The greatest men are those who have fallen deepest into the mire, sinned most, suffered most, and then have fought their evil natures and conquered.”
–Zane Grey (The Light of the Western Stars)
“He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings.”
–Psalm 40:2 (Amplified)
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“He paid a debt He did not owe
I owed a debt I could not pay…”
–Ellis J. Crum
Upon reading this psalm/song of Paul’s the words to the song by Crum came immediately to mind. William Barclay says that “In many ways this is the greatest and most moving passage Paul ever wrote about Jesus.”
4 — Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 — Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 — who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,
7 — but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
8 — And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (NKJV)
There is so much doctrine and theology in these verses from Philippians 2, but there is also the aspect of practical theology as well. Much could be said, and has been, but let’s just look at a few things in our short time this morning. Someone has said, “Right thinking produces right actions.” Therefore, our actions are the fruit of our deepest thoughts. I would ask, how close are you to Christ? How often do you think about Him and then, what are those thoughts? Notice, that the “mind” is mentioned; we are to have the mind of Christ, that is why Paul wrote to the Romans that we must have the “renewing of our mind.” No longer are we to act and think worldly thoughts, thoughts that do not belong to Christ.
Much of these verses then deal with the Incarnation–that great mystery of God. Right from the start we see Paul telling us that “Jesus was essentially and unalterably God.” (Barclay) Jesus was equal, which means He was fully God. The term used here means an essential for which never alters. Jesus did not think it robbery to be equal with God. J.B. Phillips translates it this way, “For he, who had always been God by nature, did not cling to his prerogatives as God’s equal.” He placed that aside in His humility to come to earth to take on our great debt.
Barclay explains what the term “robbery” relates to. “It can mean that Jesus did not need to snatch at equality with God, because He had it as a right, and/or that He did not clutch at equality with God, as if to hug it jealously to Himself, but laid it willingly down for the sake of men.” The next verse hits me, He emptied Himself; He took the position of a slave. The meaning of this phrase means “removing things from a container, until the container is empty; of pouring something out, until there is nothing left.” (Barclay) Think of that, He emptied Himself of His royal deity. No, He did not cease to be God, never think that, but He came to earth as man.
Think about Jesus and His life on earth. One of the clearest aspects of His character was his humility. Barclay writes, “The great characteristics of Jesus’ life were humility, obedience, and self-renunciation. He did not desire to dominate men but only to serve them; He did not desire His own way but only God’s way; He did not desire to exalt Himself but only to renounce all His glory for the sake of men.” So anything that is selfish, or self-seeking, or putting ourselves out for self-display destroys our likeness to Christ. Remember! We are to have the mind of Christ! Think of His humility. William Hendircksen calls our attention to it when he says, “So poor was He that He was constantly borrowing: a place for His birth, a boat to preach from, a room for the Lord’s supper, a tomb to be buried in. Moreover, He took upon Himself a debt–the guilt and sins of us all.”
Listen then carefully to the sermons you hear. How do they portray your thinking in regard to that of Jesus? What do the self-help books say about you? Are you a somebody, or are you in the image of Christ? Can you make it by yourself, or do you need a savior to take care of your sins?
“You who were God beyond all praising,
Because You loved me became a man
Stooping so low, but sinners raising
Heavenwards by Your eternal plan.”
–Frank Houghton