Lesson 7: Loving Like Jesus

By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Recognize the centrality of love in the life and ministry of Jesus.

(2) Understand that love for God involves relationship with God, knowledge of God’s Word, and trust in God’s will.

(3) Imitate Jesus’ love for people in ministry.

(4) Appreciate the importance of ongoing surrender to God.

(5) Show the character of Jesus in daily life.

Christlike love is the motivation for Christlike ministry.

Jesus’ entire life and ministry was motivated by love. Repeatedly, he showed that love for God and love for others was at the center of his life and ministry. If we follow Jesus’ example, love must be at the center of our life and ministry. Nowhere is this clearer than in the parable of the Good Samaritan.

► Read Luke 10:25-37.

Just before giving this parable, Jesus said that God had “hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children” (Luke 10:21). This teaches an important lesson about spiritual understanding. Understanding spiritual truth requires more than intellectual study; it requires spiritual revelation. God’s truth is simple enough for a child to understand with the help of God’s Spirit, but it is too profound for a scholar to understand with mental ability alone.

How can this be? Does God hide truth from those who desire it? The answer involves two principles.

1. Spiritual truth is revealed only through the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote that “no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” Because of this, we must be “taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual” (1 Corinthians 2:11, 13).
2. Spiritual truth is revealed only to receptive listeners. Paul continued, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

The parable of the sower shows that the attitude of the listener determines the fruitfulness of the seed (Matthew 13:1-23). Only those who are receptive to truth will understand the truth they hear.[1]

The lawyer in Luke 10:25 is a real-life illustration of this second principle. The lawyer’s question did not come from a hunger for truth, but from a desire to entrap Jesus; he wanted to put him to the test. After he heard Jesus’ answer, the lawyer’s response was not the response of fruitful soil. Instead, he asked another question desiring to justify himself (Luke 10:29).

Jesus answered the question, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The answer was written in the Law, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).

This is the heart of Jesus’ example for us. To live and minister as Jesus did, we must love God and love our neighbor as Jesus loved. Without Christlike love, none of the other lessons in this course really matter. Prayer, leadership, teaching, and preaching—without love, none of it truly matters.

Perhaps this seems too simple. You might say, “Of course, we are supposed to love God and love people. I already know that!” But in the day-to-day burden of ministry, we can lose a heart of love. It is possible to serve our church members without loving them. It is possible to serve our families without loving them. It is possible to do Christian work without loving God. Our motivation for Christian ministry must be Christlike love.

[1] Note especially Matthew 13:12. The one who accepts truth receives more truth: “to the one who has, more will be given.” The one who rejects truth is blinded even to truth he has already heard: “from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”

Jesus’ service to mankind was motivated by his love for the Father. To avoid burnout and frustration in ministry, our service to people must be inspired by love for God. Ministry without love for God will soon become empty and barren of fruit.

Three aspects of Jesus’ love for the Father should serve as a model for us: relationship, knowledge, and trust.

Jesus Maintained an Intimate Relationship with His Father

Repeatedly, the Gospels show Jesus’ close relationship with his Father. This is seen in:

• Jesus’ statement to his parents, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49)
• Jesus’ intimate prayer of John 17.
• Jesus’ cry of anguish on the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus addressed God using the intimate language of a family, “Abba, Father” (Mark 14:36). This was the language of a Son who was secure in his relationship with his Father.

Traditional Jewish prayers used many names for God: God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; God of our Fathers; Blessed One; Mighty One; Redeemer of Israel. Jesus used the intimate name Abba. Jesus lived in intimate relationship with his Father.

Kenneth E. Bailey spent many years teaching in the Middle East. He writes that abba is the first word children in the Middle East learn. Abba is the name a child uses for his father.

Paul tells us that as God’s children, we too have the privilege of crying, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6) We do not worship a God who remains distant. Instead, like Jesus we live securely and comfortably in our Father’s love.

As pastors, we may be tempted to measure ourselves by our ministry success. If our value comes from the size of our church, the approval of our congregation, or the recognition of our peers, we will be tempted to sacrifice integrity for success. We will be discouraged when our efforts fail. However, if we are confident that our Abba loves us regardless of our success, we can leave the results to him. His love does not depend on our performance.

Jesus Knew His Father’s Will

At the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus testified, “I have accomplished the work that you gave me to do” (John 17:4). Jesus knew what his Father sent him to accomplish, and he dedicated his life to accomplishing that mission.

In his humanity, Jesus learned the Father’s will through prayer and through the Word. Through prayer, Jesus found the will of the Father.

Jesus also learned the Father’s will through the Word. At Capernaum, Jesus summarized his mission as the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah (Luke 4:18-19). When he answered the messengers from John the Baptist, Jesus used the words of Isaiah as evidence for his messianic ministry (Matthew 11:4-5). Jesus knew the Word.

Throughout the New Testament, we find Christians referring to scripture in response to difficulties. Facing martyrdom, Stephen’s final sermon consisted primarily of Old Testament scriptures and their fulfillment in Jesus Christ (Acts 7:1-53). When the Jewish leaders ordered the Christians to quit proclaiming the message of Jesus, the church met together for prayer. Their prayer contains a long quotation from Psalm 2 (Acts 4:24-30, Psalm 2:1-2). The early believers knew the scriptures. It was their natural language for preaching and for prayer.[1]

Throughout church history, preachers who have changed the world have been men of the Word. Martin Luther testified at the Diet of Worms, “I am bound by the Scriptures and my conscience is captive to the Word of God.” John Wesley described himself as a “Man of One Book.” Charles Spurgeon said that preachers should feed on the Word until “the very essence of the Bible flows from you.” Hudson Taylor spent so much time in the Word that one writer wrote, “The Bible was the atmosphere in which Taylor lived.” These men changed their world because they preached the Word with authority.

If we are to minister like Jesus, the early Christians, and great preachers of history, we too must shape our attitudes and thinking with the Word of God. Scripture was the supreme authority for Paul’s ministry (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Jesus prayed that his disciples would be sanctified, or set apart, for service. This would be accomplished through the Word: “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). The Word made the disciples effective in ministry; the Word makes us effective in ministry.

Ajith Fernando has spent his life ministering in Sri Lanka. He writes that he has made a practice to never make any major statement in preaching without basing it on scripture. This keeps his preaching grounded on the Word. As Christians, we know God through his Word. As ministers, we build strong churches through a ministry grounded on God’s Word.

Jesus Trusted His Father

Jesus’ relationship with his Father during his earthly ministry can be summed up in the words of his prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). This is the language of absolute trust and submission.

It is difficult to yield completely to the will of someone we do not trust. We may be forced to yield outwardly, but our hearts resist surrendering control to a person we do not trust. Jesus yielded to the will of the Father because of his complete trust in the Father’s love and goodness.

► Read John 5:1-47.

Jesus’ entire ministry shows this attitude of absolute reliance on the Father. When the Jewish leaders opposed Jesus for healing a lame man on the Sabbath, he responded:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise…. I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me" (John 5:19, 30).

Jesus had already claimed to be divine: “My Father is working until now, and I am working” (John 5:17). But although he was fully divine, Jesus willingly submitted to the subordinate role of his earthly mission. He and the Father are equal, but he submitted to the Father’s will.

When the scribes and Pharisees opposed Jesus a few months later, he again defended his actions by pointing to the authority of his Father: “I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me” (John 8:28). Because he trusted fully the Father, Jesus could yield willingly to the Father’s will.

Church leadership requires a difficult balance. Many pastors and church leaders have strong leadership skills. As leaders, they have strong opinions and personalities. This can be a valuable strength for a leader. However, this strength must be balanced with willing submission to God. Unless we yield to God in trust, we will tend to force our own way instead of yielding to God’s way.

Perhaps the best biblical example is Moses. Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3). Moses was strong, but he was also meek. He faced Pharaoh, the most powerful man in Egypt. He led the stubborn people of Israel through the desert. Moses was a strong leader. But at the time, he was yielded to God. Effective church leadership requires that our natural strength be yielded to God. This is possible only as we walk with God in a life of faith and trust.

► Of these three aspects of love for the Father (relationship, knowledge of his Word, and yielding based on trust) which is the greatest challenge for you personally?

[1]“Never let good books take the place of the Bible. Drink from the well!”
- Amy Carmichael

False cults such as Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses, as well as non-Christian religions such as Islam deny that Jesus was truly God. They will recognize Jesus as a great teacher or prophet, as the first created being, and even as Messiah. But they deny that he was truly God.[1]

The followers of these religions will often claim, “Jesus never claimed to be God. He said he was a son of God in the same way that each of us are sons of God.”

Did Jesus claim to be God? Yes. The people who heard Jesus understood his claims. When Jesus referred to God as “My Father,” the Jewish leaders tried to kill him. Why? “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18).

In one of Jesus’ clearest claims to be God, he said to the Jewish leaders, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). These were the words that God used to reveal himself to Moses at the burning bush: “Say this to the people of Israel: I AM has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). With these words, Jesus was claiming to be the God who appeared to Moses. The Jewish leaders knew exactly what Jesus meant by his words. In response, they picked up stones to kill him. This was the proper punishment for blasphemy—falsely claiming to be God (Leviticus 24:16).

At Jesus’ trial, Caiaphas asked, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus’ answer was definite: “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” With this answer, Jesus claimed to be the one who sits at the right hand of God and to be the Son of Man prophesied by Daniel who would come to judge the world (Psalm 110:1 and Daniel 7:13-14). Caiaphas knew that Jesus was claiming to be God. He tore his robes and said, “You have heard his blasphemy” (Mark 14:61-64).

You can refuse to believe Jesus’ claims, but you cannot read carefully through the Gospels without admitting that Jesus himself claimed to be the Son of God. His listeners heard his claims and were forced to either accept him as God or kill him as a false prophet and blasphemer.

[1] To study the teachings of these false religions, please study the Shepherds Global Classroom course, Faith Traditions of the World.

As Jesus was teaching, he often drew an audience of tax collectors and sinners. Not only did Jesus teach these people, he ate with them. When the Pharisees saw Jesus willingly eating with sinners, they began to criticize him. Jesus responded with three stories. When you read these stories, you should realize two important bits of background.

1. In Jesus’ day, to eat with a person meant that you were establishing a relationship.[1] When Jesus ate with sinners, it meant that he deliberately associated with them. Jesus showed that God does not wait for people to come to him; instead, God actively seeks those who are lost.
2. The Jewish people of Jesus’ day expected a righteous person to avoid contact with sinful people. The rabbis taught that when Messiah came, he would avoid all association with the wicked and would eat only with the righteous.

► Read Luke 15:1-32.

This is one large parable in three parts: a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son.[3] In each case, the theme of the parable is the joy of the one who finds that which was lost. Jesus shows the joy in heaven when sinners are brought to repentance.

The rabbis had a popular proverb: “There is joy in heaven when a sinner is destroyed before God.” Jesus turned this around: “There is joy in heaven when a sinner repents.” What was the difference between Jesus and the other rabbis? Love. Jesus showed what it means to minister from a heart of love.

When we minister without love, status and position become more important than people. However, when we minister from a heart of love, we are willing to sacrifice status for the sake of the lost. Jesus was willing to suffer the criticism of religious leaders for the sake of showing love to those who most needed love.

► If we ask, “Would you show love to the Prodigal Son?” all of us would answer, “Yes.” We know the correct answer! Instead, ask, “Who was the prodigal who last came across my path? How did I show love to that person?”

Jesus Showed Love Through His Compassion for the Hurting

Reading the Gospels, have you noticed that sinners who ran away from other religious leaders ran towards Jesus? What caused sinners to seek Jesus’ presence?

It is not that Jesus ignored their sin; he demanded a higher standard of righteousness than any Pharisee (Matthew 5:20). Sinners ran to Jesus because he was a man of compassion. He did not excuse sin, but he felt compassion for the person who was captive to sin.

We see this in Jesus’ words to the woman caught in adultery. After her accusers left, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more” (John 8:11). Jesus did not excuse sin; he required this woman to abandon her life of sin. But he showed compassion rather than condemnation.

The Gospel of Luke gives special attention to Jesus’ compassion. Luke tells the story of Zacchaeus, a tax collector who would have been despised by other religious leaders. To the shock of onlookers, Jesus invited himself to be the guest of a man who was a sinner (Luke 19:7).

► Read Luke 5:12-16.

In reporting this healing, Luke gives a detail that would have shocked the crowd. Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. No one in the ancient world touched a leper! It was dangerous medically because of the possibility of contagion. And for a Jew, it caused a person to become ceremonially unclean.

Why did Jesus touch this leper? He felt compassion.[4] “Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him” (Mark 1:41). This leper needed physical healing, but he also needed emotional healing. Lepers were required to stay away from other people. After contracting leprosy, this man had not felt the touch of another human. Jesus could have healed the disease without touching this disfigured man, but he knew the leper needed the touch of another person. Jesus felt compassion.

If we want to minister like Jesus, we must have hearts of compassion like Jesus. When sinful people looked in Jesus’ eyes, they saw loving compassion. When sinful people look in your eyes, what do they see?

Jesus Showed Love Through His Service to the Needy

It is easy to say, “I feel pity for the needy;” it is more difficult to serve their needs. Jesus showed love by serving the needs of those around him. Jesus’ entire ministry was one of service. Paul wrote that Jesus emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2:7). Jesus told his disciples, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

Jesus’ miracles show his service to others. The miracles were signs of his messianic mission, but they were also a means of meeting human need. Sometimes the miracles were done for only a small number of people. Sometimes they benefited people with no power or influence. Sometimes his miracles (on the Sabbath) brought him further rejection.

Jesus did not perform miracles to win favor with the powerful; he performed miracles to serve the needy. Scripture records two times that Jesus refused to do miracles. The Pharisees argued with him, “seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him” (Mark 8:11). Jesus refused to give a sign. Then at Jesus’ trial, Herod was hoping to see some sign done by him (Luke 23:8). Jesus refused even to answer Herod. Jesus would not do miracles on demand or for the sake of impressing a skeptical audience.

Although Jesus refused to perform a miracle for Herod Antipas, he healed a fisherman’s mother-in-law, lepers, blind beggars, and demoniacs who could never do anything to repay him. He fed 5,000, who would show their lack of gratitude by forsaking him and he healed the servant of the high priest who had come to arrest him. Jesus served the needy through his miracles.

As pastors and church leaders, it is easy to rationalize our decision to help those who can help us. When we spend more time with the wealthy than with the poor, we may say, “The businessman can support the ministry of the church.” When we cancel a visit to a widow to visit an influential official, we may excuse it, “He has influence and can help the work of God.” Jesus never did this. If we want to minister like Jesus, we must become a servant like Jesus. Like him, we must seek not to be served but to serve (Matthew 20:28). Paul wrote, “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5).

Some pastors feel, “I have a good education. I am not the servant of a farmer in my church!” Paul never felt this way. Paul had the finest education, but he became the slave of the Corinthians for Jesus’ sake. He could have said, “Look at my education; I am trained in Jewish literature, Greek philosophy, and Christian theology. I can speak in the Sanhedrin, the Greek Aeropagus, and the Roman Senate.” Instead he said, “I am the servant of the least-educated man in Corinth for the sake of Jesus, my master.”

If we want to minister like Jesus, we must have the humility to live like a servant. As servants, our lifestyle is not the grand lifestyle of a governor. If we wish to love like Jesus, we must be humble servants.

Jesus Showed Love Through His Mercy on His Enemies

► Read Matthew 5:43-48.

Jesus taught his followers that to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect means to love like your heavenly Father loves. It means to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. When you show that kind of love, the world will know that you are sons of your Father who is in heaven.

About 200 years before Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, a Jewish scribe wrote a collection of teachings called the Sirach. Listen to how he taught his followers to treat people who did not deserve help:[2]

• When you do a good deed, make sure you know who is benefiting from it; then what you do will not be wasted.
• Do good to humble people, but don’t give anything to those who are not devout.
• Don’t give them food, or they will use your kindness against you. Every good thing you do for such people will bring you twice as much trouble in return.
• The Most High himself hates sinners, and he will punish them.
• Give to good people, but do not help sinners.

The writings of Ben Sira were considered scripture by the Jews of Jesus’ day. When Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy,’” (Matthew 5:43) this is the writing to which he may have referred. The Sirach said, “Do good only for the righteous. Don’t waste good deeds on the wicked.”

► Now read Matthew 5:43-48 again. Do you see why Jesus’ teaching shocked his listeners?

In the Old Testament, God taught his people to love their enemies. This was not new. Here is a test question one college professor gave his students in a class on the Old Testament.

Your neighbor is an enemy of the church. When you pass, he curses you. He tries to cheat you and even steal your cattle. One day during a rainstorm, you see your neighbor’s cow has broken loose and is running away. What is your responsibility to your neighbor?

1. Do you take a whip and drive the cow further away?

The students know this is not the correct answer!

2. Do you ignore it and say, “That’s not my problem”?

Many students choose this option. They say, “It is the neighbor’s cow, not my cow. I will mind my own business. Besides, the neighbor does not like me; he will not appreciate my help.”

3. Do you obey Exodus 23:4? “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall bring it back to him.”

Even in the Old Testament, God’s people were called to love their enemy. But by Jesus’ day, people were less likely to quote Exodus 23 than Sirach. They liked the teaching that allowed them to love their neighbor and hate their enemy! Jesus said, “You must love your enemy because your heavenly Father loves both the evil and the good.”

How does this look in real life? Imagine this scenario in your ministry:

A group of people who appear to share many of your beliefs repeatedly oppose you in public. They ask questions that are intended to trap you; they tell your members that you are a false teacher; they hope you will do something that will get you in trouble with your followers. How will you treat them?

1. Drive them away and tell them to never return?
2. Treat them like they treat you?
3. Be honest about their errors, but answer them with love?

The Pharisees tried every way possible to oppose Jesus. He was honest about their errors; he tried to teach them truth; but he always treated them with love.

If we want to minister like Jesus, we must love our enemies. That is one of Jesus’ most demanding teachings. To the one who betrays us, to the one who turns away from our message, to the one who persecutes us, we must show the unconditional love of Jesus.

[1] This is illustrated in the book of Proverbs. Lady Wisdom invites the “simple” to eat at her table (Proverbs 9:1-6). Through relationship with Lady Wisdom, the simple will become wise.

[2] Sirach 12:1-7, Good News Translation

[3]“These parables show that the gospel is not for those who have everything right. The gospel is for those who know that they do not have everything right.”
- Samuel Lamerson

[4]“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
- Theodore Roosevelt

It is easy to write about loving God and loving our neighbor. It is much harder to show that love in daily life. It is only as we cultivate the character of Jesus in our own lives that we are prepared to share him with our world.

Is it possible for us to have the character of Jesus? Scripture teaches that God can enable his people to think as he thinks. He wants to give his people a new spirit that causes us to want what God wants and to live willingly as he calls us to live (Ezekiel 36:26-27). God wants to develop in us the character of his Son.

Listen to what Oswald Chambers said about faithfulness in daily service:

"When you have no vision from God, no enthusiasm left in your life, and no one watching and encouraging you, it requires the grace of Almighty God to take the next step in your devotion to Him… It takes much more of the grace of God, and a much greater awareness of drawing upon Him, to take that next step, than it does to preach the gospel.

"The thing that really testifies for God and for the people of God in the long run is steady perseverance, even when the work cannot be seen by others. And the only way to live an undefeated life is to continually look to God. Ask God to keep the eyes of your spirit open to the risen Christ…"[1]

How can we maintain this faithfulness in ministry? How can we continue to love God and love our neighbor week after week, year after year? We must cultivate the character of Jesus in our daily lives. This requires that we have the mind of Christ.

A Description of the Mind of Christ

► Read Philippians 2:1-16.

Paul’s instruction to the church at Philippi is a powerful guide to what it means to have the character of Jesus Christ. To a church divided by personal conflict, Paul wrote, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

How could they achieve this? Only if they obeyed Paul’s instruction to “have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

Paul listed four characteristics that are alien to the Christian life.[2] These characteristics damage Christian witness and destroy the effectiveness of a Christian minister. Paul said:

(1) Do nothing from selfish ambition (Philippians 2:3).

Selfish ambition asks, “What is in it for me? How will I benefit from this?” Can you imagine Jesus asking, “How will I benefit?” before healing a leper or facing the cross? Of course not!

Paul says, “If we have the mind of Christ—if we think like Christ did—we will do nothing from selfish ambition.” Our attitude will be the attitude of a servant. We will ask, “How can I serve?” not “How can I be served?”

(2) Do nothing from conceit (Philippians 2:3).

Conceit asks, “How does this make me look? Will people be impressed?” Again, can you imagine Jesus asking, “Will people be impressed?” before visiting with the Samaritan woman at the well? Of course not!

Paul says, “If we have the mind of Christ—if we think like Christ did—we will do nothing from conceit.” We will look for opportunities to show Christ, not for opportunities to gain status.

(3) Do all things without grumbling (Philippians 2:14).

Grumbling says, “I deserve better than this!” Can you imagine Jesus saying, “I should not have to wash the disciples’ feet. I’m the teacher. I deserve better.” Of course not!

Paul says, “If we have the mind of Christ—if we think like Christ did—we will minister without grumbling, even in the most difficult circumstances.” We will realize that we deserve nothing. When we remember that everything we have is a gift of God’s grace, it changes our view of the challenges of ministry.

Helen Roseveare was one of the great missionaries of the twentieth century. She was a medical doctor trained at Cambridge University. While serving as a missionary doctor in Zaire, she wanted to build a hospital. Because there were no materials, the first step was to make bricks. Dr. Roseveare worked alongside the African workers making bricks in a kiln.

As she worked with the bricks, her soft hands began to bleed. She began to grumble, “God, I came to Africa to be a surgeon, not to make bricks! Surely there are other people to do this lowly work.”

A few weeks later, one of the African workers said to her, “Doctor, when you are in the surgery room, you terrify us as a doctor. But when you are working with the bricks and your fingers drip blood like ours, you are our sister and we love you.” Dr. Roseveare suddenly realized, “God did not send me to Africa to be a surgeon only; He sent me to show the love of Christ.”

(4) Do all things without disputing (Philippians 2:14).

Disputing says, “Yes, Lord, but…. I’m willing to obey, but….” Again, can you imagine Jesus saying, “Father, I am here to serve you; why do you make it so difficult?” We can’t imagine Jesus disputing with the Father.

Paul says, “If we have the mind of Christ—if we think like Christ did—we will not argue and seek an easier path.” We will not compromise the will of God in our lives by bargaining for an easier way. Our answer to God will be “Yes, Lord.” We will have the mind of Christ.

Since Paul called the Philippians to have the mind of Christ, he clearly believed it was possible. He knew that they could have the humble, obedient spirit that marked the life of Jesus. How do we gain this mind of Christ?

Our Minds are Transformed Through Scripture

Earlier in this lesson, we saw how scripture teaches us the will of God. Jesus knew God’s Word. The apostles knew God’s Word. Every lasting revival in church history has started with the study of God’s Word.

Paul challenged the Philippian believers to hold fast to the word of life (Philippians 2:16). Their confidence in and commitment to the gospel would make them lights in their world.

It is through thorough study of God’s Word that we begin to think like Jesus, to have the mind of Christ. That does not mean that you must know Greek and Hebrew to understand scripture; it does not mean that you must have a large library of Bible commentaries; it simply means that you must spend time in the Word of God. It must be part of your daily diet.

As Christians, God’s Word should be our daily food. It should be a joy, not simply a duty. No one says to a healthy person, “You are required to eat today! If you don’t eat, you will be unhealthy.” All you must do is make good food available, and the healthy person wants to eat! God’s Word should be the food for every hungry Christian.

As we feed on God’s Word, our minds are transformed into the mind of Christ. Many Christians have been born again, but they continue to think the same way they thought as unbelievers. Their minds have not been transformed into the mind of Christ. Why?

As new believers, we must reprogram our mind to think like Christ. Before you were a Christian, you thought first about your own needs. Perhaps you saw a poor person, but you thought, “I may need money myself. I can’t give to that man.” As a Christian, you read in God’s Word, “Whoever gives to the poor will not want” (Proverbs 28:27). You hear the words of Jesus, “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). You begin to think about money like Christ thought about money. You are gaining the mind of Christ through God’s Word.

Before we were Christians, we tried to hurt those who hurt us. When someone was harsh toward us, we lashed out in anger. But as Christians, we read, “Put on compassionate hearts” (Colossians 3:12). We read, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9). We begin to respond towards others like Christ responded to those who hurt him. We are gaining the mind of Christ through God’s Word.

Our Minds are Transformed Through Daily Surrender

Paul told the Philippians to have the mind which was in Christ Jesus. He described this mind and then he told them how this could happen in their lives. They must continue to work out their salvation with faithful obedience not to earn their salvation—but because God was already at work “both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13). As they humbly surrendered to God, he would give them the desire (“to will”) and the power (“to work”) to live godly lives.

As we live a surrendered life, the Holy Spirit cultivates in us the same characteristics that we see in the life and ministry of Jesus. We do not find the mind of Christ through our efforts; we find the mind of Christ through surrender.

This must be a daily surrender. Paul called us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). A living sacrifice is not dead; it continues to live. There is a surrender in which we surrender our will completely to God’s will, but there are also many surrenders in which we continue to submit daily to his will.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss gives a picture of the surrendered life.[3] As you read these descriptions, ask, “Am I living in daily surrender in this area? Am I showing the mind of Christ in this area?”

• When your flesh wants to repeat critical words, the Spirit says, “Speak evil of no one” (Titus 3:2). The surrendered heart says, “Yes.”
• When your flesh wants to complain about difficulties, the Spirit says, “Give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). The surrendered heart says, “Yes.”
• When your flesh wants to resist an unreasonable boss, the Spirit says, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake” (1 Peter 2:13). The surrendered heart says, “Yes.”

As we surrender, the same Spirit who lived in Christ lives in us. Through the Spirit—not through our own good intentions—we are empowered to react like Christ to the frustrations of daily life, to the disappointments of ministry, and to the temptations of Satan.[4]

► Share a recent time when fleshly desires conflicted with the will of God. How did you live in daily surrender when faced with this temptation? Is there a current temptation in which you must surrender again to God’s will? As a class, pray for each other in these areas.

[1] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (March 6 entry). Accessed from https://utmost.org/taking-the-next-step/ on March 22, 2021.

[2] This section is adapted from Dennis F. Kinlaw, The Mind of Christ (Anderson, Indiana: Warner Press, 1988), 101-107.

[3] Adapted from Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Surrender. (Chicago: Moody Press, 2008), 223-224.

[4]“The secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting Jesus manifest Himself in my life…. Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy; it is drawing from Jesus the holiness that was manifested in Him.”
- Oswald Chambers

We live in a troubled world. Many who read these lessons live in situations where the church is threatened by government, false religions, or social pressures. Is it reasonable to think that we can truly change our world by loving our enemy? How can we love our enemy when our enemy is trying to kill us?

A reporter talked to an Iraqi Christian living in Baghdad.[1] As the reporter talked to this man, ISIS soldiers were within 40 minutes of his home. The reporter asked, “Is your church still meeting for worship?” The Christian answered: “Yes! In fact, we have started two new prayer groups at our church—one to pray for our persecuted brothers in the north, and one to pray for our enemies.”

The members of St. George’s Church in Baghdad pray for their enemies. They give food parcels to Muslim widows. They love their enemies because they believe that they are called to follow the example of Jesus.

This article reminds us of the truth that is seen throughout church history. God’s way of working is always contrary to man’s way. Man works through the military Crusades against the Muslims during the Middle Ages; God works through a Raymond Lull who died at the age of 82 during his last of many missionary trips to the Islamic world. Man works through military force; God works through a Hudson Taylor giving his life to evangelize the Chinese interior. Man works through strength; God often works through weakness.

God’s way is never man’s way. But ultimately, God’s way is victorious. Our world is changed for eternity as Christians love like Jesus. The change is slow and often painful, but it is God’s way of doing his work in our fallen world.

Ministering like Jesus requires that we love like Jesus. An old evangelist was asked the secret of his ministry. He said, “The only way people will know how much God loves them is to see how much you love them.” This evangelist understood that as Christ’s love shines through us, we draw the world to God. That is what it means to love like Jesus.

[1] Mindy Belz, “How Does the Church Move the World?” World Magazine, May 27, 2017

In this lesson, we have seen how Jesus loved. This assignment asks you to find ways in which you can follow the example of Jesus in loving your neighbor. It should not take long to do the assignment; it may take much longer to put it in practice! Don’t fail to put it into practice. We are called to love as Jesus loved.

From the Gospels, give three specific examples of Jesus’ love for people. Then give three specific applications for your life. How will you follow Jesus’ example? This assignment is for you; be as specific as possible.

Click here to download a PDF for this assignment.