1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal.
-Philippians 2:1-2 (HCSB)
One of the common theme's in Paul's letters is one of unity. We should all be like minded concerning the things of Jesus. Is that the case today? Hardly. Over the course of the next few days, we'll look at Paul's teachings of being like minded.
Verse 1 says, "If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy," We show encouragement, fellowship, affection, mercy and love in one way. That way is found in verse 2, "fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal." Paul's joy is filled when the believers are on the same page. You know what? Every church pastor is filled with joy when his congregation is on the same page. Jesus is filled with Joy when all His people are on the same page.
We can read further into this in verses 3-4, "3Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." Paul goes on to give us examples of how to live like minded. It's not being like minded if we do things out of rivalry or conceit. In other words, if we act selfish or if we try to impress others, we put a barrier to being like minded. If we look to our own interests only, we put a barrier to being like minded. But, if we consider others first, and look after the needs of others, that leads to being like minded. Does this make sense? Not if you look at things from the worldly perspective. But, if we want to be the people Jesus wants us to be, we must have the same mind.
Paul goes on in verses 5-11, "5 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be used for His own advantage.
7 Instead He emptied Himself
by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man
in His external form,
8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.
9 For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
11 and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
did not consider equality with God
as something to be used for His own advantage.
7 Instead He emptied Himself
by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man
in His external form,
8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.
9 For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
11 and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father."
Paul instructs us to have the same attitude as Jesus has. What kind of attitude was that? I believe verse 8 sums it up. "He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death-even to death on a cross." Jesus knew it was more important to be obedient to the Will of God than anything else. And He was obedient. Do you have this mind? Friends, it's we must be like minded. We must be obedient to God and His will. Are you? Think About IT.
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