Embracing Christ's Humility: A Call to Unity

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Paul's concern here is not to write a theological Treatise although he provides us with a Deep Mind of theological truth his concern is to urge these Philippian Believers to the spirit of unity that is so vital for them to convey the good news of Jesus Christ in their community and surrounding environment. [00:03:44]

Having urged them in the opening verses to a spirit of unity he has also commended them to the fact that without a humble heart a United spirit is not possible, and so on account of the call to humility he then goes on to provide for them the great wonderful illustration of humility that can be found anywhere in the whole world. [00:04:11]

The extent of the humility of Christ is made most apparent when we recognize who it is that is doing The Humbling of himself. The present participle here being is very important because there are those who teach that Jesus became God he wasn't God in his eternal state. No says the Bible he was being in the very nature of God he was already God before he came into the world he always was God there was never a time when he was not God. [00:08:09]

Theological understanding is not just for scholars but is vital for every believer. It shapes our understanding of who Jesus is and what he accomplished. This clarity helps us to stand firm in our faith and witness effectively to others. In a coming generation it is imperative that our young people our students and our children can articulate basic Christian doctrine in relationship to the person of Jesus Christ and you must teach it to your children. [00:18:09]

He did not give up the qualities and attributes of deity. Jesus made himself nothing not by subtraction but by addition. Isn't that what it says? He made himself nothing not by the subtraction of his divinity but by the addition of his Humanity. You see for the Eternal God to come and walk the streets of Judea, to be spat upon by Humanity, in the making of himself nothing it was not that he was giving up Divinity but it was that he was taking to himself Humanity. [00:28:14]

He who was by very nature God made himself nothing and taking the form of a servant he who had every right to rule said I'll serve you. It's the answer in the home that's the answer in the class that's the answer in the church that's the answer. We say that's very simplistic I don't mean it to be a remotely simplistic it is a dreadful Prospect to try and work it out but by God's enabling it may and to the extent that we were prepared to take seriously Philippians 2 5 to 11 we would see dramatically reduced the number of divorces in the Evangelical Community. [00:29:59]

He was found in appearance as a man. Verse 8. And so people say to me well there you go I see it says he was found in appearance as a man he wasn't really a man those folks were right the group that you mentioned earlier on. No it's in the reverse of that if you think about it, namely that at first glance, Jesus appeared to be a man and nothing more. [00:35:39]

He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even death on a cross. You'll notice that I've changed the preposition in saying it and purposefully so if you have an NIV it says he became obedient to death in strictest terms he did not because he was never obedient to death death had no Mastery over Christ he said I've got the power to lay my life down and I've got the power to take my life up again. [00:37:50]

Is this not an amazing privilege just to be able to think about these things some of you are saying well I quite frankly no it is not and I'm glad you're finishing well that's all right I understand that I've been there as well but to those of you who have years to hear is it not an amazing privilege an immense thing of all the things we could think about of all the journals we could read of all the National Geographics and pile them all up are all the scientific magazines and get them all and sit there with gallons of coffee and and problem of all your camera magazines all your interior design magazines all the things you love to think about all of them think about this. [00:39:40]

Is it not amazing that the Eternal God by whom all things were made should have come to this time-space capsule at all and why let me tell you why because it was the only way you and I could be saved it was the only way whereby our sins could be forgiven for he who would die in the place of Sinners needed himself to be sinless otherwise another would have needed to offer up a sacrifice for him therefore he needed to be sinless therefore he needed to be God but he needed to be man because only a man could die on behalf of man therefore there was no other who could possibly make our way back to God. [00:41:20]

That's why there is salvation in no one else because there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved that's why it is so so imperative that we give our lives to seeing unbelieving men and women become committed followers of Jesus Christ. [00:42:50]

Could we rethink the ocean fill and we're the Skies of parchment made where every stalk on earth a quill and every man ascribed by tree to write the love of God above would drain the oceans dry and nor could the scroll contain the whole those stretch from Sky to Sky and which of us can evade then in light of this the Staggering challenge of these words your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. [00:42:56]

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