Philippians 3

The mind of Christ is the answer for the church. If we are to do what the Lord tells us to with anything resembling a full and willing heart, we need spiritual resources of awakening and real growth that can only come from on high. We know from the Word of Christ and from the pattern of His life that following in the way of His mind will involve suffering. One aspect of the mind of Christ is the humble willingness to be low so that someone else might be blessed. Yet there is another important component to following Christ that Paul has already mentioned, but which is more fully developed in the remainder of this letter. The person who thinks like Jesus will not only be a man of sorrows, he will also rejoice in the Lord. This combination of grief and joy does not insist that we always dance, but it does call for a serene trust in Almighty God under challenging providences, such as the imprisonment of this apostle.

The rejoicing that is a part of genuine Christian optimism is not blissful ignorance, or happy denial, but truly a realism that is informed by an overwhelming and secure hope. Though grief and joy do exist together, joy that is based on the eternal purpose of God will eventually get the upper hand over trials and discipline that we face from our heavenly Father. Our rejoicing is in the Lord, and His purposes shall surely be accomplished. To ignore our reason for joy is unsafe for the Christian, but to contemplate the Lord’s promises gives us a present security that can help us through many difficulties.

This optimism or hope-based realism is not an uncritical acceptance of everyone and everything. The Christian mind is a discerning mind. There are those who want to muddy the gospel with old ceremonial regulations that have no power to bring this kind of joy. Some divisions within the church are necessary and some evil ideas need to be confronted. A return to the Old Testament ceremonial ways of circumcision is not the mind of Christ for His worldwide church, and it must be conclusively rejected.

Paul understands the mind of a Pharisee. He has impeccable credentials for that society. He knows what it is to be puffed up with law-keeping as a badge of personal righteousness. The problem is that such righteousness cannot save anyone. The real mark of acceptance by God is not the Old Covenant sacrament of circumcision, but faith in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and the fruit of the New Covenant gift of the Holy Spirit.

Even in a church composed largely of Gentiles, disagreements concerning the ceremonial law might easily arise. There might be Gentiles who have made the decision to submit to circumcision through the encouragement of zealous Jews, and now those new Jewish converts and their families might consider themselves above the others in the church that have not submitted to circumcision. Paul knows all about these kinds of credentials, and he knows that they do not impress God. In fact, as Paul considers all of his proud accomplishments as a Pharisee, he knows them to be dung compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord. This is very understandable. The Son of God who saved us is far to be preferred to even the best ritual, but the ritual of circumcision is not the best ritual. It is past its expiration date, and needs to be thrown out as a badge of glory before it brings trouble into the church.

The righteousness that we do have is not our own, and it does not come from the ceremonial Law, but through faith in Christ. It is a righteousness from God, and not from men. It is the only righteousness that is consistent with heavenly rejoicing. With that perfect righteousness credited to us, it has become our privilege to suffer the loss of all things that our own supposed law-keeping might theoretically win for us, or that men could bestow upon us based on their kindness or admiration. It is now our glory to share in the sufferings of the body of Christ, and to be like Him in His lowliness.

Old Testament pilgrims were to visit the temple for certain feasts every year. They went up Mount Sinai singing the Songs of Ascents. We sing those songs now as those who live after the coming of the Redeemer. We are travelling as well, but we yearn for the heavenly Jerusalem. We stretch toward the day when heaven and earth are one, and we walk in the power of Jesus’ resurrection. We expect to reach a destination where we will see the fullness of the glory of God’s eternal purpose. If we have to become like the Lord in His death, we will do so, provided we can also be with Him in His resurrection. It is on this kind of journey that the gift of the joy of heaven will gain the upper hand over grief that yet remains with us as we mourn with those who mourn.

We are pilgrims and we are on our way to a land that we have not seen. We have the title to an estate there won for us by the Redeemer’s blood. This is why we press on. Even within the church there may be secret despisers of the cross of Christ, but we don’t want their mind in us. We want the mind of Christ. In this journey, we travel with others who have caught a glimpse, by faith, of the land that is preserved for us in Christ over the Jordan. This is the way of maturity, not through any ceremonial righteousness, but through heavenly-mindedness grounded in the cross of Christ. We are citizens of that good land, and we look for the glory that will come to us from the powerful King of Glory who abides there. This kind of thinking is sure to win the day against our own small-minded feuds. Any boasting in ceremonial badges of honor, on the other hand, completely lack this power, only puffing up the kind of pride in us that fuels the flame of useless quarrels, wounding the beloved host for whom Christ died.