Philippians 2:5-8 ESV
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Jesus, Our Model
We, as followers of Christ, are to think, judge, and have
insight like that of Christ. We are to set our minds on the things of Christ
and not on the things of this world. And, this mindset we have will then reveal
itself through our outward behaviors.
For, we are what we believe, and our actions are evidence of
what we truly adhere to. But this isn’t just how we think or believe, but it is
our nature, our character, our outlook on life, and our moral fiber, i.e.
whether we are people of integrity, or whether we are people of sordid
character.
So, what was/is Jesus’ character and moral fiber? What
was/is his thinking and believing? What was/is his mind set on? What were/are
his judgments with regard to sin and God’s commandments (under the New
Covenant)?
Jesus was/is God. He was with God from the beginning, and he
is our creator God. All things that were made were made by him. Yet, he left
his throne in heaven, and he humbled himself, and he took on the form of man,
and he became a servant.
So, he was humble. He was not proud, even though he had the
right to be proud because he was/is God. Although he was fully righteous and
perfect (sinless), yet he humbled himself and became obedient to death on a
cross so that we could be set free from our slavery to sin.
In fact, in his death he became sin for us so that we might
become the righteousness of God, so that we could now live in freedom from
enslavement to sin, and so that we could now be bondservants of his
righteousness (Rom 6:1-23; 2 Co 5:15, 21; Eph 4:17-24).
For, he said that if we want to come after him, we must deny
self and daily take up our cross (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. If
we hold on to our old lives, we will lose them for eternity, but if we lose our
lives (die with him to sin) for his sake, then we will have eternal life (Lu
9:23-26).
Our Response
So, we are to think, believe, and act like Jesus. We are to
have the same mindset, moral fiber, and character as him. We are to be humble,
not proud. We are to be willing to give of ourselves for the legitimate needs
of others. And, we are to consider the soul needs of others as more important
than ourselves.
Our time schedule should not be our own. It isn’t as though
we have to ask permission of God every second of every day for everything we do
next, but he should always be uppermost on our minds, as should be doing his
will. And, we should be available to change our plans if he points us in a
different direction.
God cared about the sinful condition of man, and so he
provided a solution for our sin. He sent Jesus to die on a cross for our sins,
but not just to forgive us our sins, and not just to relieve us of punishment
of sin, and not just to promise us eternal life with him.
But Jesus died that we might die with him to sin and live to
him and to his righteousness. So, if we have the same mindset as him, then we
are going to die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness, in
his power and strength (1 Pet 2:24).
And, we are going to give of ourselves willingly, and of our
time, and of our reputations to see others be delivered from their slavery to
sin and to be free to live for the Lord. So, we are going to speak the truth in
love as Jesus did, and call out sin, and warn of judgment, and call for
repentance and for obedient faith in Jesus Christ.
For, that is being of the same mind as Christ. It is to
repent of our sins, to be changed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God, and
it is to walk now according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh;
no longer living to fulfill the lusts of our flesh, but now living for the
glory of God.
For, it was for this purpose that Jesus gave his life up for
us, and it is for this purpose that we should surrender our lives to Jesus
Christ, and it is for this purpose that we should be sharing the gospel of
Christ with others so that they, too, can walk in freedom from sin for the praise
of God’s glory.
Philippians 2:9-11 ESV
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Honoring Jesus
Because Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross, He is
to be honored above all. We are to highly exalt him by giving him our lives in
surrender to his will. And, we are to bow to him humbly, submitting ourselves
to his Lordship (ownership-rulership) over our lives.
Those who are teaching a “do nothing” gospel, which is of
the flesh of man, for it glorifies the flesh, and not God, are dishonoring God
with their lives, for they feel as though they don’t have to bow to the
Lordship of Christ but that they can live however they want and still have
heaven.
So, test everything you hear against the WHOLE COUNSEL OF
GOD, for not everything that sounds good is good. Many are teaching a cheap
grace gospel absent of repentance, submission to Christ, and obedient faith in
Jesus Christ to their own shame.
True worship of God is surrendering our lives to Jesus
Christ, holy and pleasing to Him. It is being no longer conformed to the ways
of this sinful world, but it is being transformed in the renewing of our minds
of the Spirit of God so that we prove by our lives what is the good and pleasing
will of God for our lives (Rom 12:1-2).
Oh,
to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics
by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music
by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s
treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of
compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the
fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy
love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy
fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
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