But He Emptied Himself

Philippians 2:3-8 ESV

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 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.”

So, what is the example that Jesus set before us that we are to follow? Well, the first one is that he humbled himself and he became a servant to others, regardless of how they treated him in return. Now he did not serve others as their servant/slave, obeying their commands, for he is God, and God does not bow to us humans. But he served us with his life by humbly giving of his life and reputation to share with us the truth of God’s Word for our freedom from slavery to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives.

For when Jesus walked this earth he was not thinking about selfish human desires and how he could fulfill them. His mind was on God, and his concern for us was mainly for our salvation, but not just for that. For he did heal people’s afflictions and their diseases, and he miraculously fed the hungry with real food, and he delivered people from demons, and he raised the dead, and he comforted the sorrowful, and he performed miracle after miracle to show that he was indeed their Messiah (Savior, Lord).

But the main reason he came was, not only to be our sacrificial lamb for us on that cross, but it was to spread the truth of the gospel of our salvation to the people who then were to spread the gospel to other people once they had personally trusted in him to be their Lord and Messiah. He taught much on what it means to be one of his followers. And to believe in Jesus is to follow him with our lives, not just so we can go to heaven when we die. For he died that we might die to sin and live to his righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).

So, what was the message of the gospel that Jesus taught?

He taught that if anyone would come after him that he must deny self, take up his cross daily, and follow him. And what did it mean for Jesus to take up his cross? It definitely meant death to his life and it meant putting our sins to death with him on that cross. So, if we are to take up our cross daily, I believe that means that we are to die daily to sin and to self, and then we are to follow him in obedience (see Luke 9:23-26; c.f. Romans 6:1-23). 

But that wasn’t all. And I am going to paraphrase this, but he, in essence, taught that if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self (if we save our lives), we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we die with him daily to sin and to self, and if we follow him in obedience to his commands (if we lose our lives), then we will live with him for eternity. For if we are ashamed of him and his Word in this life, then when he returns he will be ashamed of us (he will deny us) for we denied him (see Luke 9:23-26).

See also: [Matthew 10:32-33; Matthew 15:7-9; Luke 9:26; 2 Timothy 2:11-13; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 1:15-16; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Jude 1:3-4]

Jesus also taught that not everyone who says to him, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father. For many will stand before Jesus one day, calling him “Lord,” and claiming all the things they believe they did in his name, but he is going to say to them, “I never knew you! Depart from me you workers of lawlessness.” And they are lawless because they refuse to obey the Lord’s commands (New Covenant), and they will not bow to him in submission to his will (see Matthew 7:21-23).

See too: [Matt 4:17; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 11:20-21; Matt 12:41; Matt 21:28-31; Mk 1:14-15; Lu 5:32; Lu 9:23-26; Lu 13:1-5; Lu 15:2-7; Lu 24:45-47; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 8:31-32,51; Jn 10:27-30; Jn 14:15-24; Jn 15:1-11] 

But then what happened to Jesus when he taught the people these things? Many turned against him who had been following him, and many hated him and were resentful of him and his ministry, and so they hounded him continually to try to find ways to trip him up with his words so that they would have cause to accuse him of wrongdoing. And then they called for his crucifixion, and they put him to death on a cross, although he had done no wrong but only good.

So, this is the example that we are to follow. This is what the Christian life should look like, although none of us will be perfect like Jesus was. But lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for continued and willful and deliberate sin against God and against other humans. But we should be those whose lives are dedicated to serving our Lord and to serving other humans in the same way that Jesus did, which is in showing them love, and which is in sharing with them the truth of the gospel.

But Jesus said that if we follow him with our lives that we will be persecuted in much the same ways in which he was persecuted. For not everyone is going to rejoice over what we are sharing with them. Not everyone is going to receive our words with joy. Many will turn away and will go their own way and will stop up their ears and harden their hearts and they will refuse to bow to Jesus as Lord, for they are lord of their own lives, and that is where they want to remain.

Jesus saying we will be treated like he was treated: [Matt 5:10-12; Matt 10:16-25; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 6:22-23; Lu 21:12-17; Jn 15:18-21]

But if we have obeyed the Lord, then all is well. We can rest in knowing that we did what we could, in God’s strength, according to his will, but they still made their own choice, and it was not to receive the truth of God’s word.

No Less  

An Original Work / March 19, 2012

I can do no less than praise You,

Lord, for all You’ve done for me.

You died for my sins to save me,

So I would be set free.

I adore You! Lord, I praise You!

Jesus, Savior, King of kings!

You provided my redemption.

Your grace has pardoned me.

I can do no less than serve You. 

Lord, Your witness I would be,

Telling others of Your love,

And why You died on that tree.

Tell of how You gave of Your life,

So from sin we’d be set free,

So we could worship You forever,

And live eternally.

I can do no less than love You,

Lord, for You have first loved me.

You gave of Your life so willing,

Because You cared for me.

Turn from my sin! Obey freely!

Live for You each passing day.

Read Your word, and follow Your lead,

Lord, as I humbly pray. 

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