Paul wants Christians to become like Christ in humility (2:3). They are to become like Jesus who humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (2:8). Paul aspires to participate in Christ’s sufferings, becoming like Him in his death (3:10). Although Paul does not set forth a series of steps to follow in the imitation of Christ, he does use it to draw up a correspondence between the exalted Lord and humble Christian service. He calls Christians to emulate and reflect the self-humbling service of the Lord whom they worship.
In the exaltation of Christ, God vindicated the self-humbling of Christ. Christ-like humility is the supreme virtue of the new humanity in Christ. “The renunciation of rights and dignity, the humble self-surrender which led Jesus to the cross, these God had declared to be the only greatness recognized in heaven.”1 In verse 5, Paul is urging believers to express their new humanity in Christ in their relationships with one another by having the same attitude of mind as Christ Jesus.
The secret of joy despite circumstances is the single mind. The secret of joy despite people is the submissive mind. The key verse is: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better [more important] than themselves” (Philippians 2:3). In Philippians 1, it is “Christ first” and in Philippians 2 it is “others next.” Paul, the soul winner in Philippians 1, becomes Paul the servant in Philippians 2.
The whole purpose of Christ’s humiliation and exaltation is for the glory of God (Philippians 2:11). As Jesus faced the cross, the glory of the Father was uppermost in His mind, “Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee” (John 17:1). In fact, He has given this glory to us (John 17:22), and one day we shall share it with Him in heaven (John 17:24; Romans 8:28–30). The work of salvation is much greater and grander than simply the salvation of a lost soul, as wonderful as that is. The ultimate purpose of our salvation is for the glory of God (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14).
The person with the submissive mind, as he lives for others, must expect sacrifice and service; but in the end, it leads to glory. “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). The joy of the submissive mind comes not only from helping others and sharing in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings (Philippians 3:10), but primarily from the knowledge that we are glorifying God. We are letting our light shine through our good works, and this glorifies the Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).
Upon reflection, please answer these questions.
- Christ is God, but He humbled Himself to the will of the Father. How do you personally let this mind function in you?
- How do you determine a deepening sense of humility in your personal life? In a world that seems to be all about “your brand,” how do you serve others?
- In what ways do you struggle personally to bring glory to God?
Comments are closed