be saved. We are not saved so we can be selfish and self serving. We are saved so that we might lead others to His Kingdom, for His glory.

Amen.