Having the Same Mindset as Jesus: What does that really mean?

The passage from Philippians 2:5-8 invites us into a deeper understanding of our nature and identity by asking us to embrace the same mindset as Jesus. This isn’t just about humility or obedience; it’s a profound recognition of our divine essence and what it means to live as a human being fully aware of that truth. Jesus, though in the form of God, didn’t see equality with God as something to exploit. Instead, He emptied Himself, taking on the form of a servant, humbling Himself even to the point of death. This is more than a historical recount of Jesus’ life; it’s a template for understanding our own journey.

What if Jesus’ purpose wasn’t merely to save us from sin but to remind us of who we truly are? The Gospel of Truth speaks of humanity’s forgetfulness, the "emptying" that occurs when we enter this life. It’s as though in becoming human, we forget that we are divine. Jesus lived as the ultimate example, not to establish a unique claim on divinity but to awaken us to our shared divinity. He came as a man, fully immersed in human limitations, to demonstrate that even in mortality, divinity can shine through. He didn’t cling to His divine status, not because He lacked it, but because the true power of divinity is found in selflessness, love, and a willingness to give.

Many interpretations of Christianity focus on Jesus saving humanity from sin, but this view doesn’t fully capture the experience of the Gentiles who weren’t under the law. Sin, as it’s often understood, is a concept rooted in the law—missing the mark of a prescribed standard. But Gentiles were not burdened by that law. Their challenge wasn’t sin in the legalistic sense; it was mortality, the condition of being human and finite. Jesus’ message to the Gentiles wasn’t primarily about sin but about life—about awakening to the reality that the divine isn’t some far-off concept but something inherent in every human being.

When Jesus humbled Himself, even to death on a cross, it wasn’t an act of shame or defeat but an act of ultimate freedom. It was the bold declaration that even in the face of mortality, the divine remains untouched. His death was not just a sacrifice but an invitation for us to see that death, too, is part of the human experience and cannot diminish the divine essence within us.

The call to "let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" is a call to remember. It’s an invitation to reclaim the divine nature we have forgotten. Jesus didn’t live, die, and rise again to create a chasm between Himself and us. He came to show us that the very same Spirit that was in Him is also in us. Awakening to this truth isn’t arrogance; it’s liberation. It’s not robbery to realize that we are, in a sense, divine in the flesh. This is what it means to live fully alive, to embrace the image of God within and allow it to transform how we see ourselves and others.

What would it mean for us to truly adopt this mindset? It might begin with shedding the fear and shame that often accompany traditional views of salvation. Instead of seeing ourselves as inherently flawed, unworthy, or distant from God, we can begin to see ourselves as beloved, full of potential, and deeply connected to the divine. This shift isn’t about ignoring our humanity but embracing it as the very vessel through which the divine expresses itself.

Jesus’ message wasn’t one of exclusion or division. It wasn’t about establishing an elite group of saved individuals while condemning others. It was—and is—a message of unity, love, and awakening. It’s about helping us see that mortality isn’t a curse but a canvas for divinity. Through His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus demonstrated that we are more than we appear to be. The divine spark within us is not a distant hope; it’s a present reality. And when we live from that truth, we step into the fullness of who we were always meant to be.