Being In Your Right Mind

Being in Your Right Mind
Philippians 2:5-11


Sometimes, as we get older, the mind does not always work as it did in the past. It starts by walking into a room and not knowing why you are there! Then, you cannot remember someone's name, which seems typical of most people until we realize it was our spouse!

In Scripture, being in your right mind relates to the mentality of Jesus Christ in His incarnation. What the Lord displayed in His disposition toward His Father evidenced itself in His relationship with people. A right attitude toward the Lord displays itself in right responses toward men. Our purpose is to consider the Lord Jesus' attitude and apply the exhortation, "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus."

The Philippian church had a division problem. Chapter two looks at the need for an "others" mentality to foster unity. At the very foundation of this mentality is the person of Christ. He exemplified the attitude of a servant, and is one of four illustrations Paul uses to encourage this mentality in the Philippians.

The phrase, "Have this attitude in yourselves...," means "have a sentiment or opinion, to be mentally disposed, or to exercise the mind." The exhortation calls believers to have the same opinion, sentiment, or mental disposition as Christ. This does not mean IQ, but perspective or attitude. Within the thinking of our Lord were certain processes rooted in a mind-set outlined for us in the verses which follow in this passage.

One may think, "How can I have the same mindset as the Son of God? He was sinless and I have selfishness built into my system." All that Christ did in these verses related to His humanity and, therefore, He set the stage for us to embrace His mind-set.

As we move through these verses, we will address the theological implications, but that is not the main point of the passage. Paul does not pen the words under the inspiration of the Spirit to present proof texts for the deity or humanity of Christ as his purpose. Instead the purpose declares the mentality of Christ for the intention of encouraging believers to look on the needs of others. Theses verses present four characteristics of Jesus' mentality.

I. THE MENTALITY OF SELFLESSNESS v. 6-7a

Verse six establishes the deity of Christ in these words, "...Who although He existed in the form of God...." The word "existed" is a present-tense participle. Literally, it could read "He exists...." Nothing in the language suggests that Jesus ceased being God. The next word, "form" has nothing to do with shape or outward appearance. Vincent defines it as a word which "...denotes that expression of being which carries in itself the distinctive nature and character of the being to whom it pertains, and is thus permanently identified with that nature and character." Wuest adds, "Form refers to that outward expression which a person gives of his inmost nature." In other words, Jesus possessed the very nature of God for He was and is God.

The next phrase, "...did not regard equality with God a thing to grasped...," begins to formulate the selfless mentality of Christ. The term "did not regard" is the same word used in verse 3. It means "have the rule over, to think, or judge." The idea of equality with God, according to Wuest, speaks of equality of expression, not possession. Because of no article with God, then it refers to deity. The idea is that this does not refer to equality with the other members of the Godhead. Jesus did not think of this equality "a thing to be grasped." The meaning of this phrase: "a prize to be held; or as Wuest puts it, "A treasure to be clutched and retained at all hazards." Jesus held onto the expression of deity as a treasure or prize.

Verse 7a establishes the truth that Jesus "emptied Himself." Because of the present-tense of "existed" in verse 6 Jesus never emptied Himself of deity, as the Modernist declare wrongly. Our Lord emptied Himself of that which He held as a prize - the expression of deity. Wuest states, "He set aside the outward expression of His deity when expressing Himself as a bondslave....He was setting aside His legitimate and natural desires and prerogatives as Deity." Along with this thought is the idea that Christ set aside "self." Perhaps the clearest passages showing this are found in John 5:19; 8:31; 12:50-51 and 14:8-10. The demonstration of this truth occurs in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus asked the Father to remove the cup, but gave up His will for that of the Father.

This sets the tone for all else in these verses. If unity prevails, it is because believers "empty themselves." We must come to the place of giving up our so-called rights, wants, and even our needs.

II THE MENTALITY OF SERVITUDE v. 7

Jesus "taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men," shows the attitude which He embraced as He emptied Himself. Christ opened His hand to the privileges of expressing His deity and took, with that open hand, the form of a bondservant. So, in one sense Jesus gave up expressing the "form" of His deity, so that He could take the "form" (same word) of a servant. The term used for "bondservant" speaks of a menial slave. The expression of His service is "being made in the likeness of men."

His service started not with man, but with God. Jesus, throughout the gospel of John, declares that He came to do the will of the Father (John 5:30). Before one can serve man, he must become a servant of God. Jesus belonged to the Father as His bondservant and did only the things which the Father told Him to do. The Father would never command His servant to insult people, abuse them, or selfishly promote Himself over others. Service begins with selflessness.

III. THE MENTALITY OF SUBMISSION v. 8

"Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death...." The word "appearance," according to Wuest, "...referred to that which is purely outward and appeals to the senses." Our Lord could be seen, touched, and heard by the physical senses. The word "found" speaks of "perception or sight." In His humanity Jesus humbled Himself. The idea here is that of Jesus humbling Himself, as the Son of Man, to the cross. That self-humbling flowed from His heart as a servant to submit to His Father. Because He submitted to the Father, He submitted to man.


True spirituality comes, not in forcing one's self into leadership, but submitting. Those who submit to others as servants are recognized as leaders. The outcome of being filled with the Spirit is submitting to one another in the fear of Christ (Eph. 5:18, 21). The Philippian church needed people who not only were selfless and servants, but who submitted to others.

IV. THE MENTALITY OF SACRIFICE v. 8

"He humbled Himself...to the point of death, even death on a cross." How much does a person give and give before they say, "Enough! I am tired of being a doormat?" Jesus gave to others continually for three and half years. He did not stop when faced with total rejection. He gave Himself for us. The sacrifice of His service shows itself here.

We must be willing to be a doormat, if that is what God wants. Does that mean we live in a physically abusive situation? No, but today much has been written in the name of "Christian boundaries", which is nothing more than a selfish way to not deal with someone who is impossible to love. If everyone had the attitude of sacrificial love for one another, harmony would reign in churches and families.

We must come to the place of emptying self, or letting go of rights, self-will, our plans, or our wants. In giving up on self, we can truly submit and serve others.

Dr. Jay Jackson