The Perfect Example: Following Jesus Step By Step (Even While Descending A Ladder)

Liz coming down to go up= to go down. Crazy

C. S. Lewis writes in his book Miracles that the central miracle asserted by Christians is the incarnation (143). He explains the descent and ascent of Christ vividly:In the Christian story God descends to re-ascend. He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity.… But He goes down to come up again and bring the whole ruined world up with Him. One has the picture of a strong man stooping lower and lower to get himself underneath some great complicated burden. He must stoop in order to lift, he must almost disappear under the load before he incredibly straightens his back and marches off with the whole mass swaying on his shoulders. Or one may think of a diver, first reducing himself to nakedness, then glancing in midair, then gone with a splash, vanished, rushing down through green and warm water into black and cold water, down through increasing pressure into the deathlike region of ooze and slime and old decay; then up again, back to color and light, his lungs almost bursting, till suddenly he breaks surface again, holding in his hand the dripping, precious thing that he went down to recover. --CS Lewis

Philippians 2:5–11 (CSB)

5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity.

And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross. 9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth—11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The Perfect Example:The Text In Its Context

Today’s text was probably an early hymn or creed. Something the early church recited or sang often during their worship. As you heard the words- what went through your mind and emotions? They give us the detail on Christ’s mind or attitude.

Liturgies are often repeated, hymns are often song, in order to fix a truth in the worshiper’s heart and mind. These particular words provide with a crucial perspective on Jesus’ mindset. Christ modeled a servant attitude when, rather than maintaining his exalted status, he became a man and suffered a humiliating death for others.

Every believer should strive to have and live this same mindset. AMEN?

Philippians 2:5 (CSB) 5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,

Christ’s Humility

Philippians 2:6–8 (CSB) 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross.

Renunciation

Big word- easy concept.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Renunciation)

renunciation /rɪnʌnsɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n/■ noun1 the action of renouncing.2 Law express or tacit abandonment of a right or position.—DERIVATIVES renunciant noun & adjective renunciatory /rɪˈnʌnʃət(ə)ri/ adjective—ORIGIN Middle English: from late Latin renuntiatio(n-), from Latin renuntiare (see RENOUNCE).

Jesus was always, and will always, be God. God, the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. The Trinity is a central dogma of Christian theology, that the one God exists in three Persons and one substance, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is one, yet self-differentiated; the God who reveals Himself to mankind is one God equally in three distinct modes of existence, yet remains one through all eternity.

God is perfect in every way, and perfectly at peace and contentment within Himself. Jesus enjoyed His preexistent exalted position, but He laid it aside.“ who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.

Jesus has always existed, was never created, and is God!

John 5:18 (CSB) 18 This is why the Jews began trying all the more to kill him: Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.

He had no point of origin. He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.

John 1:2–3 (CSB) 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.

He is Creator; He wasn’t created.

This is an essential belief to understanding God. Many cults and religions say they honor Jesus and follow him. But they think of Jesus as created, not equal to God. This failure to understand Jesus as God separates them from being part of the Universal Church and labels them as a cult.

Paul says Jesus existed “in the form of God.” He isn’t saying that Jesus only “appeared as God.” He is saying that Jesus continues being in the very nature or essence of God. The Greek word Morphe (“form”) doesn’t speak of external appearance or outward shape but of the essential attributes and the inner nature of Jesus. Paul uses the same word in verse 7 to say that Jesus was in very nature a slave. He was fully human and fully divine.

who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited.

Jesus set aside His rights and privileges as God. This is one of the most powerful phrases in our text.

What do you do with your rights and privileges? If you are like me you probably hold them tight and defend them fiercely. Jesus… well Jesus said could have said “it is good to be God. It is right that I am with the Father and the Spirit. I think I will stay right here.”

Paul calls for us to imitate Jesus and put the needs of others ahead of our own.

Romans 15:1–3 (CSB) 1 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. 2 Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.

Jesus could have clutched His rights, His blessings, and His benefits as King of glory. But He lived open-handedly, showing us what benevolent generosity and service look like. Adam and Eve are the best illustration you can use to show the difference between us and Jesus.

God gave Adam and Eve the privilege of living in Paradise and walking with God. They would never know pain or death. That my friends is greatest of privileges. AMEN? Yet Adam and Eve listened to the Devil’s temptation and ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge . They were privileged and had no needs, but they wanted to be God’s equal. In the doing they rightly lost their privilege and the world has never been the same.

Jesus has the privilege of being God because He is and always has been God. Nobody gave Him this, it is part of who He is. Yet Jesus set aside that privilege, and came to earth to be with us. To die for us, knowing that was the only way we could ever see paradise again.

True humility.

Incarnation

Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Incarnation)

incarnation■ noun1 a living embodiment of a deity, spirit, or abstract quality.▶ (the Incarnation) (in Christian theology) the embodiment of God the Son in human flesh as Jesus Christ.2 (with reference to reincarnation) each of a series of earthly lifetimes or forms.

Philippians 2:6–8 (CSB) 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even to death on a cross.himself nothing”

Emptied Himself (ESV,CSB, NASB95,NET)

Made Himself nothing (NIV).

Made Himself of no reputation (NKJV)

“Christ refused to hold onto His divine rights and prerogatives. He veiled His deity, but He did not void His deity “--Tozer

Sometimes we say, “remaining all that He was, He became what He was not.” He added humanity; He didn’t surrender deity. The wedding of the two natures was permanent. Jesus will remain fully God and fully man, yet one person, forever.” Jesus didn’t relinquish His deity; He surrendered His rights and prerogatives.

Jesus literally stood with the lowest of the low- the most vulnerable of all. We often hear about standing with the poor, or standing with the Ukraine. But most often it seems to accompany sitting on the couch while posting on social media. Imitate Jesus- Get of of the couch and do what is right. Stand for those who can not stand for themselves.

Mark 10:45 (CSB) 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Crucifixion

Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Crucify)

■ verb (crucifies, crucifying, crucified)1 put (someone) to death by nailing or binding them to a cross.2 criticize or punish severely.—DERIVATIVES crucifier noun crucifixion noun—ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French crucifier, from late Latin crucifigere, from Latin crux, cruc- ‘cross’ + figere ‘fix’.

Jesus Christ humbled himself throughout His time as a man. Born in a backwater provincial town, in a feeding trough! He spent 30 years in relative obscurity, as a boy growing into a man. A carpenter like his earthly father Joseph.

Jesus’ ministry was characterized by loving the unlovable, and serving others without regard for His reputation. He always did what was truly right as opposed to what looked good.

His ultimate humilty was to go to a death on the cross that He would avoid if it were possible, but He went willingly.

Matthew 26:38–39 (CSB) 38 He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” 39 Going a little farther, he fell facedown and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Throughout all of this Jesus Christ humbled Himself. Herod, Pilate, and the Roman Empire tried to Humble Christ and failed. The Pharisees, Sadducees and the Scribes of the religious establishment tried to humble Jesus and failed. No one can humble Jesus. Jesus humbles us.

He chose to empty Himself. Don’t hear the words of today’s text and and feel sorry for Jesus, as if He were to be pitied. Jesus stands over you; you don’t stand over Jesus. He humbled Himself. We must humble ourselves now before Him. We, too, must choose humility.

Luke 14:11 (CSB) 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Christ’s Exaltation

Philippians 2:9–11 (CSB) 9 For this reason God highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow— in heaven and on earth and under the earth— 11 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

What name did Jesus receive after his resurrection that he did not have before? Not “Jesus.” Jesus is precisely the name of the humble Servant who went to Calvary. In Acts 2:36 Peter says, “Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” It was his lordship and Messiahship—his messianic lordship—that was bestowed on him at his exaltation. Not that he wasn’t Messiah and Lord before his resurrection. He was. But he had not fulfilled the mission of Messiah until he had died for our sin and risen again. And therefore, before his death and resurrection, the lordship of Christ over the world had not been brought to full actuality. The rebel forces were yet undefeated, and the power of darkness held the world in its grip. In order to be acclaimed Messiah and Lord, the Son of God had to come, defeat the enemy, and lead his people out of bondage in triumph over sin and Satan and death. And that he did on Good Friday and Easter.… The name that is above every name, therefore, is Lord—the Lord victorious over all his enemies; the Lord who has purchased a people from every tribe and tongue and nation. — John Piper

Jesus Christ Reigns

Jesus has the same exalted lordship as the Father (v. 11). He went all the way down to the cross and all the way up as King of all.

The Apostle Paul declares that Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father

Ephesians 1:21 (CSB) 21 far above every ruler and authority, power and dominion, and every title given, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

The Apostle Peter

Acts 2:33 (CSB) 33 Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear.

Hebrews 1:3 (CSB) 3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact expression of his nature, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

The fact that Jesus is exalted means that He rules and reigns over all (Heb 1:3). He has universal lordship. Jesus is Lord, not Caesar, and everyone must give an account to Him.

Lordship Acknowledged

Jesus Christ reigns today. Many may fail to recognize that- and that failure leads to eternal pain and punishment if not repented. One day, a day that is very near, all of creation will acknowledge His glory.

God declared to His Prophet Isaiah that

Isaiah 45:23 (CSB) 23 By myself I have sworn; truth has gone from my mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow to me, every tongue will swear allegiance.

And God revealed to His Apostle John that

Revelation 5:13 (CSB) 13 I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, under the earth, on the sea, and everything in them say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to the one seated on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!

By giving Jesus the name Lord, God declared the deity of Jesus. The phrase “Jesus Christ is Lord” is probably the earliest Christian confession, intended to remind the hearer of the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, and ever day that we gather for worship and encourage one another in the gospel, we are uniting with Christians who have gone before us. And as we make our confession, we are anticipating the future, in which everyone affirms this declaration.

Philippians 2:10–11 (CSB) 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—

in heaven and on earth and under the earth—11 and every tongue will confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

“in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”

Some will confess Him as Lord with great joy and humility on earth when Jesus returns as King. Others who failed to acknowledge Jesus as Lord will make that confession with great despair and anguish.

The hymn has this “already/not yet” dimension. We confess Him as Lord now, but we also look forward to the future day when all acknowledge the lordship of Jesus. History is not like a treadmill, going nowhere; rather, it’s all moving toward that day. Sadly, it will be too late for some. If you don’t acknowledge and confess that Jesus is Lord in this life, it will be too late after death.

So, bow now! Confess Him as Lord now!

To confess Jesus as Lord in the first century meant that Caesar was not Lord. And as a result of such confessions, many were persecuted and killed. The same fate exists for many today around the world who claim that Jesus is their Lord and Savior. But those who confess Christ as Lord now will not regret it when they see Him. The regret will be from those who refuse to bow to Him now will wish they had heeded the message.“To the glory of God the Father” (v. 11b). Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, ascension, and exaltation bring glory to God the Father. Here we see that there’s no rivalry in the Godhead, only delight and honor. This text points out the remarkable fact that Christ doesn’t keep glory for Himself, and even in His exaltation He remains the model of humbly honoring the Father.

Praise Jesus And Seek To Serve: Contemporary Application

How can you go from being a grasper to a giver? How can you adopt a mentality of downward mobility instead of upward mobility?

Find and Follow Jesus

First and foremost you need the gospel. You need Jesus. Through His perfect life and atoning death, He gives us forgiveness and new life, empowering us to live like Him.

Philippians 4:13 (CSB) 13 I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.

Live In Christian Community

Live life with a church family, in unity and love. There is a difference between unity and uniformity. True spiritual unity comes from within; it is a matter of the heart. Uniformity is the result of pressure from without.

Philippians 2:1–4 (CSB) 1 If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others.

You don’t need to drink the cool-aid, or give up that which makes you individual, to become united. You simply follow Jesus Christ and adopt His mindset.

This encourages us to work toward unity and love, not division and rivalry. In a gracious way, Paul is saying to the church, “Your disagreements reveal that there is a spiritual problem in your fellowship. It isn’t going to be solved by rules or threats; it’s going to be solved when your hearts are right with Christ and with each other.”

The basic cause of strife in church life, in all walks of life, is selfishness, and the cause of selfishness is pride. There can be no joy in the life of the Christian who puts himself above others.The secret of joy in spite of circumstances is the single mind. The secret of joy in spite of people is the submissive mind.

It is important that we understand what the Bible means by “humility.” The humble person is not one who thinks meanly of himself; he simply does not think of himself at all!

Humility is that grace that, when you know you have it, you have lost it.

Romans 12:3 (CSB) 3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

Yield yourself to Jesus Christ to give what God has given you God’s glory for the good of all.

The “submissive mind” does not mean that the believer is at the beck and call of everybody else or that he is a “religious doormat” for everybody to use! Some people try to purchase friends and maintain church unity by “giving in” to everybody else’s whims and wishes. This is not what Paul is suggesting at all. The Scripture puts it perfectly: “ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).

2 Corinthians 4:5 (CSB) 5 For we are not proclaiming ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’s sake.

Follow Christ in Sacrificial Life

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 (CSB) 14 For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for the one who died for them and was raised.

Jesus paid the ultimate price on the cross for us.

Paul was convinced by Jesus’ example to live the same life.

Philippians 2:16–17 (CSB) 16 by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing. 17 But even if I am poured out as a drink offering on the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

What is your sacrificial gift to God?

“Ministry that costs nothing accomplishes nothing.” If there is to be any blessing, there must be some “bleeding.” At a religious festival in Brazil, a missionary was going from booth to booth, examining the wares. He saw a sign above one booth: “Cheap Crosses.” He thought to himself, “That’s what many Christians are looking for these days—cheap crosses. My Lord’s cross was not cheap. Why should mine be?” --Dr. J.H. Jowett

Points To Ponder

“DEEPER DISCOVERIES” by Max Anders

A. Fellowship with the Spirit (v. 1)

In this verse Paul employed the same Greek word, koinonia, that in 1:5 was translated “partnership.” Again, the meaning is “association,” “fellowship,” or “close relationship” (BAGD, 439). The basic idea is having something in common, sharing together in something, or sharing with someone.

The church, the body of Christ on earth, is not a building or denomination but a group of redeemed individuals who share a common life of fellowship. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit have fellowship with one another. As believers, we are unified by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:3–6). Being a part of the same body, we are to live in love, humility, and service to one another. A Christian who is not interested in God’s work and the lives of other believers is not in fellowship with the Spirit. Such self-centeredness has no fellowship with Christ or his church. Fellowship with God’s Spirit is manifested through love and relationship with other believers (1 John 4:12).

B. In very nature God (v. 6)

Paul referred to the time before Christ came to earth as a man. The term translated nature is morphe, meaning “form, essence, or expression.” Before Jesus became a man, he was God. He possessed the divine essence of Godhood. He was equal with God the Father and God the Spirit. Being born as a baby in Bethlehem took nothing away from his deity. It only added humanity. Being fully God, his complete and absolute deity is here carefully expressed by the apostle.

C. Made himself nothing (v. 7)

The Greek kenoo literally means “to empty.” The natural question is, What did Christ empty himself of? Some have argued that he emptied himself of his deity. Orthodox evangelicals go in a different direction. They believe that he set aside some of his divine attributes some of the time as he became or took the nature or form of a man.

Putting on humanity involved limitations. In becoming a man, he voluntarily set aside his rights and privileges as God the Son. Some say that Jesus gave up his majesty or manifestation of his glory as God when he acquired a human nature. In the commentary, it is mentioned that he veiled his preincarnate glory and voluntarily chose not to use some of his power. Yet, while on earth, he did give Peter, James, and John a glimpse of his true glory as he transfigured himself before them (Matt. 17:1–13). In his incarnation, or taking on humanity, Jesus was fully God and fully man. In his deity he was undiminished, and in his humanity he was perfect.

D. Appearance as a Man (v. 8)

In the incarnation, Jesus took the form of a man and looked like any other male living in first-century Israel. He had a functioning physical body. He covered his body with clothing. He got hungry, tired, and sad. His true essence or glory was veiled as he remained fully God. Even though he appeared like us, he was not totally like us in that he did not have a sinful, fallen nature (1 John 3:5). He had to be human to face the problems we face, and he had to be a man to die for us. As Hebrews 2:17–18 reveals:

For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

The thought of the God of the universe becoming human is indeed mind-boggling! The mighty and magnificent Sovereign of creation put aside his great position in heaven to take a body like yours or mine!

E. Exalted (v. 9)

Jesus completed his obedient earthly mission to redeem humanity from their sinful condition and ascended back to heaven. There Jesus Christ was exalted to the highest place. The word for exalted (huperupsoo) means “to raise to the loftiest height” (BAGD, 842). Today, we might say he was superexalted or megaexalted. Christ in humility became a man, a servant of other people, even abasing himself to wash dirty feet. Finally, he became obedient to death on a cross for the sins of humanity. Then God the Father, pleased with his service, exalted God the Son to the highest possible place in the universe. This exaltation awarded him the name that is above every name and provided the answer to his high priestly prayer of John 17:5. God the Son glorified God the Father while on earth. God the Father glorified God the Son following his completed work on this planet. Jesus not only resumed his former glory but received added honor as he had triumphed over sin and death.

Hebrews 2:9 states: “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.”

The exaltation of the Savior of the world is unique. We Christians can look forward to being rewarded for obedient service. The apostle Peter writes: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Pet. 5:6).

It is important to recognize Jesus Christ for who he is. Jesus is God and the Savior of men and women. In the afterlife, all will both recognize and acknowledge him for who he is and what he has done—providing the only way to God by dying for our sins. Unfortunately, rejecting Christ while alive on earth will result in separation from God and eternal punishment outside of God’s presence. This fate can and should be avoided by trusting in Christ as one’s Savior today!

F. Work out your salvation (v. 12)

This phrase at first glance appears to contradict other Scripture which explains that salvation is a work of God by grace through faith. The word translated work (katergazomai) means to “bring about, produce, or create.” A more contemporary meaning is one of bringing to completion or “to carry out the goal or carry to its ultimate conclusion.” Paul was telling the Philippians to put into practice in their daily living what God had worked in them by the Spirit. They were not told to work for their salvation but to work out the salvation God had already given them. These believers were to work it out to the finish as they grew and developed their spiritual lives. As stated previously, salvation is a work of God for man in the nature of a gift (Eph. 2:8–9); the outworking of the new life in Christ requires obedience and faith from the believer. The purpose God desires for us to achieve is Christlikeness, “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29).

It is plain that salvation is not by human works. Isaiah 64:6 gives us God’s viewpoint of man’s righteousness outside of his Son: “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Only through Christ’s righteousness in our behalf on the cross can we be righteous before God.

G. Blameless and pure (v. 15)

Being absolutely blameless and pure is impossible this side of heaven. These terms are not referring to sinless perfection but to complete, focused devotion to doing God’s will. In our public and private lives, we are to live in such a way that we would be free from accusation by the people that do not follow Christ. During his earthly life Christ instructed that: I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves (Matt. 10:16).

Christians are to live so that unbelievers cannot point an accusing finger at us. Unfortunately, due to scandals and moral failures of Christian leaders, many non-Christians cannot see any genuine distinctions between their lives and ours. In our spheres of influence, we can purpose to make our friends, neighbors, and coworkers see the difference in our lives that living for Christ makes.

H. I am being poured out (v. 17)

This phrase may be referring to Paul’s entire ministry or more probably to his present imprisonment, which could well end in a martyr’s death. During a later imprisonment Paul uses the same thought in 2 Timothy 4:6. Both Jewish and Greek religious practice included the use of wine poured ceremonially in connection with certain sacrifices. In Old Testament sacrifices and offerings the drink offering was considered as an additional “pleasing odor” offering (Num. 15:7). We, like Paul, can rejoice even when we are being poured out as an offering to our Lord. As we serve him, we should desire to be pleasing in his sight.

[Max Anders, Galatians-Colossians, vol. 8, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 233–236.]

“Contemporary Significance” by Frank Thielman

FROM THE MOMENT of birth, people urge others to meet their needs. The infant cries until Mom comes to feed or change her. The toddler misbehaves until Dad stops playing with little sister and has to give full attention to him. At older ages siblings often demand privileges in at least equal proportion to, and preferably in greater amounts than, their brothers and sisters. Adults often seek the highest paying jobs, the most comfortable homes, the most prestigious cars, and the most extravagant vacations possible, and are willing to go to considerable trouble to achieve these ends. What begins as a survival instinct quickly becomes an expression of fallen human nature, but for people to live successfully in community with other people this instinct must be restrained in numerous ways. Many of the rules laid down in a well-functioning family and many of the laws in any larger society are attempts to restrain and channel the human desire to dominate others. The drive is so strong and so universal that the community that does not effectively accomplish this task of restraint self-destructs.

The incarnation of Christ Jesus represents the antithesis of this human drive to dominate. Although he had access to all the privilege and power to which his identity with God entitled him, and although he could have exploited that privilege and power to dominate his creatures, Jesus considered his deity an opportunity for service and obedience. His deity became a matter not of getting but of giving, not of being served but of serving, not of dominance but of obedience. The difficult part of all this for the twentieth-century believer is that Paul did not leave his description of Christ’s astounding refusal to dominate in the realm of abstract speculation. Instead, he advised the church at Philippi, and through them the church of today, to follow Christ’s example. This means that the church and the believer must adopt an “incarnational” demeanor.

Yet this is extremely difficult to do in modern Western societies. Great, even ultimate, value in these societies is often attached to wealth, glamour, power, and prestige, and the accepted ways of achieving these ends often involve dominance over others. Thus advertising involves far more than the simple announcement of a product’s availability and benefits to the potential consumer. It frequently communicates subtle and powerful lies. The attractive and virile twenty-year-old on the billboard has a cigarette dangling from her mouth as she rides high and carefree on the shoulders of a handsome young man. She says nothing verbally, but the image of social acceptance that she powerfully represents tells the young people who drive by that one of the deepest longings of the human heart can be met if they smoke the advertiser’s brand of tobacco. The people who produced the advertisement are sophisticated enough to know that the required warning running along the bottom of the billboard is true. Smoking may or may not lead to social acceptance, but it often leads to addiction and painful, premature death. Through the use of a powerful image, the advertisement dominates and abuses, and those who produce it get rich.

With our minds assaulted by this kind of abusive use of power day after day, it is easy for us and the churches we represent to think that in our own way it is acceptable to dominate others in order to achieve our ends. It is easy to see this in advocates of the “prosperity gospel” who enrich themselves by preying on the fears and superstitions of their followers about withholding or giving money to God. But we should probably ponder whether the same principles are at work in some church building campaigns and membership drives. Are these genuine efforts to see the gospel advance, or are they ways of enhancing the prestige and comfort of our own group?

Several diagnostic questions might help in determining whether such programs originate in good motives or in motives unworthy of the gospel:

• Is this strategy designed to meet the need for every sector of human society to hear the gospel or only for those parts of society with which I feel comfortable?

• Would the poorest person in the city assume that the new church building was a place for him or her, or would that thought probably not even occur?

• Do evangelism teams give more effort to affluent neighborhoods than to poverty-stricken communities?

If honest answers to questions like these reveal that we are building and recruiting for our own social group, then it becomes difficult to tell whether at the deepest level our concern is for the advancement of the gospel or only for making our own lives more comfortable by providing ourselves with more pleasant quarters and gaining legitimacy among our peers. The strategies for dominance within the world have so thoroughly permeated the Western church that if the Word became flesh today, many churches might not even know of his existence, for according to Philippians 2:7–8, he would be among the poor and disenfranchised.

This passage is not only about how the church as a group can best adopt the character of its Savior, however. It is also about how individual church members act toward one another. That, after all, is the question that prompted Paul to write the passage in the first place. In our mutual relations, Paul says that the hallmark of our lives should be giving rather than getting, service rather than being served, obedience rather than dominance. Most often this is a matter not of choosing whether to build a new church building or of designing an evangelism strategy but of acting in loving ways, hour by hour, toward parents, spouses, children, coworkers, friends, and fellow church members. In the hundreds of ways in which our lives touch the lives of others every week, Paul says, we are to have the attitude of Christ Jesus.

How is this possible for sinful, selfish people? In his classic Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis provides a helpful description of how the fallible believer can be more like Christ amid the give and take of everyday life. It helps, says Lewis, to pretend to be Jesus, just as a child might pretend to be a soldier or a shopkeeper. Just as the child’s imaginary games help the child to develop skills that will later be useful as a real soldier or shopkeeper, so the “game” of pretending to be Christ inevitably reveals to the believer places for improvement and guides the believer toward spiritual maturity. Lewis argues that the minute we realize we are dressing up like Christ, we will discover ways in which our pretense could become reality. We will be embarrassed to discover thoughts that Christ would not have had and unfulfilled duties that Christ would not have neglected. Those realizations, he says, should in turn prompt us to more complete obedience.45

This is a genuinely Pauline insight. In 1 Corinthians 8:1–11:1 Paul addresses a group within the Corinthian church who thought that they had the right to eat cultic meals in pagan temples despite the fact that some Christians of weaker conscience had lapsed into idolatry as a result. He tells this group that simply possessing a right does not mean that it should be used. Love, not possession of rights, should be the believer’s guide. In order to illustrate this, Paul says that he himself had the right to be paid for his missionary work among the Corinthians but chose not to take advantage of the right since to do so might “hinder the gospel of Christ” (9:12). Later, he summarizes his argument: “For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved” (10:33); and he concludes the discussion with this admonition: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (11:1).

Similarly, in 2 Corinthians 8:1–9:15 Paul urges the Corinthians to give some money to his collection for the poor Jewish believers in Jerusalem. Paul does not want one group of believers to be living in poverty while another flourishes: There should be equality (8:14). As part of his argument that the Corinthians should help maintain the equality of believers, Paul reminds them of what Christ has done for them:

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich (8:9).

The Corinthians were to imitate Christ by giving to their fellow believers sacrificially, just as Christ in his incarnation had given to them.

In Ephesians 5:25–28 Paul tells husbands to treat their wives as Christ treated the church. Echoing the imagery of God’s redemption of Israel in Ezekiel 16:1–14, Paul says that Christ loved the church and gave himself for her in order to make her holy, cleanse her, wash her with the Word, and present her to himself as a “radiant” people. “In this same way,” Paul says, “husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies” (Eph. 5:28).

Paul believed that in the day-to-day affairs of the church and the family we should follow the example of Christ. In matters as mundane as where we eat, what we do with our money, and how we act toward the members of our families, Paul tells us to imitate Christ. Church members would do well to “pretend” to be Christ when they discuss such divisive issues as the ordination of women, the gift of speaking in tongues, the inerrancy of Scripture, and the relative merits of Calvinist and Wesleyan approaches to theology. Believers united in a deep commitment to the essentials of Christian orthodoxy as they are expressed in the classic ecumenical creeds of the church differ on these issues after making sincere efforts to understand Scripture and to bow before its authority. Surely, in such instances, we should not break fellowship with other believers in the name of the purity of the faith.

This does not mean that such issues are unimportant or that a right answer to the questions that lie behind them does not exist. It only means that since the evidence for the various positions on these issues is ambiguous enough that thoughtful and devout believers can disagree about it, Christians should be willing to listen respectfully to one another during the debate and remain united in spirit afterward. To do this takes the kind of humility Paul ascribes to Christ in this passage. But that is the kind of humility that should characterize every Christian.

God’s character, then, is best seen in the selfless service and obedience of Christ. In our own relationships with others, our emphasis should rest on selfless service and obedience, in imitation of Christ. But how do we keep this emphasis central in our relationships? It does, after all, run directly counter to the human tendency to dominate others, and it can easily slip from our grip. We must, of course, always remember that God does not expect us to obey him in our own strength, but works obedience within us. Indeed, Paul will say this explicitly in 2:13. Here, however, his point is different. By finishing his account of Jesus’ story with Jesus’ exaltation and the eschatological submission of the whole universe to him, Paul reminds us of the final day on which we will have to give an account to God of our mutual relationships, and he implicitly urges us to follow Jesus’ example of humility in light of that coming day.

Here, as elsewhere, Paul urges us to focus on the final day not so that we might confute the enemies of the gospel with demonstrations of how Scripture predicted the headlines in this morning’s newspaper, or so that we might set the date of Jesus’ return, or so that we might convene prophecy symposia in which we anathematize those who do not agree with our own charting of the world’s demise. Here and elsewhere, Paul simply reminds us that the final day is coming and that when it comes, we should be found “pure and blameless … filled with the fruit of righteousness” (1:11).

For Paul, as for the prophets and Jesus, one of the most important reasons for speaking of the final day was to provide an incentive for ethical behavior. “Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD,” says Amos to Israelites who had neglected justice toward their fellow citizens. “Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light … pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness” (Amos 5:18, 20). In Jesus’ parable of the great banquet, he warns the Jews that if they reject him, then Gentiles will fill their places at the coming “feast in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 14:15–24; cf. Matt. 21:45–22:14). Paul likewise reminds the Corinthians that “the Day will bring … to light … the quality of each man’s work” on the spiritual edifice of the church (1 Cor. 3:13). Philippians 2:9–11 shows again the importance of this aspect of the New Testament’s eschatological teaching.

All of us will one day stand before God, just as Jesus did at his exaltation. All of us should be found faithful on that day as he was found faithful. Modern apocalyptic scenarios change, charts must be redrawn and dates revised, but if these two convictions remain firmly fixed in our eschatological thinking, little else matters.

[, Philippians, The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995), 128–133.]

Question Needing Answers

How important is celebration to corporate worship? What songs or forms lend themselves best to a spirit of celebration?

How does Jesus’s reversal of fortune challenge the sense of defeat or gloom that covers many believers?

Why should God’s exaltation of Christ after his self-humbling and self-humbling encourage every believer?

What practical relevance does Christ’s present position in heaven at God’s right hand have for your life today?

How does the reality that unbelievers hostile to Christ will one day acknowledge his lordship affect your dealings with or attitudes toward unbelievers?

Looking at the Christ hymn as a whole, what value in your culture has Christ subverted?

The passage ends by saying that Christ’s work was done “to the glory of God the Father.” How does this move you? Is your great aim to live a humble, others-oriented life for the glory of the Father, through Jesus? Pray for a deeper desire to live for God’s glory by following Christ’s example.

A Week’s Worth of Scripture

Monday John 1:2–3 (CSB)

2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.

Tuesday Mark 10:42–45 (CSB)

42 Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Wednesday John 5:17–23 (CSB)

17 Jesus responded to them, “My Father is still working, and I am working also.” 18 This is why the Jews began trying all the more to kill him: Not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal to God.

19 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing, and he will show him greater works than these so that you will be amazed. 21 And just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so the Son also gives life to whom he wants. 22 The Father, in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.

Thursday Romans 15:1–6 (CSB)

1 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. 2 Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. 4 For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. 5 Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ with one mind and one voice.

Friday Ephesians 1:3–14 (CSB)

3 Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him. 5 He predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ for himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace that he lavished on us in the Beloved One. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace 8 that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9 He made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he purposed in Christ 10 as a plan for the right time—to bring everything together in Christ, both things in heaven and things on earth in him. 11 In him we have also received an inheritance, because we were predestined according to the plan of the one who works out everything in agreement with the purpose of his will, 12 so that we who had already put our hope in Christ might bring praise to his glory. 13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

Saturday 1 Corinthians 15:20–28 (CSB)

20 But as it is, Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. 22 For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

23 But each in his own order: Christ, the firstfruits; afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he abolishes all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be abolished is death. 27 For God has put everything under his feet. Now when it says “everything” is put under him, it is obvious that he who puts everything under him is the exception. 28 When everything is subject to Christ, then the Son himself will also be subject to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.