From a recent question asked me:

Anyway, even though I know that Jesus is my righteousness (his righteousness) sanctification, justification etc..... I don't understand when people say that we are one with Christ. It seems that my mind just can't piece how I could be one without thinking wouldn't that put me in the position of claiming to be God somehow

Well, I think I've found the problem. Yep, it's that attempt to wrap your mind around it so that it all seems to fit nice and neatly together that will never work. Don't you realize that it's only the natural mind that sees itself in competition with God. And that is the mind to which God said he will not share his glory.

Just consider the competitive spirit of man: always needing to be in first place, always needing to be the best, always striving to get ahead of another - always wanting to be God in one form or another. And then know the truth that with God there is no such spirit. There can be no sharing of glory in a realm where everything is measured to the nth degree in order to determine who is better and who is worse. God is not above man as in being the best, he is above man as being in a realm where striving has no meaning.

Now consider Jesus Christ:

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:5-11 NAS77

Notice, that Jesus did not regard (or consider) equality with God as something to be grasped, or striven for. Do we think that's because he made a determination not to grasp at equality with God, or is it possible that it was simply a foreign concept to him ... that it was not of his mind? And "mind" is the literal meaning.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus Philippians 2:5 KJV

For, let this mind be in you that is also in Christ Jesus Philippians 2:5(Young's Literal Translation)

I think many other translators chose to interpret it as "have this attitude" because the idea of controlling one's attitude makes sense. Maybe it's just because the KJV wording seemed a little outdated and that "attitude" seemed more understandable. That's what always made sense to me, just as I think it does to you. But this "mind" is the same mind that Paul told the Corinthians...

we have the mind of Christ 1 Corinthians 2:16

So then, why would he tell the Philippians to "let it be in you" if it's already in them?

Maybe because to let it be is the opposite of struggling and striving with one another - which is the matter he was addressing with them - and he was calling to them to not put their confidence in the worthlessness of man's competition. It was as if he was saying that the competitive spirit they were getting caught up in was not theirs and they could simply step away from the game.

So, to your question. The reasoning that you might be claiming to be God is a bogus perception of man. It has nothing to do with the reality that Christ came into this world to be the joining of man and God into the realm where there is no such thing as grasping equality with God. You have been made one with God in Christ ... and that is the truth, unless of course God is not satisfied with Christ and with his sacrifice on our behalf. Don't worry about not being able to logically fit it all together so that you are not violating any man-made stipulations. I would rather be concerned if I COULD make it all fit together so as not to offend the logic of man.

Jim :)