Feb. 18/25 -- Philippians 2:5-8 -- Humility the bearer of treasures

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Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:5-8 ESV
 
In his study guide on Philippians, Sinclair Ferguson quotes St. Augustine of Hippo (Nov. 13, 354 - Aug. 28, 430).
If you should ask me what are the ways of God, I would tell you
that the first is humility, the second is humility, and the third is
humility. Not that there are no other precepts to give, but if humility
does not precede all that we do, our efforts are fruitless.
Website A-Z Quote, Saint Augustine
 
When explaining what it is to have among yourselves the mind of Christ, Paul pointed to humility. Not love first. Humility like the shocking humility of Jesus, Who though He was fully God, took on human flesh. He became incarnate. He become obedient to the point of death—never railing against God for His hard luck, nor complaining because of His circumstances.
Earlier Paul commanded the Philippians to be of the same mind (v. 2) and then of one mind (v. 2) and now to have this mind (v. 5), the mind of Christ, among yourselves. I can almost hear you protest (as does my own heart) to cultivate the mind of Christ intentionally and faithfully, daily and in all circumstances, it is too much. Too hard to do. I challenge you. Contemplate the magnanimous humility to Jesus. To do so magnifies to your thought-processes the glorious and humungous self-sacrifice of Jesus. Jesus submitted His earthly will and body, ife and motivations to the Father in heaven.
 
In II Corinthians Paul was writing about the motivations of the heart and what it looks like to be in our right mind. Under the power of the same Spirit Who was poured out on Jesus’s humanity without limit, by that Spirit Paul wrote “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded that this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died” (II Corinthians 5:14 ESV). Being in Christ means just as He died and three days later was raised to life, we have died to our fleshly lusts, put to death old alliances with the devil and the world, and now rise to newness of life that is full, humble and most joy-filled.
 
When we empty ourselves of pride, of selfish ambition, of the need to control and are instead controlled in all things by Him something amazing happens. The perfect obedience Jesus lived before His Father is the pathway to the greatest satisfaction our own life could ever bring. To humbly empty oneself of pride is to be fully yielded to the Spirit, and therefore fully open to being controlled in all things by the love of Christ. That means for us His death (and being united with Him continually putting to death things like old sinful patterns, wicked desires) and His resurrection power will guide us in every step.
 
Being so intimately connected with Jesus yields these benefits: Life has purpose. Life has power. Life has joy because it is bound together with the life of Christ. Jesus Himself through-out eternity has true joy, deep communion and fellowship with God the Father and God the Spirit. Through union with Jesus, in our humanity, we begin to experience the deepest, richest, fullest, most satisfying life possible which by the Spirit’s presence in us begins now and will stretch out in ever greater fullness for all eternity. Jesus ushers us into that sweet fellowship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Union with God, while living in the real world with all its struggles and pains, allows the believer to bear all things, believe all things, hope all things, endure all things. Why? For this very reason that the believer who takes on the mind of Jesus, humbling himself fully will be fully exalted in Christ, receiving the all the treasured blessings of that being united with Jesus.
 
Father in heaven I believe, help me overcome my unbelief. Spirit of God, I long for the treasured blessings that come from being united with Jesus, but I confess I still grab hold of so many earthly things. I figure if You don’t work out, those things, empty, earthly promises, will be my safety net. I pray, Holy Spirit, finger by finger, unclench my fist from selfish ambition and grasping pride so that I may, in true humility, take hold of Jesus and have His mind in me. Amen.
 
https://youtu.be/gE5fOXSymBc?si=Plfy_iyQBjBzrfOr May the Mind of Christ My Savior
 

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