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KEY TEXT: Philippians 2:5 (KJV) – ^“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

We need to have a similar mind to Jesus. Our minds were at a higher level when God created us in His image than they are now. However, after sin, our minds became abased. As we continue in sin, our minds are brought lower and lower. When we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, our minds get lifted higher to meet the mind of the Creator.

“Man was to bear God’s image, both in outward resemblance and in character. Christ alone is “the express image” of the Father; but man was formed in the likeness of God. His nature was in harmony with the will of God. His mind was capable of comprehending divine things. His affections were pure; his appetites and passions were under the control of reason. He was holy and happy in bearing the image of God, and in perfect obedience to His will.” – With God at Dawn, Page 342, Ellen G. White.

The question is, how is the mind of Jesus? We cannot fully grasp the mind of Jesus because He is God. However, we can know some characteristics about His mind from the Bible.

What are some of those characteristics?

Jesus Has A Purpose-Driven Mind

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) – “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Isaiah 46:10 (KJV) -“Declaring the end from the beginning.” God always has a vision. He knows the end from the beginning. The plan of salvation was executed immediately after Adam and Eve sinned. What happened on the cross was prophesied about 4,000 years earlier when God said in Genesis 3:15 (KJV) – ^“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”

“The Lord then passed a sentence upon the serpent: “Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.” Since it had been employed as Satan’s medium, the serpent was to share the visitation of divine judgment. From the most beautiful and admired of the creatures of the field, it was to become the most grovelling and detested of them all, feared and hated by both man and beast. The words next addressed to the serpent applied directly to Satan himself, pointing forward to his ultimate defeat and destruction: “I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” – Patriarchs and Prophets, Page 58.2, Ellen G. White.

Jesus creates everything with a purpose in mind. Genesis 1:14 (KJV) – “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years.” When God created the heavenly bodies such as the sun, moon and stars, the purpose was to differentiate between various seasons, days, months and years. The earth rotates on its own axis every twenty-four hours to form a day. Moons distinguish months. The earth goes around the sun in its orbit in 365 to 366 days to form one year.

Jeremiah 1:5 (KJV) – “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”Before God created Jeremiah, He had a purpose for him, and the purpose was for Jeremiah to be a prophet to the nations. Before God creates anybody or anything, He has a specific purpose for that person or thing. Many people don’t know their purpose in life because they barely commune with God. Interact with God, and He will show you your life’s purpose.

Jesus Has a Selfless Mind

John 3:16 (KJV) – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Jesus was ready to lose His own life completely to save humanity. He died on the cross a very painful death because of our sins.

2 Corinthians 8:9 (KJV) – “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.”

Jesus has infinite wealth. He owns the whole universe and has the power to create more. However, Christ came to this earth as a poor person so we can be rich like Him. “Christ was treated as we deserve, that we might be treated as He deserves. He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, that we might be justified by His righteousness, in which we had no share. He suffered the death which was ours, that we might receive the life which was His. “With His stripes, we are healed.”- Desire of Ages, Page 25.2, Ellen G. White.

Jesus Has a Humble Mind

Philippians 2:5-8 (KJV) – “⁵ Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. ⁷ But made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: ⁸ And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”

God created man from the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7). Genesis 3:19 (KJV) – “For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Jesus is God and the Creator of everything including human beings (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16-17, Hebrews 1:8-10). From the highest state of being God, He reduced Himself to dust. From an immortal state, He lowered Himself to a mortal state. From a state of great wealth (Psalm 24:1), He humbled Himself to be among the poorest. He was extremely poor that He was not even born in the poor neighborhoods. Instead, He was born among animals.

Matthew 8:20 (KJV) – “And Jesus saith unto him, the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head.”

If Jesus had come as a king or a rich person, it would still be too low for Him because He is the one who created all kings and all rich men and gave them power and wealth. However, He did not come as a high and noble human. Instead, He came as a peasant. Most poor people desire to be rich, and most rich people guard their wealth with all their might and do not for a single moment desire to be poor. Jesus owns the whole universe, but He deliberately chose to be poor so that we may be rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).

Jesus Always Served Others

Jesus performed numerous miracles in the Bible to bless others. He could save Himself from the painful death on the cross because He raised Himself from death on the third day after He died. However, He did not do this. Instead, He endured death on the cross. Even when Peter cut the ear of the guard with a sword to defend Jesus, Jesus returned that ear (Luke 22:49-51). While suffering on the cross, He still cared for His mother and His disciple John (John 19:25-29). After they tortured and mocked Him, He could still say, “Forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).

Jesus Was Teachable

Jesus constantly went to the temple to learn. When He was 12, He went to the temple to learn from the teachers of the law (Luke 2:41-49). Jesus was learning from people who were below Him. The teachers of the law were studying the law which Jesus wrote. It is highly uncommon to see such happening in this world. Many adults consider themselves highly knowledgeable and cannot learn from their younger counterparts. Many teachers are not willing to learn from their students. Numerous people listen to respond or correct mistakes rather than genuinely learn. Jesus was very different. He was teachable.

You might be doing everything right but neglecting the seventh day Sabbath. God is urging you to soften your heart and be teachable.

Jesus Always Submitted to the Will of God

Luke 22:42 (KJV) – “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: Nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done.” John 12:49 (KJV) – ”For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father which sent Me, He gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” Jesus never sought His will. He always sought God’s will.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV) – “⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. ⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”

God’s Word compels us to have the same mind as Jesus. What are the results of having such a mind?

Philippians 2:9-11 (KJV) – “⁹ Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name: ¹⁰ That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; ¹¹ And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Isaiah 58:13-14 (KJ21) – “¹³ If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words, ¹⁴ then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”

When you keep the Sabbath, when you fully submit to God’s Will/Word, He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6). He will give you the blessings He has mentioned in Isaiah 58:14.

GOD BLESS YOU!

SHARE WIDELY, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, STUDY THE BIBLE ON YOU

Prayer

Dear God, I thank You for Your Word. I thank You that it is Your will for me to have a mind like Jesus Christ. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and let the mind of Jesus be in me. Help me to have a purpose-driven mind, a selfless mind, a humble mind, a mind that is always willing to serve, a teachable mind and a mind that is always submitted to Your will. In Jesus name, Amen.

Activity

Set aside 10 quiet minutes today for personal reflection.

Read Philippians 2:5-8 slowly and prayerfully.

Choose one of the following Christlike traits to focus on today:

• Purpose-driven mindset
• Selflessness
• Humility
• Servanthood
• Teachable spirit
• Submission to God’s will

Write down one simple action you can take today to practice that trait.

• Example: If you choose selflessness, do one kind act for someone without expecting anything in return.

Pray and ask God to help you think more like Jesus in that specific area.

Repeat this activity daily with a different trait each day for one week.

Share this message with someone.

Author: Mark Alex   

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