An Attitude Adjustment (Have An Attitude Like Jesus)

Open your Bibles to Philippians 2:5

Philippians 2:5 NASB 2020

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

INTRODUCTION

One of the most unpleasant experiences anyone can have at home, work, or church is dealing with people and their attitudes. And while you may be in total agreement with that statement, the truth about the matter is that there are times when your attitude is unpleasant too. Now, we don’t trip too much when we encounter such persons among the places where there is no “Sweet Holy Spirit”; but it becomes a major problem when it is present in the church.

I had in my old record collection of my young adulthood an album by an artist named “Johnny ‘Guitar’ Watson. He had a song on his album entitled “Nasty Disposition.” The lyrics of the refrain went: “you’ve got a nasty disposition…you better change your position.” The point is that no child of God ought ever be accused of having a nasty disposition.

CONTEXT OF THE TEXT:

The authorship of this letter is debated, but it is generally considered to have been penned by the Apostle Paul.

The date of the writing placed between 60 and 62 AD according to the Lexham Bible Dictionary.

The place where the letter was written is also debated. Paul was incarcerated somewhere and scholars suggest either in Rome, Caesarea, or Ephesus.

The original recipients of the letter were the believers at Philippi.

See Philippians 1:1

Philippians 1:1 NASB 2020

Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:

The purpose of the letter appears to be fourfold. The initial reason for writing, as indicated, seems to have been to thank the Philippians for their love gift. But Paul also took advantage of this opportunity to address some of the problems in their church. Apparently rivalry and personal ambition were present among some of the saints ( Php 2:3–4; 4:2).

Philippians 2:3–4 NASB 2020

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Philippians 4:2 NASB 2020

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord.

The Judaizers were also gaining a hearing (Php 3:1–3).

Philippians 3:1–3 NASB 2020

Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble for me, and it is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh,

In addition, an antinomian tendency was creeping in (Php 3:18–19).

Antinomian is a term used to characterize believers in the early church who wrongly thought that salvation by faith in Jesus Christ freed them from all moral obligations and that they could sin with impunity (Gk anti, “against,” + nomos, “law”). The problem of antinomianism is addressed in such NT passages as Romans 6:1–11 and 1 John (cf. 1 Jn 1:9–10). Some scholars link this attitude to early forms of Gnosticism, where knowledge was placed above ethics.

Philippians 3:18–19 NASB 2020

For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things.

Lest I lure your minds away from the point with my theological tangent, the text before us today is prescribed to persuade us that believers should aim to have the same attitude in themselves that was in Christ Jesus .

There might be someone who is interested today asking the question why?

WHAT?

OUR ATTITUDES ARE INADEQUATE

The Merriam-Webster dictionary states:

Attitude is often described as a mental or emotional state that influences our behavior, thoughts, and feelings. It’s a complex interplay of our beliefs, values, and perceptions.

Additionally, attitude is defined as a predisposition or tendency to respond positively or negatively to a particular situation, person, idea, or object. It reflects our evaluation of something based on our beliefs, emotions, and experiences.

Paul says to the believers in Philippi that “since” they have experienced the encouragement, comfort, fellowship, and the tenderness and compassion of Christ show spiritual unity. However, this spiritual unity could only be achieved as they adjusted their attitude to the attitude of Jesus.

I believe that is the message that the Lord would place our hearts and minds today. We should have the same attitude in ourselves that was in Christ Jesus because our own attitudes are subject to be narcissistic, negative, and nasty.

See Php 2:3-4

Philippians 2:3–4 NASB 2020

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

SO WHAT?

A LOOK AT JESUS’ ATTITUDE IS OUR EXAMPLE

Paul instructs his readers to have the same mind in themselves that was in Christ Jesus. The natural question would be “what does the attitude that Jesus had look like?” Paul answers that question in no uncertain terms as he spells it out for them. He says the attitude of Jesus was unselfish, humble, and giving.

Will you stay with for a little while as I attempt to unpack this text? You are interested today aren’t you?

UNSELFISH (HE EMPTIED HIMSELF)

We learn from this text that Jesus was “already in the form of God.”The Bible knowledge Dictionary reveals that this word morphe (translated form in the KJV and NASB) in verses 6 and 7 is a crucial term in this passage because it points stresses the reality of the Deity of Jesus. As God, He possessed full deity but He did not consider His equality with God as something to be grasped.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 2:6–8

In other words Christ did not hesitate to set aside His self-willed use of deity when He became a man. As God He had all the rights of deity, and yet during His incarnate state He surrendered His right to manifest Himself visibly as the God of all splendor and glory.

But notice how that exalted position was suspended so that he could save humanity. How much more unselfish could he be. Paul says: “He emptied Himself by taking on the form of a bond-servant” (v.6-7).

He made himself nothing…

Everywhere we look we see people trying to fill themselves up, get more, get known, be successful, get some glory. And their attitude is marked by selfish ambition, but Jesus had an attitude of unselfishness.

HUMILITY (HE HUMBLED HIMSELF)

As we look at verse 8, we discover that when Jesus emptied Himself, when He made Himself nothing and was found in appearance as a man, he did not seek to be served, He did not demand to be respected or worshipped, but the text says that “He humbled Himself.”

No one humbled him, he humbled himself.

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 2304 Humility Is

Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.

—Andrew Murray

The little song that I learned in the Rosebud children’s Choir of Mt. Zion Baptist church of Detroit, Michigan serves as a reflection: “humble me and let me do Thy will.” Sisters and Brothers I have since come to realize that is better that we should humble ourselves than to have the Lord humble us.

SELF-SACRIFICING (HE GAVE HIMSELF)

His obedience to the will of His Father caused Him to surrender his life and die on the cross.

See Matthew 26:39; John 10:18; Rom 5:19; Heb 5:8

Matthew 26:39 NASB 2020

And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”

John 10:18 NASB 2020

No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it back. This commandment I received from My Father.”

Romans 5:19 NASB 2020

For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.

Hebrews 5:8 NASB 2020

Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

NOW WHAT?

EMULATE THE ATTITUDE OF JESUS

Believers can have the attitude of Jesus in themselves by acknowledging him as Lord. The Greek word “Kyrios” means “Lord” or “Master.”In the ancient world, it was used to address someone with authority, such as a master or ruler. When applied to Jesus, it signifies His divine authority. When we are cognizant of his authority in our lives, we become aware of the attitude that we present. We lose our insatiable appetites of selfishness and conceitedness. We no longer focus on our own personal interest but look out for the interests of others.