stephen R Harrison

(Read Philippians 2:5)

I’ll never forget the day I surrendered my life to Christ. I was seven, and after a week of hearing the gospel at church camp, I listened to my pastor preach Sunday on John 3:16, and it was like a light bulb went off not just over my head but in my soul. I understood my lost condition as a sinner and my need to be saved from my sin. I placed my faith in Christ that day. I remember Pastor John saying, “Now you need to grow in Christ with other believers in the church and learn to live in God’s will for your new life in Christ.” The gospel wasn’t a message I believed in the moment of salvation and then tossed to the side. It was the foundation for all my new life unto eternity. My outlook (or mindset/attitude) on life was rooted in the gospel.  

The next three devotions deal with one of the key passages in Scripture concerning Christ’s incarnation, deity, and crucifixion. Paul began Philippians 2:5-11, a hymn, by asking the Philippians to embrace some of the most foundational doctrines of the Bible as their basis for Christian community as the church he had described in verses 1-4.  Paul says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (v. 5) before describing Jesus, who was equally God with the Father (v. 6), fully human, yet God (v. 7), and the suffering servant and Savior on the cross (v. 8). What Paul is saying is our attitude or mindset towards other believers and everything in life should be based on the very thing that makes us believers – the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Philippians 2:5-11 reveals a compassionate, serving, generous, and humble Jesus. This is how we should now act, talk, and think as followers of Christ. But Jesus’ example here is not just for us to be more kind and generous for our purposes in our relationships. They aren’t our relationships – they are His! His selfless sacrifice wasn’t a self-help model for improving our relationships for our benefit. It was a perfect example of how relationships with His children are for His pleasure and purpose. Paul shows us how Jesus’ life and ministry serve as the foundation and substance of church community. It’s the why and how of our existence! We are saved and brought into this community of faith to be partners in the gospel of Jesus and the advancement of God’s glory. Our attitudes (mindset, outlook, perspective, vision, etc.) about being part of the church and every other part of life must be the same as Christ.

Questions for the Head (Think)

• Do you have the same mindset about church and all aspects of life as Christ does in Philippians 2:5-11?

Reflection for the Heart (Worship)

• Ask the Lord to show you how to live out His gospel example and mindset as the church.

Action for the Hands (Do)

• If adjustments need to be made in how you view your church community, allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the steps to live by His mindset/attitude.