Month: October 2020

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 2:5-11 (day seven)

^” but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant” vs 7a

We are nearing the time of year when Hallmark Christmas movies will be on repeat as we prepare for a holiday season. I have learned the plot lines to these love stories well. A young successful woman is forced to move to the country side, falls in love with a local man, and finds herself enjoying this new way of life. They kiss, it snows, and we assume they live happily ever after!

These are the types of love stories that we expect in modern culture. When was the last time one of these movies was about a King who willing set aside His royal privileges to become a slave so that He could die? This is not the love story we expect. It is a story of sacrifice. It is a story of submission. It is a story of surrender. It is a counter cultural love. This is a true love story!

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 2:5-11 (day six)

“You need to have the same mind as Jesus, to see the world the way He sees it, to share the same attitude.” -Paul, Philippians 2:5

To the church in Corinth he wrote, “Right now, we see things as if we are looking through a dark piece of glass.” To the church in Rome he wrote, “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Paul’s desire then and for the church now, is to see and live in the world the same way Jesus did.

Isn’t that what we need? A new mind to see through the things that rob of us joy, and fresh eyes to really see the things that matter most. I imagine it would turn everything on its head; just like he said:

“Don’t you know, to be great, you must become a servant to everyone.”-Jesus

“Don’t you know the meek will inherit the earth.” -Jesus

I’m in need of a new mind (everyday). Aren’t you?

 

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 2:5-11 (day five)

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,”

This week we get to read and focus on one of the most profound passages in the New Testament. Doctrinally rich. Theologically sound.  Gospel filled. An eternal perspective on the life and existence of Jesus Christ.

We should remember though, where this passage/poem/hymn is placed in Paul’s letter.  It follows a plea and exhortation for unity as a result of humility. But Paul isn’t trying to stimulate debate and discussion, rather He is pointing to Jesus as the example of humility- needed for authentic community and unity.

“Unity isn’t the result of preaching on unity; it’s the result of people adoring and emulating Jesus. The more we behold His glory and imitate His character, the more unified we will be as a church”. – Tony Merida

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 2:5-11 (day four)

“At the name of Jesus every knee will bow”…Isaiah was the first to say this.  People of all ages have had idols…made of wood, iron, silver or gold.  The idols each represent some area of rebellion against God.  What Isaiah…and now, in our passage, Paul…is saying, is that there will come a day when the truth will be known.  People will recognize that God is the one righteous, creator God.  All of their pretense and sin will be stripped away and they will see clearly their folly in opposing God.  They will fall to their knees in fear and shame and guilt.

Where are the idols in your life?  Where have you opposed the truth of God?  What is blinding you from the glory of God?  Ask God to search your heart and reveal to you where your idols are hiding.  It is much better to surrender to God voluntarily rather than wait for the day when shame is forced upon you on the day the name of Jesus is proclaimed in heaven and earth.

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 2:5-11 (day three)

“[Christ] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped.”

Paul could have demanded that Philemon free the enslaved Onesimus. He could have leveraged his formidable political clout to eradicate his opposition in the church at Corinth. He could have availed himself of the perfect sign-from-heaven opportunity the earthquake afforded him to bolt from jail under cover of chaos and darkness. He could have done all those things, but he did none of them. In the face of enticement to wield power over others, he refused. He had been, remember, a pupil of Jesus himself, who taught him the gospel in all its facets. He learned directly from the leper-touching, foot-washing, silent-before-Pilate Savior that life disintegrates when grasped, clutched, or forced. Instead, eternal life consists in inviting, asking, listening. To live eternally is to live with others, not over them.

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 2:5-11 (day two) Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, vs. 5

Attitude may not be everything as a popular saying goes, but there may be more to it than we realize. How much of what you do each day is framed by your outlook? When facing a crisis how much does your mindset play into how you manage the situation? Re-read vs. 8 and think about how Jesus’ attitude impacted his resolve. Christ chose to face the cross and all that came with it. We are rarely called upon to endure a fraction of that weight, and yet we can still have the attitude of Christ. Can you face that task differently now? Can you look at where God has placed you as an opportunity to make a Kingdom-sized difference? You bet.

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 2:1-4 (day seven)

“regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

The word “merely” changes the way this verse is understood. Without it we would say, “Don’t look out for your own interests. Others are way more important than you.” Why is it important that we establish that we are important too?  If we do not love our self, we will not be able to love others.

There is tension here. One cannot have too high of a self-esteem but also cannot have too low of a self-esteem. Both extremes lead to the neglect of someone’s soul; other’s are neglected with high self-esteem and our own is neglected with low self-esteem. To bridge this tension, we must remember that we are children of the almighty God, created perfectly, and loved by Him. Therefore, we are worthy of being loved and are called to help others know this same type of love.

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 2:1-4 (day six)

Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other,…Philippians 2:2a

Recently, I heard a story of one man’s pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of James. There are multiple paths one could take, one of the longest being over 500 miles. It is intended to be walked, although some bike.

His retelling was very inspiring. Along the way, different people, some times two or three at a time, but often just one person would join him. They would walk for miles together. It was those times, as I listened to his story, when he was aligned with someone, or going the same direction, that he found the most joy, along with the encouragement to walk just a little further each day.

This is what I think Paul means by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, or being of the same mind (ESV). Jesus would have used the illustration of being equally yoked; two oxen linked together in order to share the load.

Aligned together, and head in the same direction. Then we can surely cover more ground, and face almost anything.

Re:Verse passage – Philippians 2:1-4 (day five)

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;”

It is a tension we must navigate carefully and cautiously- the desire to be humble and the desire to grow and mature in Christ. Paul makes the proposition that we can hold onto both. But as John Stott so wisely points out, “At every stage of our Christian development and at every sphere of our Christian discipleship, pride is the greatest enemy and humility our greatest friend”.

I had a professor who joked, that if you ever wanted to write a book entitled “Humility, and How I Achieved  It”, you’ve probably missed the point. Humility does take personal discipline and attention (the way we think about the Lord, priority of loving others, and willingness to be a servant). It is work for sure, which ushers in the danger of pride. But, as Paul reminds, humility can come, but only from the Spirit. So the prayer is NOT, “help me be humble”.  It is “make me more like Jesus”. Humility is not thinking less of yourself (desire for growth and maturity in Christian faith), it is thinking of yourself less (regard one another as more important).