The Mind of Christ

Philippians 2:5 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus."

The apostle Paul is writing this letter to the church in Philippi while in prison in Rome. Epaphroditus brings a love offering from Philippi to Paul and with it the news of lack of unity (1:27) and joy (1:4) in the church. Paul writes the letter to thank the church for the gift and to remind the church of the importance of having an attitude of joy and unity. In both these attitudes we are to pattern our lives after our Lord: Christians are to have the mind of Christ. Paul mentions Jesus 45 times in this short epistle. He is the central theme of the letter. He is our example to follow. Paul reminds us that "to live is Christ" (1:21). In this life we are to imitate Christ in all areas of our lives and have unity with each other.
The Bible tells us that we were created as a threefold being. We have a spirit, soul, and body. When we are saved by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior we receive a new spirit from Him. We have His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, come and dwell in us as a seal of salvation (Eph. 1:13). When we die or are raptured we will receive a new, eternal body. So these two are taken care of by God. The soul, which is made up of our hearts and minds is that which makes us who we are. It gives us the personalities and characteristics that define us as a being. It is the software to our hardware. Romans tells us in chapter 12 verse 2 to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We have our mind and we will keep it forever. It is the only part of us that will not get an upgrade for it is uniquely tied to our being. We are told to transform who we are into a person that represent Christ. We are to have His mind in us, so that when others look at us, our personality has changed to the point that they can see Christ in us. "Let this mind be in you" talks about that transformation that is to take place in us. It is a commandment and thus carries with it the ability for us to change. We are to let it happen. We can have our minds renewed and change who we are at the core .
Many times as believers we believe the lie of the enemy that we are who we are and cannot change. Numerous instances I remember saying "that's just how I am." But what we are really saying is "I am who I chose to be and I don't want to change." It is selfish and lazy to think that we cannot adjust our personality once confronted with the truth of Christ in our lives. Like Paul on the Damascus road we have come face to face with the reality of the living Jesus and are required to change the way we think and act. Saul became Paul, Simon became Peter, Jacob became Israel, Abram became Abraham and we, too, must change who we are. The Holy Spirit in us empowers us to go through that transformation. It is up to us to now renew our minds by regulating what goes in it. Turn off the TV, stop reading the news religiously, spend less time on facebook, and turn off the playstation. Read the Bible instead, spend time getting to know God, for it is only through time spent with Him that we will take on the attributes of our Lord and resemble Him more each day.

Application
I want to have the joy that is possible in Christ when we spend time with Him and learn to take on His perspective about life. I want to live in unity with my fellow believers around me so I can fully enjoy fellowship with them. Therefore today I will resolve to spend extra time reading the Bible each night before I go to bed for the remainder of my time here at PFR.