Let This Mind Be In You

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LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU

For the last few days I have been hearing again and again in my spirit, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:6). A dear brother of mine once said that faith is the mind of Christ, and I believe that is so true. But there are always greater depths of meaning, and so it is in this case. Paul speaks twice of grace for obedience to the faith in the book of Romans. And Philip. 2:5-8 says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

If the mind that was in Christ is to be in us, we must humble ourselves and become obedient; obedient even unto death – the death of the cross. Not my will, Father, but thine. Christ suffered death on the cross for us, so that we could be brought to God. But we must become partakers in His death, burial, and resurrection – our flesh must be put to death and then we must be made alive again in Him. We must suffer with Him if our flesh is to die.

· Romans 6:4-6 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: [6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

· Philip. 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

1 Peter 3:18 says, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:” Then, continuing in 1 Peter 4:1-2, we are told that as Christ suffered in the flesh, we are to arm ourselves with the same mind He had, because the person that suffers in the flesh ceases from sin – no longer living in the fleshly lusts of men but according to the will of God.

Hebrews 12 tells us to lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, running with patience the race that is set before us. How can we do this? Looking (there is that “becoming what you behold” principle again) unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him. So, too, must we look at the joyful outcome – the going to death of the lusts of our flesh so we too can be raised to new life. We must strive against the sin in us until it comes to blood – to the death. The “race” Paul is speaking of, this “fighting the good fight of faith,” is very simply becoming obedient to the suffering of the cross. “The flesh must die.” Only after the death of the flesh will the peaceable fruit of righteousness ever be found in us.

A few years ago, the Lord began to teach me about the purpose of suffering in our lives. The following is from something I wrote back then that I called “Suffering According to the Will of God.”

“The suffering, and the trials and afflictions are to perfect us, make us complete, make us whole again, to redeem us from our rebellion. The Lord said that the depth of suffering required to redeem mankind, to cleanse and purify us, to make us whole again and at peace with God was so great that it would have utterly destroyed us. JESUS TOOK IT UPON HIMSELF.

· Isaiah 53:4-5 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

“He bore our suffering to make our peace with God possible, and we are partakers of the suffering that HE bore FOR OUR SAKES. This is why we are to suffer with Him. The suffering we experience is merely a taste of what was necessary to restore us!

· Philip. 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

· 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

· Col. 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

· Romans 8:17-18 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

· 2 Tim. 2:11-12 For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him…

· 2 Cor. 4:11, 16-17 For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 16For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. [Also see 2 Cor. 6:4-10]. [End quote].

At that time, it was too intense for me and I could only stand to see so much of it – I actually had to ask the Lord to stop because I couldn’t bear it. I still weep when I think of it, but now I see that as Jesus became obedient unto the death of his very flesh, we must “Let this mind be in us, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:6). We all love our personal demons, and it is only by faith in our loving Creator that we can humble ourselves before Him and submit to this death so that we can be raised to new life. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24).

While the suffering of the Cross is indeed painful, we must resist the temptation to grow bitter against those who seem to make us suffer and allow God to work the death of the Cross in us. The longing to take a shorter route by dealing with our troubles in our own strength is another temptation oh so very common to man! Or we want to run from the Cross – to draw back – by yielding to fleshly comforts, thereby defeating the very purpose of the Cross. The work of the Cross is to put to death our desire for these same fleshy comforts, and the Lord has no pleasure in those that draw back from it (Hebrews 10:38). All the earthly things that we would foolishly seek solace and satisfaction from will never be able to bring contentment. We must come to the place where all our desires become a desire for the Lord alone, for true comfort is found only in Him. We must steadfastly resist all these temptations and instead allow the Cross of Christ to accomplish its’ perfect work in us.

As Christ humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, so too must we. Jesus became flesh and blood “that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death; that is the devil” (Hebrews 2:14). Only when the sinful nature that dwells in our very being is crucified will the power of eternal death the devil holds over us be broken. The fleshly nature that dwells in all of us must be delivered unto death if the life of Jesus is ever to be made manifest in us (2 Corin. 4:11).

Do you think the Scriptures say in vain that the spirit that dwells in us is full of lusts, jealousy, and malice (James 4:5)? O! my dear brothers and sisters, don’t grow weary at the chastening of the Lord! Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus. Humble yourselves to the death of the Cross. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God; submit yourselves before Him and go boldly to the throne of grace for help in time of need, resisting the temptations the devil dangles in front of you (James 4:6-7, Hebrews 4:16, 2 Peter 5:6-9)…And the Lord, who is always faithful, will give grace and strength for obedience.

And the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory
by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make
you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever Amen.
2 Peter 5:10-11

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*All emphasis mine.
Written October, 2007