Friday, June 10

Friday

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.  Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God

something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! 

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

   Philippians 2:3-11

This week we have been reflecting on what it means to be “great” in God’s eyes.  Time and time again we see in both the example and in the teaching of Jesus, that it is humility and service that are the mark of “Kingdom Greatness”.  This amazing passage from the Apostle Paul in Philippians is, in a sense, his own reflection on the beauty of the humility of Christ.  In the history of the world, many billions of people have lived and died. Many have left their mark on the tapestry of time, but no one has made as indelible an impression as a humble Jewish man named Jesus. Had He been an ordinary man, the world would have forgotten Him as soon as He had died. But, He was no ordinary man!

Perhaps the most significant line in this passage is the phrase “your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”  This is really an astounding statement.  Can you and I really be like Jesus?  Notice that the text does not say we will become Jesus, but that we can and should have His attitude of humility. 

Friends, you and I will never become Jesus, but we can become like Him.  Ephesians tells us that we have been created to become like Christ.  Listen to Romans 8:29 in the Living Bible: “For from the very beginning God decided that those who came to Him – and He knew who would – should become like His Son.”  Let me be clear, He’s not saying we’re going to be a god, but He does desire for us to become godly as he develops His character in our lives. God wants to make us like His son Jesus.  Ephesians 4:15 puts it this way: “…We will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.”

Pastor, author and practical theologian Andrew Murray has written a great deal on the subject of humility.  More importantly, he lived what he taught as humble minister of the Gospel in South Africa for more than twenty-five years.  The following is an excerpt from his own reflections on this same passage.

“In this view it is of inconceivable importance that we should have right thoughts of who and what Christ is, of what really constitutes Him the Christ, and specialty of what may be counted His chief characteristic, the root and essence of all His character as our Redeemer. There can be but one answer: it is His humility. What is the incarnation but His heavenly humility, His emptying Himself and becoming man? What is His life on earth but humility; His taking the form of a servant? And what is His atonement but humility!  And what is His ascension and His glory, but humility exalted to the throne and crowned with glory?  In heaven, where He was with the Father, in His birth, in His life, in His death, in His sitting on the throne, it is all, it is nothing but humility. Christ is the humility of God embodied in human nature; the Eternal Love humbling itself, clothing itself in the garb of meekness and gentleness, to win and serve and save us. As the love and condescension of God makes Him the benefactor and helper and servant of all, so Jesus of necessity was the Incarnate Humility. And so He is still in the midst of the throne, the meek and lowly Lamb of God.”  – Andrew Murray

What a model we have in Jesus Christ!

You can be like Jesus!  Jesus wants you to become like Him!  God is working to remake you in the image of His Son! 


Jeff Frazier