Philippians 2:5-11 “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, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Text Luke 22:42 “not my will, but thine, be done.”
In his letter to the saints at Philippi, Paul tells us that we are to possess the same mental and spiritual disposition toward the will of God as the Lord Jesus Christ. If there was one key element to that mind set, it would be submission. Our Lord said, “for I do always those things that please him” (John 8:29). When Paul said that our Lord became “obedient”, the word means attentively listening, by implication, submissive. While submission is a necessary subject, it is one of the most neglected subjects in most of our lives. We are by nature rebels at heart!
Submission takes on a new light when you consider that it is man’s offense in the garden, man’s opportunity in the gospel, and man’s occupation in glory. In the garden, man became a sinner (see Genesis 2:16-17), in the gospel, man can become a saint (see Romans 10:8-10), and in glory, man will be a servant (see Revelation 22:3); all revolving around the matter of submission.
The question that must be answered is, “How does one obtain this mind of submission?” The question is easily answered, but hard to apply. Like Jesus, we are in possession of the mind of submission when we say “Yes to the Cross!” Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Speaking unto His disciples, Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23).
Whether it’s man’s creation or consummation, or anything in between; submission is a prerequisite to spiritual and social prosperity! If we are going to possess the same mental and spiritual disposition toward God’s will as our Lord, we must have “The Mind of Submission.”