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The
highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity,
choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over
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Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for THERE IS
NEVER A WRONG TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
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Bishop Soc Villegas
25 July 2007
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ON THE TRIUNE
GOD
(Part 6)
HAVING
THE SAME ATTITUDE AS CHRIST
September
25, 2011
Today’s reading: Philippians 2:1-11
Today’s passage from Philippians teach us about the work of the
Trinity in helping us to imitate Jesus.
First there is the Father. God is love, and we find “solace in
love”(Phil 2:1b). When we realize God’s great love for us, that He
even sent His very own Son to suffer and die for us, then we have all
the consolation that we need in order to face every trial in life. The
God of love, who did not withhold His own Son, will give us everything
else besides.
God is also the one who greatly exalts Jesus (Phil 2:9a). But this is
after Jesus has emptied himself (Phil 2:7a) and humbled himself (Phil
2:8a). This is a spiritual principle: God raises those who are bowed
down. Peter says, “So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time.” (1 Pet 5:6). We go through many
sufferings in life, but it is a great consolation, nay, encouragement,
when we realize God could just be priming us for great things in life.
Further, all good works are for “the glory of God the Father.” (Phil
2:11b). God calls and raises us, restores us, and uses us such that His
glory will be known throughout the earth. “You are my servant ....
through whom I show my glory.” (Is 49:3). God is the God of glory, but
the amazing thing is that He gives us the privilege to serve Him such
that that glory shines forth through our work. And of course, the glory
rubs off on us as well, and we are “made glorious in the sight of the
Lord.” (Is 49:5c).
Second there is the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we find
our“encouragement in Christ” (Phil 2:1a). This is because of what he
has done for us. He was God who became man, taking the form of a slave,
and accepting death on the cross (Phil 2:6-8). He has won salvation for
us. He is Savior and Lord!
Jesus shows us the way to selfless, unilateral, unconditional love. He
is our example of total self-giving, not counting the cost, willing to
endure any suffering. He does not stand on position or power or prestige
or privilege. He has denied himself and embraced the cross, which gives
him the moral authority to ask his disciples to do likewise. He is
obedient to the Father’s will. He is faithful unto death. It is he
whom we imitate. “Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also
yours in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 2:5).
“Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name
that is above every name” (Phil 2:9). That name given to Jesus is “Lord.”Thus,
at the name of Jesus, we worship and proclaim him as Lord (Phil
2:10-11).
Third there is the Holy Spirit. Paul refers to “participation in the
Spirit” (Phil 2:1c). It is the Spirit who enables us to imitate
Christ.
It is the Spirit who animates the life of the body so that there will be
unity, allowing us to be “of the same mind, with the same love, united
in heart, thinking one thing.” (Phil 2:2). We take on the mind of
Christ, the love of the Father, the unity of the Spirit, the one vision
and mission of the community.
It is the Spirit who teaches us right relationships in community and
among brethren so that there will be peace. “Do nothing out of
selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more
important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests,
but also everyone for those of others.” (Phil 2:3-4). We do not think
only of our own welfare and advancement. We are one body moving forward
together along the path of Christ. We look down on no one, recognizing
our equal dignity as children of God. We help one another, we desire
that no one be lost, we look to being Christ to each other. We always
extend“compassion and mercy” (Phil 2:1d).
It is the Spirit who enables us to participate in spreading the good
news of salvation throughout the world. God intends “that at the name
of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and
under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord”
(Phil 2:10-11a). That is every knee and every tongue worshiping the Lord
Jesus. That is everyone everywhere giving praise.
Jesus took “the form of a slave, coming in human likeness” (Phil
2:7). These we already are. We are human, and with Jesus paying the
price for us with his blood, we have become his slaves. Now Jesus became
like us so that we can become like him. But we need to do our part. We
need to empty ourselves, we need to humble ourselves, we need to obey
the Father even unto death, we need to take on the very mind and heart
of God, we need to love one another as God has loved us. In other words,
we need to imitate Jesus.
Then will our joy be complete (Phil 2:2a), but more importantly, then
will we bring joy to God’s heart and glory to His name.
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