Christ's Attitude

Alright, so we're jumping into Philippians 2, 5-7. Bob covered last week, I thought, some just really great passages I enjoyed very much. Not that I don't enjoy each class, but last week was really rich with commentary and I appreciate what we were able to gather from Philippians chapter 2 as we kind of got started with that. What I'd like to do, because this week's verses are so tied to what we did last week. I'd like to just go back and read chapter 2 and the first several verses there all the way up to 1-4.

Let's get our minds kind of focused on where we were and then I'll tie us in with verse 5 and we'll move through 5, 6, and 7 today. So somebody can read the first four verses for me. If therefore there is any encouragement in Christ If there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the spirit, if there is any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent upon one purpose, and nothing from selfish or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, let each of you regard one another as more important than himself. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. So just to recap a little on the first four verses here, we're talking about fellowship, right? You see that in verse two. Same mind, same love, united, intent on how many purposes? one purpose.

So you've got this fellowship concept. We talked about that being one of the major themes throughout the book of Philippians. Paul is writing to a group of friends 800 some-odd miles away, many years since he's seen them, but he's encouraging about that unity that he started with them. And that unity of this body was quite advanced in that they had grown and they were not needing the same kind of correction that you see in other letters that Paul writes to churches. But here, a great deal of encouragement and just small amounts of clarification. But Paul is, again, he's in Roman care, if you want to look at it that way. Chained to a Praetorian guard. And his attitude has continually been what? Personally.

He's been encouraged. He's been extremely excited, like heart excitement, about what he has been hearing about the Philippian believers, their unity amongst one another, and their growth in Christ. And one of the things that we see in the verses that we looked at last week was his encouragement to continue to make his joy complete by staying of that same mind, that same love, that one in purpose, And then he starts to transition a little bit more specific. Don't look to your own interests, but look to the interests of who? Others.

And we talked a little bit about that last week. I mean, that's a difficult thing to do. And if you read verses 1 through 4 and you start making a checklist of behaviors, You all of a sudden have quite the tall order to fulfill. I mean, one purpose? How many times do we feel that we have one purpose with another believer, much less, you know, even someone who's close to it? It's hard. It's hard to share the same purpose, the same mind, to be of one in spirit in that way. And if you look at these as, here's your checklist, guys. You're thinking, oh wow. If you're thinking like I am, this is not going to be an easy thing to do. And that's just the kicker is that it's not about doing. And that's where Paul takes us in verse 5 and he moves us from a transition, I think, that here are the things that exemplify a body of fellowship. Here are the things that I see in you and that I continue to ask you to do to make my joy complete.

Because he's kind of the He is the founding teacher, the apostle to this church, and he wants to see him grow. I was talking to Mandy this morning about a group of folks up in Canada that I had started teaching years ago, and just getting an update on where they are and what they're growing and what they're learning. And it's exciting to hear when believers are growing and continuing to explore the Scriptures even after you're gone. While that's not anything in comparison to what Paul was experiencing, it's something like that. and he's excited for them to grow in this way. But here's where it really gets interesting in verse five. And we gave a hint towards this last week, but it's neat that it's not about the behavioral checklist.

And I think that a new believer or someone that's maybe a little bit rash through the scriptures, runs through it quickly, so forth, brash is the word. Is brash the right word? Has anybody used that word before? Rush. Rush, rash, rash. Nonetheless, when you take it at a really fast pace through the scriptures, you tend to come out with a checklist of living.

This is what I'm supposed to look like. This is what I'm supposed to do. And one of the things I really want to do this morning is avoid that perspective because verse 5 definitely changes the way that that is understood. Let me grab my PowerPoint and my fancy mouse. Alright, so can you read someone verses 5 through 7 for us? 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 bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. So we have some really neat phraseology in this, and I think what's going to be a really eye-opening portion of scripture here.

Attitude. This attitude, based on what we just read, verses 1-4. Have this attitude of what? Humility. Having the interests of others and not the interests of your own in mind. Tough, not easy stuff here. But this whole passage is tied on the first four verses in terms of having this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus. So this attitude that we talked about in verses one through four is an attitude that was in Christ Jesus.

So how are we supposed to have that? That's a question that we're going to need to answer this morning. And then verses six and seven go on to explain Jesus Christ, who has the same attitude that we're supposed to have. So we're going to get clarification on him and how he perceived humility. Because you're asked to have the same humility that Christ had up to the point of, and in verse 8, it's not part of the lesson today, but even death on the cross. And that's where Christ took the humility that he was dealt.

Let's look at some of the cultural insights back here in the book of Philippians. One of the things that's interesting to take into account is that the Greek and the Roman cultures did not view humility as a virtue. You're humble, you're weak. I think some of our tougher-minded cultures are still some of that way. Humility is not seen as necessarily a virtue and that's definitely not the way it was in their time. The Greek philosopher, Roger, He even wrote that humility was a weakness of character.

And so this is the modern view of this subject in terms of Paul's perspective. Ancient and modern, I think, probably, too. Don't you think we have that attitude here in America today? I sure don't. We tend to equate humility or humbleness with meekness, timidity, cowering. Yeah, I think you're right. In most cases, it's still not seen as a virtue, for sure. I think that that's definitely the case, and the macho man concept is still an admirable thing.

And it's not to say that bravery, from a biblical perspective, is not admirable as well, but that's not where Christ's mind is in this passage, and it's not where Paul wants our mind to be identified with. And so in that light, Paul is bringing the saints to Philippi to understand that the word is no measure for who we are in Christ. Christ is. And so we want to get in line with his way of thinking about humility and not the modern day nor the ancient perspective of that attribute. Key words in Philippians verse five, we need to define this attitude, have this attitude. The word this is not actually there in the Greek, so have attitude. What kind of attitude is that?

Phaneo, and this word phaneo has been brought up before. This is a word that's been used all throughout the book of Philippians. In fact, I'll come back to this in just a minute. But let's look at the phaneo family of words in Philippians. Verse chapter 1-7, we see phreno, attitude, mind, mindset. And I'm going to define it better. Chapter 2-2, again, that's repeated several times there. 2-3 and 2-5 is where we are today and on into the rest of the chapter we're going to see this word phreno, this Greek word about attitude, having this attitude. And so what is it that this means and how does this How does this work in terms of our understanding of this passage?

To have a mindset about something or someone involving the will, so it's not just a haphazard way of thinking, it's an intentional decision. It's about someone or something, and it involves not just, yeah, that's my perspective on that as a kind of a passing way of thinking. It is a deep, conscious, emotional decision that you make about feeling someone. You know when you say, this is how it is in my mind. It's not, I think, I'm pretty sure, I mean, I'm alright, you know, I think I can get by with that understanding for now. Fresnel has a really deep emotional connection with the decision making process and it results in a course of action. You can set your mind towards that and you can follow through with it.

It's that depth of a word. And in this case, not to get too greeky geeky, but plural present active imperative. What does that mean? What can we take from that? Continuing, presently, ongoing into the future, it's active, it's your responsibility, and is it optional? It's imperative. You must have this mindset, Paul says. You must identify with this now and on into the future, continually, and it's not an option. That's the strength of the word here. They must be continuing to be minded in this way. So what is it that they're told to be minded about?

We looked at this, and just as a point of comparison, there are some other words about the psychology. Psychos is the word where we get the psychology, the mindset of one's mental perspective. And these are some other words in the scripture that we see. And if you wanted to go into a study of how one's mind is set on the scripture or the thinking process, biblically speaking, these might be some of the words that you go in and continue to look and see what are verses that Paul uses and how does he use these.

So, this is not an unfamiliar topic to Paul. But he says, in yourselves, having this mindset in yourselves, And he's saying that you, plural as a body of believers, I want you to be minded together. Here's something interesting. Is it Paul's perspective, do you think, for people to be thinking a little bit differently about at least this subject of humility?

Not at all. In fact, isn't he speaking of all the verses that preceded this? verses that preceded this. That's right. It really is. And that was the next I was going to say. So, we are like-minded and it works. It's all good. Yeah, that's exactly what he has in mind. No pun intended. I wish you would. So, read verse 5-4 again, if you don't mind.

Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ. So, have this attitude in yourselves, together be like-minded, that was in Christ Jesus. The actual was, that verb here is not in the text. And so, you can read it a little differently, have this attitude in yourselves, which also in Christ Jesus.

So it's not a past perspective, it is a present state of thinking, and he's asking them to have that same state of thinking. Have this attitude in Christ, which also in Christ Jesus, where is Christ Jesus at this point in time for the Philippians? The same place their mind is supposed to be. Seated in the heavenlies, positionally thinking, looking down, abide above, right? Looking down on the perspective of your life from who you are in Christ.

So the was, is a little bit confusing in English because it takes us back to a past perspective where Paul's not saying that at all. So the English translation goes a little too far in that regard in using that verb but nonetheless as we look at the Greek we see here that what Paul is saying is that you plural be minded just the same as Jesus Christ is minded about the same perspective. Now we're gonna go back and look at some historical perspective on how Christ carried out that humility in history but he is minded this way. even to this point, he is minded this way, and Paul is saying, that's where your mind, as a collective body of believers, should be as well. So Paul is saying that we must, in our present condition, in other words, how we are in all the relationships and circumstances that we are today, not look to those to define our being-minded, but look to Christ, who, we'll see, did these things.

Look to Christ, and in Christ, your attitude will be shaped. It's not your present condition. It's not what you see and how you feel. Today, it's the logical outcome of our eternal position in Christ. It's who you are in Christ that you are to be minded like, as Paul puts it. Continue to be minded as Christ is minded. Think of another verse that kind of draws this out? For me to witness Christ. To die is gain. That's right. Either way you win. Either way you win.

And we also see in Scripture that we have the mind of. Literally, we are being minded in the same way. Our attitudes are shaped by what Christ's perspective is on the subject, not our own. So, I mean, I've got opinions and I've got thoughts. Paul says that's not the attitude. And for me to look at someone else, like in verses one through four, and think, oh, I'm supposed to have the interests of others in mind. What are you interested in? So that I can have your interest in mind, that's not what Paul's saying. He's saying take Christ's perspective on a person's life as it's identified in the scripture and have that perspective about a person. I want to like what they like, I want to do what they... No, that's not what he's saying.

Have the interest that Christ has in them. Maybe they need the message of the gospel, a clear understanding so that they can experience the salvation that comes from Christ. Maybe they've already had that and they need the encouragement that Paul talks about in other verses. So, you look at someone's life and you think, when you're walking with the Lord, you have that like-mindedness on their behalf, and you see things in that perspective. It's a radically different way of experiencing relationships, I think. And Paul is excited about it, so much that he's going to go to great extents to make it clear.

Nancy? Would you say that, particularly here, have this attitude in yourselves, that this is maybe a part of reckoning? Yep, I think so. Count it as such. Count your mindset as such that Christ's mindset is. Do you feel and think the way that Christ does all the time?

No, and that doesn't matter because condition is not where your focus is, right? Experience, condition is going to have you in a realm of feelings, up and down, and sometimes you're happy and sometimes you're sad. Especially after a cup of coffee, you feel like you can take the day in stride and nail it. You know, it's like, I got this. But that coffee wears down, and your condition changes, and your experience changes, and then that person comes in the door, and then that baby cries, or whatever the situation, the condition is no place to be minded.

It's actually, from a biblical perspective, our mind is focused on Christ. And how do we behold Christ? Is it experience? It's through His Word. We behold the Lord through His Word. And it is that perspective that Paul is just tying the thread in these verses. He's tying the thread to all the other things he says.

He then goes on to describe for us in awesome words that that that being-minded was like in Christ's first coming. So how was Christ's mindset of humility when he came, which is what we're celebrating this weekend? Do you have a thought? Well, Jim, this is this perfect bond between position and condition, is it not? I mean, the verses you're going to cover in a few minutes really reflect, you know, his humility. And that relates to our citizenship, doesn't it?

I mean, we're positioned above. We're fully righteous in Christ Jesus. And so this walk down here has his nature manifested in us by faith. Our Lord and Savior, who robbed himself of the heavenly throne to come here, ultimately positioned us, I agree with Nancy, positioned us in crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, and in us a life. This is doctrine made true by faith. It is.

And I think part of that reckoning you were talking about is that we don't reckon by hoping it to be true. We reckon on a fact that the spirit reveals to be a fact in us, right? Right, and in Philippians Paul is going to ultimately remind us of citizenship and that we're citizens of a different kingdom, are we not? And the life down here is humbled by who we are.

It is. And I think that as we look at this verse 6 and the beginning of it, what we're going to see is the nature of the person that we identify with. This is an intimate view into the history of how we got our citizenship. So it's through this humility that our Savior, historically, both God and man, provided for us. This is where the citizenship in history took place. And Paul's saying, go back there and recognize the humility that this historical man Jesus, being both God and man as we're about to see, this is where it all starts in terms of our citizenship.

Thought? I was thinking in verse 5, the focus a lot of times when it says, let this mind be did Jesus, or excuse me, what would Jesus do instead of, our focus should be what did Jesus do, which focuses on our position and what He has already accomplished. We're not called to mimic the Lord, which is what WWJD calls us to do, to try to create a behavior that is similar to, we're called to rest and reckon upon who He is in the scripture and let Him do the living.

So let's identify a little bit more who he is and how that citizenship that we all share in Christ began to take place in terms of historical humility because this doctrine of the incarnation is pretty critical to the Christian view. I'd say it's paramount. I mean, without it, we're just left to another good teacher, we're left to a deity that doesn't have humanity and can't relate to us in the same way. So this is critical to the cross being effective for any of us, which, without that, our citizenship would be nothing, right?

So here we have this word form, morph, in the scripture, and from the English perspective, form is what? Shape? I mean, from an artistic perspective, if I'm drawing, I'm looking at the shape of things, and the form, and the way the light hits the form, and if it's a sphere, it does this, if it's rectangular, it does this, and so forth, but that's not actually what is in mind in this particular use of the word, or in the scripture in the New Testament for the word morph, but it was a Greek philosophical term, which had a lot more to do with the outward expression of the essential and basic inner nature of something. In other words, if I could take a peek into how your inner nature truly was, which I can't, but if I could do that, and then shape you in such a way that physically I could see how that was reflected, That's how deep this goes. It's taking an inner essence and making it an outward reality. That's how deep the word form goes in this passage. It's not just, he looks like such and such. It's no, this is essentially and at its core who this person is.

And so the word form here is really critical and it's good for us not to take the dictionary and define this because from a Greek perspective it was deeper. It had to do with the essence of Christ himself. And so looking at some conclusions about that, we read, although he existed in the form of God, the word the and of, those definite articles there in the text itself, in the English translations, are not there. It actually says who in form being God. So it actually gets a little bit more focus on the character rather than drawing out the form perspective of the English that we often run to and that being just the outward appearance. He existed in form God. In other words, His essence. He existed in essence as deity.

And that's what this is saying. The focus on this particular portion of verse 6 is really driving home the essence of God in Christ. That's His form. And that's what this is saying. This is a proof passage on the deity of Christ. It's also continuing, through the remainder of this section, a proof passage on the humanity of Christ. Incarnation, put under doctrinal category, this verse applies. It's very critical to that part of the Christian teaching.

The first part of verse six is therefore saying about Christ who in the expression of his essential nature being deity God. And that's the drawn out translation here. But as he expressed himself, as he walks about, as he walked about in that time, his form was essentially that nature of being deity. That's how deep those terms go there. This is a matter of fact statement that Christ is deity.

You can hang your hat on this one. This is one of those that, he's a great teacher. Oh yeah, he was. He was a great teacher. But in his essential form, he was God. And that's what this verse is actually saying. You remove a little bit of the English, you know, overhead and you get to the core of it and it's a really clear statement on the deity of Christ. So let's look at the second part of verse six. He's got this word regard. Can someone read verse 6? Let's just keep this in our mind as we read it here.

Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Okay. I hadn't read the robbery. It's an interesting translation. did not regard equality. That's probably good, it actually ties in really well. But in verse 6, who although he existed in the form of God, did not regard equality.

What's this word regard all about? It relates to judgment. It's an estimation or appraisal often made as a decision of officials and authority. So you can see this as a gavel coming down. I regard this as such. It's a done deal. These words that Paul is asking us to use in terms of being minded like Christ are very matter-of-fact. They come down with great weight and authority. And that's what you see here. It's history is a final decision. This is the way that it will be. You're to live this out as law.

Now, I'm not talking about Mosaic Law. I'm talking about the comparison of law as it related to the authorities making a decision of regarding something as such. Maybe not up for debate, basically. Not up for debate. That's a good way of thinking about it. This isn't up for debate anymore.

We're asked to regard what? What does it say? What are we supposed to regard as a matter of fact? That he's equal with God. That's easy for us, as believers, but it's not easy for the world to perceive. But that's where Paul says, be minded this way, because this is who he was. This is where your identification starts, in the realization that Christ, the one who you are now placed in, was not just a great teacher. like some of those in Philippi were saying, or being confused about, or preaching with alternate motive, but here he is. He is in the form, essentially, in nature, God, and you are to regard, it's not up for debate, not anymore, that he is, in fact, equal with God.

It's a thing to be grasped. This word has the idea in this context of needing to possess something as first priority in the face of all hazards. When your faith gets pressed to the wall, This is something you hang on to. And that's where Paul is going with this kind of thinking. Don't let this out of your being-minded. Don't let this truth leave your mind. Why do you think that is? Why was he saying it? About Christ's equality with God, his essential nature being God, being equal with God, in the face of all opposition, don't lose sight of that. Why do you think he's saying that?

If you take that away, what happens to everything else? Your position has no meaning. If Christ is not equal with God, and essentially God in nature, in essence, being one, if you can't regard that as such, not up for debate, if you're still wrestling with Christ being God, can you reckon on any positional truth whatsoever? Are you able to grow in what we refer to as sanctification? If Christ was not God, His sacrifice was not adequate, then our salvation wouldn't be, essentially.

Have you encountered people that wrestle with this? They're not going to grow. They can't grow. And it would be pointless to try to continue to teach them identification truths in the Word when they have it identified with the person and God that we see Christ is. The man and God. This one unique being. So it's really just a matter of foundational truth. It is the foundation. Well, just a little bit different take on that.

I was thinking about just Christ and his character, that even though he was equal with God, it never even crossed his mind that for him to come down and divest himself of all of his heavenly glory and go to the cross on our behalf, he never questioned that. It was never something to be grasped or to think, why do I have to do this? you know, to Christ's character as to who he is. No, you're right. Why don't you read verse 7 for us?

But emptied himself, taking the form of a bondservant, and being made in the likeness of men. So, here is a man whose form and essence, we looked at the depth of that word, is not up for debate, he's equal with God, a thing that you should never let out of your grasp and ever escape your mind. This person, who just in these last two verses has been lifted up to a state of deity, now does what? Empties himself.

Let's look at a parallel verse, 2 Corinthians 8, 9. For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. So what you're saying, Donna, is exactly where Paul wanted your mind to go next. He's deity, but gave up the richness of his own deity for your sake, so that you might have access to that position.

A thing that you shouldn't forget. Remember, these are to be grasped. It's one of those things where you hang your hat on this. This is where it all starts. Can you talk a little bit about that word equality? I'm not sure I'm grasping the sense in which it means. Did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped? exactly what the connotation there is. So we're going back to verse 7? I mean 6, sorry.

When we teach the Incarnation, and even from a bigger perspective, when we look at the triunity of God, There is a perspective of equality and then there is a perspective of role which is differentiated. So when we look at the essence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is there an equality in their form? There is. When we talk about their person, is there an equality in the same way that there is in the essence of their character and who they are? In other words, is Jesus as man the same as God as spirit? In person?

No. He's not. So there's not an equality in that regard and that's exactly what this passage is talking about, is the human side. While being deity, he emptied himself as a man and came. And it's going to talk about how he physically suffered. So the person of God the Father did not suffer that way. His role was actually having to reject and experience a separation from his son. There's not an equality in that person, personal relationship there. But there is in the essence, in that they, all three, were actively participating in what we're talking about here, and that is the death on the cross.

Does that answer your question? Does anyone want to add to that further? Well, I think, you know, it gets back to what I mentioned to Kim Dineska, this whole issue of... I mean, his position was still, you know, fully guaranteed and biblically historic and forever, right? And Christ is always part of the tribe of God, right? That's right. So if we look at ourselves, really, as kind of, again, citizenship, I mean, we're positioned at the right hand just as Christ is.

And so emptying himself says, I'm going to be man-like for a while. My position doesn't change. My condition does. And what differs him from us is we're tempted by sin. And he was not. But yet our identification as believers is truly just like his. We're made equal with God in Christ.

That's right. I think that's a really good point. And I did skip over this summary statement of verse 6 there, but I think it might bring some of the equality perspective in mind. This is saying Christ always remains deity. It's an essential thing to His beings. Who He is. It's His essence. So, equal? Yes. But, in this passage we see that He would not hang on at all costs, cling to those heavenly glories and rights and privileges of that deity at the expense of your salvation.

And that's what differentiates the person of Christ from the deity, who he is. He would not cling to them. It's not that he ever lacked them, it's just that he emptied himself and chose to do something which he honestly did not have to do at all. He was not equal with God in that regard. And it is not a statement about his essence or him being lesser than God in deity. He's never lesser than God in deity. But he did empty himself and in such, as a man, that was the only way that we could have a sufficient sacrifice.

I was just thinking on Good Friday we talked about the fact that his taunters, when he was on the cross, said, come down from the cross. I mean, in a sense, they recognized he was equal to God and had the power to do that. They taunted him to do that, but he did not do that. He basically carried out just what you... That's right. He did not access his privileges as such. He could have done that, but he did not. Whereas God, we don't see God doing that in the same way. So there's a lack of equality in that expression. this is not right.

That's right. So it's almost, if I'm understanding it right, in a sense it has to do with, like you said, their roles. That's right. He was God and had every right to just sit in heaven and You think about a few days earlier, just a few moments even, it seems, in the story of the Passion Week. And here, he claims when Judas comes to betray him in the garden, are you the Messiah?

I am. One word. What does it do? Flattens the entire crowd. Boom. Is he deity? But then he turns around and he allows the identification as the Messiah by Judas, and then he walks away in humility, where we're to be minded. He tells Judas, he says, Judas, let's get on with this. Let's go do it.

He emptied himself of the privileges, although he could have, not for our sake, but for his own sake. he could have flattened the whole thing at that moment. And he just showed you, we've used the term, a mini-burst of his glory. He gave that little mini-burst in the garden there, but yet he restrains himself from there on out to the point of actually taking the nails.

Is that helpful? So we looked at 2 Corinthians 8-9. I like this passage because it identifies with that. It really identifies with that. He set the richness of his entire deity aside so that he could be poor as a man. Not helpless, but by choice, by his own volition, take your place on that cross. Substitution. And he did it so that you might become rich. Rich in what? I mean, statement of the obvious here, but rich in what? All the blessings, everything. And where are all your riches and treasures? In Christ. And where is that? All right. I don't have the car I want. My house is, God, I leave it. Well, don't forget, be minded where your riches are, where Christ is. Have this attitude in Christ Jesus.

It's not easy. You know that it's not easy when you're doing it on your own. It's a reckoning, it's a faith decision at that point. I think it would be impossible on your own. Hey, I can pretend. And we all do it, right? We fake it. But you can't maintain it. You can't maintain it. And eventually it falls all apart and it was never effective in the first place. But we know how to fake it.

Just saying. We have to be mindful of the difference between trusting the Lord and being like-minded in our position in Him, where our treasures are, and also doing it and walking it out and bootstrapping it through. We can do that. Sometimes it's hard to tell, you know, from others' perspectives. But there's a difference. And those of us that have seen it in the Scripture know that our walk is to be one of rest, not doing. Resting in the truth of who we are in Christ. Chapter 2, verse 7, the word bat is the Greek word Allah. It's kind of funny to me.

I mean, in a really big stretch, but anyway. But meaning in sharp contrast, quite the opposite. So this isn't a, I'm going to go do this, but I've changed my mind. I want to go do this. It's a matter of fact, sharp contrast, quite the opposite. You know, you say this, it's quite the opposite of that. It's completely, it's black and white here. That's what this word is drawing our attention to.

And there are other Greek words for minor contrasts and changes of subject in the text, but Allah is used to convey a major contrast and extreme opposite. So here Paul wants you to say, another stark contrast and difference here. What's the difference? The contrast is about to be made with his rights and privilege due him as deity. And here's where we get into that word emptied. Keno.

This word is telling us in context to this verse that Christ set aside the glorious expression of himself and glory that was due him and powers and rights of his inherent deity. He emptied himself of these things but remained still deity in his being. In his person, did he come down from the cross when taunted? No. Did he cease to be deity at that moment? There was a restraint in the person of Christ that chose to empty himself so that you could have a substitute on the cross. And that was the difference there between himself and God in that personal expression of deity. We talked a lot about that, so I'm gonna move on to the word bondservant here. So let's just review here, verse seven, I'm gonna read verse seven again. But emptying himself, taking the form, there's that word again, the form of a bondservant.

Did he look like a bond-servant? In some ways he did, in this case. But in essence, here again, he is truly, in his essence, a servant, just like Isaiah talks about. Suffering servant. This is what he goes on. And bond-servant, Dulas, in this case, is a slave that is completely subject to the will of another. you know you see you see or you think of depictions of slavery and Unfortunately, we have a picture of that in our own history American history, but but that's not what's going on here This is someone who is completely 100% subject to the one that they serve. They're bonded to them in all regards Not just for part of the day or you know this kind of thing. It's a complete and total Seems like I remember something about the bond servant being a willing bond servant.

That's right. It is. It is subject to the will of another by one's choice. Good point. I should have added that if I didn't. I don't know if it comes up next here. That's right. This was not forced bondage. Not at all. And I could have, and it would have been wise probably to delve into that a little bit further. Isn't there the story in the Old Testament about The piercing of the ear?

Yeah, it shows the willingness of the servant to pierce their ears to show that they're much wiser. That's exactly right. There was a physical mark in the ear made to show that I have, by will, by volition, chosen to serve this person and I am a complete subject to their will. What they desire, I trust them with that.

I think there's actually a couple of different levels, and that was the final level. It was? Yeah, I've forgotten the other word for the one level down of a slave. So notice that Christ took on the form, the morph, we talked about that word, of a slave. He was deity, but not disguised as a slave in physical appearance to men, but rather was a slave to God the Father.

Someone read John 12.50, please. And someone 14.31.

And I know that His commandment is life eternal. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said unto me, so I speak. But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do arise and let us go from here.

So these verses show us the connection that Christ was choosing to have as a bondservant. Again, choice, Donna's point. Choosing to have, not mine, but yours. It is your words that are what's of importance to me. And so he's subjecting himself to the will of the person of God the Father. Right? Which was never in conflict with his being. So there's not a conflict. It's not like, oh, I've got to say this and I don't want to. In his person, there was a challenge there, rise, let's go. He felt the weight of having to get up and literally walk with his tired feet and go. He had to do that. So there was a difference, but in his being, essence of deity, it was one.

Isn't that similar to what we're trying to get at with our own being-minded? To think of ourselves as a bondservant, we're not equal in the same way at all, but we have the mind. We don't have the essence, but we can reckon on the mind We can be minded, continually present, active, imperative. In fact, I don't suggest that you be minded. I'm telling you, you must be minded this way. This is where you must have your mind.

And without it, humility is not possible. It's called false humility. And it's interesting, it's only by trust and resting in the Lord that that's possible. So the pressure really isn't there, it's actually Why not? Why wouldn't I want to trust the Lord for what He's done for me? The pressure comes when you fake it.

You flesh it out. That's when it gets hard and it's wearisome and you're like, I can't do this whole Bible walk thing. Christian thing is too hard and that's where people, you know, fall out and get tired and sit on the sidelines because that's what fleshly imitation does to you. It wears you down. Resting in the truth of who we are in Christ by beholding Him through His Word, that's a peace. That's a rest. That's a reckoning. It's a counting it as such. It's not a doing. Christ does the living. Yep? will but thine.

And I find that interesting. And I'm not sure I totally understand the concepts of that. How the physical, how his human nature, what aspect that played in his carrying out what God had asked him to do. But certainly it was there. And we talk about trying to, it's not easy. When we look at it from the human aspect, it's impossible, but it's easy to get focused on that and to, like you say, either fake it or fall short. But it's interesting to me that even Christ, there was that physical aspect, that human aspect, where it was a challenge to him. And I don't know if I fully understand how that interacted with his deity. Well, and you're not the only one. I don't know. I don't know how to put it. I don't know what that is exactly saying.

But in a way it's encouraging to me to know that he still had the physical struggles that we do. He still had the human emotions where he knew what was coming. with the father, and so there was never a question that he was not going to accomplish it. I think one thought, and I would like to come back to you Bob here, one thought is we're not necessarily called to identify with his humanity, so we don't have to know what that's all about.

We have to, by faith, reckon it as truth because it is essential, in this case, a thing to be grasped. It's a foundational element to everything else. But our identification with Christ is not in His humanity. It is death, burial, resurrection. In that sense it is, but it quickly goes to ascension and seeding. which is where our mind is now. We're never going to know quite what that was like. So you should be a little perplexed. It's unique to him. But you can know his mind on it. You just can't know the tug of humanity and divinity in the same way. But you can know his mind.

In fact, this is the verse that tells you how to go about reckoning as such. Regarding it, it's not up for debate anymore. So you bring up a point that would be a struggle for any of us. But the mind, being minded like Christ through His coming and dying and sacrificing His life and such, is something you should be able to identify with here. Bob, do you have some thoughts?

Well, it's in no way meant to dismiss the physical sufferings at Calvary or all the earthly walk and experience of the Lord Jesus Christ that this comment is meant to be. But it's the fact that the cup, I think, scripturally and ultimately, biblically, is the separation of himself from his father, right? The cup was not the physical pain, although tremendous, I'm sure. The cup was being separated from his heavenly father. That ultimate price that he paid was that separation. That's the true cup, is it not?

Yeah, I think that, I don't know that trepidation might even have been the word at that moment where he was in prayer and that, but, and I just, from a personal perspective, not sure that, it was just an intensity of the separation, a realization of something that was the fullness of time, the reason he came, promised in Genesis 3.15 to come to this point, and it was just an intimate Abba, Father, Person, Son, Person. Emotional experience that is unique to Him. I mean, it really was.

So, without going and uncovering that passage, I think that you bring up a good point. Put the nails in for the joy set before Him. He endured the cross. So... That's an oxymoron to us. That's right. It really is. It's a double buzz to me. Let's look at this word likeness. By the way, thank you so much for your comments. I think they brought a lot of light into this passage. Likeness. To be made like something else. That's the last term. We're going to look at Christ. And I'm going to, for the sake of time, read what I have written here.

Christ was still deity, yet he was made like man as well. He was both God and man. He did not cease being God when he became man. Nor did he just take on the form of a man in some sort of half-real apparition, a ghostly thing, something that you see but it's not really the case. That's not what this likeness means. He was, as a real man, the expression of the essence of God as well. And this incarnation, the doctrine of the incarnation, is unique to us as believers in the scripture. It is not found in any other body of teaching unless it's an apparition of the scripture itself. And it's not a simple doctrine.

It's a meat and potatoes kind of thing. But it is the thing to be grasped here. Thoughts on this term? I think maybe the expanded perspective of these six verses will get us kind of a closing bookend to what we're being challenged to think about and regard as such. So this is expanded.

Verse 5, you all must, not up for debate again, you must because of the profound character of who you are in Christ, and in the life that you have in Him, be continuing to be minded. Don't stop. Don't do it now. Don't just reckon on the mind that Paul is calling you to now. Be continually minded.

This is your state of being. This is where your mind is. You know the question, where's your head at? Where is your head at? Well, this is what Paul is saying. Your head is supposed to be minded and we're supposed to be minded together in yourselves. We're supposed to have the same mindset here. Be continuing to be minded in yourselves that same being minded as was in Christ. This isn't unique to you. This is the same way that Christ was minded about this. When it comes to humility, when it comes to taking on the interests of others, when it comes to fellowship, this is the way Christ viewed it, and this is the way that you're to be minded.

Verse 6, who in the expression of his essential nature, being deity, being God, did not regard the heavenly glories or privileges and honors of his deity something to be retained at all costs." In other words, he wasn't going to cling to that if it meant, you know, I'm going to hold on to my deity no matter what.

He actually emptied himself, didn't he? He let go of certain aspects of privilege so that he could do what he did. How does that relate to you? He let go of certain things that he was privileged in Think about it in terms of humility. When you're thinking about humility and taking on the interests of others, well, Christ did not...

I have every right. Have you ever said that to yourself? I have every right to feel this way and think this way, and He did this, and I have every right to be this way to Him. It's His fault. And you're right. That is a matter-of-fact historical reality. empty yourself. That's where the mind is. You've got privileges. Yeah. But there's an emptiness, there's a humility here that comes from being minded this way.

Verse 7, But abandoning the heavenly glories, privileges, and honors due himself, taking upon himself the form of a bondservant to his Father, and being made an outward expression like earthly men. You can't fake this. You can't pretend to serve Christ. You can't go look for things to do because all your good works have already been prepared. It's not a matter of you out there grinding it out in the Christian walk. It's about resting and being minded in Christ.

Moments come. Realities come. Circumstances come. Relationships come. Be minded. That's what Paul's saying here. Have this attitude. This is where humility comes out of. It's not a matter of pretending or faking it or doing it. It's a matter of letting Christ do it, doing it, and you resting. Final thoughts? We've got one minute.

It reminds me of the verses in Colossians 3 where it talks about setting your mind on things above, not on things here on earth. And then the next verse is talking about how our life is hidden in Christ. And then further down, the peace of Christ ruling our hearts.

All of that marries well with this in my mind. For Neo, this word for being minded is an awesome topical study. And it ties in exactly what you're saying. Where's your head at? And those are really good verses to, I think, to have a unity of mindedness together on.

Let's pray. Lord we thank you so much for what we have in the scripture that we don't have to look at some unknowable general revelation and try to put pieces together but we can have specifics and we can have very clear understanding of both who you are and what you've done and our role in living this Christian life by understanding the death, burial, resurrection, ascension and seeding, the identification that we have with you, and what a privilege it is to just have this Resurrection Sunday to reflect on the fact that you emptied yourself on our behalf You had the privilege of maintaining every aspect of your deity, but yet emptied yourself on our behalf so that you could be a sufficient substitute for our salvation, and not only salvation, but ongrowing transformation, being conformed to your likeness, even in this world. It starts here, and it starts with you on the cross as our Savior, and we just want to thank you for your choice to do that on our behalf. And we ask that you would just continue to teach us as we behold you through your word and draw us together in fellowship as believers through the rest of the day. Lord, I just thank you again for all that you are and how you love us. It's your name we pray. Amen.