The Humiliation of Christ

Transcript

GR 625
12/12/1982
The Humiliation of Christ
Philippians 2:5-8
Gil Rugh

Book of Philippians in your Bibles; Philippians and the Second Chapter, we come to a most fitting section for our study for the next couple of weeks, focusing on the incarnation of Jesus Christ. He is coming to earth, the purpose in his coming to earth results of his coming to earth, discussed in this central passage in Philippians Chapter 2. We’re using the word the incarnation quite a bit, I think we are familiar with what it means; it comes from a Greek word, which means flesh. So it’s the enfleshment of Christ. We’re speaking about the fact that, he became a man, he became a human being, he took upon himself a body of flesh; he was enfleshed. So we have the enfleshment or the incarnation of Jesus Christ, and that’s what this section is all about.

To appreciate the thrust, we have to back up and set it in its context again. The end of Chapter 1 verse 27, Paul exhorted the Philippians to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel, and that’s the theme or subject under consideration; to live your life as a citizen of heaven in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our lives as Christians; those who are citizens of heaven, which is the emphasis of the word to conduct, to behave yourself as a citizen or to bring honor and glory to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the message concerning him. And the central issue under consideration in living our lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel is to walk in humility before God; to conduct ourselves humbly in our relationships with one another.

Paul came into Chapter 2 and laid the foundation for the exhortation in verse 1, if there be, and then a series of four statements. If there be, but we noted that grammatically that asserts the fact, we can translate it since or because, there is encouragement in Christ, because of the consolation of love, because of these basic spiritual truths and facts; he commands us make his joy complete, to bring it to fulfillment, to bring the joy he has in the Lord over them to its fullest possible completion. And that is accomplished by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

And you note the emphasis on unity, the oneness, the oneness, the oneness, the unity. It’s the same mind, the same love united in spirit, intent on one purpose. We are a unified people; we have an oneness that is to characterize us in all that we do and that doesn’t mean sameness; there is diversity among us. But we have oneness in the basic spiritual truth and reality that characterizes us, to exercise this unity and oneness. To function in harmony necessitates humility, because if we don’t conduct ourselves in humility, unity will be shattered. So the exhortation in verse 3 is to do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit. Problem among the Philippians was there was strife; there was bickering and disagreement in the church.

Paul’s burdened over this, because you cannot walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel, if there is conflict and bickering and fighting among believers. So the exhortation is to do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, and that runs contrary to unity. If I have to have it my way, you have to have it your way, what is going to happen; there is conflict. I see it from my perspective and I do it my way, you see it from your perspective, you want to do it your way, what happens; we have conflict. So I can’t function from selfishness or empty conceit, which is a good phrase, because it expresses selfishness comes from empty conceit. Conceited people conceited for no reason; the result is conflict.

But the contrast in verse 3, with humility of mind, let each of you regard one another as more important than himself crucial to see here. We’re not talking about that superficial humility that all of us despise, where someone is trying to pretend that they are humble. But he is talking about humility of mind that comes from the true evaluation of the inner person and thus expresses itself. I am to evaluate everyone as more important than myself. And we discussed this in our last study; I am to look at other believers and to see them as more important than I am. We say, well let’s be realistic, I just by plane fact and more important than some Christians.

But you know I don’t have a realistic view, because if I look at them properly I will see that God has given them special gifts and abilities that he hasn’t given me. He is using them in ways that he is not using me. He is using them in places that he is not using me. He is accomplishing things in their lives and through their lives that he is not accomplishing in and through me. So if I am honest before God, I do see that every believer is superior to me in some way, is more important to me.

The breakdown here comes; I want to compare my strengths with your weaknesses. I want to make the standard of evaluation in how well you preach; that you don’t measure up I guess I’m better than you are. But that’s not the only thing there is in a Christian life. God says I ought to look at my weaknesses and your strengths, we turn it around; I want to look at my strengths and your weaknesses. That creates conflict, because then I believe that I am better than you. Then I become jealous when you get a position that I thought I should have or you get recognition that I thought I should have.

But if I’m thinking you are more important and I’m gearing my life around; look at verse 4, do not look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others, I’m looking for ways to promote you, to encourage you, to enhance your service for Jesus Christ, to make you a more effective person in your service for Christ. That takes the conflict out of it. I’ll say; I’ll do that if you do the same thing for me. God says you’re obligated to do it for me, but he says, my doing it for you is not conditioned on what you do. So I’m to be looking out for your interest regardless of what you’re doing. So who is going to look out for me; I have to leave that in God’s hands. But if we all function biblically as we should, we’re all taking care of right, because each of us are looking out for one another. So this is the context that we come to.

When we come to verses 5 and following, the greatest statement in all the Bible on the incarnation of Jesus Christ is found in Philippians Chapter 2. And it amazes me every time I study it, that it is in the context of humility. You know what the most important statement on the incarnation of Jesus Christ is given for; it is given as an example of how I ought to live my life in humility, that’s amazing. That tells me something of the importance of humility in the life of the believer. That the greatest statement that God makes on the coming to earth of his son Jesus Christ is given as an example of how I ought to live my life in humility as a child of God, of how we are to relate to one another in humility as believers. That speaks multitudes on how important the subject of humility is.

This passage, if you study Philippians at all is called the Kenosis passage, and the Kenosis is a Greek word, K-E-N-O-S-I-S the way we carry it over, Kenosis. And it comes from the word in verse 7, he emptied himself, and the Greek word for that is Kenosis. I mentioned that, because if you read anything on Philippians, we hear someone talking about often say, well the kenosis passage emphasizes this. They are pulling out the Greek word of Philippians Chapter 2, and it means, to empty. Alright, before we look at the details of this passage, let’s have a word of prayer together.

Father we praise you this morning for Jesus Christ. Father for what he means to us, that we can come into the word and look at the emphasis on his coming to earth. We ask the spirit will enable us to grasp the truth of this passage this morning. Father, not only to grasp the theological truths presented here, but to appreciate the emphasis on our life and walk in our relationship with one another, in light of what Christ has done. We pray in his name, Amen.

Paul continues in Chapter 2 with Verse 5 by making the statement, have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus. Now he is saying the same thing that he has said up in verse 2; when he said, be of the same mind. Now we noted this translate that to think the same thing, uses the same word now, when you get down to verse 5 says, have this attitude; literally think as Christ thought, be thinking this way. He is instructing us how we ought to think, because our actions flow out of our minds. How we think about ourselves, how we think about other people will dictate how we related to one another.

So he says, to be thinking in your mind, how; the way Christ thought, be thinking in yourselves in the same way that Christ Jesus thought. Now what we have here is Christ has set down as the pattern for our thinking, as is true repeatedly through the New Testament, Christ has set down as the pattern or example, my life is to be a reflection of the life of Jesus Christ. Now as we noted in our previous study, you have to be careful. There is a theological heresy that emphasizes that Jesus Christ came to earth to be an example; and we experience salvation by trying to pattern our lives as much as we can after the life of Christ, that’s a lie.

No one will ever be saved by trying to live a life like Christ lived, for the penalty for sin is death is not living a good life. Jesus Christ came to earth to die to pay for the penalty for sin, and you are saved by believing that he loved you and died for you, but when you trust Christ to save you, you are born into God’s family. When you are born into God’s family you are made a new person on the inside, and as a new person on the inside, you are to reflect the character of your heavenly father, just like when you are born into the human race, you manifested the characteristics and traits of humanity, you manifested the characteristics and character of your parents. Now you’re born into God’s family; God says; his character will be manifested in your life, that’s what is being demanded in Christ.

Look over in John Chapter 13, just a couple of passages; where we’re told that Christ is the example and pattern for us as believers. John Chapter 13, the night before the crucifixion at the Last Supper, Jesus gets up washes the disciples feet. You know what, all the disciples were thinking of themselves, they thought of themselves as better than one another, and no one would humble himself to do the work of a servant and wash the feet. So you know who got up and did it; Jesus gets up and did it.

And note what he says then down in verse 15, for I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, neither one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. So he said, you are not greater than me, I am the master, so if I have been willing to condescend and serve, you ought to be willing to do the same thing. Down in verse 34 of John 13, he says, a new commandment I give to you that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

See the example or pattern for our love, that you love one another as I have loved you. Again, he is the example and the pattern for love. Jump over to First Peter Chapter 2. There are many other passages, we’ll just take these First Peter Chapter 2; the context of suffering here, and suffering unjustly is the context. Verse 19, for this finds favor for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrow when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if when you sin and are treated harshly, you endure it with patience, but if when you do what is right and suffered for it, you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

Note; for you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in his mouth. While being reviled he did not revile in return, while suffering he uttered no threats but kept entrusting himself to the one who judges righteously. What was the example of Christ left for us, even though he suffered unjustly, he did not respond accordingly, he bore it all in silence, willingly suffering the injustice.

We get our backs up so to speak, we will say, well I wouldn’t mind suffering this, I wouldn’t mind going through this if I deserved it, that’s a non-issue. I’m called to suffer as Christ did, even unjustly, because I am called to manifest his character, that’s the point. So my willingness to be humbled, the humiliation I am willing to undergo cannot be limited by the justice or injustice of the circumstances.

Come back to Philippians 2. This is the point here then; Christ is the example for us as God’s children to follow, in our thinking, think this way. Now what he does is lay out for us to thinking of Christ, and it’s not just thinking that goes on in your mind, but as it expected as a man thinks in his heart so is he, the thoughts of our mind control and direct our actions. So here is how Christ thought and thus what he did, who although, he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.

Now we have to go slow and look at a number of words through this section to be sure we don’t misunderstand what is going on. One of the strongest statements of the deity of Christ is contained in this passage, but many have misunderstood what is being emphasized. It says; he existed in the form of God, he was having his being, he was living, existing in the form of God. Now the word; form, is the word morphe, now we carry it over into English in a word like metamorphosis, that’s this word with a preposition on the front. We are going to look at the word metamorphosis in some other passages in a moment.

Morphe, the word refers to the outward appearance or manifestation of the inner character or nature; now important to get that, it refers to the outward appearance or manifestation of the inner character and nature. It is always inseparably linked to your inner nature and character. As we read the word; form, we sometimes get the idea of something that is just external, but this word, we are going to contrast it later in this passage where the word that means just the external things, this word always is related to what you are in your being in your nature, and that being or nature or character is being manifested or is appearing, it is being seen, so it is connected with the manifestation of what you are.

What is being said here is that Christ existed in the form of God. He had the nature and being of God and manifested that. The appearance was there of that being or form of God. The nature of deity was being revealed in Christ, he was existing in this way. To see what this is perhaps helps clarify. Turn back to Isaiah Chapter 6, and what you have in Isaiah Chapter 6 is a description of the glory that belonged to Christ before he was born in Bethlehem, how he manifested his deity before his birth. Now I have to say a word, how do we know that Isaiah 6 is talking about Jesus Christ; in John Chapter 12 verse 41, the Apostle John says that Isaiah was writing about Jesus Christ in Isaiah Chapter 6. So there is no question that Jesus Christ is the one in view on Isaiah 6; John tells us that in John Chapter 12.

Isaiah Chapter 6: in the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne. He is talking about I saw Jesus Christ, the Lord, sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted with the train of his robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above him, each having 6 wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, with two he flew, and one called out to another and said, holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory.

We are talking about Jesus Christ here. He is the one who is sitting on the throne. He is the one who is lofty and exalted. He is the one to whom the Seraphim cry out holy, holy, holy. It’s his holiness that is being proclaimed. It’s his glory that fills the whole earth, the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filled with smoke; then I said, woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips and I live among the people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts.

Now that is how Jesus Christ manifested his deity before he was born at Bethlehem. He was existing in the form of God. He had the nature and being of God and that was being manifested in a glorious way. His attributes of holiness were clearly displayed, his glory was clearly displayed; his lordship was clearly displayed. So his deity was being manifested. He was existing in the form of God that’s the point. Now, what happens when he comes to earth; that no longer goes on, that’s the change that will be seen.

But here in Isaiah 6, his basic character and being is being presented. This happens on one or two occasions during his earthly ministry. We’ll just look at one; Matthew Chapter 17 on what we call the transfiguration, the Mount of Transfiguration. During Christ’s earthly life and ministry, this glory that we read about in Isaiah 6 was not being manifested. He was not walking out with the angels and Seraphim crying out holy, holy, holy. People did not behold him as Isaiah did, sitting on a throne high and exalted. But on this occasion in Matthew 17, something of that glory is presented.

And note verse 2, and he was transfigured, referring to Christ. He was transfigured before them and his face shone like the sun and his garments became as white as light. You see what’s happening here, something of that glory that is his as deity is being permitted to shine forth, and the glory of it is splendid and overwhelming. Now that word transfigured, that’s the word we are talking about in Philippians form, here it’s the word metamorphosis, it’s the word morphe basically and has a preposition meta on the front, to be of another and a metamorphosis is to undergo change of form.

We use the word most often when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. We call that a metamorphosis. Now you don’t make a caterpillar a butterfly by taking a pair of wings and taking a straight pin and sticking them on, that would be external. What happens, part of the very being of that caterpillar, that’s what is undergoing in the metamorphosis; the very being of the caterpillar now is being manifested in this way, as he undergoes that change. So what happens here on the Mount of Transfiguration; the very being of Christ now is being revealed and made manifest in a special and real way.

As you might expect this word is used of us as believers regarding what God is doing in our lives, changing our very being and having that change of being manifest. We are talking about in Philippians Chapter 2. Look at a couple of passages, Romans Chapter 8 verse 29, for whom he foreknew; speaking of God, he also predestined to become conform to the image of his son that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Now note, he predestined us to become conformed, there is our word, formed; with another preposition on the front; conformed to the image of Christ, formed like Christ, that change of inner being, which will result in manifestation that is different. In our lives and conduct, we are destined to be formed in our very being and nature like Jesus Christ; Conformed to him, which will result in the manifestation and appearance of the character of Christ in our actions and dealings with one another.

Look over in Romans Chapter 12 verse 2, do not be conformed to this world but be transformed, there is the word we are going to pick upon; transformed, a different word for conformed in the first part of the verse. We won't do that, we are going to get to that in Philippians in a moment; same word will come up in Philippians that’s translated; conformed, here to this world, will be used in Philippians. But be transformed, there is our word metamorphosis, undergo the metamorphosis by the renewing of your mind.

You see think like Christ thinks, which brings about a transformation. The character of Christ, if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, a new creation, I am a new person in Christ. Now by the process of being made new in the area of my mind, this new character is being made known, is being made visible in all of my functioning, in all of my activity and all of my dealing. That’s why in our study of First John, John says; if the character of Christ is not seen in your life you are not a child of God, you’re a liar, because it’s just like the caterpillar. The metamorphosis is undergone because of the basis character or being of the caterpillar. So that’s the way it is when I was born into God’s family I partook of his character and the metamorphosis goes on, and it’s a process as I am being made new in the area of my mind.

Look over in Galatians Chapter 4 verse 19, my children with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you. You know what Paul desires; the full manifestation and appearance of the character of Christ in the Galatians, that transformation of being which manifest itself in transformed conduct, be formed in you. Over to Philippians Chapter 2, the way this occurs for us, Second Corinthians Chapter 3 verse 18, as we behold in the mirror of the word of God, the glory of the Lord, we are being transformed, undergoing a metamorphosis from glory to glory by the work of the spirit in our lives. That’s why we are studying the scriptures together this morning. That the spirit might take the glory of Christ which is revealed in the scripture and continue that process of transformation, so that more of his glorious character might be seen and evident in my life and in my activity.

Back to Philippians Chapter 2 verse 6. So when it says he existed in the form of God, talking about as deity, he manifested the glory of deity; like Isaiah 6 has presented to us. But a change occurs; he did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped. Now keep in mind the purpose of this theological statement is to illustrate humility. So here Christ had the position of manifesting the fullness of his deity along with God the father, but he did not think this equality with God.

Now the equality with God refers to the equality of manifestation. He continued to be equal with God in being deity while he was on earth. In fact this word equal or equality is used in John Chapter 5 verse 18, where the Jews wanted to stone Christ, because he made himself equal with God. So, while he was on earth he was still deity, glory of my deity; no, it was not his attitude; that was the not the way that Christ thought. But he emptied himself, he emptied himself, and that’s the word Kenosis, where we get the title for this passage as I mentioned.

Now do not misunderstand, Christ could not empty himself of deity, he could not cease to be deity. One of the attributes of deity, the attributes something are those things, which go to make it what it is. There would be certain attributes of humanity, which you would have to have if you were a human being. Now one of the attributes of deity is the eternality. God is always the same, he is always holy, and he is always righteous and so on. One of the attributes of God is eternality, he cannot cease to exist. So since Jesus Christ was deity, it would mean he always has to be deity, and that’s what Hebrews Chapter 13 says, isn’t it; Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Now Jesus Christ does not walk on the earth today like he did 2000 years ago, what is he the same; in his basic character and being he has never changed.

The Gospel of John opens up, in the beginning was the word, Jesus Christ the very expression of God, and the word was with God and the word was God. Colossians Chapter 1 verse 15 and Chapter 2 verse 9 says that in Christ all the fullness of deity dwelt in bodily form, so that when Christ was on earth in a human body all the fullness of deity, all the attributes of deity dwelt in that human body; he had not ceased to be deity in any way.

Hebrews Chapter 1, verses 1 to 3 speak of the fact that Christ is the expression of deity, the exact representation of the nature of God. So he had not changed natures, he had not changed being, he was still deity. What’s he talking about here then when he says he emptied himself; well, talking about the change of form, remember that’s the emphasis in verse 6; he existed in the form of God where he manifested in all its fullness his deity, now he emptied himself, he sets aside that display of his deity and he takes another form. So he doesn’t empty himself of his deity, but only of the manifestation of his deity.

Second Corinthians Chapter 8 and verse 9 says that, you know what Christ did; that he was rich and yet for your sakes he became poor, that we might acquire all the riches of God in him. In John Chapter 17 in verse 5, Jesus prayed in his high priestly prayer, now father restore me to the glory which I had with you before the world was. Turn back to John 17; you ought to see that, this is good. John 17, verse 3; and this is eternal life that they might know you the only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent, that’s what life is all about.

You have eternal life when you come into a relationship of knowledge with Jesus Christ. You’ve come to recognize and believe in him as your savior, verse 5. Verse 4, I have glorified you on the earth having accomplished the work which you gave me to do, now glorify thou me together with yourself father with the glory which I had with you before the world was. This is a subject of our study next week, the glory that is Christ’s now. But note here, Christ praise restore me to my former glory, the glory that I had that was recorded in Isaiah 6.

Now in our next study we’ll look at Revelation Chapter 1, where John sees Christ after his resurrection. And you know what happens to John, he is overwhelmed with the glory of Christ, he falls down before Christ as a dead man, you know what, same thing that happened to Isaiah. Isaiah behold the glory of Christ in Isaiah 6, and he fell down and says, I’m a man of unclean lips, I’m destined to death, he fell down before Christ.

What happens to John in John Chapter 1; after the resurrection John beholds the glory of Christ and he falls down as a dead man. Why, what’s happened; Christ has been returned to the glory which was his with the father before the world was. What he’d he emptied himself of during this earthly life, his 33 years on earth of the full manifestation of that glory of his deity before mankind, that’s what he emptied himself of for this time on earth.

Come back to Philippians Chapter 2. Paul says he emptied himself in verse 7, taking the form of a bond-servant; key, there’s our word morphe again. Instead of having the form of God expressing the nature of deity in a manifest way, he expressed the nature of a servant in manifold way. As you look at the earthly life of Christ in the Gospels what is being displayed, he as a servant. What is being manifested, his servant-hood. What did he say in Matthew 20 verse 28 to the disciples; the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

He was a servant; why did the Jews miss who he was; because they saw him as a servant; as a humble human being. Why did people today miss the point of who Jesus Christ really is and why he came to earth; because during his earthly life he lived a life of humility, humbleness; his birth was in a stable and during his earthly life he didn’t have a home. The foxes have a place, the birds have a place, the son of man doesn’t even have a home to call his own where he can lay his head is what he said. He was the humblest of servants.

That’s what was manifested, that was his true nature and is. When he became a man he became a total man, so he has the nature in being of deity, now he also has the nature in being of humanity, and it is the form of the humanity the servant-hood that is being manifested during his earthly life. So you see what was changed, is the appearance, the manifestation. Instead of the glory of deity in Isaiah 6, it’s the form of a bond-servant that we have after his birth at Bethlehem.

And he took the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men, being found in appearance as a man. Being made in the likeness of man; that refers to his outward appearance as humanity, he had the external appearance of a man. I take it he would have the feature of a Jewish man, the skin coloring; the other things associated with humanity and particularly being a Jewish man, the coloring, all those things. He had the likeness of man, you looked at him and thought he was a man that Jews problem in John Chapter 5 verse 18, he claimed to be deity and all they could see was a man, and they called it blasphemy. So he had the likeness of man, being found in appearance as a man.

This is the word that I said is a contrast with morphe, the word schema and we carry it into English in some word. So we talk about a scheme of things. It refers to the external manifestations, the transient characteristics of humanity. Remember the morphe is what appears coming out of your basic nature, the schema or appearance; the word here, fashion is the way the King James often translates it; is the transient characteristics of humanity. He dressed as a man of his day. He had the feelings and emotions of a human being. He endured the pressures, the hardships, the sufferings, he was hungry, he was thirsty, he was weary, he wept, these are the schema; the transient characteristics of humanity, because for all eternity we will be human beings, but we won’t weep in eternity. There will be no weeping in the presence of God. We won’t be hungry, we won’t be thirsty; we won’t be weary and tired. These are the transient characteristics of our humanity. You know what he is saying is Christ had the form and he had also all the characteristics and traits.

Look over in the Book of Hebrews Chapter 4, this is a crucial element. We say that the transient characteristics, we are not saying they are not important, because for Christ to be truly identified with me he had to have these things, he had to suffer; he had to be under the pressure and so on. Hebrews Chapter 4 verse 15, for we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who is being tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. He underwent all the temptations that we do, yet he never succumbed in sin, which means he endured the temptations to a greater degree than any of us have, because we tend to submit before the pressure gets too strong. He never submitted, so he endured the pressure and temptation to the greatest degree.

Back in Chapter 2 of Hebrews verse 18, for since he himself was tempted in that which he has suffered, he is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. He has suffered what we have suffered. He has on through the agonies that we go through. He knows the heartaches that we endured. So he was found in appearance as a man, the schema, this word is used, do not allow yourselves to be fashioned according to this world in Romans 12, but be transformed; don’t allow yourself to be conformed to the externals of this world, but undergo the inner transformation, there the words are contrasted.

Here he has the form and also the external characteristics of a man. Being found in appearance as a man, here is the point, he humbled himself. Now remember we are talking about having the mind of Christ, what did Christ do; he had all the glory and all the praise of all angelic beings and he humbled himself, became a man, became obedient even to the point of death, so you have to say I don’t mind humbling myself, and I will go so far in humbling myself.

Where did Christ draw the line; while he humbled himself even willing to die; but there is no period there. He humbled himself to the point of death, and then here is the even the most utmost amazing thing; even to the death of the cross, the most vile wretched humiliating death that a man could endure. So wretched that you are not allowed to crucify a Roman citizen regardless of his crime, just the very fact to which you are a Roman citizen elevated you above, such a humiliating and vile death, that’s the death he died.

Not just the death, he didn’t say; alright I will die even, but I am going to die with dignity. I am going to die with respect, no; even the death of the cross, the most vile, humiliating, wretched kind of death reserved for the lowest of the low among human beings, and that’s how far he humbled himself. Now you have to appreciate, where we started in Isaiah 6, with the full display of the glory of his deity, with the angelic beings proclaiming his holiness, as he sat high and lofty on his throne, the sovereign of all the universe of heaven itself, and he humbled himself all the way to the point of suffering the worst possible death among human beings. No line drawn, no well I’ll go this far.

Now that’s the example, don’t lose sight. We sometimes get caught up in the theology of this passage and we miss the point. The point of the passage is you think like Christ thought, I am to think like Christ thought and I find myself drawing lines, I have gone as far as I am going. I have suffered all the humiliation I am going to suffer; I have been humbled for the last time. Is it any wonder the world is not impressed with our testimony; I am like Jesus Christ, but I’m going to have my dignity. I’ve drawn the line, where did he draw the line, he didn’t.

There was no bottom to the depths that he would go in humbling himself, and I would have the audacity to say that I have to maintain my dignity, I have to have my respect, I’ll humble myself but there’s a limit. When I’m told to think like Christ did, and soon as I say, I will humble myself, but there is a limit, I’m not thinking like Christ thought. And how can I walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel when I refuse to think as he thought; and all the travesty of it. We do so much of it in the name of Christ in my service for him, and I do it out of arrogance and pride and we end up bickering.

Is it any wonder God is so adamant in our conduct of unity and oneness among one another, that we are bickering and battling among ourselves for prestige and preeminence; and I’m battling with you for my way and I’ve got feeling to resent when against you, because you don’t appreciate me, and I resent this person, because they’re getting glory that I wanted for myself. And someone else got the job that I wanted to get, and I get stuck with the dirty work. I always want somebody to clean the church or work in the nursery, you know we think that way.

If I can’t preach, I do nothing. And that doesn’t mean next week I’ll be in the nursery and Jerry will be preaching. But don’t we often think that way; we draw the lines and I close myself of to the most effective opportunities to exult Jesus Christ. If your nose is being ground in the dirt, have you find yourself being walked on today and you say how I can I bury, you ought to praise god, you’re probably getting your greatest opportunity to manifest the character of Christ, and the opportunity goes biased, because we miss the point.

I’m so taken up with me I forget, I overlook the fact that God is giving me the greatest opportunity to exult Jesus Christ in this life and I’m complaining. No wonder Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said, when I’m weak I’m strong, therefore I glory in my weakness, I praise God for tribulations and for sufferings, why, what is life all about, manifesting the character of Christ and bring glory to him. You know when I find myself being humbled, my nose being rubbed in the dirt, I say, Lord, I can’t take it, this isn’t justice; this isn’t fair.

Then I come back and read Philippians 2 and say think like Christ thought. I’m being called to humble myself nearly like he is; I can’t, I never, I never will be deity and have the glory of deity, and he should leave that and come and die a death that I probably will never be called upon to die. It’s obvious though I’m thinking like him there’s no limits, am I willing to be humbled, am I willing to undergo any humiliation for him to function in a way that exult him. You note the point of it all is to cross, that’s the hub around which it all revolves. He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. You cannot understand the incarnation, if you do not understand the death of Christ.

First Peter Chapter 2 which we read part of, verse 24 says he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. You see the point there that we might live right by cause of the transformed character brought about in the redemption he secured. Hebrews Chapter 10 says that, he by one sacrifice has perfected for all time those who are sanctified, that’s the purpose of it all.

Turn over to second Corinthians Chapter 5 as we close. Second Corinthians Chapter 5, verse 14, for the love of Christ controls us having concluded this that one died for all, therefore all died, and he died for all that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again on their behalf. You see the point, transformed lives. Verse 17, therefore if any man in Christ he is a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold new things have come.

Down to verse 20, therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God, he made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Why Jesus Christ underwent such humiliation, not for what he’d get out of it, he had all the glory of deity. He had all the acclaim of creation. You know why he became a man and suffered the horrible death on the cross, that he might become sin for me, that I might have his righteousness. That’s true humility what are we talking about.

Don’t look out for your own interest look out for the interest of others is what Paul wrote to the Philippians. Christ wasn’t looking out for his interest; just think of how it’s going to be lived down there on earth. I won't have the seraphim to proclaim my holiness; I won't be sitting on my throne, my glory being manifest, no, he thought of the redemption that I needed. How do I have to be thinking, oh boy this is going to be so inconvenient for me. It’s going to be so uncomfortable for me. You know I have to be thinking what do you need, how can I best serve you, how can I be best used in your life to help you be the person God wants you to be, that’s the pattern that we have here.

Two things; one, we have been talking about to address children of God, you can’t manifest the nature of God unless you are the child of God. You cannot be the child of God unless you come to believe that Jesus Christ is the one who died for you. That’s an exciting message; how amazing that Jesus Christ would leave the glories of heaven to come to suffer and die on earth just for me and just for you. So that you could believe in him and have complete forgiveness and cleansing, be destined to live in the glory of his presence for all eternity.

How wretchedness of man, in spite of that there are still some people who think they’re going to get to heaven, because they’re good enough. They are going to get to heaven, because they come to Indian Hills Community Church. They get to heaven, because they are sing in the choir, teaches Sunday school class or do anything else; when the Bible says that it took the death of God himself on the cross, to pay the penalty for sin, and I should have audacity to say I’m going to get to heaven by my good works; message is, if you believe in Jesus Christ you can have the life we’ve been talking about.

For us as believers you know, it’s amazing to me that God should command to me, think like Jesus Christ thinks. That he has taken me a fallen sinner; that shows you something if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature and he has made me so different that he can now command me to think like Jesus Christ thinks. What a new person I am, what a different person I am, what a tragedy that I don’t live like him more often.

He doesn’t say it’ll be a good idea, if you to think like Christ think. He gives a command; have this mind in yourselves; think like Christ thought. Is that true of us, have you thought of other believers this week, what has been your attitude toward other believers, nitpick, run them down, tear them apart, be critical or if you look at them in a way how I could I best serve this body, how could I best serve other believers in this body, how could I best be a help to the growth of other believers here. If you had any self pity or they don’t appreciate me, they don’t care if I come or don’t come, they don’t appreciate what I’ve done I might as well stay home and nobody will care.

Who you’re thinking about; you know I got to be here, I’ve got to be with other believers, you know why; I’ve got a responsibility, I’ve got every thinking of you, be humbled, I go to remind myself of Christ, he is my example, you’re not. Whether you are humble yourself are not is irrelevant, whether I humble myself in the pattern of Christ is that’s the way I have to think about it and that’s the way you have to think about it. Praise God our greatest privilege given in that that command, Think like Jesus Christ thinks.

Let’s pray together. Father we praise you today for a savior. Lord the work of salvation, the work of redemption, which he accomplished boggles our minds, goes beyond our understanding that, that one who had the acclaim of the angels of glory should set it all aside, become not just the man but a servant; father to carry out the plan of redemption to die such an awful death, keeping before him only our interests that we might be redeemed; that we might be privileged to have his righteousness to anticipate glory in your presence.

Pray Father for those who are here today, who do not have this relationship with you, who are not your children, who do not have your character that they might see that Jesus Christ is the savior who loved them so much, that he died for them and believe in him in their life. Father for those of us who have believed in him, impress upon us the importance of living in oneness, of being willing to humble ourselves before one another. Lord, may we think as Christ thought in order that the glory of his life and character might be seen in our relationships together. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.