We cannot deny that we have received revelation from the Lord concerning the all-inclusive Christ. Only God’s revelation can cause us to have “this mind,” the unique mind, the mind which was in Paul and in many who love the Lord Jesus and seek Him. This is a mind not to pursue a work or a movement, but to pursue a life which is absolutely out of the old creation and in God. This is the unique mind in Philippians 3.
“This mind” involves both a realization and a resolution to pursue toward the goal. The practice of religion and ethics is altogether different from the realization of God’s goal and the resolution to pursue it. To have this mind is to have a mind to pursue Christ in His resurrection that we may live Him as the out-resurrection. We all need such a mind, such a realization and resolution, that we may pursue toward this goal.
If we have the unique mind, we shall also have the unique walk. As human beings, we are under the control of our mind. It is the mind which directs the walk, not the walk that directs the mind. What we think governs what we say and do. Hence, our thinking directs and controls our entire life. This is the reason we need to be transformed by the renewing of the mind.
We have been falsely and slanderously accused of mind-bending. We by no means practice mind-bending, but we do promote the renewing of the mind. Our mind needs to be renewed in order to have a proper realization and resolution. Then our Christian walk will be directed by a mind which has been renewed by God.
The Greek word rendered walk in verse 16 is not the ordinary word for walk, but the word found also, for example, in Galatians 5:25. It is a very particular word, the verbal form of the noun element. At least one translation renders the Greek here as “to observe the elements.” The Greek word, stoicheo, derived from steicho, means to walk orderly, to march in military rank, to keep step. To walk in this way is to walk in a certain lane or path. This is a walk which is regulated like that of soldiers marching in cadence, who walk at the same time and in the same rhythm.
Some may wonder how it is possible for saints with different degrees of experience to walk in the same steps or in cadence. How, for example, can a brother with over fifty years’ experience in the Lord walk in the same steps as one who has recently been saved? Do not think that such a walk is impossible. The way of teaching in the Bible is different from that practiced in the worldly educational system. In schools there are different textbooks for students of different ages. As Christians, however, we have the Bible as our unique textbook. Both for those who, spiritually speaking, are in kindergarten and for those who are in graduate school, the Bible is our only textbook.
In verse 15 Paul refers to “as many as are full-grown.” This implies that some believers are more mature than others. But in verse 16 Paul goes on to say, “Only this, whereunto we have attained, by the same rule let us walk.” The words whereunto we have attained indicate that all the saints, regardless of their degree of maturity, are included. We all must walk by the same rule. Even the very youngest of the saints should walk the same path as those who are very mature. Concerning this, God’s mind is higher than ours. We all should have “this mind” and walk the same path.
Eventually we all shall be governed by the revelation of the unique mind and the unique walk. Then spontaneously we shall say, “Lord Jesus, I love You in a way I have never loved You before. Lord, in Your presence I resolve to pursue You as the out-resurrection. I want everything in my life to be out of the old creation and in God.” If we see this revelation and have this resolution, we shall have the unique walk controlled and directed by the unique mind.
Galatians 6:15 and 16 indicate that this unique walk is a walk by the rule of the new creation: “For neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as many as shall walk by this rule, peace be upon them and mercy, even upon the Israel of God.” To walk by the rule of the new creation is to walk by the rule of the out-resurrection. If we walk by this rule, we shall be the true Israel of God.
The name Israel means “a prince of God.” We become a prince of God by having the unique mind which directs us to take the way of the unique walk, that is, to pursue toward the goal of the out-resurrection. Today the Lord desires to have a group of people pursuing this goal. May we all see the crucial importance of the unique mind directing the unique walk, and may we all pursue toward the unique goal— Christ as the out-resurrection.