The title for this morning is Imitating Jesus in Mindset and in Action. Having heard the passage read, you may feel that it already explains itself clearly enough, and in many ways it does. Yet there is still value in pausing over it, allowing its words to settle in our minds, and asking what they mean for us as followers of Christ.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians is one of his prison letters, written while he was in Rome. He knew this church well. He had visited Philippi during his second missionary journey, as recorded in Acts, and now he writes to a community that has grown and become established. It is no longer a brand-new gathering of believers; it has elders and deacons, structure and responsibility, and Paul writes to encourage them in their faith.
He also writes to thank them for the financial gift they have sent to support him during his imprisonment. But this letter is more than a thank-you note. It is a deeply joyful and triumphant letter, even though it comes from a man in chains. One of its key verses is Paul’s statement, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” That sentence captures the centre of his life. Whether he lives or dies, everything is about Christ.
In prison, Paul has time to reflect on his life and his future. He does not know exactly what will happen next, but he is certain of this: Christ is his life. To go on living means living for Christ, and to die would mean being with Christ. It is a remarkable attitude, and one that challenges us. It would be a wonderful thing if we could learn to say the same with sincerity: that to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Although Paul is a prisoner under the Roman Empire, his letter is full of joy. Again and again he uses words such as “joy” and “rejoice”. His circumstances are difficult, but his spirit is not defeated. He shows us that Christian joy is not dependent on comfort or ease. It flows from belonging to Christ and from having the mind of Christ formed within us.
One of Paul’s main concerns is that believers should live in a way that is worthy of the gospel. That must be true whether Paul is present with them or absent from them. Christian conduct is not something we put on for Sundays and take off again on Monday morning. It is to shape the whole of life: our conversations, our attitudes, our homes, our workplaces, and our relationships throughout the week.
Paul speaks like a father who longs for his children to live well. He wants the church to stand firm in one spirit. He wants them to stand together, strive together, and stand up for the gospel. That remains a challenge for us. We are called not simply to believe privately, but to live publicly and faithfully as people shaped by the good news of Jesus Christ.
The word translated “striving” has the feel of effort, commitment, and wholehearted engagement. We might think of a team on a football pitch, giving everything, leaving nothing unused, pouring out energy for a common goal. Paul is saying that the gospel deserves that kind of commitment. We are to give ourselves fully to the work of Christ.
When believers share this attitude and work together in unity, there is great strength. Oneness of purpose, oneness of spirit, and oneness of attitude allow the gospel to move forward with power. But Paul also warns that standing for the gospel will often bring opposition. He does not want believers to be frightened or intimidated by that. Opposition does not necessarily mean failure; sometimes it shows that the gospel is being taken seriously.
Fear can scatter us. Intimidation can weaken our unity. Paul wants the church to remain together even when pressure comes. He reminds them that it has been granted to them not only to believe in Christ, but also to suffer for him. Suffering is not an optional extra in Christian discipleship. It is part of what it means to follow Jesus in a world that does not always welcome his way.
That suffering may take many forms. It may be persecution, hardship, emotional struggle, mental strain, or physical difficulty. In the middle of suffering, it is not always easy to count it joy. Yet Scripture calls us to hold fast, to cling to the goodness of God, and to continue trusting him when life is hard. Testing reveals where we stand, and it teaches us to depend on God more deeply.
So what does it mean to imitate Jesus in mind and in action? Paul answers by turning our eyes to Christ himself. We come to the passage often called the kenosis passage, where we see the willingness of God the Son to humble himself, to empty himself of privilege, and to become obedient to the will of the Father for our salvation.
The J. B. Phillips rendering captures the force of the passage beautifully. Christ, who was always God by nature, did not cling to his divine privileges. He laid them aside, took the nature of a slave, became truly human, and humbled himself in complete obedience, even to death on a cross. Because of that, God exalted him and gave him the name above every name, so that every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Paul says that this mind is to be in us. It is personal. We must each allow our thinking to be shaped by Christ. Jesus made himself nothing. He took the role of a slave. He humbled himself. He became obedient to death. These are not small things. They ask much of us. If we are to live with the mind of Christ, we cannot think more highly of ourselves than we ought.
Humility does not mean becoming a doormat. It does not mean pretending we have no value. It means refusing selfish ambition and choosing to lift others up. It means being willing to serve, not merely when service is convenient, but because we belong to Christ. A servant may have choices; a slave gives himself wholly to the will of another. That is the picture Paul uses, and it presses us to ask whether we are truly willing to obey God.
Are we prepared to humble ourselves? Moses was described as meek, and Scripture reminds us that God resists the proud but exalts the humble. If we are to have the mind of Christ, humility is essential. Are we also prepared to become obedient unto death? For Jesus, that meant physical death on a cross. For us, it means taking up our cross daily and dying to self.
Paul says in Galatians that he has been crucified with Christ, and yet he lives. The life he now lives is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved him and gave himself for him. This is not simply about physical death. It is about death to self-interest, self-rule, and self-serving desire. It is about allowing Christ’s life to be seen in us more clearly.
Romans 6 tells us to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. That does not mean we become perfect. John reminds us that if anyone claims to be without sin, they deceive themselves. We still stumble, and we still need grace. But we are called to live as those who are dying to sin and becoming alive to God, so that Christ may be more visible in our lives.
So if we are to have the mind of Christ, we must be ready to humble ourselves, to serve, to take up the cross, and to allow our old self-centred patterns to be put to death. Paul points out that in Philippians 2 there are steps in Christ’s humiliation and steps in the Father’s exaltation of him. Jesus laid himself down willingly, and the Father lifted him up gloriously.
But this mindset must not remain private. It must be lived out. It is not enough to think noble thoughts about humility while remaining isolated from others. The life of Christ within us must become visible in our actions. God works in us, but we are called to respond. He gives life, direction, and power, but we must take the brake off, engage the gears, and begin to move in obedience.
This is what Paul means when he speaks of working out our salvation with fear and trembling. We do not earn salvation, but we live out what God has placed within us. If our mindset is shaped by Christ, then our behaviour will change. We will learn to do things without grumbling, arguing, or complaining. That may sound simple, but many of us know how difficult it can be in ordinary daily life.
A Christlike mindset creates unity. It enables us to live as one people, with one spirit and one purpose. It teaches us to love with the same love, to value one another, and to seek the good of others rather than protecting our own importance. Instead of selfish ambition, we learn humble service. Instead of rivalry, we learn encouragement. Instead of pushing ourselves forward, we help others to flourish.
Paul ends with the image of a drink offering poured out on a sacrifice. In the Old Testament, the drink offering was poured over the sacrifice and then disappeared into it. It was no longer seen, yet it added something. Paul sees himself in that way. The Philippians are the sacrifice, and he is willing to be poured out for their sake, without needing recognition or applause. It is enough that God sees.
That leaves us with a question. Is this the kind of influence we want to have on one another? Are we willing to add flavour, to strengthen, encourage, and enhance the lives of others, even if we are not noticed? When we live in unity, with the mind of Christ shaping both our thoughts and actions, great things become possible, and God is glorified among his people.