To Be Like Christ

For the last two Sundays, we have been studying a section of the book of Philippians that deals with life in the gospel community. How we relate to one another in our relationships as the church is paramount to the life and witness of the church. Paul understood the importance; therefore, he calls the church in Philippians 1:27 to live worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He follows that command with a specific area and that is the unity of the church.

God calls us to live worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our relations with one another by preserving the unity of the Spirit in the church. He focuses on this call to unity in Philippians 2:2 where we are called to be unified: “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.” This is the ideal church community, and community with a common interest and allegiance to Jesus Christ. Sounds easy, but it’s not.

In Philippians 2:3 we find the enemy to such unity: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit.” I would love to tell you that when you are saved these deeds of the old nature are gone from your life, but they are not. That’s why we have to be commanded to keep the unity. How do we overcome these divisive deeds as individuals? We must “in humility count others more significant than ourselves....and look out for the interest of others, not just our own.” In short, to keep the unity of the church we must be like Jesus.

“Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.” — C.S. Lewis

In his book, Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis said, “Every Christian is to become a little Christ. The whole purpose of becoming a Christian is simply nothing else.” This is a profoundly true statement, one that is reflected in our study concerning life in the gospel community. We keep the unity of the community by becoming little Christ in our relations with one another.

Now, to be little Christ, we must have the mind of Christ. To have the mind of Christ we must first be in Christ. Only when we are in Christ can we follow Christ and model Christ in and through our lives. Paul turns our attention to Christ’s example in Philippians 2:5-11.

These verses are so rich and full of Christology that it would be easy to get lost in the depth of the verses and forget that they are tied to the previous verses concerning church unity. I could spend a whole year unfolding the truths about Christ without applying it to keeping the unity in the gospel community, but I will avoid the temptation to do so. Instead, we will look at these verses from the perspective of the mind of Christ and striving to be like Christ.

In raising adolescents, I found myself many time asking my girls, “What were you thinking?” Of course the standard answer to that question was “I don’t know.” Sometimes, to understand the actions of someone we must first understand how they think. This is also true as it relates to Christ.

What I love about Philippians 2:6-8 is that it tells us how Christ thinks. And if we understand how Christ thinks we can begin to live a life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Of course to know the mind of Christ we must first be in Christ.

To be like Christ you must be in Christ

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5

Philippians 2:5 serves as a transition verse: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”

We are given a command to obey, a command that reinforces what he said in verses three and four, and one that prepares us for the following narrative about Jesus Christ. The mind that Paul is referring to is the mind of Christ. We need to think the way Jesus does to act the way Jesus does. More importantly, we need to think and act like Jesus among ourselves, the church. That is why C. S. Lewis said, “Every Christian is to become little Christ.” But this is only possible if you are Christian, and you are only Christian if you are in Christ. Paul qualifies the command with this statement: “Which is yours in Christ Jesus.” You have this mind if you are in Christ because you have the Spirit of God living in you. God doesn’t just give commands to obey, he gives us the ability to obey them also.

What Paul is calling us to do is to have the same attitude that is found in Christ in our mutual relationships toward one another. It’s possible because it is ours if we are in Christ Jesus.

Let me point something out that we need to remember daily. If we are born-again, then we need to live worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. One of the ways we do this as the body of Christ is by keeping the unity of the community by allowing Christ’s attitude and actions in our mutual relationships with one another. If we are all expressing Christ’s attitude in actions in our relations with one another, we are all experiencing Christ through one another.

What is significant to remember is that we don’t do this to be saved, but because we are saved. The saving events of Christ alluded to Philippians 2:1, and the actual narrative of what Christ did to save us in Philippians 2:6-8 are connected. If we have been saved by the gospel then we must conduct ourselves appropriately because we are in Christ. If we are little Christ, then what do little Christ look like in their mutual relationships?

We know from Philippians 2:3-4 that little Christ “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.” The reason they do it is because Jesus Christ did it when he came to save us. To be like Christ you must be in Christ. Second, To be in Christ means we can think and act like Christ.

To Be in Christ means we can think and act like Christ.

In Philippians 2:6-9 there are three verbs that reveal the actions of Jesus and God the Father: “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. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,”

The first verb is “emptied himself.” The second is “humbled himself.” The third is “exalted him.” It’s interesting to note that Jesus was successful not because he climbed the latter of success, but instead descended the latter of success. In God’s world the way up is down and the way down is up. The first step down for Jesus Christ is found in the verb “emptied.”

Emptied Himself

The first part of Philippians 2:6 reveals the step that Jesus when down from: “who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” Paul is referring to divine nature of Jesus Christ. To be in the form of God means to have the nature of God. In other words, He was and is God.

The Greek word we translate “grasped” is really a negative word. It means to snatch something, or to rob something, or someone. When are person is robbing another they do so for their own advantage. By using this word, Paul speaks of how the preexistent Christ did not use his position to his own advantage.

On the contrary, he recognized that his position qualified him for the task of suffering and death for the sins of the world. Instead of playing the God card, the preexistent Christ emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

This is what we call the incarnation. The preexistent Christ did not give up his divine nature so that he could put on human nature. Rather, when he who was the nature and form of God emptied himself by taking the nature and form of humanity he displayed the nature and form of God in the nature and from of a man. He became God-Man.

The preexistent Christ was clothed with divine majesty and splendor, sharing in God’s glory. However, when he became human, he emptied himself of that glory. He emptied himself of his of his beauty and everything that evokes honor. He became poor and despised.

What does this teach us about the mind of Christ? When the Philippians read that “he took the form of a servant.” The first thing that came to their mind were slaves, which many of them were. To be a slave, or servant, means you did not have any rights. Jesus Gave up his rights for others. The best thing you can do is give your glory to someone else. When we try to keep our glory we end up empty, but when we give our glory to someone else, we become full. The incarnate Christ did not stop at emptying himself. He went even lower when he humbled himself.

Humbled Himself

Verse eight says, “and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” You can also translate it “he humiliated himself.” When Christ emptied himself and became man and humiliated himself and died, he did so voluntarily. It was his intention to become man and die for the sins of the world.

He didn’t just die, Christ died one of the most humiliating deaths at that time, death on a cross. The Old Testaments says that those who die on a tree are cursed, and that he was, not for his sins, but ours.

Crucifixion was widespread during Christ’s day. It was used for political and military punishment. It was used by the Romans for the lower classes, which included slaves, and violent criminals. It was the most degrading form of death during this era. It is safe to say that people didn’t wear crosses on their necks for jewelry, or have cross tattoos. When Christ’s died on the cross, he reached the lowest rung of the societies ladder.

This passage means so much for us at it relates to salvation and the gospel, but Paul didn’t use it in that way. He used it to reveal what the saving work of Christ meant to Christ. It meant giving up his rights, humiliation, and death. Christ humiliated himself so that he could be beaten. He humiliated himself so that he could be rejected. He humiliated himself so that he could die the most terrible death possible, not for his sins, but ours.

When Christ emptied himself he put the interest of others before his own. When he humbled himself he counted others more significant than himself. As a result, God vindicated him by exalting him.

Exalted Him

“Therefore, God highly exalted him, and bestowed on him the name that is above every name so that at the name of Jesus every knee shall 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.”

God was pleased with Christ’s atoning death, therefore he resurrected him from the dead and exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above all names the name of Jesus.

God’s response teaches us that when we trust God to take care of us, and put others before ourselves, he will. When we look out for others and see them more significant that ourselves God is pleased and he will take care of our needs. To be like Christ is to be pleasing like Christ.

To be like Christ is to be pleasing like Christ.

Let’s take a moment to reflect on what made Christ’s life pleasing to the Father. Christ, though he was God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. Instead, out of obedience to the Father and love for sinners like you and me, he denied himself off all that was to his advantage. He never stopped looking to the Father, always seeking his approval, not the approval of others, and seeking the eternal welfare of humanity. He held nothing back, but gave himself up out of obedience to the Father and to save a lost and dying world.

Christ gives us a wonderful understanding of the character and nature of God. Our God is a self-giving, self-sacrificing God, looking out for the welfare of others. That ‘s the love of God, and that’s the love that we are called to demonstrate in we are in Christ.

Are you in Christ? Philippians 2:9 reveals God response to Christ’s death, he exalted him and bestowed on him that name that is above every name, the name of Jesus.

Philippians 2:10-11 shows the universal response that will take place on the end of time, How will all creation respond to the name of Jesus? Every knee will 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.”

The confession at the end of the age will not be a saving confession. Instead, it will be grudging acknowledgment from the still unbelieving. All will submit, all will confess, but not all will be saved.

Those who are saved before are those who recognize that today is the day of salvation, and their need for salvation, and humble themselves before God, believing in their heart that God raised him from the dead, and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, they will be saved because they will be in Christ.

Are you in Christ? Are you living a life pleasing like Christ? We go back to verse five and in the power of the Holy Spirit we have Christ mind, and we follow his model. When we don’t know what to do, we look to Jesus, who says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” and we follow him.

Philippians 2:9-11