The Same Mindset as Christ Jesus
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
Review: Paul’s flow of thought
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.
2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
5Τοῦτο φρονεῖτε ἐν ὑμῖν ὃ καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,
You must keep on having this disposition of mind among you (in you/in your midst), the one also in Christ Jesus,
How do we imitate the mindset of Jesus?
1. We must say NO to any opportunity to exploit our position for selfish pursuits
1. We must say NO to any opportunity to exploit our position for selfish pursuits
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
Most likely this text was an early Christian hymn- it is a beautiful statement strong in doctrine about the mindset of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Though he was in the form of God”
This is a strong statement of the deity of Christ. The second person of the Godhead existed before he took upon Himself the form of a servant. And in that pre-existent state He was in the very form of God. He possessed all the fullness of deity. Fully God in essence and yet distinct in person. This is the divine mystery of the trinity.
“did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped”
ἁρπαγμός- hapax, this is the only time used in the NT or the Greek OT (LXX) and it is only rarely used in Greek literature. Of the major translations three possibilities are relevant.
(1) Grasping for something already possessed.
6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
KJV, NKJV- “Thought it not robbery to be equal with God”
The Letter to the Philippians 2. The Christ Hymn: Humility (2:6–8)
This active meaning of the word conveys the sense of an act of aggression: “a violent seizure of property.” When the term is defined in this way, it implies that Christ did not consider his equality with God to be his by an act of robbery since it was already his by inherent right.
The Letter to the Philippians 2. The Christ Hymn: Humility (2:6–8)
In other words, Christ knew that his equality with God did not come to him by grasping but by being in the form of God.
Objections: The context of this passage is not about what Christ claimed, but about what He renounced.
The Letter to the Philippians 2. The Christ Hymn: Humility (2:6–8)
This first definition seems to run contrary to the purpose of the hymn by giving a meaning to the opening stanza that emphasizes Christ’s claim to his divine right to equality with God: be humble like Christ, who, existing in the form of God, knew that he was equal to God.
(2) Something to be grasped that is already possessed.
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
ESV, NET, NASB- “Did not count equality with God as something to be grasped.”
The Letter to the Philippians 2. The Christ Hymn: Humility (2:6–8)
Lightfoot fills in the implications of this meaning with his colorful paraphrase: “He, though existing before the worlds in the form of God, did not treat His equality with God as a prize, a treasure to be greedily clutched and ostentatiously displayed; on the contrary, He resigned the glories of heaven.”
(3) Something to be selfishly exploited that is already possessed.
6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.
HCSB, NIV- “Did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.”
The Letter to the Philippians 2. The Christ Hymn: Humility (2:6–8)
This first stanza states that this negative choice—this decision to say No to selfish exploitation of an advantageous position—was the choice of this divine person. The negative choice—the divine No—reveals the divine character of this person. In contrast to the natural human tendency to say Yes to every opportunity to exploit personal advantages of position and power for selfish purposes, this person said No to the exploitation of his divine position and his unlimited power for his own selfish pursuits.
The Letter to the Philippians 2. The Christ Hymn: Humility (2:6–8)
the one existing in the form of God said No to selfish exploitation of his position in the form of God and said Yes to the form of a servant.
This fits the context of the previous verses-
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Selfish Ambition:
A strong drive for personal success without moral inhibitions.
Jesus never employed selfish ambition. In the Godhead there has never been a willingness to say YES to any opportunity to exploit personal advantages of position and power for selfish purposes. On the contrary, Jesus becomes a glorious, beautiful, shinning example of counting others more significant than yourselves. This is the same mindset we must imitate!
We must say NO to any opportunity to exploit our position for selfish pursuits.
Illustration:
Have you every imagined what life would be like if you had unlimited resources? If you had all the money in the world what would you do with it? I used to imagine buying a large piece of land, building a huge house with lots of rooms to hold all of my favorite hobbies, and it was always away from everyone else. Off by myself, apart from the problems of other people. Isn’t that human nature? Using our position or power for selfish exploitation.
I hate getting the little kids ready for bed. This is an area of weakness in my life. I usually let my wife handle this process. And she graciously handles this responsibility, while I am relaxing downstairs by myself. And all kinds of excuses go through my head to justify myself. I’m not good with little kids, I’ve had a long day and I need the rest, it takes them soo long I can’t stand it. And so, with this mindset, I use my position for selfish pursuits.
Jesus said NO to this kind of mindset. He counted others more significant than Himself. He did just look to His own needs, but also to the needs of others. He did not consider his equality with God as something to be selfishly exploited.
Application:
In what ways are you using your position for selfish exploitation?
Not caring about the needs of other people
“I’ve got enough problems of my own, I don’t need to care about anyone else’s issues.”
Sometime we use our weakness as an excuse
“I am too sick, or weak, or tired, or busy to care about other people.”
Does this problem affect our caring about the gospel?
“I won’t have enough time for myself I set aside part of my week to seek out spiritually needy people.”
Does this problem affect our efforts of making disciples?
My life, to another life, for life! I don’t want that kind of commitment. It seems like too much work. I don’t want to get that close to anyone else.
What position or status do you posses that you might selfishly exploit?
Older sibling / Younger sibling / Husband / Wife / Wealthy / Poor / Young / Old / Healthy / Sick / Pastor / Newly saved / Mature saint
Identify what positions you have in life and think of at least three ways you might be selfishly exploiting them.
How do we imitate the mindset of Jesus?
1. We must say NO to any opportunity to exploit our position for selfish pursuits
2. We must say YES to opportunities to minister to others even if it means emptying ourselves
2. We must say YES to opportunities to minister to others even if it means emptying ourselves
V. 6 was the mindset of Jesus in the negative sense- He said No to exploiting his position of being equal with God for selfish pursuits.
V. 7 is the positive side of Christ’s mindset- He instead said YES to lowering his position in order to minister to others.
7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
7ἀλλʼ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσεν
BUT Himself He emptied
Strong conjunction- He did not exploit BUT he emptied.
How did Jesus empty Himself? This has led to much debate and much error. The error is that Jesus emptied Himself of His divinity / of His equality with God. This is impossible. Jesus is God, and God cannot change or He ceases to be God. Thus Jesus cannot empty Himself by removal- He did not loose any of His divinity. But, this error was taught and believed.
And Can It Be (V. 3)
He left His Father's throne above,
So free, so infinite His grace;
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam's helpless race;
This is a wrong understanding of Philippians 2:7. So if Jesus did not empty Himself through subtraction how did He empty Himself? The text is very clear- Jesus emptied Himself though addition.
He emptied Himself, how? By taking the form of a servant / slave. How did he take the form of a slave? He was born in the likeness of men. So Jesus emptied Himself by his willingness to add to Himself the form of a slave. In order to fulfill the will of the Father, in order to save sinful humanity, in order to minister to other people, the Son of God emptied himself, by means of the incarnation. He for a time veiled His “God-ness” (though He never lost His equality with God). He took upon Himself another nature- a human nature- He became in the likeness of humanity so that He could serve all of human kind.
Not only was Jesus willing to say NO to selfish exploitation, He was willing to say Yes to the incarnation- of taking upon Himself the form of a servant for the sake of other people. That is the mindset we must all put on. That is how we must think if there is to be peace in the church, if the gospel is going to go forth unto the end of the earth. We must be willing to say Yes to opportunities to minister to other people even if it means emptying ourselves to do so.
This must be our one mindset-
Illustration:
Two young Moravians heard of an island in the West Indies where an atheist British owner had 2000 to 3000 slaves. And the owner had said, "No preacher, no clergyman, will ever stay on this island. If he's shipwrecked we'll keep him in a separate house until he has to leave, but he's never going to talk to any of us about God, I'm through with all that nonsense." Three thousand slaves from the jungles of Africa brought to an island in the Atlantic and there to live and die without hearing of Christ.
Several thousand black slaves toiled in the sugar cane fields under the burning sun. 3000 slaves were doomed to live and die without hearing of Christ.
Two young Germans in their 20's from the Moravians sect heard about their plight. They [were willing to sell themselves] to the British planter for the standard price for a male slave [if necessary.]
The Moravian community from Herrenhut came to see the two lads off, who would never return again, having freely sold themselves into a lifetime of slavery. As a member of the slave community they would witness as Christians to the love of God.
Family members were emotional, weeping. Was their extreme sacrifice wise? Was it necessary? The housings had been cast off and were curled up on the pier. As the ship slipped away with the tide and the gap widened, the young men linked arms, raised their hands and shouted across the spreading gap, "May the Lamb that was slain receive the reward of His suffering."
This became the call of Moravian missions. And this is our only reason for being...that the Lamb that was slain may receive the reward of His suffering! Amen.
--Paris Reidhead (May 30, 1919 - March 23, 1992, Christian missionary, teacher, writer, and advocate of economic development in impoverished nations).
Application:
How does God want you to change your mindset for others, for Christ, and for the gospel? Is God calling you to sacrifice yourself, your position in life in some way for the sake of gospel ministry?
Young people- is God calling you into gospel ministry? Pastor, Missionary, Disciple-maker? You probably won’t make much money, be able to buy all the luxuries of life- are you willing to empty yourselves, to take upon yourself a lowly position in life for the sake of the gospel.
Church members- Are you willing to gladly obey Jesus in winning a soul to Christ and making a disciple? I don’t have time for that you might say. Are you willing to give up something in your life in order to make time? You might have to work less hours, or spend less times on your hobbies, or with your friends. Are you willing to say yes to emptying yourself for the sake of others?
Jesus emptied Himself through addition, by taking upon Himself the form of a servant. How might God want you to empty yourself, to be willing to take upon yourself a lower position in life in order to minister to other people?
How do we imitate the mindset of Jesus?
1. We must say NO to any opportunity to exploit our position for selfish pursuits
2. We must say YES to opportunities to minister to others even if it means emptying ourselves
3. We must determine to live a life of glad obedience to the Lord
3. We must determine to live a life of glad obedience to the Lord
Jesus’s mindset was that He was unwilling to exploit his advantageous position of equality with the Father, but instead to empty himself by taking the form of servant, and this mindset is followed through with humility all the way to the death of a cross.
The Letter to the Philippians 2. The Christ Hymn: Humility (2:6–8)
The one who could have rightfully claimed the highest position in human history and justly received supreme honors deliberately sought the lowest position and submitted himself to extreme humiliation.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Jesus was found in human form- he genuinely became human in every way- He was the God man. His outward form was the appearance, form, and shape of humanity.
The wonderful purpose of taking on himself the full nature of a man is expressed in his ultimate act of humility. Why did Jesus become a man? So he could humble Himself. What did it mean for Jesus to humble himself? His humility is expressed in perfect obedience to the will of the Father.
How far was that obedience willing to go? To the point of death, and not just any death- even death on a cross.
30 “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; 31 but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here.
Jesus expressed humility by doing exactly as the Father commanded Him. He became obedient unto death- even death on a cross. Why did Jesus die on a cross? That is the good news of the gospel. If you have never heard the gospel or you have never received the gospel I am hear to tell you this morning that Jesus was obedient to the point of death- even the death of a cross for your sake. Jesus did for you. He died to pay the penalty for your sins. Your sins demand a consequence- they demand the wrath of a righteous judge. And God will judge your sins. The beauty of the gospel is that God took your sins and poured them out on His Son on the cross of Calvary and Jesus satisfied the wrath of a holy righteous God for your sins. So that if you will repent of your sins and put your faith in the shed blood of Jesus alone your sins will be forgiven you. Not by your effort or your works, but they will be freely forgiven by God’s grace through faith in Christ for your salvation. This is the only way for you to be forgiven. And it is a testimony to how much God loves you that Jesus humbled himself and became obedient unto the point of death on a cross. Will you believe in Jesus and receive Him today?
This is the kind of mindest that Paul is saying we all must have in the church. If unity is going to be preserved, if the gospel is going to be furthered, if more and more people are going to confess Jesus as Lord and bow their knee and worship Jesus- then we must all have this extraordinary mindset of humility.
What does it mean to have a mindset of humility? It means glad obedience to the commands of Jesus. God will not require all of us to sacrifice our lives and become martyrs for the faith, though He might for some of us. But the important question is will you in humility submit to the will of the Father and do exactly as He has commanded you? Will you humble and submit and gladly obey Jesus as your Lord?
How do you need to humble yourself before God? What commands do you need to gladly obey?
Disciple-making
Confession of sin
Forgiving one another
The important aspect is our mindset! Jesus humbled himself by means of obedience, will you?
How do we imitate the mindset of Jesus?
1. We must say NO to any opportunity to exploit our position for selfish pursuits
2. We must say YES to opportunities to minister to others even if it means emptying ourselves
3. We must determine to live a life of glad obedience to the Lord
We must work at this! This mindset must be true of us Faith Baptist Church!
You must keep on having this disposition of mind among you, the one also in Christ Jesus