"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself to be of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men; and, being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Phil. 2:5-8 KJV
See also how JB Phillips expressed it including verses 9-11: Let Christ himself be your example as to what your attitude should be. For he, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his prerogatives as God's equal, but stripped himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as mortal man. And, having become man, he humbled himself by living a life of utter obedience, even to the extent of dying, and the death he died was the death of a common criminal. That is why God has now lifted him so high, and has given him the name beyond all names, so that at the name of Jesus "every knee shall bow", whether in Heaven or earth or under the earth. And that is why, in the end, "every tongue shall confess" that Jesus Christ" is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
.Here Paul speaks of the kind of mind we are to have as Christians. He speaks of a mind that is lowly and humble and is the real thing, not an imitation.
We are often admonished to imitate Christ. But that is not what the Christian life is all about. The Christian life is not an imitation of Christ, it is the impartation of the life of Christ into the life of a believer. Just as we have no righteousness of our own, rather the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us.
Want a Deeper Fellowship with God? "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..."
See also how JB Phillips expressed it including verses 9-11: Let Christ himself be your example as to what your attitude should be. For he, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his prerogatives as God's equal, but stripped himself of all privilege by consenting to be a slave by nature and being born as mortal man. And, having become man, he humbled himself by living a life of utter obedience, even to the extent of dying, and the death he died was the death of a common criminal. That is why God has now lifted him so high, and has given him the name beyond all names, so that at the name of Jesus "every knee shall bow", whether in Heaven or earth or under the earth. And that is why, in the end, "every tongue shall confess" that Jesus Christ" is the Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
.Here Paul speaks of the kind of mind we are to have as Christians. He speaks of a mind that is lowly and humble and is the real thing, not an imitation.
We are often admonished to imitate Christ. But that is not what the Christian life is all about. The Christian life is not an imitation of Christ, it is the impartation of the life of Christ into the life of a believer. Just as we have no righteousness of our own, rather the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us.
Want a Deeper Fellowship with God? "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..."
