The Mind of Christ, Part Seven
Three Examples of the Mind of Christ
Philippians 2:13-30

February 25, 2007
by C.W. Powell

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state. For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel. Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.

Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labor, and fellow soldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation: Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.” (Php 2:12-30 AV)

Paul has been teaching us that we are to seek the mind of Christ, to have the same mind that Christ had when he made himself of no reputation, took the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man.

This is not some impossible ideal which cannot be attained, because if you are a Christian there is a power working in you that causes you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. vs. 13

Where the church is there will always be faithful ministers who will do the service of Christ and set forth the grace and mercy of God to their congregations. This service will be in weakness and in infirmity, for the glory is of Christ. No one should even dream of entering the service of Christ, who is seeking his own pleasure, or his own agenda, or his own self-aggrandizement ( a GRAND ize MENT), for all the glory belongs to Christ.

I. The results of Christ's working in the church to will and to do of His good pleasure:

A. Things are to done without murmurings and disputings. Contentions are always the result of pride. The devil's best work is to stir up the flesh, so that pride is injured and quarrels break out, to the harm of the church. The wisdom that is below, according the James 3, is manifested by an unruly tongue, doublemindedness, bitter envy and hearts full of strife. This wisdom is from the earth, devilish, and sensuous.

The wisdom which is from above, James goes on, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

The first wisdom is of the earth and glories in the flesh and in the precepts of God; it is angry and self-serving; the second is from heaven and glories in the cross of Christ.

B. Blameless: God's grace: forgiven all your sins; life and character of the church. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but are mighty through God. What did Christ give us when He went away: He gave us His word and His spirit; all else is of the flesh, and can only accomplish earthly goals. Illustration: Rome defended pomp and power and wealth as a means of enticing Muslims to become Christians: now there is a motive to gain the purest of the heathen!!!

C. harmless: not to hurt anyone. "simple concerning evil." Unmixed, pure. Public behavior above criticism. 1:27: our conversation as becometh a Christian. What Israel was not: Deut. 32:5 The church is to be. Israel is now of the outward, perverse, and corrupted world.

D. Without rebuke: not as Israel. Sharing the nature of God.

E. Light: Holding forth the word of life. The light is the life. The life is the light: In him was life, and the life was the light of men. We have a story to tell to the nations. We have a glorious light to shine forth. Everyone in his own way, his own place, his own ability and talent is to shine forth with that message. This is the glory and the power of the gospel. Do not fight the church; do not fight other Christians. Let your light shine.

II. Three examples of those who had the mind of Christ. It is not an impossible ideal.

A. Paul himself. "If I be poured out..." as a drink offering. All of the offerings, burnt offerings, sin offerings, etc. had to be offered with meal, drink, and oil. The greater the offering, the more in proportion: See Lev. 15. Paul: I am now ready to be offered.

1. Our offerings only have meaning in terms of Christ. His offering is the main act; ours is along with His.
2. Our offerings are sweet and pleasant to God; when they are offered this way--in Christ.
3. Our offerings are the best we have: the best of the flour; the best and strongest of the wine: "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do , do it with thy might: no grudging sacrifices.
4. Oil: the Holy Spirit. Not of the pride of the flesh. Christ by the eternal spirit offered himself to God; What is our service to God? Not in cutting off, but in presenting our bodies as living sacrifices: not in the death and mutilation of the old covenant, but in the yielding up of the members to Christ. H.C. 24: The Holy Spirit applies the work of redemption to us.
5. But there is more here: Paul likens his work as an adjunct to THEIR sacrifice: I am content to be a drink offering poured out on your sacrifice and service. It is your work; I don't want to make you an adjunct to MY service; but I am content to be an adjunct of yours. I rejoice in your service and work.

But they should have the same attitude toward Paul: vs. 18. They should be helpers to him. If we all would learn to be helpers to each other, what great and mighty work could be done for the glory of Christ.

B. Timotheus: Timothy.

1. Had the same attitude as Paul: Like-minded. Naturally would care for their state. Contrasted with those who seek their own, and not the things of Christ. The second state is the natural state; There was a powerful working of the grace of God in Timothy.

People still seek their own, even when they pretend not to. Pharisees stood on the corners and made long prayers. (enter into thy closet--do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.) This agenda, while pretending this other agenda. 2. As a son with a father: Timothy had served with Paul.

C. Epaphroditus. He was distressed because he thought he had caused distress to them.

--brother: fellow believer
--companion in labor: worker in the gospel of Christ; maybe in partnership when Paul was in prison--picking of the slack, assisting Paul
--Fellowsoldier: camaraderie: Being through trials and sorrows and prayers together. Overcoming hardship as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.

He had been sent to Paul with gifts from the Philippian church, to stay and to minister to him indefinitely. But he had become ill, sick even unto the point of death. But he was mostly disturbed in mind that his illness had caused distress to the Philippian church.

Paul sends him back, as a token of the grace and mercy of God: to rejoice in God's mercy to Epaphroditus, to Paul himself, and as a means of rejoicing at Philippi. He was a beloved brother in Jesus Christ, thoughtless of his own comfort and advantage, also willing to be poured out upon the sacrifice and service of their faith.

He was to be held in reputation--esteemed valuable: honored, because of the mind of Christ. He that exalts himself will be abased, and those that humble themselves will be exalted in due time.

The most valuable are not necessarily those who think they are most valuable.

Epaphroditus was no sissy Christian, worrying about his comfort, his ease, his self-esteem. His inner dialog was not Me ME Me, but Christ, the church, the apostle, my dear friends at Philippi.

"to supply your lack of service" no petulant complaint here: "to do what you felt you had been lacking in your service to me is the idea: to complete.

It has been my privilege to know people in my Christian ministry who have had the mind of Christ: selfless service to the church and to others. There were the wonderful elderly saints in California that were so kind and gentle with a young minister and his wife and sons. There were ministers who were gracious and kind and gentle, to help us along the way and to minister to us that Christ would be formed in us.

We have known such saints in Colorado Springs. This is the glory and the strength of Christianity.

Jesus put it this way:

The disciples were arguing among themselves who would be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. When Jesus heard it he said:

"The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as one that serveth." (Luke 22:25-27

In a parallel passage in Mark:

"Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them, but so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Mark 10:42-45

These things are despised by the flesh, and cannot be understood by the flesh, and are an offense to the flesh. But the things which are highly esteemed among men are abomination in the eyes of God.

May God bless you.

Amen and Amen.