Philippians 2:5-8 – Let This Mind Be in You Which Was in Christ Jesus | KJV
“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 of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant.”
— Philippians 2:5-7 KJVPhilippians 2:5-11 is one of the most theologically dense and practically powerful passages in all of Paul's letters. It moves from the heights of Christological doctrine — the eternal nature of the Son of God — to the depths of incarnational humility, and then summons the grace-age believer to adopt the same mental posture.
The instruction 'let this mind be in you' (verse 5) is not primarily a command to think specific thoughts but to adopt a particular orientation — a posture of voluntary self-giving for the benefit of others. The Greek phronéō (mind, attitude, orientation) connects back to verse 2, where Paul urges the Philippians to be 'like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.' The problem in Philippi was not doctrinal but relational — self-interest, competition, and strife (verses 3-4). The solution is not a set of behavioral rules but the adoption of Christ's own mindset.
Verses 6-7 describe Christ's mindset in the most comprehensive theological terms: 'Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation.' The Greek word for 'made himself of no reputation' is ekenōsen — He emptied Himself. Not emptied of His deity — He remained fully God throughout the incarnation — but emptied of the independent exercise of divine prerogatives, choosing instead to live as a servant in complete dependence on the Father. He who possessed everything chose the form of a servant. He who had every right chose the path of self-giving.
This passage has massive implications for the grace-age believer's relationships within the Body of Christ. If the eternal Son of God could lay aside His rights and take the form of a servant, how much more should the grace-age believer — who owes his very existence and salvation to grace — lay down his preferences, his rights, and his self-interest for the benefit of others? The mind of Christ is the antidote to every form of relational breakdown in the church — not through institutional authority structures but through the voluntary, love-motivated self-giving that characterized the incarnation.
Verses 9-11 complete the picture with the divine response to Christ's humility: 'Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.' Humility precedes exaltation in God's economy — always. This is not a bargaining principle but a revelation of how God works: the way down is the way up. The servant is exalted. The humble are lifted. The One who took the lowest place has been given the highest name. The grace-age believer who adopts this mind can trust the same divine principle.
Where has pride built a wall in a relationship — at home, at work, in the church? Apply the mind of Christ: consider the other person's interests above your own (verse 4). Choose the servant's position. Do not wait for acknowledgment before serving. The God who exalted the Son who humbled Himself will handle the exaltation in His time.
The mind of Christ — voluntary humility, willing service, others-centered love — is both the model and the means of Christian community in the grace age. Let this mind be in you. It will cost you something. It cost Him everything. And the God who exalted Him will not forget yours. Amen.
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