Philippians 2:5-7 says,...
Today's verses are Philippians 2:5-7, which read,
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Paul continually ends back at the ultimate example we are to follow and that is our Lord Jesus Christ. He brings up commands and Scripture to follow and then follows that up with "take a look at Jesus." What is being instructed to us has been displayed by Him. Paul gets us to look at Jesus as our example but then he goes into some very important doctrinal things to know about Jesus.
"He existed in the form of God" - Jesus existed and His form is by very nature God. Jesus is deity and divine.
"did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped" - Although He was God in form and also in equality which He stated over and over during His earthly ministry, Jesus' attitude was not to grasp or clutch or embrace or hold unto His divine rights, privileges, and honors during this time for a purpose.
"emptied Himself" - Jesus who is God set aside the benefits of His divine position. He did not cease to be God but for a purpose and a time made space, emptied Himself, for something else to take center spot of focus.
"taking on the form of a bond-servant" - Jesus was in form God and now He was in form a bond-servant. He not only was God but allowed us to see Himself also as one who was willing and voluntarily following the will of His Father as a servant.
"being made in the likeness of men" - We are created in the image of God and now Jesus is coming created to look like us. He not only looked like us but He took on our humanness and all its needs. He willingly experienced pain and hunger and weakness.
Jesus, God in very form, had the attitude to not hold His position as God as something to clutch onto not to empty Himself so He could be man in very form to serve and follow His Father's will to serve us. If you are going to think of others more important than yourself and if you are going to look after the interests of others, don't you have to do the same thing? Don't you have to let go of your self, or the sole focus on self to grab a hold of someone else? Don't you have to empty yourself of your plans so that their plans have room in your life? Don't you have to take upon this form to not be just a human, like Jesus in form is God, but to take upon also the form of a servant while being human like Jesus taking on the form of a servant while being God? To do that you need to not cease to be yourself but you do need to become or take on another form and that is the form of a bond-servant for another.
This is the attitude of Jesus. God, in all aspects, in form, taking upon another form, for the purpose of loving His Father and loving others. Jesus, God, came in the form of us with all of our humanness to put our need of salvation before His rightful position of deity while at the same time not stop existing as God. When you serve, you don't lose your position before God. When you serve, you don't lose your interests. You set them aside to tend to the interests of others and end up actually knowing and experiencing more of God because you are following after His example. To be first and great in God's kingdom is to act like Him through Jesus' example and attitude. Let's pray.
"Lord, thank You for being God and also coming as a man to serve us with being our salvation. That service required You to take upon Yourself our form to pay the price needed for our sin. You did this willingly because You loved us so. May I love You and people so much that I would take on the form of a servant to sacrifice what is needed in my life to show them You rather than me. Amen."
Pastor Adam
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Paul continually ends back at the ultimate example we are to follow and that is our Lord Jesus Christ. He brings up commands and Scripture to follow and then follows that up with "take a look at Jesus." What is being instructed to us has been displayed by Him. Paul gets us to look at Jesus as our example but then he goes into some very important doctrinal things to know about Jesus.
"He existed in the form of God" - Jesus existed and His form is by very nature God. Jesus is deity and divine.
"did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped" - Although He was God in form and also in equality which He stated over and over during His earthly ministry, Jesus' attitude was not to grasp or clutch or embrace or hold unto His divine rights, privileges, and honors during this time for a purpose.
"emptied Himself" - Jesus who is God set aside the benefits of His divine position. He did not cease to be God but for a purpose and a time made space, emptied Himself, for something else to take center spot of focus.
"taking on the form of a bond-servant" - Jesus was in form God and now He was in form a bond-servant. He not only was God but allowed us to see Himself also as one who was willing and voluntarily following the will of His Father as a servant.
"being made in the likeness of men" - We are created in the image of God and now Jesus is coming created to look like us. He not only looked like us but He took on our humanness and all its needs. He willingly experienced pain and hunger and weakness.
Jesus, God in very form, had the attitude to not hold His position as God as something to clutch onto not to empty Himself so He could be man in very form to serve and follow His Father's will to serve us. If you are going to think of others more important than yourself and if you are going to look after the interests of others, don't you have to do the same thing? Don't you have to let go of your self, or the sole focus on self to grab a hold of someone else? Don't you have to empty yourself of your plans so that their plans have room in your life? Don't you have to take upon this form to not be just a human, like Jesus in form is God, but to take upon also the form of a servant while being human like Jesus taking on the form of a servant while being God? To do that you need to not cease to be yourself but you do need to become or take on another form and that is the form of a bond-servant for another.
This is the attitude of Jesus. God, in all aspects, in form, taking upon another form, for the purpose of loving His Father and loving others. Jesus, God, came in the form of us with all of our humanness to put our need of salvation before His rightful position of deity while at the same time not stop existing as God. When you serve, you don't lose your position before God. When you serve, you don't lose your interests. You set them aside to tend to the interests of others and end up actually knowing and experiencing more of God because you are following after His example. To be first and great in God's kingdom is to act like Him through Jesus' example and attitude. Let's pray.
"Lord, thank You for being God and also coming as a man to serve us with being our salvation. That service required You to take upon Yourself our form to pay the price needed for our sin. You did this willingly because You loved us so. May I love You and people so much that I would take on the form of a servant to sacrifice what is needed in my life to show them You rather than me. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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