You should be part of a local church or congregation. Hebrews 10:24-25 “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” You have a responsibility to your fellow Christian to stir up love and good works, and they have a responsibility towards you. Together, we exhort one another to be faithful.
And yet, we are so different from each other. Some of us are old and others are young. Some have been Christians for many years and others for just a short time. Some are knowledgeable and some have little knowledge. Some of us are rich and some of us are poor. Some have strong faith and others have weak faith. We have different spiritual gifts. We do not see things alike; we have differences in understanding. With all of our differences, how can we possibly get along with each other? This is not a new problem. The church in Corinth had divisions among themselves. The apostle Paul admonished the church in 1 Corinthians 1:10 “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” They apparently did not speak the same thing and they were not of one mind. Multiple times in the New Testament, we were encouraged to be of the same mind.
Our minds are where we perceive, understand, think, feel, judge and make choices. In addition to loving God with our heart and soul, we are to love God also with all our mind. Matthew 22:37 “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” Many walk in the futility of their mind. Ephesians 4:17 “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind.” In 1 Timothy 6:5 and 2 Timothy 3:8 we are told of “men of corrupt minds.” We are transformed by the renewing of our mind. Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” I conclude that our minds are where we make choices, set goals, determine our feelings and decide our actions.
The believers in a local congregation should be of the same mind. What does it mean to be of the same mind? There should be a oneness of attitude. Romans 12:16 “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.” We decide in our minds to be one in spite of the differences between us; we decide to get along with each other with Christlike humility. Philippians 4:2 “I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.” It is supposed that Euodia and Syntyche were two women in the church who were not getting along with each other. The apostle Paul implored them to be of the same mind in the Lord. Whatever differences you may have with someone else in the church, seek to be of the same mind in the Lord. This may require humility and letting another do things their way. Pursue peace (Hebrews 12:14).
Philippians 2:1-2 “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Being like-minded means that we have a common purpose – to advance the gospel and encourage and serve each other. We are to love each other as Christ has loved us. We have a common God, a common Savior, a common Spirit, and a common enemy. With so much in common, we must work together and be of one mind. Philippians 3:16 “Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.”
Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:8-9 “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” In this passage, Peter first says to be of one mind, and then he goes on to admonish them to treat each other in love. Jesus said in John 13:35 “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Being of one mind starts by having the attitude of love and treating each other with love in all matters. Without genuine love for each other, we cannot be one. Choose peace over pride, compassion over competition, and blessing over retaliation.
Believers share the same mind because they share Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:16 says that “we have the mind of Christ.” Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:21 “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” We evaluate life through Christ’s values; we imitate His humility; we submit our preferences to His will. Oneness of mind flows from shared surrender to Christ and His desire for us to be one. Philippians 1:27 “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”
Being of one mind means that we have a shared attitude of humility, a shared purpose in the gospel, a shared commitment to love and peace, and a shared mind of Christ. 2 Corinthians 13:11 “Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.” I encourage you and your brothers and sisters in Christ to be of one mind and to live in peace.