Philippians 3:16 “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”
To “mind”, in this context, is to discipline and regulate our “mind”; that is, control what we are thinking about, meditating upon, and evaluating. We must be very attentive and careful to focus our “mind”; for, the things that we “mind” are quite often the very things that compel us into action. The things we are thinking about are usually the things that we readily speak about. If we have a dislike for something or someone, if we spend much time thinking about it, it is quite likely that we will vocalize what we are thinking and even act upon it. It is often said, “I can’t help what I’m thinking about”; well, that is just not true; what folks are really saying is that they don’t want to expend the disciplined energy to focus their minds upon Godly things rather than carnal things. Our mind tends to focus upon what we are putting into it; so, what are we putting into our minds?! Our minds can get us into serious trouble if we “mind” the wrong things! In this passage, knowing this truth, Paul exhorts us to spend much time ‘minding’ the things of God; considering that we are exclusively saved to Heaven by our Lord’s Sacrifice of Himself and that neither the Old Testament works systems, nor the works systems of modern Christianity can save us to Eternal Heaven. We are to set our “mind” upon pressing “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14). We tend to “mind” the same things when we prayerfully read the Word of God, go to and participate in our Lord’s Church, actively listen to the preached Word, and fellowship together in the Word; furthermore, our Lord will send His Holy Spirit to help us. Now, “let us mind the same thing”, the things of our gracious and merciful God!