It seems evident that Paul had this thought in mind when he wrote Philippians 2. Through the truth of God becoming flesh, His sacrificial death and victorious resurrection, Paul teaches the attitudes Christians should live toward each other and the means of doing so. Let’s first look at the example Paul gives for his command, “Have this mind among yourselves” (Philippians 2:5).
The example is Christ. Paul says this about Jesus, “who though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (v.6). The front of this verse states that Jesus existed as God, ‘form’ meaning of the same essence. The last part of this verse affirms the first. He was so truly God that it was not a consideration in His mind to be concerned with losing any portion of being God by becoming flesh. So at no time did Jesus cease to be fully God, even when He became flesh, the God-man. An illustration may be helpful in understanding the humility reflected in Jesus becoming flesh.
Suppose Usain Bolt, the fastest human, were to agree to race with me in a three legged race. In doing so, he would be in company with one of the slowest humans on earth. In agreeing to tie himself to me, Bolt would be accepting my limitations. The same is true for Jesus, who by becoming flesh accepted the limitations of flesh for the sake of our redemption. In doing so, Jesus considered others significance over His own. Paul’s encouragement to us is to be humble as Christ was humble. How can we apply this principle to our life?
First, God is at work in you. This is by the Spirit of God. His aim at working in you is to propel out of you spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control), for His pleasure. Setting our minds on the pleasure of God rather than our own breaks out into the greatest pleasure we can experience. It equals the opposite of the above illustration. When we bind ourselves to Christ, He enables us to live out His passion, by His power, for His pleasure.
In my next post I will share three qualities that move humility closer to becoming habitual.
