“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” -Philippians 2:5
It is an awesome thing to think that Jesus Christ came down from heaven. He was one with the Father, living in an unimaginable paradise and he left it; willing. The King of Kings and Lord of Lords left the bliss of heaven and took on the forum of man. Incredible still, is that he came humbly, with meekness, and took on the mindset of a servant. All this so that we might be one.
Further in Philippians the text says: “He humbled himself and became obedient.” He was obedient to God even though he was God. He was in the trinity and he was in perfect union with the Father while he was in heaven. When he took on flesh, he walked in union with the Father through the miracle of the Holy Spirit. The same Holy Spirit is our only hope at unity. Unity is hard won. The devil would tear apart the body of Christ limb by limb, piece by piece, person by person. He wants us to focus on ourselves. When we focus on what we want there is no hope for unity, only division will come from going down that road. Unity comes only when we have the mind of Christ. This mind is manifested to us by the Spirit and kept by the willing submission to the Spirit. Therefore, we cannot then go “everyone to his own way.” How could we? When Christ didn’t. Christ said: “For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.” This false hope that somehow, we can all just pursue our own path and through compromise we will find unity. It is foolish. When that doesn’t work, we then are tempted to seek a minority with the hopes to influence them over to our majority. That won’t work, because nothing can be done through “strife or vainglory.” At least not anything profitable to God. The “measure and stature of the fullness of Christ” is not found this way. This is the way of worldliness. Christ’s mind is discovered by reading, praying, and yielding. Instead of seeking to shape others to fit our view of things; humble and be obedient; let God shape us, then send us. Send us out as ambassadors through which he will call people to Him. Strife, division, political posturing, and all things like these are hallmarks of carnality. Carnality cannot be reasoned with, or coddled. It must be killed. The scripture says he was “obedient unto death.” If you are at odds with the world then that is Christlike, but if you are at odds with your church, or leader, or Christian brother/sister, it should raise a red flag. For we “wrestle not against flesh and blood.”
“Let this mind be in you.” Instead of seeking to be right, we should seek to be righteous. Seek a deeper audience with the Holy Ghost. Ask yourself “how is my prayer life right now?” “How precious is my devotion hour to me?” “When was the last time I was burdened for the things of God?” Find yourself in the Word of God, and then turn that Sword on yourself and drive it right through you. Fall wholly on the Word of God, and let it pierce you through; lest you be slain by the heathen. We will only find unity when we are totally in His will. When we all meet at the Cross. When we all are dead to our own ideals and wholly committed to His.
