Jesus was a man of sound mind

JESUS WAS A MAN OF SOUND MIND
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
CHARLES EDWARD JEFFERSON
THE REASONABLENESS OF JESUS
Let us think of the reasonablenessofJesus, of
his sanity, his level headedness, his common sense,
his soundness ofmind. An illustrious Roman poet
was convincedthat man's supreme prayer ought to
be for a sound mind in a healthy body. A sound
mind in a sound body has been the summum bonum
aimed at by all the greatsystems of education both
ancient and modem. The ideal was realized in
Jesus ofNazareth. Unsoundness of mind is far
more common than is ordinarily supposed. The
mind altogethersane is rare, and there are those who
declare that it is never found at all. The men and
women imprisoned in insane asylums are only a

fraction of the host of mortals whose mental oper-
ations are deranged. Oiu: very language bears
pathetic witness to the wide range of mental dis-
turbance. Do we not speak of the crack-brained
and of the scatter-brained, and of people who are
daft? There are crotchetybrains and freakish
brains, eccentric and erratic brains, capricious,
69
70 CHARACTER OF JESUS
whimsical, and hystericalbrains, unhinged and un-
balancedbrains of many types and grades, and
when a man has a mind which works normally and
sanely, we pay him the compliment of declaring him
to be a man of common sense. We callit " common "
sense not because it is prevalent, but because it is a
combination of the qualities and forces which, scat-
tered among many individuals, may be said to be-
long to the common race of men. Jesus was a man

of unparalleled common sense.
Would you see how rational he is, study his at-
titude to life. There is a widespreadimpression,
especiallyamong young people of a certain age,
that Jesus is imreasonable, and that Christianity is
a religion which constantly makes waron reason.
Young men sometimes say, ''I do not want to join
the chiurch because I want to use my reason." How
strange such language whenJesus from first to last
pleads for the use of the reason. Christianity is the
one religion of the world which demands the con-
tinuous and daring exercise ofthe intellect. Men
often think they are using their reasonwhen in
fact they are exercising their prejudices or are suf-
fering from paralysis of the brain. I have heard
men rail at Christianity as unreasonable because a
certain Christian man had said a certainthing, as
though Jesus ofNazarethmust be held responsible
for everything that every followerof his may think
or say. Other men have been hopelesslyestranged
from Christianity because ofcertain statements they

HIS REASONABLENESS71
have read in certain books. How unreasonable!
It surely is not fair to hold Jesus of Nazarethre-
sponsible for everything which men who bear his
name may think and publish. If men want to
know whether Christianity is reasonable ornot,
why do they not read the Gospels? Theyare short
and canbe read through at least once a week, and
yet men go right on refusing to readthe Gospels —
the one source of all authentic information as to what
the Christian religion really is. Many think nothing
of reading a novel of four hundred pages who stag-
ger under the task of reading the four Gospels. It
is just such persons who like to talk about the un-
reasonablenessofChristianity. Why not be reason-
able? Christianity has but one authoritative vol-
ume. Why not read it?
Open yoiu: New Testament, then, and see Jesus'
attitude to life. The word " life " was often on his

lips. He loved the thing and he therefore loved the
word. He wanted men to live. The tragedy of
the world to him was that human life was every-
where so thin and meagre. "I came that they may
have life, and may have it more abundantly," thus
did he express the object of his coming. "I am the
resurrectionand the life," "I am the way, and the
truth, and the life." It was in such phrases that
he endeavoredto give men an idea of his mission
and his person. Men everywhere want to live, but
the tragedyof the world is that they do not succeed.
There is a path which leads to life, but there are
only a few who find it. Tennyson expressedwhat
every heart feels in his lines : —
"'Tis life of which my nerves are scant.
More life and fuller that I want."

Buty alas 1 we do the very things which curtail the
capacityfor living and dry up the springs of vitality.
We are imitative creatures, all of us, and we mimic
the habits and methods of those around us to our
hurt. We are cowards allof us, and we allow our-
selves to be hoodwinkedand browbeatenand cheated
out of oiu: birthright. We are greedy, all of us, and
in our eagerness to secure the things on which we
have setour heart we become feverish and wretched,
losing out of life its richest satisfactions. We are
short-sighted, all of us, and in order to attain im-
mediate ends we barter awaythe treasures ofcoming
years. Life is not full or rich or sweetfor many of
us because we are handicapped by our doubts and
hampered by oiu: fears and enslavedby the im-
reasonable standards and requirements of a foolish
world. It is the aim of Jesus to break the fetters
and let life out to its completion. To do a thing
which reduces the volimie and richness of a man's
life is foolish. We are reasonable in our conduct
only when we are doing things which give life fuller
capacityand power. Jesus was always reasoning
with men in regard to the right wayof living. Life

to him was ever the treasure of transcendent im-
portance, and his question, "What shall it profit
a man if he gain the whole world and lose his
life?" is one of the sentences whichhaving once
dropped into the world's mind are sure to stay
forever.
In order to expose the folly of men, Jesus had
the habit of asking questions. Foolishnesscan
never be made ashamedof itself imless it is com-
pelled to look into its own face. Mendo stupid
and silly things because they do not think. They
would cease doing them if they would take time for
reflection. Jesus was always saying, "Whatdo you
think?" His only hope for men is in getting them
to think. His attitude from first to last is the atti-
tude of God as pictiured by Isaiah. He was always
saying, "Come, now, let us reasontogether."

The Sermon on the Mount is the part of the New
Testamentwhich is nowadays imiversally praised,
and no wonder. Every sentence is a pearl, and
every paragraph is the classicalexpressionof un-
adulterated common sense. How sane is his remark
on the subject of profanity ! Swearing was common
in his day as it is also in our own. But profanity
is always irrational and nonsensical, andthis will
be admitted even by those who indulge in it. The
Hebrew had a deep-seatedreverence forthe name
of God, and therefore he did not use God's name,
but substituted the name of his city, or God's throne,
or the earth, or the heavens, or his own head, all
of which was puerile and absurd. And Jesus holds
the practice up to scorn. Say what you want to say
and then stop. "All superfluous words are both
needless and mischievous." Is not this common

sense? If a man wants to express a feeling or a
thought, why does he drag in words which have no
connectioneither with the thought or the feelingi
and if he is expressing a feeling which is low and
brutal, why should he pad his sentences with the
most sacrednames of religion? Profanity is a sin
againstreason. There is no sense in it. A man
swears becausehe is weak, his vocabulary is limited,
his powerof self-controlis stunted, his brain acts
abnormally. Profanity is utterly senselessand
ridiculous. A man who swears acts like a fool.
The soul of Jesus revoltedagainstit because it was
so stupid and irrational.
It is this illumination of a mind altogethersane
which he brings to the discussionof prayer. Men
in the first century had overdevelopedthe forms of
prayer. The body had outgrownthe soul. Men
multiplied words but were poor in ideas and emo-
tion. They saidthe same thing over and over again
and calledit praying. They repeatedpious words
on the streetcomers and were satisfiedif their neigh-
bors looking on called it praying. To Jesus allsuch

devotion was ridiculous. If God is an intelligent
Being, what is the use of any such mummery and
mockeryas this? If God is Spirit, then to pray to
him is to come into communion with him, and you
can do that best when you are alone and have shut
all the world out. It is not necessaryto multiply
words, the things essentialbeing sincerity and
spiritual contact. How sensible, so reasonable that
it will never become obsolete. Equallysane is he
on the subject of fasting. The exercise offasting
in Palestine had been elaboratedinto a system.
Men fastedby the dock. Precise rules were laid
down and to obey these regulations punctiliously
was the ambition of the pious. Men fasted not only
once but severaltimes every week, andall this was
supposedto be pleasing to God. But to Jesus the
whole system was mechanicaland abominable.
There was no reasonin it. It was utterly formal

and deadening and stupid. Moreover, to make a
display of it and flaunt the signs of it in the eyes of
the world was contemptible. Fasting if it is to have
value at all must be an exercise ofthe soul. It is the
spirit which is centraland which must control. It
is not the abstinence from food which is pleasing to
the Almighty, but the condition of the heart of the
person who is doing the fasting. Moreover, fasting
cannot be done by the clock. Jesusrefusedto obey
the rules of the Rabbis. He did not ask his disciples
to obey them either. Many punctilious souls were
sorelydistressed. They came to Jesus for an ex-
planation. His reply carried them to the very centre
of the whole problem. "Canthe sons of the bride-
chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with
them? but the days will come when the bridegroom
shall be taken awayfrom them, and then will they
fast." How illuminating and sensible!Fasting is

a spiritual exercise. The body is to be controlled
by the spirit. There are seasons whenthe soul is
jubilant and then fasting is not in order; there are
seasonswhenthe soulis depressed, and at such
times the body does not crave food. Fasting ac-
cording to rule is irrational. Such fasting is not a
part of the religion of Jesus, but wherever it exists
in Christendom to-day it is merely a survival of
Judaism.
Often Jesus illuminates an entire region of
moral action by a question. Many a bubble of
earthly vanity did he prick by the sharp point of a
piercing interrogation. "Is not the life more thsin
food?" Of course it is. Everybody knows that
it is, the moment he stops to think about it. And
yet thousands of mortals forget that life comes first,
and by putting eating first they rob life of its glory.
What a deal of fussing there is among people who
are reputed sensible, aboutthe dishes and the knives
and the forks and the goblets and the number of
courses ! The simple act of eating is elaboratedand
made more and more ceremonious and complex until

women break down under the burden, and life loses
its zest and its joy. "Is not the body more than
raiment?" Yes, it is, now that we stop to think
about it; but it would seem, were we to judge from
the conduct of a considerable part of the world, that
the raiment is more than the body. Thousands
fashion their lives upon the principle that the clothes
are first and the body second. Whatthe body needs
HIS REASONABLENESSyj
in order that every organin it may do easilyand
healthfully its appointed work, is in many cases
not at all considered. Ratherthe question is:
What is the fashion? What does the world of style
demand? The clothes are hung up and the body
is made to conform to the clothes, even though the
body may be made to suffer in the operationand the
volume of physical life be dangerouslydiminished.
Who can nimiber the people who are dragging out
an existence pallid and nerveless, allbecause they

have made the raiment of more moment than the
body?
To the cleareye of Jesus all such conduct
is insensate and wicked. Life comes first. Human
beings must dress in ways which shall bestconserve
the physical resoiurces ofthe body and make it
easiestforthe body to live the life which God has
appointed it to live. That is reasonable, even
though the whole world should deny it. His ques-
tions always pierce. ''Is not a man better than a
sheep?" Ofcourse he is, even though the foolish
world does not always actas though it believed it.
In the first century men were far more solicitous
about the well-being of their cattle than about the
welfare of men who were not linked to them by ties
of blood. This form of barbarism has not yet
entirely passedaway. A horse cannotfall in the
streetof any American city without men rushing
at once to its assistance andgetting it againon its
feet. A horse down in the streetis a sight intoler-

7% CHARACTER OF JESUS
able. But a man down in the street dead drunk
in some nook or comeris a sight which makes
boys laugh, and even grownmen pass by him with-
out even so much as a thought of pity. Societyis
not yet reasonable in its treatment of animals and
men.
Jesus would not allow himself to be swayed
or daunted by institutions howeversacred. Among
the Jews there was no institution held in higher
reverence than the Sabbath. So deep was the rev-
erence that it degeneratedinto slavery. The day
was made so holy that there was no living with it.
The rules of Sabbath observance were so numerous
that one could not turn round without breaking
severalof them. The reported discussions ofthe
most sensible men in Palestine on Sabbath observance
in the days of Jesus amaze us by their puerility and
senselessness.Jesus sawatonce through all the
mass of rubbish which had accumulated round the

subject, and laid down a maxim which shed light
brilliant as the sun at noon. "The Sabbath was
made for man and not man for the Sabbath." The
life of man is the first thing to consideralways.
The day is the servant of the man. Is it lawful to
do goodon the Sabbath Day? Is it lawful to save
life on the Sabbath? It was with such questions
that he punctured the inflated reasonings ofthe
Jerusalemdunces, and setmen free from a bondage
which had become intolerable. His view of Sab-
bath observance is reasonable.
But time would fail to deal with all the evidences
of his matchless commonsense. He put to flight a
whole troop of simpletons by the quiet remark,
"They that are whole have no need of a physician,
but they that are sick." He askedmen to do great
things, but he always gave them a reasonwhy they
should follow his instructions. The foolish heart

is always devising new objections to prayer, but he
overthrows all the objections which have ever been
offered or ever can be offered by his simple question :
"What man is there of you, who, if his sonshall
ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? or if he
shall ask for a flsh will give him a serpent? If ye
then, being evil, know how to give goodgifts unto
your children, how much more shall your Father
which is in heavengive goodthings to them that
ask him ?'' To be sure I All that is best in us must
be rooted in the deep heart of God. The factthat
we love to give goodthings to oiu: children is proof
that that same disposition exists in the heart of the
Eternal Father. We should never have had the
disposition had he not had it first. If we give, of
course He gives and will forevergive. How reason-
able! How unanswerable!All arguments against
prayer are unreasonable. There is one sentence in
the New Testamentwhich by the vote of the world
has been counted golden:"All things, therefore,
whatsoeverye would that men should do imto you,
even so do ye also imto them." What is this but
perfect sense?

8o CHARACTER OF JESUS
But some one may ask:Does not Christianity
insist upon a namby-pamby attitude to the forces
of the world? Does Jesus notvirtually exhort his
disciples to lie down and let men walk over them?
No. You have gotten that idea from books other
than the New Testament. Jesusis sensible at every
point. '^ Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,
neither castyour pearls before the swine, lest haply
they trample them under their feet and turn and rend
you." Who are the dogs? A certain kind of men.
Who are the swine ? Another type of men. We are
to discriminate. All men are not alike. All men
are not to be treatedalike. There were men on
whom Jesus turned his back. There were men
whom Jesus refusedto answer. The High Priest
was amazed because he held his tongue. Pontius
Pilate was enragedbecause his prisoner would not
answerhim. Here again we have common sense

perfected. Some of us are foolish enough to think
we must answereverydimce who chatters, reply to
every question which is asked. Suchis not our duty.
When Jesus senthis disciples out to preach, he told
them if people were unwilling to listen to them, to
shake the dust from their sandals againstthem and
go somewhere else. He followedthat plan himself.
No limp and sugary weakling was he. He faced
men when necessarywith a flash of indignation that
frightened them and poured out upon them words
which raised blisters. Nowhere is he more sensible
than in his attitude to bad men.
HIS REASONABLENESS8 1
But some one says, ''Is he not unreasonable in
demanding that we believe a lot of doctrines which
we cannot understand?" Where does he demand
that? Put your finger on the place, for I cannot
find it. When I open the New TestamentI hear
him saying: "Follow me I Follow mel" That is

his favorite exhortation. And when men wanted
to know how they were to ascertainwhetheror not
he was indeed a leaderworthy of being followed,
his reply was, "If any man willeth to do His will,
he shall know of the teaching whether it be of God,
or whether I speak from myself." Is this not
reasonable?Jesus says ifyou want to understand
the Christian life, then work at it. If you desire
to know the truth, then live it. This is common
sense. How else could one find the truth of a re-
ligion if he did not work at it ? If you want to learn
to speak Italian, you do not simply think about it,
or read about it, but you go to work on it. It
requires a deal of work, but no matter. You can-
not learn a language without making mistakes, and
the only thing to do is to keepon working. Just so
is it with the Christian life. Men imagine they can
become Christians by thinking about it, or by read-
ing about it, or by hearing a preachertalk about it.
How absurd! You can never become a Christian
until you are willing to work at it. Are you willing
to begin now?

What Does It Mean To Have a Sound Mind?
February 6, 2017
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of
a sound mind.
— 2 Timothy 1:7
In moments of stress, pressure, orfear or when you’re so exhausted you can’t
think straight, have you everbeen tempted to say, “DearGod, what is wrong
with me? I feellike I’m losing my mind”?
If you’ve ever felt this way before or if you’re tempted to think like this right
now, let me assure you: You’re not going crazy! God’s Word declares that
you have been given a sound mind that works even in the craziestand most
difficult situations!
Let me give you an example from the Bible. When Paul wrote the book of
SecondTimothy, it was a very difficult time for the Early Church. Due to
Nero’s insanity, he was persecuting believers everywhere — and his methods
of persecutionwere gruesome and cruel. At that time, Timothy was the pastor
of the church of Ephesus. He knew that Nero’s secretpolice would take
specialpleasure in killing him in some barbaric way if they ever gottheir
hands on him.
As Timothy consideredthe threat againsthis life, a spirit of fear tried to grab
hold of him. That’s why Paul told Timothy in SecondTimothy 1:7, “ForGod
hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound
mind.”
I want to especiallypoint your focus to the words “sound mind.” This phrase
is takenfrom the Greek word sophroneo, whichis a compound word
combining sodzo and phroneo. The Greek word sodzo means to be saved or
delivered. It suggests something that is delivered, rescued, revived, salvaged,

and protectedand is now safe and secure. One expositorsuggeststhat the
word sodzo could actually depict a person who was on the verge of death but
then was revived and resuscitatedbecause new life was breathed into him.
The secondpart of the phrase “sound mind” comes from the Greek word
phroneo, which carries the idea of a person’s intelligence or total frame of
thinking — including his rationale, logic, and emotions. The word phroneo
refers to every part of the human mind, including all the processesthat are
engagedin making the mind function and come to conclusions.
When the words sodzo and phroneo are compounded into one word, they
form the word sophroneo, which pictures a mind that has been delivered,
rescued, revived, salvaged, and protectedand is now safe and secure. Thus,
even if your mind is tempted to succumb to fear, as was the case with
Timothy, you canallow God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to work in you to
deliver, rescue, revive, and salvage your mind. This means your rationale,
logic, and emotions canbe shielded from the illogically absurd, ridiculous,
unfounded, and crazy thoughts that have tried to grip your mind in the past.
All you have to do is grab hold of God’s Word and His Spirit.
The word sophroneo in SecondTimothy 1:7 could be translated:
“Godhas not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love — He has
given you a mind that has been delivered, rescued, revived, salvaged,
protected, and brought into a place of safetyand security so that it is no
longeraffectedby illogical, unfounded, and absurd thoughts.”
You see, whenyour mind is guarded by the Word of God, you think
differently. When the Word of God is allowedto work in your mind, it
safeguards your emotions;it defends your mind from demonic assault;and it
shields you from arrows the enemy may try to shootin your direction in order
to arouse a spirit of fear inside you.
Why is it important for you to understand this? Because whenyou begin to
live a life of faith — when you reachout to do the impossible — the enemy will
try to assaultyou mentally and emotionally in an attempt to stop your

progress. Forinstance, he may speak to your mind, saying things like, You
can’t do this! This doesn’t make sense!Are you crazy?
So what do you do when the devil tries to convince you that you’re losing your
mind? What do you do if you’re confuseddue to stressfulsituations and so
tempted to fear that you can’t think straight? Go getalone with the Lord and
give Him your concerns. As you focus on Jesus and release allthose burdens,
you’ll find that your mind is working fine! SecondTimothy 1:7 promises you
a sound mind; therefore, you have the right and privilege to tell the devil to
shut up and then to declare by faith that your mind is sound, safe, and secure!
My Prayerfor Today
Lord, I thank You by faith that I am NOT going crazy and I am NOT losing
my mind. The stress and pressure I’ve been facing is going to pass, and I know
You will bring me through these challenging times. You promised me a sound
mind, and that is exactlywhat You have given me. I can’t ever thank You
enough or fully express my gratitude for the power, love, and sound mind You
have given to me that will carry me safely through these times!
I pray this in Jesus’name!
My Confessionfor Today
I declare that my mind is guarded by the Word of God. God’s Word works in
my mind; safeguards my emotions; defends my mind from demonic assault;
and shields me from the arrows the enemy tries to shoot in my direction in
order to arouse a spirit of fearinside me. When the devil tries to convince me
that I’m losing my mind or to confuse me with stressfulsituations, I getalone
with the Lord and give my concerns to Him. As I focus on Jesus and release
all those burdens, I find that my mind is working fine!
I declare this by faith in Jesus’name!
https://renner.org/what-does-it-mean-to-have-a-sound-mind/

A Sound Mind
Key Verse:“Then they went out to see whatwas done; and came to Jesus, and
found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of
Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.”
—Luke 8:35
SelectedScripture:
Luke 8:26-36
THE SCENE DESCRIBEDIN our Key Verse is the aftermath of Jesus’
casting demons out of a man into a herd of swine. (Luke 8:27-35)The swine
immediately ran down a steepslope, plunged into a lake, and drowned. At the
report of the herdsmen, the people of the town came to see whathad
happened. They did not know Jesus, but they knew the demon possessedman.
He had terrorized them for a long time—a wild lunatic. Attempts to restrain
him were futile, and bonds or chains placedupon him were broken in short
order. He was a menace to the community.
As Jesus made landfall in a boat, the demons in this poor man led him to
approachthe Lord. “Whathave I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God
most high? I beseechthee, torment me not.” Jesus askedthe demon, “What is
thy name?” “Legion” was the answer, because “manydevils were entered into
him.” (vss. 28,30)At their request, Jesus permitted them to enter into a herd
of swine, with the result that the swine ran madly into the lake and
perished.—vss. 32,33
Our Key Verse states that as the townfolk approached, they saw their
tormentor—the demon possessedone—sitting at the feet of Jesus. He was
clothed and in his right mind, speaking rationally with Jesus. The people were
frightened by these things. Instead of rejoicing at the greatmiracle Jesus had
performed, in their fearthey askedhim to leave.—vss. 35-37

The fact that the healedman was now clothed may express, in picture, the
blessedclothing that we have receivedof the Lord. We once were naked and
unrighteous before God in our sinful state. However, now we say, “I will
greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath
clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath coveredme with the robe
of righteousness.”—Isa.61:10
We empathize with the one who was possessed, remembering too that fears
once tormented us. With gratitude we treasure the blessedhaven afforded us
in spending time communing with Jesus. As the Apostle John tells us, “Truly
our fellowshipis with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” (I John 1:3)
People often speak oftheir personal“demons.” They are referring to fears,
prejudices, hatred, malice, greed, desires—thosedark and ugly attributes of
their sinful nature. There is likely much truth to such a realization of one’s
fallen condition.
As Christians, however, we are grateful that “God hath not given us the spirit
of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (II Tim. 1:7) The
spirit of a sound mind directly reflects the transforming powerof faith in
Christ. Apostle Paul expressedthis well in his admonition, “Do not be
conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so
that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable
and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2, New American Standard Bible) Our soundness of
mind enables us to put the will of God to the proof and come to the profound
understanding that his will is “goodand acceptable and perfect” in all of life’s
experiences. We rejoice that we may leave the madness of this world behind,
and, through Christ, obtain a sound mind.
http://www.dawnbible.com/2016/1604ib17.htm
God’s Prescription for a Sound Mind
- by Joyce Meyer

Prepare for Battle
As you begin to reclaimyour mind and thought life from the enemy, know
that he won't easily give up the place that he's had. You will have to do battle
againsthis lies and confusion. You must declare out loud that you will not
allow any outside force to do your thinking—man or spirit. There are
spiritual laws that demons must obey. They can't stay when you've
commanded them to leave. Your power and authority come from the name of
Jesus, the blood of Jesus, and the Word of God. Ask God to give you
discernment about the lies of the devil.
Think About What You're Thinking About
As you recognize a thought that is a lie, always defend yourself out loud. This
means speaking to Satanand the evil forces out loud, binding them in the
name of Jesus, and forbidding them to lie to you and use your mind as their
playground. As you continue to use this prescription regularly, you'll regain
your peace, your memory, restful nights, and the ability to concentrate and
comprehend.
Stand Firm—You're Not Alone
You are in a battle that all of God's children fight (see Ephesians 6:12). Make
up your mind not to give up! According to Colossians 3:2, setyour mind on
things above and keepit set!As you begin this battle, things may seemto get
worse before they getbetter. This is because the demonic powers are fighting

to keeptheir place. Call upon God's grace in the name of Jesus, and He will
give you the power of the Holy Spirit to completely overcome everyevil
tendency.
Don't Give Up!
Remember, regaining your mind is a process. We all fail at one time or
another. God knows our weaknesses;that's why He gave us 1 John 1:9. Just
ask for forgiveness and envision the blood of Jesus washing awayyour sin.
Continue claiming that your mind belongs to you, and with Jesus'help you
will be victorious.
When you hear a lie going through your mind, sayout loud:
"Satan, you are a liar. I will not receive (or believe) your lie in the name of
Jesus" (see 2 Corinthians 10:5). "I remind you that it is written, …He who
lives in [me] is greater(mightier)than he who is in the world. I command you
to bow your knee to the name of Jesus and leave me." (see 1 John 4:4).
You have now pulled the lie out—just as you pull a weed out of the ground.
But an empty hole remains where the weed once was. You must fill that space
with Scripture. Beginto meditate on God's Word or sing a praise song to God.
Whateverit is you choose to do, make a consciouseffortto fill your mind with
good, pure, wholesome and lovely thoughts (see Philippians 4:8).
God Gives ~ A Sound Mind!
God Gives ~ A Sound Mind!
By Rodney W. Francis

“ForGod has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a
sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV).
GOD wants us to have a sound mind. There is one thing that will stop us from
having this, and that is the spirit of fear. I want you to know that God does not
give you fear. God takes awayfear,andGod replaces fearwith His love.
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fearinvolves
torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love” (1 John 4:18).
FEAR IS AN ENEMY!
Fearis an enemy to God! “The fearof man brings a snare, but whoevertrusts
in the Lord shall be safe” (Proverbs 29:25). So many people today do not
know God because they have allowedthe fear of man to hinder them from
seeking Him. They are afraid of the Gospelbecause ofwhat their neighbours
might say! The Bible says fear has torment. And where does fear torment us?
In the mind!
God wants us to have a sound mind, and a cleanmind. It is our mind that
takes us away from God: “the carnalmind is enmity againstGod; for it is not
subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). God wants to fill
our mind with His love and peace:“You will keep him in perfectpeace, whose
mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You” (Isaiah26:3).
Did you know that what you think affects your life? When you think evil
things you are tempted by evil things. But when your mind is clean, you are
able to “think straight”;you are able to make right decisions, and enjoy the
peace ofGod.
We cannothave a cleanmind until first we receive the Gospel. Godbrings
light/revelation to our mind through the Gospel. Whenwe receive the Gospel
of Jesus Christ into our life, God begins a work in our mind ~ He gives us a
sound mind! He teaches us to think pure thoughts. The carnalmind is the
greatestenemyin life that we will ever face. The mind affects so much of our
life, butGod has provided victory for us. The devil works upon our mind, and
the devil speaks andworks through the carnal mind. He causes us to imagine

things, and he causes us to do evil things. What greatneed there is for a
change in our mind!
When we open our heart to the Gospel, the Lord Jesus Christbegins to work
in our mind, as well as in our heart. He begins to bring about a change the
inside! The Bible tells us: “And be renewedin the spirit of your mind”
(Ephesians 4:23). God has a spiritual renewing for us in our mind. But notice
that we have to be willing to do the renewing with His help. We cannotbe
passive about this. It is important to know that if we Christians continue to
feed and fill our minds with negative and wrong things, then we will reap the
consequencesofthat. Today many Christians are bound in their lives because
their minds are filled with the things of the world, chasing questionable
entertainment and filling themselves with the evil temptations of the world-
wide-web, i.e. viewing pornography in the privacy of their own homes, etc.
What we fill our minds with will affectthe way we think and act. Those
negative thoughts and things lodge themselves in our mind and then produce
unnecessaryfears and torments in our life.
All those fears and torments that you have had to contend and live with, Jesus
longs to take them away. Those fears that are keeping you lockedup and
bound, He wants to set you free from. When your mind is filled with fear it
makes your life weak;it makes you hate; it makes you jealous of others; it
makes you despise people; it causes youto be a law-breaker~ all these things
work againstthe love, joy and peace of Jesus Christ that He came to give you!
God wants to bring more of His peace to your mind, and He does this through
Jesus Christ. He replaces those old thoughts with new thoughts ~ those bad
thoughts with goodthoughts. “Godhas not given to you a spirit of fear, but of
power, love and a sound mind.”
REMEMBERTHE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS IS FOR YOU!
Let your hope reachout to God. Do not be ashamedof the Gospel!Let your
faith reachout to God, believing that God will bring a greaterdeliverance in
your mind. You do not need to be tormented in your mind any longer! If you
are having a real battle in your mind, let me exhort you to overcome the
tempter (Satan) by confessing outloud the truth of God’s Word: “Then I

heard a loud voice saying in heaven, ‘Now salvation, and strength, and the
kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser
of our brethren, who accusedthem before our God day and night, has been
castdown. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word
of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore
rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them!’” (Revelation12:10-12).
His blood was shed for you, that you might live in His victory day by day! The
blood of Christ cleansesyou: “How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who
through the eternalSpirit offeredHimself without spot to God, cleanse your
(mind and) consciencefrom dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews
9:14).
YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN WEAPONS ~ USE THEM!
Make sure you use the weapons of your warfare:“Forthe weapons of our
warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself againstthe
knowledge ofGod, bringing every THOUGHT into captivity to the obedience
of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is
fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).
Know afresh today that God is goodand that God is on your side, eagerly
waiting to give you whateverdeliverance of the mind you need!
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with
thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God,
which surpasses allunderstanding, will guard your hearts and MINDS
through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whateverthings are noble,
whateverthings are just, whatever things are pure, whateverthings are
lovely, whateverthings are of goodreport, if there is any virtue and if there is
anything praiseworthy ~ meditate on these things. The things which you
learned and receivedand heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace
will be with you” (Philippians 4:6-9). God bless you.

What does it mean to have the mind of Christ?
The mind of Christ is something all believers have, as the Apostle Paul said,
when speaking to the Christians in Corinth, "we have the mind of Christ" (1
Corinthians 2:16). Those who have the mind of Christ are able to discern
spiritual things that the natural man (or the unbeliever) cannotunderstand or
see. Having the mind of Christ is the same as being indwelt by the Holy Spirit,
and both are attained through faith at the moment of salvation (Romans 5:1-
2; Acts 2:38).
Through the Holy Spirit, God has made us "partakers ofthe divine nature" (2
Peter1:4) so that we can have all things that pertain to life and godliness
through the knowledge ofHimself. Think of the human mind as a computer,
and the Holy Spirit as a sort of anti-virus program that canbe uploaded to the
human hard drive. Once the program is uploaded, that "mind" can then
affectall the computer's systems, taking out harmful applications and
replacing them with good, functional applications. Continuing the analogy,
the mind of Christ rewrites our hard drives so that we are capable of
understanding, or interfacing with, God Himself. We gain new desires and
qualities, like humility (Philippians 2:5), compassion(Matthew 9:36) and
other godly "fruit" (Galatians 5:22-23). We have a new purpose that is
aligned with His (Luke 19:10)and we can see clearlythe reality before us that
this world is temporal and flawed, and that we are meant for an eternalworld
(1 John 2:15-17).
The mind of Christ is only accessible throughfaith in Jesus Christ(John 1:12;
John 3:16; 1 John 5:12). Once we are saved, the Holy Spirit comes to the
believer, filling him or her with understanding and hope of a future
inheritance, which is a glorified existence (Colossians 1:27). "Throughhim we
have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we
rejoice in the hope of the glory of God" (Romans 5:2).

Finally, having the mind of Christ is not something that is reservedonly for
"perfect" people. Any and every believer has accessto the mind of Christ
through faith. However, we also still have the old mind. We still give in to the
lure of sin. We may also be hindered by false doctrines (Galatians 5:7-12)or
choose to use our freedom in unhealthy ways (Galatians 5:13-15). This is why
Paul exhorts the Roman believers, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the
mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holyand
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the renewalof your mind, that by testing
you may discernwhat is the will of God, what is goodand acceptable and
perfect" (Romans 12:2). Our minds need to be consistentlyrenewed, moving
awayfrom the mind of the flesh and into the mind of Christ. Ultimately, all
who have the mind of Christ, those who belong to God, will be sanctified, or
changedby the new program that has been installed by the Holy Spirit (2
Timothy 2:19; Hebrews 10:10, 14). The process unfolds over a lifetime and
God is faithful to bring it to completion(Philippians 1:6).
https://www.compellingtruth.org/mind-of-Christ.html
Mind of Christ
Mind of Christ – What is it?
The phrase “mind of Christ” or “mind of the Lord” comes from Isaiah40:13,
“Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his
counselor?”The verse is quoted in the New Testamentas well. 1 Corinthians
2:16 says, “‘Forwho has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct
him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

Having the mind of Christ means we “look at life from our Saviour’s point of
view, having His values and desires in mind. It means to think God’s thoughts
and not think as the world thinks.”1 It is a shared perspective of humility,
compassion, anddependence on God.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul is contrasting the unbeliever (the natural man) with the
believer. When we have the mind of Christ, it is in contrastto the wisdom of
man (verses 5-6). It involves wisdom from God, which was once hidden (verse
7) and it cannot be understood by those without the Spirit (verse 14). When
we have the mind of Christ, we have discernment in spiritual matters (verse
15).
Mind of Christ – What Perspectives DoesChristhave?
When believers have the mind of Christ, we understand God’s plan for the
world and understand that He wants to bring about His purpose. It doesn’t
mean that we are infallible and can start “playing God” in the lives of other
people.
The Bible describes severalthings that Jesus valued. With the mind of Christ,
believers should value them as well.
A desire to bring glory to God. In John 17:5, Jesus said, “And now, Father,
glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world
began.”
A longing to provide salvationfor sinners. Luke 19:10 says, “Forthe Son of
Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”

A perspective on humility and obedience. Philippians 2:5-8 explains, “Your
attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:Who, being in very nature
God, did not considerequality with God something to be grasped, but made
himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human
likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and
became obedient to death—evendeath on a cross!”
A compassionateheart. Matthew 9:36 shows Jesus’compassiononthe people,
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassiononthem, because they were
harassedand helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”
Prayerful dependence on God. Luke 5:16 says, “ButJesus oftenwithdrew to
lonely places and prayed.”
Mind of Christ – How do I develop it?
The mind of Christ is given to believers through the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians
2:10-12 says, “…but God has revealedit to us by his Spirit. The Spirit
searchesallthings, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows
the thoughts of a man exceptthe man’s spirit within him? In the same way no
one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received
the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may
understand what God has freely given us.”
So, in order to have the mind of Christ, a person must first have the Holy
Spirit. This comes with saving faith in Christ. Romans 8:9 says, “You,
however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit
of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does
not belong to Christ.” After salvation, a believer’s responsibility is to yield to

the Holy Spirit’s leading and let the Spirit transform his life.
https://www.allaboutfollowingjesus.org/mind-of-christ.htm
How can I have the mind of Christ?
Question:"How can I have the mind of Christ?"
Answer: In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Paul quotes Isaiah40:13 and then makes a
statementconcerning all believers:“We have the mind of Christ.” Having the
mind of Christ means sharing the plan, purpose, and perspective of Christ,
and it is something that all believers possess.
Having the mind of Christ means we understand God’s plan in the world—to
bring glory to Himself, restore creationto its original splendor, and provide
salvationfor sinners. It means we identify with Christ’s purpose “to seek and
to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). It means we share Jesus’perspective of
humility and obedience (Philippians 2:5-8), compassion(Matthew 9:36), and
prayerful dependence on God (Luke 5:16).
In the verses leading up to 1 Corinthians 2:16, we note some truths concerning
the mind of Christ:
1) The mind of Christ stands in sharp contrastto the wisdom of man (verses
5-6).

2) The mind of Christ involves wisdom from God, once hidden but now
revealed(verse 7).
3) The mind of Christ is given to believers through the Spirit of God (verses
10-12).
4) The mind of Christ cannot be understood by those without the Spirit (verse
14).
5) The mind of Christ gives believers discernment in spiritual matters (verse
15).
In order to have the mind of Christ, one must first have saving faith in Christ
(John 1:12; 1 John 5:12). After salvation, the believer lives a life under God’s
influence. The Holy Spirit indwells and enlightens the believer, infusing him
with wisdom—the mind of Christ. The believer bears a responsibility to yield
to the Spirit’s leading (Ephesians 4:30) and to allow the Spirit to transform
and renew his mind (Romans 12:1-2). https://www.gotquestions.org/mind-of-
Christ.html
What does it mean to be transformed by the renewing of the mind?
Question:"What does it mean to be transformed by the renewing of the
mind?"

Answer: The phrase “transformedby the renewing of the mind” is found in
Romans 12:2. Chapter 12 marks the transition in that epistle from the apostle
Paul’s theologicalteaching to his practicalteaching. The book of Romans is
probably the closestthing in the Bible to a systematic theology. Pauldid not
found the church at Rome, but he had every intention of visiting that church
on his way to Spain. As a result, Paul wrote this epistle as a way of
introducing himself to that congregationand to give them an overview of the
gospeland what it means in the lives of believers.
After teaching the greatdoctrine regarding the gospelof God’s righteousness
that is ours through faith in Christ in Romans chapters 1—11, Paulbegins to
exhort us to godly living. How are we to live in light of the saving powerof the
gospel? Thatis what Romans 12—16 aims to teach. The practicalsectionof
Romans begins with a great“therefore.” Seeing all that God did on our
behalf, therefore live like this. The first of Paul’s greatexhortations is to be
renewedin our minds:
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual
worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewalof your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God,
what is goodand acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:1–2).
The phrase “the mercies of God” refers to all of what has precededin
chapters 1—11. The exhortation that Paul presents is that since we have been
the gracious recipients ofGod’s greatmercies, we are to be “living sacrifices”
to God. How do we do this? We are living sacrificesto God by not conforming
to this world, but by being transformed by the renewalof our minds.

This exhortation really serves as a summary statement of all that follows. A
living sacrifice to Godis one who does not conform, but is transformed. We
are not to be conformed to this world. Paul is using the word world here to
refer to the spirit of the age. In other words, world refers to the popular
worldview that rejects God and His revelation. As unbelievers, we are
naturally conformed to the world (Ephesians 2:1–3). As believers, we are no
longerconformed to this world because we no longer belong to the spirit of
this age. We have been translatedfrom the kingdom of darkness into the
kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Colossians 1:13). Therefore, ratherthan
continuing to conform to this world, we are to be transformed by having our
minds renewed.
It is interesting to note that Paul says that we must be transformed by the
renewing of our “minds.” The mind is the keyto the Christian life. The reason
why non-Christians do not respond to Christian truth is that they cannot
discern spiritual truth (1 Corinthians 2:14). The gospelis a callfor the
unbeliever to repent of his sin and embrace Christ by faith. The Greek word
translated “repentance”carries the notion of a change of mind. Our thinking
must be changed (transformed) from old, ungodly ways of thinking into new,
godly ways of thinking. What we know in our minds to be true forms a
conviction in our hearts of that truth, and that convictionin our hearts
translates into action. Therefore, we must first renew our minds.
The only way to replace the error of the world’s way of thinking is to replace
it with God’s truth, and the only infallible source of God’s truth is His
revealedWord, the Bible. Transformationthrough renewedminds comes as
believers expose themselves to God’s Word through the faithful exposition of
it eachweek in church, personalBible study, and group Bible study. A solid
church that believes in preaching the Word, reading the Word, and singing
the Word is invaluable in helping us renew our minds.

There are no shortcuts. There is no magicalformula for renewing our minds.
We must fill our minds with God’s Word. As Jesus prayed to the Father,
“Sanctifythem in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).
Philippians2:5-8 5In your relationshipswith one
another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider
equality with God something to be used to his own
advantage;7rather, he made himself nothing by
taking the very nature of a servant, being made in
human likeness.8And being found in appearanceas a
man, he humbled himselfby becoming obedient to
death- even death on a cross!
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Jesus Christ The Supreme Example Of Humble-mindedness
Philippians 2:5-8
T. Croskery
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Jesus Christ. The exhortation to
mutual concordis strengthenedby a reference to the example of Christ's
humiliation on earth.

I. CONSIDERHIS ESSENTIALPRE-EXISTING GLORY. "Who, subsisting
in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God."
1. This language evidently describes Christ before his incarnation, in his
Divine glory; for the pregnant expression, "existing in the form of God," can
be understood only of Divine existence with the manifestationof Divine glory.
It is similar to the expression, "Who, being the Brightness of his glory, and the
express Image of his person" (Hebrews 1:3). As to be in the form of a servant
implies that he was a servant, so to be in the form of God implies that he was
God. The emphatic thought is that he was in the form of God before he was in
the form of a servant.
2. This language exhibits likewise his own consciousnessofthe relations which
subsistedbetweenhim and his Father. "Who counted it not a prize to be on an
equality with God." The expression, "being in the form of God," is the
objective exposition of his Divine dignity; the secondexpressionis the
subjective delineationof the same thing. It asserts his conscious equality with
God.
II. CONSIDERHIS HUMILIATION. "But emptied himself, taking the form
of a servant, being made in the likeness ofmen; and being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the
death of the cross." There is a double humiliation here involved, first
objectively, then subjectively, described.
1. The first is involved in his becoming man.
(1) "He emptied himself." Of what? He did not ceaseto be what he was, but
he emptied himself in becoming another; He became man while he was God; a
servant while he was Lord of all.
(2) "He took upon him the form of a servant." This marks his spontaneous
self-abasement. "O Israel, then hast made me to serve with thy sins." It is
more than an assertionthat he assumedhuman nature, for it is that nature in
a low condition. What condescension!"He who is Masterof all becomes the
slave of all!"

(3) "Being made in the likeness ofmen." He was really the "Word become
flesh" (John 1:14), made "in the likeness ofsinful flesh" (Romans 8:3), that he
might be qualified for his sin-bearing and curse-bearing career. The language
of the text explodes all Docetic notions of a mere phantom-body.
(4) "Being found in fashion as a man." As the apostle formerly contrasted
what he was from the beginning with what he became at his incarnation, so
here he contrasts what he is in himself with his external appearance before
men. In discourse, in conduct, in action, in suffering, he was found in fashion
as a man.
2. The secondhumiliation is involved in his obedience to death. "He humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."This
marks his subjective dispositionin the sphere in which he placedhimself as a
servant, with all the obligations of his position (Matthew 20:28). There was the
form of a servant and the obedience of a servant.
(1) His abasementtook the form of obedience.
(a) It was not an obedience necessitatedby obligations natural to himself, but
was undertaken solelyfor others in virtue of the covenant in which he actedas
God's Servant (Isaiah 42:1).
(b) It was a voluntary obedience. The idea of inevitable suffering, in a world
altogetherout of joint, is out of the question, for no one could take his life
from him, nor inflict suffering of any sort without his will (John 10:18). His
vicarious obedience was perfectly free.
(2) His abasementinvolved death. "He became obedient unto death." It was
an obedience from his birth to his death, for it was unto death. His obedience
was in his death as well as in his life, and he was equally vicarious in both.
(3) His abasementinvolved a shameful death, "even the death of the cross." It
was a death reservedfor malefactors andslaves. There was pain and shame
and curse. Yet "he endured the cross, despising the shame" (Hebrews 12:2).
Mark, then, at once, the transcendentlove and the transcendenthumility of
Jesus Christ! What an example to setbefore the Christians of Philippi! "Let
the same mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." -T.C.

Biblical Illustrator
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus
Philippians 2:5-11
Lessons taughtby the humiliation and exaltation of Chris
T. Lessey, M. A.
t: — The apostle was exhorting the Philippians to imitate the humility and
disinterestedness ofthe Saviour. But there could have been no force in the
example if Jesus Christ had not been God.
I. A BRIEF ILLUSTRATION OF THIS IMPRESSIVE DESCRIPTION OF
THE REDEEMER.
1. Jesus Christis here presented as subsisting originally in the splendour of
Deity. "Formof God" must not be explained to mean any temporary
manifestation such as the Theophanies of the Old Testament. Fire, e.g., is the

symbol of Deity, as was the Shechinah, but not the form. That has an integral
meaning.
2. He humbled Himself. Had He not done so God would never have been seen
by His creatures. Notice the gradation.
(1)Subordination. "He took the form of a servant."
(2)Human subordination.
(3)Obedient subordination.
(4)Self-sacrificing subordination.
3. Elevation.
(1)A name above every name.
(2)A dignity recognizedby all.
II. THE ALL IMPORTANT LESSONS.
1. Disinterestedness."Look notevery one on His own things," etc. This is just
what Christ did, and that, not because there was any worthiness in man, but
out of love.
2. Self-sacrifice. There is no religionwithout an imitation of Christ's self
abandonment.
3. Perseverance. If anything could have stopped Christ in his work He would
have been stopped.Conclusion:Let, then, this mind be in you. I argue with
you on the ground —
1. Of your Christianity. O Christian, from whence did you derive your name.
2. Of gratitude. What do you owe to Christ?
3. Of the intercessionofChrist.
4. Of the greatworth of the soul.
5. Of the glories ofthe kingdom of Christ.

(T. Lessey, M. A.)
The humiliation and glory of Christ
A. Raleigh, D. D.
I. LET US TRACE THE HUMILIATION AND GLORY OF CHRIST.
1. The point of departure, where is it? On earth or in heaven? In humanity or
in Deity? Those who contend from the simply human view of the nature of
Christ saythat He began to condescendsomewherein His earthly lifetime, as
if that could be a mighty argument for humility. No, we must begin where
Paul begins. "In the form of God" can only mean possessing the attributes of
God (2 Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 1:3; John 1:1).
2. Being thus Divine, He did not deem His equality with God a thing to grasp
at and eagerlyretain. He emptied Himself of His heavenly glory, and having
humbled Himself as a common man He humbled himself yet more, becoming
obedient to the death which only the lowestmalefactors coulddie.
3. Of course there could be no essentialchange in this humiliation. Jesus could
never be less than Divine. The Divine glory dwelt within the human nature as
within a veil. It shone out at times and then all was dark again. The glory of
His boyhood was seenin the temple; of His manhood on the Mount of
Transfiguration; He gave but a look in the garden out of His divinity and the
soldiers fell back.
4. At the lowestpoint of the humiliation the ascentbegins in the worship of the
penitent thief, in the words of the soldier, in the reverence shownto His body,
in His resurrectionand triumphant ascension.
5. The name is the character, influence; and to that all creationshall do
homage, because in some way affectedby it.
II. THE PRACTICAL PURPOSE.
1. The inculcation of humility. You see what Christ has done. Do likewise;be
lowly, go down. Ah, the contrastbetweenChrist and many who bear His

name! He in greatness andglory coming down so far! We in our blindness and
littleness, all struggling to rise.
2. If His life is the model of my own; if His cross repeats itselfin the cross I
bear for Him; then there comes to me a truer elevation. "Godhath highly
exalted Him," and that is a pledge that those who have been with Christ in His
humiliation shall togethersit on His throne.
3. Wherefore work out your own salvation— by self-denial, humility, and this
with fear and trembling, because it is the only thing you need fear about.
(A. Raleigh, D. D.)
The supreme example of self-renunciation
W. B. Pope, D. D.
These words are the grandestand most profound, and at the same time the
most copious and unrestrained which St. Paul ever used on this subject, his
final and finished formula of the Incarnation. It is wonderful to observe with
what tranquillity, ease, andunconsciousnessofeffort this amazing subjectis
introduced. All comes as a matter of course. He does not say"Behold, I show
you a mystery." It flows as naturally from His pen as a simple motive for
Christian duty, as if it were the commonplace of theologicaltruth as familiar
to them as to Himself. So, doubtless, it was.
I. THERE IS ONE PERSON HERE AND ONE ONLY. The name Jesus
Christ is given to that Person, who, before the Incarnation, was "in the form
of God," and afterwards, "in the form of a servant." He may be called by any
name, "Sonof God" or "Sonof man," but that name always signifies His
Personas possessedof two natures. Accordingly, that Personmay be the
subject of two classes ofpredicates. The Divine nature never has a human
attribute, nor the human a Divine, but the Divine-human Personmay be
spokenof as having both. So here St. Paul is referring to a thought of the
Eternal Son which implied that He was not yet man. The example is that of

Christ Jesus in the flesh, but its strength and obligation are based upon the
fact that it was the divinity in Christ that began the mediatorial humiliation.
II. THE PRE-EXISTENTNATURE AND FORM OF BEING is here
strikingly described. Paul uses an expressionwhich indicates the relation of
the SecondPersonofthe Trinity to the First, that of eternal subordination
without implying inferiority. As the Father cannot be without the Son, as
being cannot be without its image, so the Godhead in the SecondPersonhad
its form — the essentialattributes and glories ofDeity which He might lay
aside without losing the divinity of His Eternal generation.
III. THE ACT OF INCARNATION IS ATTRIBUTED TO THAT PRE-
EXISTENT PERSON. He resolvedto empty Himself of all the glories,
prerogatives, and manifestations of the Godhead and animate a human
nature. This was His own act. There was a concurrence ofthe Holy Trinity.
The Fatherby an eternal necessitybegetting His Son, begets Him againin
indissoluble union with our nature. The Holy Ghost is the Divine instrument
of the Father's will in that office. But it was the Son's own act to conjoinwith
Himself this new man. Now, though our human nature is not an ignoble thing,
yet His coming in the likeness ofa nature that evil had defiled, was a
condescensionwhichmight be termed a humiliation. His Divine repute was
for a seasonsuspended, and He was reputed among the transgressors.
IV. THE REALITY OF HIS ASSUMPTION OF HUMAN NATURE is set
forth by three expressions.
1. "Formof a servant." The entire history of our Saviour's human existence
was that of the mediatorial servant of God (Isaiah 42). As such He proclaimed
Himself, and was proclaimed (Acts 3:26). The term is parallel with "form" of
God, and signifies that in His human nature His manifestation was that of the
servitude of redemption. Our human nature was the towelwith which He
girded Himself (John 13). He took our humanity only that He might serve in
it.
2. "Likeness ofmen" limits itself to the mere assumption of our nature, and
indicates that He became man otherwise than others become men;, that His
human nature was perfect, but it was representative human nature, "likeness

of men." So that the apostle's carefuldefinition leaves room for all that range
of difference betweenHim and us that theologyis constrainedin reverence to
establish.
3. "Found in fashion as a man" completes the picture of the Incarnation by
realizing it and giving it locationamong men. He was all by which a man
could be observed, judged, estimated. He was "found" numbered as one of the
descendents ofAdam.
V. THE DESIGN OF THE WONDERFULDESCENT(ver. 8). The emptying
ends with the Incarnation; but the example of self-renunciation is further
exhibited.
1. The death of the cross was imposedon Him as a greatduty. Much is here
omitted because ofthe specialpurpose in view. Paul says nothing about our
Lord's birth under the Mosaic,nor His obligations as under the moral law,
nor the endless indignities that He accepted. He singles out the one
tremendous imposition that He should die for sin. Deathwas the goalof a
greatobedience. All other duties tended to this, and found in this their
consummation.
2. This greatobedience was voluntarily assumedin humility. It was not
merely death, but a humiliating and cursed death. But to this He submitted,
passive before men because inwardly passive before God.
VI. THIS SPONTANEOUS, PERFECTSELF-SACRIFICEIS AN
EXAMPLE, the ruling and regulative principle, indeed, of all Christian
devotion and service. Thatman's salvationrequired this is takenfor granted,
but is not dwelt upon. As an example, however, it may be viewed under two
aspects.
1. As the perfectexhibition of self-renunciation.(1)It is obvious that Paul lays
greatstress on the pre-incarnate condescension. He whose Deity was that of
the Son's eternalexhibition of the form of His Father, did not reckonthe
display of His Divine glory, of the perfections "equalwith God," a thing to
hold fast; but let them go for man's salvation, and lived among the conditions
of human nature. This was His self-sacrifice. We dare not attempt to define

here: there is a danger in two directions. We may so dwell upon the
unchangeablenessofthe Divine nature as to reduce all the condescensionto
his incarnate estate;or we may so exaggeratethe Divine self-sacrifice as to
attribute an impossible abnegationof His Divine attributes. Enough that the
New Testamentdoes not reveal to us a Trinity inaccessible to those sentiments
which we regardas the highest attributes of human virtue. The pattern of our
loftiest human excellence is in God Himself.(2) But we now descendto the
exhibition of self-sacrificein the mediatorial Man of sorrows. Concerning this
the words teachus to mark its absolute perfection in every respectas an
exhibition of self-sacrifice, andits absolute perfectionalso as a pattern to us.
When he has brought the Redeemerdown from His transcendentheight, he
exhibits Him with reverent joy and tenderness as the supreme pattern of
sacrificing love. But he only refers to the mind that was in Christ, and that
mind was the surrender of all and the endurance of all for the goodof man.
There is no detail of the Saviour's sufferings.
2. The reality of the example to us. Elsewhere it is said that Christ in His meek
endurance and self-sacrificing devotionleft us an example. Paulshows that all
who are Christ's undergo in their degree His lot and share His destiny. "If any
man will serve Me," etc. Those who shall reign with Christ must first suffer
with Him. The spirit of union with Christ imparts this first principle of the
Saviour's consecration;it must become the ruling principle in us also.
(W. B. Pope, D. D.)
The greatexample
R. Johnstone, LL. B.
The apostle enforces the previous counsels to the cultivation of self-denying
love by the argument strongestof all to the Christian heart, the example of the
Lord Jesus.
I. GOD CONDESCENDED TO BECOME MAN.

1. Christ did not change His nature, an impossibility, but His "form," and in
the surrender of this Divine dignity for us points to the duty of our surrender
of ease, rank, repute, and even life, for the goodof others.
2. The work of love seemeda greaterthing than His retention of what was
originally His own, and not an object of mere ambition.
3. So He emptied Himself of this "form," the glory in which He was revealed
to the angels, and to Moses,and Isaiah.(1)By assuming the form of a servant,
its opposite. The King became a subject.(2)How He took that form is
explained — "being made in the likeness of men," not of a man; He was the
representative of the race. Here, then, we have the mystery of mysteries. Our
Redeemeris God, or our hope in Him were baseless,but His Deity was veiled
in flesh.
II. AS A MAN HE WENT DOWN INTO THE DEPTHS OF HUMILIATION.
1. His obedience exhibits —(1) The reality of His manhood. Subjection is
conceivable only in a creatednature.(2) His exemplariness;as a servant of
God, he is a member of the class to which all Christians belong.
2. His obedience led Him to the death of the cross, a death —
(1)The most cruel.
(2)The most disgraceful.
3. All this was voluntary.
III. IN REWARD FOR HIS OBEDIENCEHE WAS CROWNEDWITH
GLORY AND HONOUR.
1. This was done by the Father who in the economyof Redemption represents
the majestyof the God head.
2. This was done for the purpose of securing for Christ universal supremacy
and homage.
3. The end of all was the glory of Godthe Father in conformity with the Son's
prayer — "Glorify Thy Son that Thy Son also may glorify Thee." Conclusion:

The fitness of the wonderful paragraphas an argument to enforce the
exhortation. All this was out of love for you. Imitate this love in its devotion,
self-forgetfulness, humility.
(R. Johnstone, LL. B.)
An appealfor the cultivation of a right spirit
J. Parker, D. D.
This comprehensive passagecanbe used for theologicalpurposes only by
accommodation. It is a practicalexhortation rather than a theological
disquisition. Paul is not arguing a doctrinal point, or rebutting an heresy.
There is no evidence that the Philippians were unsound. It is simply the
groundwork for a powerful appeal for the cultivation of a right spirit. Paul's
argument, basedon the Messianic history, may be thrown into this shape. You
Philippians have been a greatjoy to me, but my joy is not quite full. Your
unanimity is not perfect. "Let this mind be in you," etc. That mind was
condescending, unselfish, most loving. Some of you imagine yourselves too
elevatedto mingle with others. But Christ, who was infinitely elevated,
stoopedto servitude and death. Let His mind, then, be in you, and nothing
shall be done through strife and vain-glory. The highest should prove his
highness by serving the lowly.
I. EVERY FEATURE IN CHRISTIAN CHARACTER MAY BE CARRIED
BACK TO AND EXAMINED IN THE LIGHT OF THE WHOLE HISTORY
OF CHRIST. The Christian is always representing or misrepresenting Christ.
II. THESE DELINEATIONS OF CHRIST REVEAL THE TRUE METHOD
OF RENDERING SERVICETO MAN. Human deliverance and progress will
remain a theory only until men come to work on the method here stated.
Greatphilanthropic programmes must begin at Bethlehem, and comprehend
the mysteries of Calvary if they would ascendfrom Bethany to the heavens.
To serve man Christ became man. So in serving others we must identify
ourselves with them. This identification with the race made Christ accessible
to all classes.We too must go down.

III. CHRIST'S PIETY WAS NOT A MERE INDEX FINGER. Insteadof
saying, "That is the way," He said, "I am the way." Menfail when they say
"that" insteadof "I," when they give a pronoun instead of the living
substantive of their own sanctified character. Insteadof seeing how the
world's misery looks after it has flown from a secretarialpen, and takenform
upon the cleanfoolscapofa greatsocietywe should lay our own white hand
on the gashedand quaking heart of humanity.
IV. CONDESCENSIONIS NOT DEGRADATION.
1. Was Christ degraded? Go into the territories of wretchednessand guilt
upon any other business than that of Christ and you will be degraded.
Benevolence willcome forth unpolluted as a sunbeam.
2. More:How do you teacha child to read? By beginning at the rudimentary
line, and accompanying Him patiently through all introductory processes.So
Christ does in the moral educationof the race.
V. ARE WE TO COME DOWN TO MEN OR ARE MEN TO BE BROUGHT
UP TO US? Both. We have here also a revelation of the glory which is in
reserve for those who adopt Christ's method. Christ had that glory of right:
His followers bare it of grace. Christ promises exaltationto all who overcome.
Conclusion:
1. God overrules the most improbable means to the accomplishmentof the
greatestends.
2. The true workeris never finally overlooked. "Therefore Iwill divide Him a
portion with the great." Why? "Because He hath poured out His soul unto
death." In apparent weakness maybe the sublimest mystery of power. A man
may be conquering when in a very passionof suffering.
(J. Parker, D. D.)
The mind of Christ
J. Lyth, D. D.

I. ITS FEATURES. Humble — obedient — loving — self-sacrificing.
II. ITS REWARD. Exaltation— honour — glory.
III. ITS OBLIGATION. We are redeemedby Him — must be conformedto
Him.
(J. Lyth, D. D.)
Christ is our pattern
It is said that, thinking to amuse him, his wife read to Dr. Judsonsome
newspapernotices, in which he was comparedto one or other of the apostles.
He was exceedinglydistressed:and then he added, "Nordo I want to be like
them; I do not want to be like Paul, nor Apollos, nor Cephas, nor any mere
man. I want to be like Christ. We have only one perfectly safe Exemplar, —
only One, who, tempted like as we are in every point, is still without sin. I
want to follow Him only, copy His teachings, drink in His Spirit, place my feet
in His footprints, and measure their shortcomings by these, and these only.
Oh, to be more like Christ!"
How to obtain the mind of Christ
C. H. Spurgeon.
As certain silk worms have their silk colouredby the leaves on which they
feed, so, if we were to feed on Christ, and nothing else but Christ, we should
become pule, holy, lowly, meek, gentle, humble; in a word, we should be
perfect even as He is. What wonderful meat this must be! O my brethren, if
you have ever tried the flesh and blood of Jesus as your soul's diet, you will
know that I am not speaking vain words! There is no such sustenance for
faith, love, patience, joy, as living daily upon Jesus, our Saviour. You who
have never tasted of this heavenly bread, had better listen to the word, "O
taste and see that the Lord is good!"
(C. H. Spurgeon.)

The lessonofhumility
E. B. Pusey, D. D.
The heathen had semblances orimages of well-nigh every virtue. He had
many excellences, here and there, which put Christians to shame. Wretchedly
corrupt as life was upon the whole, still not individuals only, but even nations,
had greatsingle virtues. The heathen had self-devotion, contentment,
contempt of the world, and of the flesh; he had fortitude, endurance, self-
denial, abstemiousness,temperance, chastity, evena sort of reverence for God
whom he knew not; but he had not humility. The first sin, the wish to be as
God, pride, spoiled them all. Man, in his natural state, claims, as his own,
what is God's; and so he displeases God, whom he robs of His honour. And so
the first beginning of Christian virtues is to lay aside pride. It is to own that
we have nothing, that so we may receive all and hold all of God; and when, as
being in Christ and partaking of His riches, we begin to have, still to own that,
of our own, we have nothing. But not only in generalor towards God have we
need to be humble. It enters in detail into every Christian grace, so that well-
nigh the whole substance of the Christian discipline is humility. Every
mountain of human pride must be brought low, to prepare the Lord's way;
and so shall the lowly valley be exalted. Without humility, there can be no
resignation, since humility alone knows its sufferings and sorrows to be less
than it deserves;no contentment, for humility alone knows that it has more
blessings than it deserves;no peace, forcontention cometh of want of
humility; no kindness, for pride envieth; and this St. Paul assigns as the very
reasonwhy "love envieth not," that it "is not puffed up," that is, is humble.
How shall there, without it, be any Christian grace, since allare the fruits of
God's Holy Spirit, and He "resisteththe proud and giveth grace unto the
lowly?" He "dwelleth in the humble and contrite heart." If love be the summit
of all virtue, humility is the foundation. He humbled Himself, because He
loved us: we must he humble, in order to love Him; for to such only will He
impart His love. "The publican would not so much as lift up his eyes to
heaven," and Godwas more pleasedwith the confessionof sins in the sinner,
than in the recounting of the virtues of the righteous. The Canaanitishwoman

was content with the portion of the dogs, and she had "the children's bread."
The gate of life is low as wellas narrow. Through the lowly portal of
repentance, are we brought into the Church; and humble as little children
must we againbecome, if we would enter the everlasting gates. Wellindeed
may the Christian be ashamednot to be humble, for whom God became
humble. But this humility must be deep down in our nature, and so striking
root downwards thou shalt bear fruit upwards; so laying a deep foundation,
shall thy house remain. The tree falls with any gust of wind when the root is
near the surface;the house which has a shallow foundation, is soonshaken.
High and wide as the noblesttrees spread, so deep and wide their roots are
sunk below; the more majestic and nobler a pile of building, the deeper its
foundation; their height is but an earnestof their lowliness;you see their
height, their lowliness is hidden; the use of sinking thus deep is not plain to
sight, yet were they not thus lowly, they could not be thus lofty. Dig deep then
the foundation of humility, so only mayestthou hope to reachthe height of
charity; for by humility alone canstthou reach that Rock which shall not be
shaken, that is Christ. Founded by humility on that Rock, the storms of the
world shall not shake thee, the torrent of evil custom shall not bear thee away,
the empty winds of vanity shall not castthee down. Founded deep on that
rock. thou mayestbuild day by day that tower whose top shall reachunto
heaven, to the very presence ofGod, the sight of God, and shalt be able to
finish it; for He shall raise thee thither, who for thy sake abasedHimself to us.
(E. B. Pusey, D. D.)
The mind in Christ
E. P. Ingersoll.
The word mind generallydenotes that power in man which conceives thought,
weighs it, and forms conclusions. We speak ofa "strong mind," a "disordered
mind." Again, the word is used for the will power, as when we say, "I have a
mind to do it." At other times it is used for the heart or affections, e.g., "A
mind at rest," "A joy of mind," "A grief of mind." In the 7th of Romans it is
used for the principle of grace in the heart. "But I see another law in my

members warring againstthe law of my mind." Lastly, it is employed in a
more comprehensive way, as in the text, where consecrationofintellect, the
aim of life, and temper of spirit are included. Christ Jesus is held up by the
apostle as the model after which we should shape our Lives. As goodparents
train their children by example, so God our Father trains His children. Christ
the Lord is at first the pattern of heavenly life to us, but becomes more the
powerof heavenly life within us. Christ answers all the requirements of an
example to us. We need for such —
I. A BEING OF BOUNDLESS CAPACITY. The Bible represents Christ as
God and Creator. Look to createdthings and see the powerof His being. The
drop of water has all the power and freshness which He gave it on the
morning of creation. The effectcannot be greaterthan the cause. The sun
shines with the same fulness of warmth and light and life as when it wakedthe
first germ into life, yet it is but "the work of His fingers." But what are these
as witnesses comparedwith the experiences ofpure hearts who, in all
generations, have been able to sing, "The Lord is my light and my salvation?"
II. ONE WHOSE NATURE IS LIKE OURS, AND IS AT THE SAME TIME
ABOVE SIN. Look to the glory and yet the humanity of His nature. Earth did
not, it could not, lift itself toward heaven. He became "Immanuel — God with
us." "He took upon Him the form of a servant," etc. The prostrate vine
cannot lift itself againto claspthe tree and climb among its branches; but if
the tree bow itself and unloose the tendrils from the roots and briers, the vine
may find its place of rest and fruitfulness. This the tree cannot do; but God in
Christ has thus bowed Himself to fallen man.
III. ONE WHO PRESENTSTO US FRESHNESSAND VARIETY OF MIND
AND SOUL. We read, "Thouhast the dew of thy youth." "Jesus Christ, the
same yesterday, today, and forever." Selecting as emblems those objects that
are most expressive oflife and beauty and blessing, the Saviour takes their
name upon Himself. He is the "Sun of Righteousness," "The Starout of
Jacob," "The Morning Star," "The Light of the World." And then coming to
things of earth — He is the sheep that is dumb before her shearers, and is
presently "the Good Shepherd." He is the "Lamb of God," etc. He is the
"Fountain Opened," The "Tree of Life," "The Rose ofSharon and the Lily of

the Valley." In short, He is light for the eye, sound for the ear, bread for food,
waterfor thirst, peace forthe troubled, and restfor the weary. Over against
every door of the mind and every window of the soul He stands laden with
riches and waiting for admission.
IV. WE NEED IN THE CULTURE OF THE MIND AND SOUL ONE WHO
HAS SURPASSING WISDOM. In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge. Conclusion:What are we to be like Him in?
1. In our aim in life.
2. In our spirit and temper.
(E. P. Ingersoll.)
The mind in Christ
cf. Lyth, D. D.
I.IN HIM.
II.IN YOU.
III.IN YOU BY HIS SPIRIT.
IV.IN YOU AS A MEANS OF HAPPINESS AND SALVATION.
(cf. Lyth, D. D.)
The mind that was in Christ Jesus
C. Girdlestone, M. A., H. B. Rawnsley., J. W. Reeve, M. A.
Was —
I. SELF-ABNEGATING. If Christ, being God, for our sakesbecame man,
may we not learn to forego, for the sake ofeachother, our own private
advantages?

1. The rich may give to the poor, just as Christ for our sakes became poor.
2. The poor, themselves, should be helpful, just as Christ being poor was able
to make many rich.
II. CONDESCENDING. He stoopedfrom highestglory to our low estate,
thereby teaching those who have the advantage ofability and attainments to
condescendto the ignorance and incapacity of their less favoured brethren.
III. NON-COMPLAINING. Hence, the poor and ignorant should learn to
ceasefrom murmuring againstthose who have become better off by diligence,
frugality, and sobriety, and to wearwith cheerfulness the garb of poverty He
wore, and receive with thankfulness the hardships He bore before them.
IV. NON-CONTENTIOUS. All, whatever their condition, should learn to
contend less for their ownselves in the pursuit of this world's advantages, and
leave more room for their neighbours' advancement and more cordially
promote it. Industry is commendable, but grasping and jealousyare alien to
the mind of Christ. We should let live as well as live.
V. ABHORRENT OF SIN. So much so that He humbled Himself to the death
of the cross to destroy it. The Christian, therefore, should mortify the
affections of the flesh.
VI. FEARLESS OF DEATH. He encounteredit with joy that He might
deliver us from bondage unto the fear of death.
(C. Girdlestone, M. A.)Christ's was —
I. A FEARLESS mind. He braved —
1. Public opinion.
2. Persecution.
3. Death.
II. A SELF-DENYING mind: and such in us will enable us, like Him, to
forego —
1. Presentadvantage for the goodof others.

2. Popularity for the sake ofprinciple.
3. Personalclaims, profit and pleasure for usefulness.
III. A LABORIOUS mind. Christ was ever thinking, planning, devising for
others.
IV. A BROADLY SYMPATHETIC mind. Helpfulness should be united with
tenderness.
V. A PATIENT mind. How He waited those thirty years;how He bore with
the ignorance ofHis disciples, and the malignity of His murderers.
VI. A HOPEFUL mind. He saw beyond the cross. "He saw ofthe travail of
His soul and was satisfied."
(H. B. Rawnsley.)
I. WHAT IS MEANT BY THE MIND OF CHRIST? His view of things, and
to have that mind is to think and feelabout things as He did. He came down
from heaven to study matters on the spot, and we can never have right views
unless we take His point of view. But He came down not only to have right
views but to rectify what was wrong. Hence, His standpoint was benevolent.
He came not to judge but to save the world.
II. WHAT WAS CHRIST'S MIND WHEN HE BECAME INCARNATE?
1. His view of man. This is seensufficiently in the fact that He took man's
nature. Creationgives us a high estimate of manhood. The Incarnation one
far higher. God made it: God wore it.
2. His view of the soul. He thought it was worth shedding His blood for. How
much are we willing to give to save a soul? We do so little because our
estimate is so low.
3. His view of sin. He deemed it an evil so terrible that He must give His life to
atone for it Ought not this to produce in us a due sense of its enormity.

4. His view of the world and its glory. He treated the offer of Satan with
contempt, and told Pilate that His kingdom was not of this world. How
contrary our own view.
5. His view of the use of time. "I must work the works ofHim that sent me,"
etc. What a lessonto the indolent and procrastinating.
6. His view of the obligations of religion. In childhood, while obedient to His
parents, He recognizeda higher authority than theirs. "Wistye not," etc.
Later on, "If any man love father and mother more than Me."
7. His view of wealthand poverty — "The foxes have holes," etc.
8. His view of God's Word — "Manshall not live by bread alone."
9. His view in regardto His enemies — "Father, forgive them," is the
practicalcommentary on "Love your enemies."
III. HOW ARE WE TO ATTAIN THIS MIND?
1. Only by union with Him through faith.
2. This mind is to be cultivated by a diligent study of His precepts and
example with the help of His Spirit.
(J. W. Reeve, M. A.)
The imitableness of Christ's character
JosephFletcher, D. D.
1. That characteras depicted by the evangelists is the perfection of beauty,
and the more we contemplate it the strongermust be our convictions of the
divinity of His religion.(1)The evangelists were incapable ofinventing it.
Their history, character, training, prevented that; and, moreover, they
present it artlessly, not as advocates, but as witnesses.(2)Believing, then, as we
must, Christ as thus described by friends and foes alike, perfectand without
sin, the religion He taught must be Divine. No bad man would originate a
goodcause, and no goodman a bad one.

2. Christ's characteris exhibited not for advocacyoradmiration, but for
imitation, and the best evidence of our interest in Him is our likeness to Him.
Without this our religion is vain. The mind that was in Him, and is to be in us,
was one of —
I. EMINENT HUMILITY. Man fell by pride, and must be raised by humility.
1. Upon this Christ insisted. His first beatitude was on the poor in spirit. The
condition of discipleship is to learn of Him who was "meek and lowly in
heart."
2. Christ combined the highest displays of dignity with unaffected lowliness.
3. This humility was uniformly displayed in self-denial, forbearance,
forgiveness, gentleness, patience, submission.
II. SUBLIME BENEVOLENCE. This was exhibited —
1. In the intense solicitude with which He regardedthe interests of others;and
if we would be conformed to the mind of Christ we must extirpate selfishness
and live for the welfare of men.
2. In the work He undertook and the sacrifice He made. Some people manifest
only feeling, but real charity like Christ's is always practical.
3. In the spirit and temper which marked all His procedure. It did not confine
itself to occasionalgreatefforts.
III. SUPREME DEVOTION.If we want to know what the law of God
requires we see it is Christ whose meatwas to do God's will and to finish His
work. This principle —
1. Had all the constancyofinfluence on His mind in every transaction. It did
not appearin peculiar forms or on specialoccasions.
2. It was manifestedin the spirit of prayer.
3. It was marked by uniformity, and not by fits and starts.Conclusion:
Various considerations to enforce the imitation of this bright example.

1. It was the greatdesign of the Saviour to secure this conformity to the
virtues of His life, even by His mediation.
2. It was His command to do as He had done.
3. There is not a doctrine or principle of our religion that does not leadto this
and present a motive.
4. All the tendencies and affections of every renewedmind are in harmony
with this important claim.
5. Heaven will be the perfection of this conformity.
(JosephFletcher, D. D.)
The obedience of Christ
C. Bradley, M. A.
By having the mind of Christ is not meant doing exactly as He did, but having
the dispositionso that had we been in His circumstances we shouldhave done
what He did, and so acting in our circumstances as He would act were He in
them. Here His obedience is set forth for our imitation. Notice that it was —
I. VOLUNTARY, not forcedor reluctant. "He made Himself," "He took,"
"He humbled Himself."
1. There was no compelling powerin heaven, earth, or hell.
2. The inspiration of this obedience was love to God and man.
3. Human obedience to be of any value must be the free and joyful outcome of
love.
II. HUMILIATING.
1. Obedience is easywhen the path is agreeable and the end profit or renown.
In Christ's case the, pathway was the manger and the wilderness, etc., and the
goalthe cross.

2. There was no species ofhumiliation, sin only excepted, which Christ did not
endure.
3. This is the first step in true human obedience, for before that can be
rendered, pride, self-seeking, self-importance, mustbe subdued.
4. This canonly be effectedby the religion of Jesus.
II. PERSEVERING — "unto death."
1. The last term of our Lord's obedience was the hardestand worst. His other
trials, heavy enough, were only preparatory. Our obedience will be worthless
unless we endure to the end. "Forasmuchas Christ hath suffered for us, arm
yourselves with the same mind."
(C. Bradley, M. A.)
The Christian temper
G. Burder.
I. HUMILITY.
1. This is important because it is the particular grace here inculcated, and is
the rootof all other graces.
2. Pride is natural to man and must be repressedin the believer by three
considerations.(1)What he was — a sinner, enemy of God, heir of hell, etc.(2)
What he is — a pardoned sinner, a child of God, but still imperfect, and with
such weakness thathe may well be humble (1 Timothy 1:15).(3)What he shall
be — "like Christ;" what cause for humble gratitude.
II. PIETY.
1. This was eminently seenin Christ.
2. The natural man is ungodly.
3. The spirit of piety will render those acts of religionnatural and pleasant
which are intolerably burdensome to the unconverted.

III. SPIRITUALITY (John 3:6).
1. We derive our fleshly nature from our first parents. Natural men mind
earthly things, while the things of the Spirit of God are foolishness unto them.
2. The believer, born from above, is spiritual, and minds heavenly things.
3. This constitutes the difference betweenthe two, and determines the destiny
of each(Romans 8:6).
IV. CONTENTMENT(Philippians 4:11-13). This is —
1. Generatedby Divine grace.
2. Sustainedby the Divine promises.
V. MEEKNESS (Matthew 5:5; 2 Corinthians 10:1). This meekness is not the
effectof constitution or the calculationof self-interest; it is the gift of God
working on the lines of Christ's example.
VI. MERCY(Hebrews 5:2; Matthew 5:7; Romans 9:23; Colossians 3:12).
1. To the souls of men.
2. To their bodies.
VII. SINCERITY. This is the soul of all religion(2 Corinthians 1:12; John
1:48). Conclusion:
1. See how excellentis the religion of Jesus.
2. Learn the necessityof something more than morality.
3. How vain the professionof the gospelwithout its temper.
4. How far we come short of this example.
(G. Burder.)
The problem of the age

Pres. D. S. Gregory.
(Proverbs 23:17 in connectionwith text): — Now, while Solomonlays down
the broad generalprinciples concerning the prime importance of one's theory
of things, Paul, in this passage, gives a clearand terse expressionto the
Christian theory of human life, and urges its acceptance withthe most intense
earnestness— "Have this mind," etc. Christ Himself stands out as the
embodiment of the Christian theory. I propose to show that this theory is
unique and contrary to the popular view of this age in —
I. ITS METHOD OF ESTIMATING THE VALUE OF MAN IN THIS
WOULD.
1. It estimates him not by what is on him or around him or in his possession,
but by what is in him. Be such in soul as Christ was.
2. I seriouslyquestion whether Christ, where He to appear as of old among
men, would find many who would be willing to acknowledgethemselves to be
of His class in society. Would He have the shadow of a title to respectability in
what the world is pleasedto call the "best society."
3. It is hard to gain any adequate conceptionof how belittling and degrading
such modern views are. But whether we are aware of it or not, societyis
suffering the disastrous consequencesofthis lowering of the estimate of
character. We are coveting the same things that made wreck ofthe old
nations, and forgetting the thing that has distinguished the Christian from
them. The only possible remedy is to be found in making Christ's view our
own, and shaping sociallife and intercourse according to that. "Have this
mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus."
II. The Christian theory of life is unique, and contrary to the popular theory
of this age IN THE SUPREME END THAT IT PROPOSES FOR HUMAN
CONDUCT. Thatend is absolute righteousness in conformity to the will of
God. There is no escaping the fact that Christ exalted righteousness as the
governing principle of the universe. Now there are two radically variant views
concerning the supreme end of human conduct — that which finds it in God,
and that which finds it in man. The latter is the outcome of our depraved

nature. It may be tracedalong the line of heathen and materialistic thought
from Epicurus to Herbert Spencerand Paul Janet. In its grosserform it
makes the quest for happiness the supreme thing for man. Its positive rule is,
"Enjoy yourself;" its negative, "Don'tget hurt." You cannot make men of
breadth and stature on that basis. The view dwarfs and deadens humanity.
The antagonistic view of Christianity finds the supreme end of human conduct
and activity in connectionwith God. Virtue is righteousness,conformity to the
law of the moral Governor. And yet, is it not true that, as we throw away
Christ's standard of manhood — character— we also castaside His theory of
the supreme rule of human conduct? Nay, does not the fact that we have
repudiated that rule accountfor our presentview of character? Does netthe
average man oftener ask the question, Will this make me comfortable? Will
this secure my happiness? or, Will this increase my fortune? or, Will this
enlarge my knowledge orculture? than the question, Is this right? It is this
selfish, so called morality that has brought the degradationof character, the
generalcorruption.
III. The Christian theory is unique and contrary to the popular theory IN
THE LAW WHICH IT PROPOSES FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF THE
HIGHEST SUCCESS IN HUMAN LIFE — the law of self-sacrifice. Manis
born into the world the most helpless of animals, and, what is more, the most
selfishof all animals. The problem of human life, for the parent, human and
divine, is how to develop the generous manhoodand womanhood out of this
intensestof all animalism. Just here it is that man is most fearfully made. He
can only gain by renouncing. He seeks forhimself and his own selfishaims
only, at the peril of ,missing all. The law of the gospelis, "Seekfirst the
kingdom of God and His righteousness," etc. Seekotherthings first, and you
lose them all. "He that losethhis life shall find it," etc. If the wretchedand
unsuccessfulman will look into his heart he will find that he is breaking this
greatlaw of life, and is suffering for his breach of it. He is making too much of
self, possessions,success, andis thereby forfeiting the very things he desires
most. The human disappointment and unrest will continue with the resultant
envy and strife until Christ's law of self-sacrificeis accepted. With the mind
that was in Christ Jesus, we shall find the true solution of the dark problem
that has led so many into pessimism.

IV. The Christian theory is unique in THE KIND OF LIFE THAT IT
PROPOSES TO MAN FOR THE SATISFACTION OF HIS ACTIVE
NATURE: a life devoted to the glory of God in redemption. This was the
supreme thing in the life of Christ. For this He obeyed, suffered, and died. On
the ground of this God has highly exalted Him. And so in the gospelview, the
work for which man is in the world. We have had our popular theories of
moral reform without Christ; but if anything has been demonstrated by
human history, the only universal and effective method of such reform is that
which starts out from Christ and His gospel. When, and only when, you make
the drunkard a real Christian, you make sure that he will be a temperate
man. We have had our popular theories of educationwithout Christ, but
nothing now seems more certain than that they practicallyend in corruption
and crime. We devote our powers with tremendous energy to the production
and acquisition of wealthand the advancementof material civilization, with
the inevitable result of overproduction and periodical depression, in which
much of the fancied gain disappears. If one half the energy were expended in
the higher line of gospeleffort we might have steadyincrease ofsolid wealth
with permanent prosperity, and all this in a world of constantlyincreasing
purity and peace. Living on such principles our souls might grow as rapidly as
our fortunes, instead of being blighted and dwarfed by covetousness.
(Pres. D. S. Gregory.)
Paul's method of exhortation
C. S. Robinson, D. D.
Just as some orator, skilfully addressing a company of soldiers on the eve of
battle, begins with admonition and ends with a picture; just as he would
appeal to their manhood, their consistency, their honour, and their courage,
as he would play upon their fear of disgrace and their contempt of
poltroonery; just as he would follow up eachmotive with anotherand a more
elevatedone, until, at the last, he would invoke their patriotism and their love
for their leader, alike and together, by unfurling the national ensignand
showing them how he had causedto be painted across the folds the likeness of

the face they knew; so here the apostle seeks to arouse Christian enthusiasm
by quickly exhibiting the very image of the Captain of our salvation, and
bidding us follow Him alone.
(C. S. Robinson, D. D.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
[4.The Doctrine of the GreatHumility of Christ (Philippians 2:5-11).
(1) THE VOLUNTARY HUMILIATION OF THE LORD, first in His
incarnation, next in His passion(Philippians 2:5-8).
(2) THE CORRESPONDING EXALTATION OF HIS HUMANITY, to bear
“the Name above every name,” which all creationmust adore (Philippians
2:9-11).]
(5-8) From a practicalintroduction, in the familiar exhortation to follow the
example of our Lord, St. Paul passes onto what is, perhaps, the most complete
and formal statement in all his Epistles of the doctrine of His “great
humility.” In this he marks out, first, the Incarnation, in which, “being in the
form of God, He took on Him the form of a servant,” assuming a sinless but
finite humanity; and next, the Passion, whichwas made needful by the sins of
men, and in which His human nature was humiliated to the shame and agony
of the cross. Inseparable in themselves, these two greatacts of His self-
sacrificing love must be distinguished. Ancient speculationdelighted to
suggestthat the first might have been, even if humanity had remained sinless,
while the secondwas added because ofthe fall and its consequences. Such
speculations are, indeed, thoroughly precarious and unsubstantial—for we
cannot ask whatmight have been in a different dispensation from our own;
and, moreover, we read of our Lord as “the Lamb slain from the foundation

Jesus was a man of sound mind

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to Jesus was a man of sound mind

Similar to Jesus was a man of sound mind (20)

More from GLENN PEASE

More from GLENN PEASE (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Jesus was a man of sound mind