The Mind of Christ

The Mind of Christ

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” Phil. 2:5-8.

Jesus went this way down voluntarily. If you don’t go this way voluntarily you do not have the same mind. Many people are humbled; they do not have the mind to humble themselves.

“Now this, ‘He ascended’—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth?” Eph. 4:9.

Everyone wants to ascend, so there is nothing great about that; but having the mind to descend is great, and Jesus descended all the way to the lower parts of the earth. He was obedient until the death of the cross. He could not descend any further. “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Gal. 3:13. Sinners and tax collectors gathered around Him; He ate and drank together with them. He had the mind to descend.

Every man is a liar (Rom. 3:4), and we read further in verse 10 what we are like. People do what they can to appear righteous outwardly. Matt. 23:28. If we are to acknowledge the truth, we have to go down. Many people believed in Jesus after He had spoken, but when He said to them that they would have to acknowledge the truth to be set free, they became His enemies. John 8:30-43. They couldn’t bear those words. As individuals we feel that we are being humbled when we have to acknowledge the truth. We sense that now we are descending to the lower parts of the earth. We get offended, feel insulted, and are malicious if we do not have the mind of Christ and want to go down of our own accord; then Satan gains power.

“However, we speak wisdom among those who are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory.” 1 Cor. 2:6-7.

Judging myself is wisdom from God. 1 Cor. 11:31-32. Yet how hidden this wisdom is! Taking up my cross daily and denying myself, hating my own life, forsaking everything, etc.—this was Jesus’ wisdom on the way to the lower parts of the earth. This wisdom has been appointed for our glory. We speak this wisdom among those who are perfect. Those who are perfect are the ones who have the mind of Christ. The church can only be built by them. Satan does not gain any power among those who have the mind of Christ—the mind to go down. He cannot create division among them. They have the same care for each other and serve each other as members of the same body. God’s hidden wisdom disarms Satan and leaves him out of the picture.

However, Satan does gain power among all those who want to exalt themselves. Among them he divides and destroys, and this is how he gains great power among people, also among religious people. There is never any glory in whatever they manage to put together because of all these divisions.

Jesus says, whoever wants to be great among you, let him be the servant and slave of all, and Paul says to associate with the humble and not to set our minds on high things. Peter exhorts all of us to put on humility toward one another. This is God’s hidden wisdom which has been appointed for our glory and which the lords of this world do not understand. But those who are perfect, those who have the mind of Christ, understand it and rejoice greatly, and God adds to the church those who are willing to be saved.