Download Edited March 2003 - Mission Gate Prison Ministry

PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
2:1
If therefore there is any
encouragement in Christ, if there is
any consolation of love, if there is
any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
affection and compassion,
If you have any encouragement
from being united with Christ, if
any comfort from his love, if any
fellowship with the Spirit, if any
tenderness and compassion,
If there be therefore any consolation
in Christ, if any comfort of love, if
any fellowship of the Spirit, if any
bowels and mercies,
2 Corinthians 13:14
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the
love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy
Spirit, be with you all.
Colossians 3:12
And so, as those who have been chosen of
God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of
compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness
and patience.
2:1-5 Many people—even Christians—live
only to make a good impression on others or
to please themselves. But “selfish ambition
or vain conceit” brings discord. Paul
therefore stressed spiritual unity, asking the
Philippians to love one another and to be
one in spirit and purpose. When we work
together, caring for the problems of others
as if they were our problems, we
demonstrate Christ’s example of putting
others first, and we experience unity. Don’t
be so concerned about making a good
impression or meeting your own needs that
you strain relationships in God’s family.
TODAY IN THE WORD
The story of Bob and Marjorie White
poignantly illustrates sacrificial love. Marjorie
was in critical condition with kidney failure,
and the prospect of losing her was very real.
As they waited for a possible kidney donor,
Bob asked to be tested for tissue
compatibility with his wife. The tests showed
a perfect match, which rarely happens
between people who are not related. Bob
White gladly donated a kidney to his wife,
saving her life and giving new meaning to
their one-flesh relationship.
Love like this also gives new meaning to the
concept of putting other people’s interests
ahead of our own. If you know your Bible,
you know where Paul was going with his
plea for humility on the part of believers.
Even though verses 5-11 are not part of our
reading, we need to keep in mind that Jesus
is the perfect example of self-sacrifice
instead of self-interest.
The apostle’s call for selfless living was
prefaced by a plea for unity among believers
based on the blessings that are ours as
Christians. The “if” statements in verse 1
don’t suggest doubt, but certainty. There is
encouragement,
comfort,
fellowship,
tenderness, and compassion in Christ.
Take another look at this list in light of God’s
plan for marriage, and you’ll see that these
are also qualities which should characterize
a loving, strong, and growing one-flesh
relationship. These blessings are a basis for
unity in a marriage as well as unity in the
church, which makes sense because
marriage is an earthly picture of Christ’s
heavenly relationship with His bride, the
church.
We would have to be hard-hearted, and softheaded, to accept the love and sacrifice of
our spouses, and then insist on fulfilling our
own desires no matter what. But that’s what
happens in all too many marriages, Christian
and otherwise.
R.C. Sproul
He who is King of all creation humbled
Himself, submitted to the will of His Father,
served sinful, rebellious human beings,
washed their dirty feet, and ultimately died
the death of a criminal to bring glory to God.
Here we have an exalted portrait of how
Christ maintained His rank and station, His
equality with God, and yet subordinated
Himself to a role of submission and service.
Can a wife do any less? Is she too grand,
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too self-reliant, too noble to submit to the
authority of her husband? Does she lose her
character, her personality, her equality, her
status as a human being when she submits
to her husband? Did Christ lose His dignity,
His worth, His nobility, His divinity when He
humbled Himself and became obedient even
to death on a cross? No, quite the contrary.
His submission to the will of His Father
brought Him even greater glory. And in like
manner, the wife who submits to the
authority of her husband brings honor not
only to herself but to the man she loves and
the God she adores.
God created Eve out of the side of Adam.
There was a never a time when the woman
existed alone, separate from her husband,
just as the church has never existed outside
of Christ as its head. Like the vine that has
its own root, but wraps itself around the
sturdy oak, the wife is a distinct person with
an identity all her own, but she is dependent
on her husband for support and strength.
This arrangement of the husband-wife
relationship does not dishonor the woman
any more than Christ's role as our
Redeemer dishonors Him. Through her
submission, the wife brings honor to her
husband. Through her submission, she
instructs her children by way of example on
how to respect those in authority. Through
her submission, she shows a rebellious
world the honor, peace, and dignity that
come through willing obedience to God.
Through her submission, the wife conforms
to the image of her Redeemer "who being in
the form of God, did not consider it robbery
to be equal with God, but made Himself of
no reputation. . . . humbled Himself and
became obedient to the point of death, even
the death of the cross." As B.M. Palmer
writes, "It is enough for her, if she, like Him
is exalted through submission to a station of
privilege and glory."
C. H. Spurgeon
He knew that these saints at Philippi loved
him. They had sent once and again to
relieve his necessities, so he pleaded with
them, by their love to him, to love each
other. He does as much as say, “If you really
do love me, if it is not a sham, if you have
any sympathy with me, and with my labors
and sufferings, if you really have the same
spirit that burns in my breast, make my heart
full of joy by clinging to one another, by
being like-minded, ‘having the same love,
being of one accord, of one mind.’”
Paul's exhortation:
External threats (1:27-30) to the church
have always proven less dangerous than
internal. Shared
union with Christ, love for one another, and
mutual participation in the Spirit should
encourage all Christians to draw together in
a supportive fellowship.
Comfort in Christ
Matthew 9:22
But Jesus turning and seeing her said,
"Daughter, take courage; your faith has
made you well.” And at once the woman
was made well.
Luke 7:13
And when the Lord saw her, He felt
compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not
weep."
John 14:1
Let not your heart be troubled; believe in
God, believe also in Me.
John 14:18
I will not leave your as orphans; I will come
to you.
John 16:33
These things I have spoken to you, that in
Me you may have peace. In the world you
have tribulation, but take courage; I have
overcome the world.
C. H. Spurgeon
Paul did not mean to doubt that there is “any
consolation in Christ, any comfort of love,
any fellowship of the Spirit, any bowels and
mercies,” for no one knew better than he did
how those blessings abound to them that
are in Christ Jesus. He put it by way of
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argument. If there be consolation in Christ,
since there is consolation in Christ, since
there is comfort of love, since there is
fellowship of the Spirit, be one in Christ; be
not divided; love one another: “be
likeminded, having the same love, being of
one accord, of one mind.”
TODAY IN THE WORD
You may know that the planet’s best-selling
book is the Bible. But do you know which
book is the second most widely read
worldwide? The answer is The Imitation of
Christ, ascribed to Thomas à Kempis.
Written in the late 1300s, this devotional
classic has been translated into more than
fifty languages and enjoyed by millions of
readers.
The title of the book sums up its purpose-Christlikeness. Chapter headings include
“Imitating Christ and Despising All Vanities
on Earth,” “The Intimate Friendship of
Jesus,” and “Few Love the Cross of Jesus.”
No doubt one reason the book has endured
so long is that it addresses what should be
every
Christian’s
consuming
priority.
Specifically, “imitating Christ” is the
underlying idea in today’s reading.
The passage begins with an overview of the
riches we have in Christ (v. 1). “If” should be
read as “since” because these spiritual facts
are a certainty--we do have encouragement
from being united with Christ, comfort from
His love, and fellowship with the Spirit.
These are not conditional “ifs” but truths
rooted in our relationship with Christ that are
stated rhetorically for emphasis.
As a result of these truths, believers are to
exhibit unity and love (v. 2). We don’t have
to achieve these on our own--they don’t flow
from human striving but from divine
enablement. God has already done the
work. Because we have been already united
with Christ, we should be “one in spirit and
purpose.” We should act toward one another
with Christ’s sacrificial love. If the Philippians
could do that, Paul would feel even more
joy!
Humility is both the means and motive for
obeying this command, and is defined as
considering others better than ourselves (vv.
3-4; cf. Rom. 12:10; 1 Peter 5:5). This
principle is reinforced by the “golden rule,”
Christ’s guideline to “do to others as you
would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31).
2:2
make my joy complete by being of
the same mind, maintaining the
same love, united in spirit, intent on
one purpose.
then make my joy complete by
being like-minded, having the
same love, being one in spirit and
purpose.
Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love,
being of one accord, of one mind.
A Plea for Unity
The apostle Paul was a great theologian,
which meant he often addressed important
doctrinal issues. He opposed the legalism of
the Judaizers (Phil. 3:2) and the libertine
views of other false teachers (vv. 18–19). He
knew such teachings perverted the doctrine
of salvation and threatened the church’s life.
Yet he also realized that discord in the
church was an equal threat to its life. That’s
because conflict robs the church of its power
and destroys its testimony. Enemies of
Christ are eager to find ways to discredit the
church.
Apparently, disunity in the Philippian church
was about to destroy the integrity of its
testimony. So Paul said to them, “Only let
your conduct be worthy of the gospel of
Christ, so that whether I come and see you
or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that
you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind
striving together for the faith of the gospel”
(1:27). We have one Spirit within us, so
there’s no reason for disunity.
Devotional
At the end of this verse, Paul says
something very unique: "thinking the one
thing." Although some versions translate this
phrase as "having the same mind," the
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Greek construction is properly translated as
"thinking the one thing." Thus, from the
supply of the encouragement in Christ in
verse 1, something happens to us. There is
the harmony of the Spirit between us to the
extent that we think the same thing, have
the same love, are joined in soul, and think
the one thing. We are thinking the one thing.
It does not simply say, "thinking one thing."
There is a definite article before the word
"one." Thus, it is translated properly
"thinking the one thing." That means there is
one unique thing to think. This is the burden
Paul opens up in Philippians. It is that in the
supply of the Spirit we are reduced to being
saints who have a common factor between
us - we think the one thing.
What is this one thing that we are thinking?
To answer this we must understand
something about the Greek word for
"thinking," phroneo. This word, used
primarily in Philippians and Romans, is one
of the most spiritually rich words in the New
Testament. First, this word means a
supplied kind of thinking. It is not something
we come up with on our own. It is a thinking
supplied to us by the Spirit (Rom. 8:5-6). To
think the one thing is something that God
enables us to do. He dispenses into our
being an inclination to think the one thing.
Tug-Of-War
Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having
the same love, being of one accord, of one
mind. —Philippians 2:2
A college in our area has an interesting
annual rite—a tug-of-war. Two teams train
and prepare to pull together on their end of
the rope to win the competition, hoping to
avoid the mud-pit between the teams and
gain campus bragging rights for another
year. For a fun competition, it can become
intense.
As believers in Jesus, we often face the
challenge of learning how to pull together.
Self-interest, personal agendas, and power
struggles get in the way of genuine ministry
and hinder the work of Christ.
Such was the case in Paul’s letter to the
Philippians, where he had to plead with
Euodia and Syntyche to “be of the same
mind” (4:2). Their personal friction created a
roadblock to their spiritual service, and their
“tug-of-war” was harming the life of the
church.
Paul’s appeal was for them to pull together
and work for the honor of the Master. It is an
appeal that serves us well today. When we
feel distanced from our fellow believers, we
must look for the common ground we have
in the Savior.
Church is no place for a tug-of-war. It’s
imperative that we work together for the
advancement of God’s kingdom. He can use
us in wonderful ways when we lay aside our
personal differences and pull together on the
rope.
A believer at war with another Christian
cannot be at peace with the Father.
Devotional
The way you can tell that you have applied
the cross is that others are happy with you.
You may ask what this means. To fulfill my
joy means to make me happy. And how are
you going to make me happy? It is by being
like-minded, having the same love, being of
one accord, of one mind. This kind of
oneness in the Body requires the cross.
In Philippians 2:6-8 Paul speaks of the Lord
Jesus taking the way of the cross. Then he
applies this cross-taking mind to the
believers in the verses that follow. He
speaks of God operating in us both the
willing and the working for His good
pleasure. This operation has to do with the
inward application of the cross. And the way
Paul would know that the saints at Philippi
had inwardly applied the cross is that
harmony would be among them, the flow of
fellowship would be between them. This
would make his joy full. This would make
him happy.
Sometimes in the church life we have not
made the Body happy because we have
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been so "crossless" in our experience. So
the joy in the church is not full. The Body is
a barometer. Are we making the Body
happy? Are the saints full of joy because of
us? When the saints think about us, when
the saints consider us, when they see our
face, do they get happy, full of joy? This is a
good way to tell whether we have applied
the cross inwardly - do we make the saints
full of joy? Paul was saying, "Make my joy
full. Encourage me. Fellowship with me.
Bring some consolation to me. Make me
happy." Such an atmosphere comes from
the inward application of the cross. Make
your wife happy. Make your husband happy.
Make the brothers happy. How do you do it?
By inwardly applying the cross to
murmurings, to reasonings, to right and
wrong. Get out of the realm of the self and
into the spirit. Be constituted with Christ, and
the joy in the church will be full.
2:3
Do nothing from selfishness or
empty conceit, but with humility of
mind let each of you regard one
another as more important than
himself;
Do nothing out of selfish
ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility consider others better
than yourselves.
Let nothing be done through strife or
vainglory; but in lowliness of mind
let each esteem other better than
themselves.
Galatians 5:26
Let us not become boastful, challenging one
another, envying one another.
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love;
give preference to one another in honor.
1 Peter 5:5
You younger men, likewise, be subject to
your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves
with humility toward one another, for GOD
IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD BUT GIVES
GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.
2:3 Selfish ambition can ruin a church, but
genuine humility can build it. Being humble
involves having a true perspective about
ourselves (see Romans 12:3). It does not
mean that we should put ourselves down.
Before God, we are sinners, saved only by
God’s grace, but we are saved and therefore
have great worth in God’s kingdom. We are
to lay aside selfishness and treat others with
respect and common courtesy. Considering
others’ interests as more important than our
own links us with Christ, who was a true
example of humility.
TODAY IN THE WORD
Arlington National Cemetery has been
rightly called ""America's memorial."" The
Tomb of the Unknowns, honoring all men
and women who died serving their country,
is guarded twenty-four hours a day by
sentinels from the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry
stationed at Fort Meyer, Virginia. The
changing of the guard occurs every half hour
in summer and every hour during the fall
and winter, and the guards take their duties
seriously. One soldier says, ""Being a tomb
guard is the highlight of my career. This
comes from my heart.""
Our nation's military has always done an
outstanding job of honoring its comrades.
While the church doesn't need to post
sentinels or put up memorials, we do need
to take our job of honoring one another just
as seriously.
It's amazing how the Bible's ""one another""
commands build on themselves. We've
already
discussed
the
practice
of
submission and the pursuit of peace, and
these are very helpful for one who is intent
on honoring other believers rather than on
grabbing the spotlight.
We have a good biblical example in 1
Thessalonians of what Paul means by this
command. He urged the church at
Thessalonica to respect their spiritual
leaders, to ""hold them in the highest regard
in love because of their work"" (1 Thess.
5:12-13).
Honoring one another doesn't mean we
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have to wear ourselves out patting other
believers on the back or compete to see
who can issue the most compliments. Paul
gives us the heart of this command in
Philippians 2, where he contrasts honoring
others with pushing to get ourselves noticed
and praised.
We honor other believers when we look out
for their interests. This may mean helping
another Christian to succeed, whether we
get credit or not. It may involve setting aside
our desires or priorities to extend a helping
hand to a brother or a sister in need.
others" (Philippians 2:3-4). Our example of
such living is Jesus Christ, who left the glory
of heaven to share our humanity and die on
the cross so that we can have eternal life
(vv.5-8).
If the encouragement of our example helps
another person to flourish and be
successful, we should rejoice. When the
eternal prizes are awarded for faithful
service to God, a lot of "pushers" will be
wearing blue ribbons. Until then, let's keep
running so that others can win.
You can't lose when you help others win.
C. H. Spurgeon
This would be a good motto for those who
are intending to build new places of worship.
Let them not be built through strife, because
of a squabble among the people of God, but
make sure that all concerned are actuated
by right motives, and seeking only the glory
of God. Then, sometimes, if one gives a
guinea, another feels that he must give two
so as to excel him; this is giving out of
vainglory. Let nothing be done in this way,
but as unto the Lord, and as in his sight, let
us do all our works, and give all our gifts.
Running For Others
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition
or conceit, but . . . let each esteem others
better than himself. —Philippians 2:3
Tom Knapp never won a race during his
entire high school track career. Tom was a
"pusher." It was his task to set the pace for
his fellow team members, who would then
beat him to the finish line. When he ran a
successful race, he was enabling a fellow
teammate to win. Even though Tom never
had enough reserve energy for the final
sprint to victory, the coach considered him a
valuable member of the team.
In a similar way, the New Testament tells us
to run our race of faith with the success of
others in mind. "Let nothing be done through
selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness
of mind let each esteem others better than
himself. Let each of you look out not only for
his own interests, but also for the interests of
Humility:
 Soul
 Flower
 Secret
 Badge
 Lesson
 Mind
 Example
 Livery
 Securer
 Harbinger
of contentment
of grace
of service
of obedience
of grace
of lowliness
of Christ
of heaven
of blessing
of reward
Our Daily Bread
The aquatic creature called the blowfish has
no particular value to the one who catches it
except that it may help to develop the
angler's patience because it often seizes
bait intended for better fish. The blowfish is
unattractive; it has a large mouth and a
wrinkled body that looks like worn-out
leather. When you turn it over and tickle it,
the flabby fish puffs up until it is swollen like
a globe.
People can be like that. A little flattery, a
little tickling of their vanity and they swell up,
giving the semblance of greatness. Pride
inflates them, and they puff up like the
blowfish. But there's nothing substantial
about them; they are all air.
This condition takes other forms with more
serious consequences. For example, the
Christians to whom Paul wrote in 1
Corinthians 5 were tolerating immorality.
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Instead of being grieved over sin in their
midst, they were actually puffed up. Here
was a sure sign of carnality and immaturity;
they were proud when they should have
been mourning. God desires that we be built
up in Christ; never puffed up with pride.
What did John the Baptist and the music
professor have in common? They were able
to set aside selfish ambition. They were
happy to see others elevated above
themselves when it was for the common
good. Can the same be said about us?
The continual attitude of God's children
should be the one Paul recommended to the
Philippians. He said, Let nothing be done
through selfish ambition or conceit, but in
lowliness of mind let each esteem others
better than himself. If we take this seriously,
we won't have the characteristics of the
puffed-up blowfish.
Many Christians
conduct their lives on the
Cafeteria plan: Self-Service Only.
C. H. Spurgeon
“Nothing”: never give to exceed other givers.
Never preach that you may be a better
preacher than anybody else; never work in
the Sunday-school with the idea of being
thought a very successful teacher. “Let
nothing be done through strife or vainglory.”
Our Daily Bread
People who can set aside selfish ambition
and genuinely seek the good of others, even
at their own expense, have an attitude that
pleases God. A music professor with a welltrained voice usually sang the major male
solo parts in the choir of a large church. A
young man named Bob with no training
sometimes took a few shorter solos. As the
choir director prepared for the Christmas
cantata, she felt that Bob's voice and style
made him a natural for the lead role.
However, she didn't know how she could
give it to him without offending the older
man.
Her anxiety was unnecessary, however,
because the professor had the same
thoughts as she did, and he told her that
God should take the part. He continued to
sing faithfully in the chorus and was a
source of much encouragement to Bob.
Do you remember how John the Baptist
reacted when the crowds left him and began
following Jesus? He probably surprised
many people when he said, He must
increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30).
C. H. Spurgeon
There is some point in which your friend
excels you. Notice that rather than the point
in which you excel him. Try to give him the
higher seat; seek yourself to take the lowest
room.
Forbidden
Proverbs 3:30
Do not contend with a man without cause, if
he has done you no harm.
Proverbs 17:14
The beginning of strife is like letting out
water; so abandon the quarrel before it
breaks out.
Proverbs 20:3
Keeping away from strife is an honor for a
man, but any fool will quarrel.
Proverbs 25:8
Do not go out hastily to argue your case;
otherwise, what will you do in the end, when
your neighbor puts you to shame?
Proverbs 26:17
Like one who takes a dog by the ears is he
who passes by and meddles with strife not
belonging to him.
Philippians 2:3
Do nothing from selfishness or empty
conceit, but with humility of mind let each of
you regard one another as more important
than himself.
2 Timothy 2:14
Remind them of these things, and solemnly
charge them in the presence of God not to
wrangle about words, which is useless, and
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leads to the ruin of the hearers.
2 Timothy 2:24
And the Lord's bond-servant must not be
quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to
teach, patient when wronged.
C. H. Spurgeon
Consider how you can help others, and in
what way you can prosper them both in
temporal things and in spiritual. You are
members of a body, so one member is not
to think for itself alone, the unity of the whole
body requires that every separate and
distinct part of it should be in harmony with
the whole.
2:4
do not merely look out for your own
personal interests, but also for the
interests of others.
Each of you should look not only
to your own interests, but also to
the interests of others.
Look not every man on his own
things, but every man also on the
things of others.
Romans15:1,2
Now we who are strong ought to bear the
weaknesses of those without strength and
not just please ourselves. Let each of us
please his neighbor for his good, to his
edification.
2:4 Philippi was a cosmopolitan city. The
composition of the church reflected great
diversity, with people from a variety of
backgrounds and walks of life. Acts 16 gives
us some indication of the diverse makeup of
this church. The church included Lydia, a
Jewish convert from Asia and a wealthy
businesswoman (Acts 16:14); the slave girl
(Acts 16:16-17), probably a native Greek;
and the jailer serving this colony of the
empire, probably a Roman (Acts 16:25-36).
With so many different backgrounds among
the members, unity must have been difficult
to maintain. Although there is no evidence of
division in the church, its unity had to be
safeguarded (Phil. 3:2; Phil. 4:2). Paul
encourages us to guard against any
selfishness, prejudice, or jealousy that might
lead to dissension. Showing genuine interest
in others is a positive step forward in
maintaining unity among believers
C. H. Spurgeon
Have a large heart, so that, though you care
for yourself in spiritual things, and desire
your own sod-prosperity, you may have the
same desire for every other Christian man or
woman.
Believer:
 Look and be saved
 Look and obey
 Look and imitate
 Look and ponder
 Look and consider
 Look and beware
 Look and expect
R. C. Sproul
As Christians, our joy is not to be restricted
to our own circumstances or achievements.
We are to be able to find joy in the
achievements, successes, and bounty of
others, not just in fames but in job
promotions, business contracts, financial
windfalls, and other circumstances. We are
to enter into others’ joy, to empathize with
them,
in
fact,
we’re
emphatically
commanded to do so. Unfortunately, we
often find it impossible to rejoice unless
things go the way we want them to go, the
way that will benefit us.
We teach small children that the secret of
joy lies in spelling it J-O-Y, where the letters
form an acrostic meaning Jesus, Others,
Yourself. This reminds children to put Jesus
first in all things, then others, and finally
themselves. This is an easy lesson to teach
but a difficult one to learn, for it embodies a
profound truth. And all too often we spell joy
Y-O-J because we focus on ourselves. We
must rearrange our focus.
Jesus was “A Man of sorrows and
acquainted with grief.” That was because He
acquainted Himself with our sorrows and
griefs. Yet He was certainly the most joyful
human being who ever lived. Why? He was
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more in tune with the will of God than any
other man and was utterly obedient to His
Father’s will. He put obedience to His Father
before all other considerations. It was
obedience to God and love for His people
that drove Him to face the suffering of the
cross. Praise God that He did not set His
own desires first. Like Him, we must obey
God and empathize with others. Then joy
will be ours.
Rules:







Deny
Love
Look
Minister
Sympathize
Allow
Seek
yourself
brothers
others
faithful
sorrow
preferred
Lord
Our Daily Bread
Billy, a 9-year-old, had a dog he loved very
much. One day as he was playing with his
pet, the dog gave him a great big lick on the
face. Billy responded by kissing the dog on
the tip of his cold, wet nose. The boy's
mother, seeing what had happened, was
horrified. Billy noticed her shocked
expression and commented, Don't worry,
Mom, I won't give the dog my cold. I'm all
over it. Billy never gave a thought to the
germs he might get form his pet. His
concern was focused entirely on his dog.
That's a far cry from the me first, others last
philosophy of so many people today. We are
told, don't worry about the other person. Do
what's best for you. Your own happiness is
the important thing. Look out for number
one: You!
Christ never displayed such a self-centered
attitude. Paul said in Philippians 2 that Jesus
took the form of a servant and became
obedient to the point of death, even the
death of the cross. He was willing to leave
the glories of heaven, become a man, take
our sin on Himself, and pay its awful price at
Calvary. He did it all because of His deep
love for us. May we as Christians strive to
be more like Christ by looking out not only
for our own interests but also for the
interests of others.
Looking out for the interests of others
Pays eternal dividends.
Today
Most people agree that there's a general
attitude today that undermines our society.
But people do not agree on what attitude we
need to strengthen our society. The apostle
Paul prescribed the attitude of those who
reflect Christ. You should look not only to
your own interests, but also to the interests
of others.
About a hundred years after the time of
Paul, a non-Christian described these
strange people who were in the world but
not of the world: Christians follow local
customs in clothing, food, and the other
aspects of life. But at the same time, they
demonstrate to us the unusual form of their
own citizenship.
They marry and have children just like
everyone else, but they do not kill unwanted
babies. The offer a shared table, but not a
shared bed. They obey the appointed laws
and go beyond the laws in their own lives.
They are poor and yet make many rich.
They are dishonored and yet gain glory
through dishonor. Their names are
blackened, and yet they are cleared. They
are mocked, and they bless in return.
More recently, a reader thanked Time
magazine for its feature on twentieth-century
saints. I realize now the difference between
me and them. I get emotional. Saints get
involved. Those who believe in Jesus have
an attitude that our world needs much more
of.
Unselfishness
Abraham
Genesis 13:9
Is not the whole land before you? Please
separate from me; if to the left, then I will go
to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to
the left.
9
PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
Joseph
Genesis 50:21
"So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide
for you and your little ones." So he
comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
Moses
Numbers 11:29
But Moses said to him, "Are you jealous for
my sake? Would that all the LORD's people
were prophets, that the LORD would put His
Spirit upon them!"
Jonathan
1 Samuel 18:4
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe
that was on him and gave it to David, with
his armor, including his sword and his bow
and his belt.
Daniel
Daniel 5:17
Then Daniel answered and said before the
king, "Keep your gifts for yourself, or give
your rewards to someone else; however, I
will read the inscription to the king and make
the interpretation known to him."
Paul
1 Corinthians 10:33
Just as I also please all men in all things, not
seeking my own profit, but the profit if the
many, that they may be saved.
Christ
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, that you through His
poverty might become rich.
Our Daily Bread
Missionary Doug Nichols was a patient in a
tuberculosis ward in India in 1967. Patients
and staff saw him as a rich American taking
up space in their hospital. Their hostility was
evident as they refused the gospel tracts he
offered them. One morning a 2 o'clock, a
very sick Indian man struggled to get out of
bed to go to the bathroom, but he was too
weak to make it. Soon the stench from his
bed filled the room. Other patients yelled at
him. Nurses showed their anger for having
to clean up the mess. One slapped him.
The next night the old man tried again to get
up, but again fell backward. He began to cry.
Doug, weak himself, went over, picked him
up, and carried him to the bathroom and
back to his bed.
What a change came over that hospital
ward! One patient gave Doug a steaming
cup of Indian tea, motioning that he wanted
a tract. Nurses, interns, and doctors asked
for booklets or gospels of John. And several
eventually received Christ.
What changed their attitude? Doug had
exemplified the Savior, who made Himself of
no reputation but took the form of a
bondservant and humbled Himself. We are
called to do the same. Sometimes loving is
unpleasant, but that's when it speaks the
loudest.
Love without action is not love.
2:5
Have this attitude in yourselves
which was also in Christ Jesus,
Your attitude should be the same
as that of Christ Jesus:
Let this mind be in you, which was
also in Christ Jesus:
Matthew 11:29
"Take My yoke upon you, and learn form
Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and
YOU SHALL FIND REST FOR YOUR
SOULS.
1 Peter 2:21
For you have been called for this purpose,
since Christ also suffered for you, leaving
you an example for you to follow in His
steps.
2:5 Jesus Christ was humble, willing to give
up his rights in order to obey God and serve
people. Like Christ, we should have a
servant’s attitude, serving out of love for
God and for others, not out of guilt or fear.
Remember, you can choose your attitude.
You can approach life expecting to be
10
PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
served, or you can look for opportunities to
serve others. See Mark 10:45 for more on
Christ’s attitude of servanthood.
2:5-7 The incarnation was the act of the
preexistent Son of God voluntarily assuming
a human body and human nature. Without
ceasing to be God, he became a human
being, the man called Jesus. He did not give
up his deity to become human, but he set
aside the right to his glory and power. In
submission to the Father’s will, Christ limited
his power and knowledge. Jesus of
Nazareth was subject to place, time, and
many other human limitations. What made
his humanity unique was his freedom from
sin. In his full humanity, Jesus showed us
everything about God’s character that can
be conveyed in human terms. The
incarnation is explained further in these
passages: John 1:1-14; Romans 1:2-5; 2
Cor. 8:9; 1 Tim. 3:16; Hebrews 2:14; and 1
John 1:1-3.
2:5-11 These verses are probably from a
hymn sung by the early Christian church.
The passage holds many parallels to the
prophecy of the suffering servant in Isaiah
53. As a hymn, it was not meant to be a
complete statement about the nature and
work of Christ. Several key characteristics of
Jesus Christ, however, are praised in this
passage.







Christ has always existed with God;
Christ is equal to God because he is
God (John 1:1ff; Col. 1:15-19);
Though Christ is God, he became a
man in order to fulfill God’s plan of
salvation for all people;
Christ did not just have the
appearance of being a man—he
actually became human to identify
with our sins;
Christ voluntarily laid aside his
divine rights and privileges out of
love for his Father;
Christ died on the cross for our sins
so we wouldn’t have to face eternal
death;
God glorified Christ because of his

obedience;
God raised Christ to his original
position at the Father’s right hand,
where he will reign forever as our
Lord and Judge. How can we do
anything less than praise Christ as
our Lord and dedicate ourselves to
his service!
2:5-11 Often people excuse selfishness,
pride, or evil by claiming their rights. They
think, “I can cheat on this test; after all, I
deserve to pass this class,” or “I can spend
all this money on myself—I worked hard for
it,” or “I can get an abortion; I have a right to
control my own body.” But as believers, we
should have a different attitude, one that
enables us to lay aside our rights in order to
serve others. If we say we follow Christ, we
must also say we want to live as he lived.
We should develop his attitude of humility as
we serve, even when we are not likely to get
recognition for our efforts. Are you selfishly
clinging to your rights, or are you willing to
serve?
TODAY IN THE WORD
On May 21, 1946, a government scientist in
Los Alamos, New Mexico, was carrying out
an experiment in preparation for an atomic
test in the South Pacific. But at a crucial
point in the experiment, two hemispheres of
U-235 uranium came together accidentally,
triggering a chain reaction that could have
killed all eight people in the room.
The young scientist pulled the hemispheres
apart with his hands, stopping the reaction
but exposing himself to a lethal dose of
radiation. The other seven people were
saved, but he died in agony just nine days
later.
No one can make a greater sacrifice for
others than to give his life (Jn. 15:13). Jesus
made this sacrifice for us, but He yielded
much more than His life. He laid aside all the
privileges and glories of heaven to subject
Himself to the weakness of human flesh.
We could call today's passage in Philippians
2 the ""Servant Song"" of the New
11
PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
Testament. When these verses are read
against the backdrop of Isaiah's four Songs,
the similarities in content and language are
very apparent.
service had already started, so he walked
down the aisle looking for a seat. Finding
none, he sat down cross-legged on the
floor—right in front of the pulpit!
The most obvious parallel is in Paul's use of
the word servant itself. When he came to
summarize the earthly life of Christ, Paul
drew on this term that expresses the
epitome of selflessness and ministry to
others.
The congregation became noticeably
uneasy. Then, from the back of the church,
an elderly deacon got up and with his cane
slowly made his way to the front. Every eye
followed him. The minister paused and there
was total silence. As the old gentleman
approached Bill, he dropped his cane and
with great effort lowered himself and sat
down beside him so the young man wouldn't
have to worship alone. Many in the
congregation were deeply moved.
The humiliating and excruciating death
Jesus suffered was also prophesied in
amazing detail in Isaiah's Servant Songs.
And the Servant's exaltation was foretold as
well--an encouragement to those who trust
in Him and a warning to those who would
reject Him.
How should we close our studies this
month? Praise, wonder, and adoration at the
sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf are certainly
called for. But Paul calls us to take a further
step, that of serving others with the same
selfless attitude that marked Jesus Himself
(v .5).
C. H. Spurgeon
He humbled himself, so be you not unwilling
to humble yourself. Lower than the cross
Christ could not go, his death was one of
such extreme ignominy that he could not
have been more disgraced and degraded.
Be you willing to take the lowest place in the
Church of God, and to render the humblest
service, count it an honor to be allowed to
wash the saints feet. Be humble in mind;
nothing is lost by cherishing this spirit, for
see how Jesus Christ was honored in the
end.
He Humbled Himself
Let this mind be in you which was also in
Christ Jesus. --Philippians 2:5
Bill, a college student, was a new Christian.
According to author Rebecca Manley
Pippert, one Sunday he visited a church
near campus. He walked in barefoot and
was wearing a T-shirt and jeans. The
Paul wrote that Christ, being equal with God,
set aside His reputation, and became
obedient unto death—the ultimate act of
humility (Philippians 2:6-8). Why? To come
to us in our loneliness, to forgive our sins,
and to teach us a new way to live and
worship.
When we learn to think as Jesus thought,
we see people through the same eyes as
that godly deacon. May we learn how to
humble ourselves for the benefit of others.
We can do great things for the Lord if we
are willing to do little things for others.
Pride of:
 Birth
 Wealth
 Respectability
 Appearance
 Independence
 Learning
 Superiority
 Success
 Self-reliance
 Ability
 Self-will
 Intellect
 Allegiance
 Resentment
 Reserve
 Sanctity
12
PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
A.W. Tozer
There is great need for us to learn the truths
of the sovereignty of God and the Lordship
of Christ. God will not play along with Adam;
Christ will not be used by any of Adam's
selfish brood. We had better learn these
things fast if this generation of young
Christians is to be spared the supreme
tragedy of following a Christ who is merely a
Christ of convenience and not the true Lord
of glory at all! I confess to a feeling of
uneasiness about this when I observe the
questionable things Christ is said to do for
people
these
days.
He
is
often
recommended as a wonderfully obliging but
not too discriminating Big Brother who
delights to help us to accomplish our ends,
and who further favors us by forbearing to
ask any embarrassing questions about the
moral and spiritual qualities of those ends.
In our eagerness to lead men to accept
Christ we are often tempted to present for
acceptance a Christ who is little more than a
caricature of that holy thing which was
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the
virgin Mary, to be crucified and rise the third
day to take His place on the right hand of
the Majesty in the heavens. The whole
purpose of God in redemption is to make us
holy and to restore us to the image of God!
To accomplish this, He disengages us from
earthly ambitions and draws us away from
the cheap and unworthy prizes that worldly
men set their hearts upon.
Seven Greatest Things:
 Love of Christ
 Faith of Christ
 Gentleness of Christ
 Power of Christ
 Word of Christ
 Mind of Christ
 Afflictions of Christ
force
faith
fruit
factor
fulcrum
fabricator
fellowship
His Humiliation
The pre-incarnate position and glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ is frequently referred to in
the Scriptures.
 Made Himself of no reputation.
 Took upon Him the form of a



servant.
Was made in the likeness of man.
Became obedient unto death.
Became obedient even unto death
on the cross.
His Exaltation
Because of His voluntary humility and
suffering, in the fulfilling of His Father's
purpose, He hath highly exalted Him as the
Son of Man, as the Eternal Son of God. He
could not be exalted above
C. H. Spurgeon
What an example we have set before us in
the Lord Jesus Christ! We are to have the
mind of Christ; and that in the most Christly
way, for here we have Christ set out to the
life.
Christmas Spirit
Let this mind be in you which was also in
Christ Jesus. —Philippians 2:5
How would you define “the Christmas
spirit”? Would it be a friendly smile between
strangers, the sound of familiar carols, a tree
with twinkling lights in a sea of brightly
wrapped packages, or just that good feeling
you get this time of the year?
None of these elements captures the real
meaning of the phrase. They represent
feelings that may be a response to the
commercialism that distorts the real spirit of
Christmas.
J. I. Packer goes to the heart of this matter
in his book Knowing God. He writes, “We
talk glibly of the Christmas spirit, rarely
meaning more by this than sentimental jollity
. . . . It ought to mean the reproducing in
human lives of the [temperament] of Him
who for our sakes became poor, . . . the
spirit of those who, like their Master, live
their whole lives on the principle of making
themselves poor—spending and being
spent—to enrich their fellowmen, giving
time, thought, care, and concern to do good
to others . . . in whatever way there seems
need.”
13
PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
humility, and obedience in you?
In Philippians 2, Paul described the God of
heaven and earth as laying aside His divine
glory and becoming our servant by dying on
the cross for our sins. Then he urged us to
duplicate that same mind of humble service
to others. That’s the true Christmas spirit.
The spirit of Christmas giving
should be seen in all our living.
Sermon Note
His Pre-Natal Position:
 A Pre-Eminent Name.
 Universal Authority.
 Universal Worship
Today
The Bible is the best-selling book of all time.
But guess what's in second place, among
Christian books? I'll give you three clues.
First, it was written more than 500 years
ago. Second, it was written by a monk who
lived in a Dutch monastery. Third, it has
been translated into hundreds of languages
and has gone through more than 3,000
editions. The book is The Imitation of Christ,
written by Thomas a Kempis in the early
1400s.
That title, The Imitation of Christ, captures a
fundamental truth about the Christian life:
that we are to be imitators of Christ. Paul
gives this command; Your attitude should be
the same as that of Christ Jesus. Another
translation puts it this way: Have this mind
among yourselves, which is yours in Christ
Jesus. We are to imitate Jesus. We are to
have the mind of Christ.
We have seen some powerful pictures about
the attitude, or mind, of Christ. He showed
an attitude of self-sacrifice in willingly giving
up his rights as the Son of God. He showed
an attitude of servanthood in washing the
feet of others. He showed an attitude of
humility in becoming fully human like us;
except without sin. He also showed an
attitude of obedience, even to death on a
cross. What about you? Can others see an
attitude of self-sacrifice, servanthood,
The Mind of Christ
Resignation
Willing to be absent from the body of selfinterest and to be present with the will of
God. Seeking not our own will, but the will of
God.
Devotedness
His Father's business was the highest and
most important concern in the world. His
meat was to do His will and to finish His
work.
Meekness
Where this Christ-likeness is lacking there is
suitable soil for the growth of pride and
presumption,
selfishness,
envy,
covetousness, high-mindedness, and the
love of pleasure more that the love of God.
Prayerfulness
Christ was the busiest man on earth, but He
always found time to pray, and sometimes
continued all night in prayer.
Sympathy
We are also taught to "weep with those that
weep, and rejoice with those that rejoice."
The grace of God never saves us from
human brotherliness.
Grief At Unbelief
He looked around and about on the staring
and skeptical crowd, and was grieved for the
hardness of their hearts. He knew their need
and also His own ability to help them and
grieved at their madness in committing
spiritual suicide.
Benevolence
What a power the Church of God would be if
all belonging to it were possessed with the
mind of Christ.
Today
A good friend of many years has been my
mentor in an important area of life:
controlling my temper. Part of his job
involves resolving customer complaints. This
involves dealing with many unhappy, angry,
14
PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
indignant people, and sometimes enduring
abusive language.
These people enter the room red-faced and
ready for a fight, anxious to point out every
way in which they have been disappointed
or poorly served. After introducing himself in
a quiet tone of voice, he invites his visitors to
tell their story. Then he asks them to tell it
again. By the time their tale has been told
twice, the complainers are speaking more
calmly. In a calm, deliberate way, my friend
then asks the pertinent questions, offers an
explanation or a solution, and finally,
concludes with a sincere apology. By this
time his Christian spirit has soothed his
visitors' feelings, and they part with a smile
and a handshake.
I adopt my friend's approach when I
encounter an angry or upset person: speak
quietly, listen carefully, and bring Christian
charity to bear. Offering a silent prayer and
recalling my friend's strength of spirit have
often helped me to defuse a potentially
explosive encounter.
His Attitude:
A Lowly Mind
Having or expressing feelings of humility.

A Pure Mind
Free from evil or corruption.

A Strong Mind
Firmly settled or positioned.

A Fruitful Mind
Quality or state of being fertile.

An Unselfish Mind
Generous and selfless.

A Prayerful Mind
Devout, godly and pious.

A Loving Mind
Feeling and expressing affection.
Today
Lent is a time to remember the terrible
torment Jesus endured for our sake, so that
we might have true life in Him. To reflect on
the depth of Jesus' suffering, we must first
recognize the height of his former glory.
Perhaps you've heard the saying The bigger
they are, the harder they fall, in other words,
the more important one's position is, the
harder it is to experience the loss of that
position.
If that saying is true, then Jesus fell harder
and suffered more than any person who
ever lived. Why? Because he had the
highest position to fall from. Paul writes that
Jesus was in very nature God" Jesus did not
merely resemble God in some ways; he was
God.
John also declares that Jesus was God
(referring to Jesus as the Word): In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. So Jesus
is fully God. Is God all-powerful? So is
Jesus. Is God all-knowing? So is Jesus. Is
God perfect and holy? So is Jesus.
Everything that God is, Jesus is. What a
glorious and exalted position Jesus had; he
was equal with God! Yet Jesus willingly
accepted the most humiliating demotion of
all time: The Word became flesh. What a
fall! What a Savior!
Spiritual Mind
Romans 8:6
For the mind set on the flesh is death, but
the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.
1 Corinthians 2:16
For who has know the mind of the LORD,
that he should instruct Him? But we have
the mind of Christ.
Philippians 2:5
Have this attitude in yourselves which was
also in Christ Jesus.
Devotional
The Christian life is not imitation. It is
participation. God has not called you to
imitate Christ as if you were a person
detached from Him. God has called you to
participate in Christ as one attached to Him.
15
PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
"The one who joins himself to the Lord is
one spirit with Him (1 Cor. 6:17, NASV). To
join ourselves to the Lord is to merge with
Him. It is merging our mind, emotion, and
will with the Lord, who is the Spirit (2 Cor.
3:17). This merging is for our mind, emotion,
and will to have direct participation in His
life, nature, and disposition.
disease, and He used it to heal the sick. He
had power over the sea, and He used it to
remove fear. He had power to create, and
He fed thousands. He had power over sin,
and He forgave sinners. He had power over
His own life, yet He willingly gave up His life
to save all who would call upon Him
(Romans 10:13).
Paul does not mean to imitate Christ's
disposition. He means to let or allow yourself
to merge with Christ's disposition. There is a
big difference. To imitate depends on
coming up with "the goods" to perform. To
merge is the exact opposite. It is receiving
"the goods" by direct participation in them.
For example, if an actor tries to play the part
of a drunk, that is imitation. However, if he
actually drinks wine and feels its effects, that
is direct participation. In Ephesians 5:18
Paul says, "And do not be drunk with wine,
in which is dissipation; but be filled with the
Spirit." In the same way that there is direct
participation in wine, there is direct
participation in Christ as the Spirit. This
participation in Christ is for us to live Christ
by merging with His disposition. Paul says in
Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is
Christ." This is the one unique goal of all our
participation in Christ - to merge with Him
and live Him.
Jesus possessed all power, but He used it to
serve others. He was called "Lord" by the
disciples in the Upper Room, yet He was the
only servant there (John 13:2-17). He
washed their feet! When Peter protested,
Jesus answered, "If I do not wash you, you
have no part with Me" (v.8).
The Power Of Service
Christ Jesus . . . made Himself of no
reputation, taking the form of a bondservant.
--Philippians 2:5,7
"Money is power." That principle drives most
cultures of the world. People scramble for
wealth, often at the price of personal
integrity, in order to gain the power to live
where and how they want, drive the kind of
vehicle they want, and get whatever else
they want.
In a culture that worships money, believers
in Jesus Christ are in danger of doing the
same. Some use their money to control their
family, or they may threaten to stop giving to
their church if they don't get their way.
How unlike Jesus! He had power over
Instead of using money or anything else for
selfish means, use it to serve others. That's
the right use of power.
The more we serve Christ,
the less we will serve self.
TODAY IN THE WORD
In book 3 of John Milton’s epic Paradise
Lost, God the Father tells the Son and
angels of His plan of grace and salvation for
soon-to-fall humanity. But there is a price to
be paid--divine justice must be satisfied.
God needs someone to become human and
pay that price. He asks: “Where shall we find
such love . . . Dwells in all Heaven charity so
dear?”
Heaven is silent, waiting, holding its breath.
Then the Son volunteers for His mission of
incarnation and redemption, death and
resurrection. The Father responds that the
Son is the only One worthy to do so and that
mankind will “live in thee transplanted, and
from thee receive new life.”
In narrative poetic form, Milton was
attempting to capture the same truths
expressed in Philippians 2. The humility
Paul
commanded
(see
yesterday’s
devotional) was ultimately an imitation of
Christ (v. 5).
Arriving at the ultimate destination of Christ,
Paul then broke off for extended praise for
16
PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
our Redeemer (vv. 6-11). This section of
Scripture may have been based upon an
early hymn. Even if it does not reflect a
current hymn, it is certainly one of the most
classic
pieces
of
Christology
ever
expressed.
The first point to notice is Christ’s servant
nature. Although He is God, He voluntarily
took on human nature (vv. 6-7). Why? So
that He as a man could repair what the first
man had destroyed (Rom. 5:15). Christ had
nothing to gain from this action and acted
solely out of love, for our salvation (Matt.
20:28).
These verses indicate that in the Incarnation
the Son surrendered the visible aspects of
divinity. “Made Himself nothing” literally
means “emptied Himself.” In other words,
He laid aside His glory. This does not mean
He ceased being God. Jesus was both fully
God and fully man!
Another key point is Christ’s obedience
(Phil. 2:8). He freely spoke and acted only
as His Father directed (John 5:19; 8:28-29;
14:31), up to and including a humiliating
public execution. His will was in perfect
submission to His Father’s.
2:6
who, although He existed in the
form of God, did not regard equality
with God a thing to be grasped,
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with
God something to be grasped,
Who, being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal
with God:
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 Corinthians 4:4
In whose case the god of this world has
blinded the minds of the unbelieving that
they might not see the light of the gospel of
the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
John 5:18
For this cause therefore the Jews were
seeking all the more to kill Him, because He
not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also
was calling God His own Father, making
Himself equal with God.
Today
There's a new god on the market today.
Competing hard with the ever-popular god of
money is the new god called my rights.
Every day we hear more and more about
worker's rights, minority rights, children's
rights, gay rights, and even the right to die.
Aren't you glad that Jesus never insisted on
his
rights?
Imagine
the
following
conversation between God the Father and
his Son, Jesus. God says, My son, the
human race that I have created has rebelled
against me. They are so sinful that there's
no way they can save themselves. So here's
my plan. I'd like you to become one of them,
live among them, and then die to pay for
their sins. Jesus replies, Father, you can't
ask me to do that. I've got my rights, you
know. I'm just as much God as you are. I
have a right to my divine status and to the
glory that my divine position involves. You
can't take that right away from me!
The good news of the gospel is that Jesus
did not selfishly insist on his rights. He did
not consider equality with God something to
be grasped. Instead, he self-sacrificially took
upon himself human form. As John simply
puts it, The Word became flesh. And
because Jesus became like us and suffered
for our sins, we have all received one
blessing after another. Have you committed
your life to this Savior?
7 Steps to Humiliation:
 Consecrated to humble Himself.
 Laid aside His divine form.
 Made Himself of no reputation.
 Took the form of a servant.
 Was made in likeness of men.
 Humbled Himself.
 Became obedient unto death.
Image of God
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PHILIPPIANS
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2 Corinthians 4:4
In whose case the god of this world has
blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that
they might not see the light of the gospel of
the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Philippians 2:6
Who, although He existed in the form of
God, did not regard equality with God a
thing to be grasped.
Colossians 1:15
And He is the image of the invisible God, the
first-born of all creation.
Hebrews 1:3
And He is the radiance of His glory and the
exact representation of His nature, and
upholds all things by the word of His power.
When He had made purification of sins, He
sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on
high.
Form of God:
 Eternal character
 Humble state
 Risen glory
 Indwelling power
 Spirit’s teaching
 Word’s healthfulness
 Sinner’s lack
Why Mormons Should Not Be In Your
Home
I. Mormonism is not Christianity! It
contradicts
the
basic
premise
of
Christianity—that God became a man (Phil.
2:6).
Mormonism says a man became god and
that men now living can become gods. Its
most oft-quoted assumption is, "As man is,
God once was; as God is, man may
become." Mormonism says Christ and the
devil are brothers that Jesus was the result
of an intimate (incestuous) relationship
between God and His own daughter with
whom he associated as a husband.
II. Mormonism is a cult! Like the other cults,
Mormonism requires faith in its founder,
claims to be the only true church, has
additional scripture, redefines Christian
terms, denies the existence of hell and
renders insufficient a simple faith in Jesus.
They gain most of their new members by
proselyting.
III. They believe God forced Adam to sin,
and that his sin was really a blessing in
disguise.
IV. Mormonism is deceptive. To them the
end justifies the means. Any way to obtain
converts is acceptable. Most claims to
morality, a superior family life, etc., are
grossly overstated. Utah, where they
comprise over 70 percent of the state's
population, is not a Utopia.
Conclusion: Those who would invite
Mormon missionaries into their homes
violate 2 John 9-11 ("If there come any unto
you, and bring not this doctrine, receive
them not into your home, neither bid them
God speed; For he that biddeth him God
speed is partaker of his evil deeds").
Some have mistakenly excused themselves.
When knowing little of Mormonism they
invite Mormon missionaries in "to give their
testimonies to them." The missionary has
perhaps heard more testimonies than you
have. Their different understanding of terms
makes it most unlikely that you will
communicate. Hundreds who, with good
intentions, gave their testimonies are now
Mormons. Beware of the devil's tactics. He
is deceptive (Galatians 1:6-9; 2 Tim. 4:3-4).
2:7
but emptied Himself, taking the form
of a bond-servant, and being made
in the likeness of men.
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a
servant,
being made in human likeness.
But made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a
servant, and was made in the
likeness of men:
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PHILIPPIANS
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John 1:14
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as
of the only begotten from the Father, full of
grace and truth.
Galatians 4:4
But when the fullness of the time came, God
sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born
under the Law.
Hebrews 5:8
Although He was a Son, He learned
obedience from the things which He
suffered.
A Mysterious Union
The humanity and deity of Christ is a
mysterious union we can never fully
understand. But the Bible emphasizes both.
Luke 23:39–43 provides a good example. At
the cross, “… one of the criminals who were
hanged blasphemed Him, saying, ‘If You are
the Christ, save Yourself and us.’ But the
other, answering, rebuked him, saying, ‘Do
you not even fear God, seeing you are
under the same condemnation? And we
indeed justly, for we receive the due reward
of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing
wrong.’ Then he said to Jesus, ‘Lord,
remember me when you come into Your
Kingdom.’ And Jesus said to him,
‘Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be
with me in Paradise.’”
In His humanness, Jesus was a victim,
mercilessly hammered to a cross after being
spat upon, mocked, and humiliated. But in
His deity, He promised the thief on the cross
eternal life, as only God can.
John MacArthur Jr.
Salvation does not come by confirmation,
communion, baptism, church membership,
church attendance, trying to keep the Ten
Commandments, or living out the Sermon
on the Mount. It does not come by giving to
charity or even by believing that there is a
God. It does not come by simply being moral
and respectable. Salvation does not even
come by claiming to be a Christian.
Salvation comes only when we receive by
faith the gift of God’s grace. Hell will be full
of people who tried to reach heaven some
other way.
The apostle Paul said, “The law entered that
the offense might abound. But where sin
abounded, grace abounded much more, so
that as sin reigned in death, even so grace
might reign through righteousness to eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom.
5:20–21). The first provision of the gospel is
grace, which is neither earned nor deserved.
Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse said, “Love that
gives upward is worship; love that goes
outward is affection; love that stoops is
grace.” God has stooped to give us grace.
Will you receive it?
A Christmas Story
[Jesus] made Himself of no reputation,
taking the form of a bondservant. -Philippians 2:7
"Suppose there was a king who loved a
humble maiden," begins a parable by
Danish philosopher Sören Kierkegaard
(1813-1855). How could he declare his love
for her? She might respond out of fear or
coercion, but he wanted her to love him for
himself.
So the king, convinced that he could not
appear as a king without crushing his loved
one's freedom, resolved to descend. He
stepped off his throne, took off his royal
robes, and wrapped himself in a shabby
cloak. It was no mere disguise, but a new
identity. He took on the life of a servant to
win the young woman's hand.
What a gamble! She might love him or she
might spurn him and send him away, and he
would lose her love forever! But that's a
picture of the choice God gave to mankind,
and that, of course, is what the parable is all
about.
Our Lord humbled Himself in an effort to win
our love. "Christ Jesus, who, being in the
form of God, did not consider it robbery to
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PHILIPPIANS
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be equal with God, but made Himself of no
reputation" (Philippians 2:5-7). That is the
story of Christmas: God in a manger; God
found in a form that no one could possibly
fear.
Now the question is this: Will we love Him,
or will we spurn Him and send Him away?
God made His home with us that we
might make our home with God.
A. W. Tozer
Because change is everywhere around us at
all times on this earth and among human
beings, it is difficult for us to grasp the
eternal and unchanging nature and person
of Jesus Christ. Nothing about our Lord
Jesus Christ has changed down to this
every hour. His love has not changed. His
compassionate understanding of us has not
changed. His interest in us and His
purposes for us have not changed. He is
Jesus Christ, our Lord. He is the very same
Jesus. Even though He has been raised
from the dead and seated at the right hand
of the Majesty in the heavens, and made
Head over all things to the Church, His love
for us remains unchanged. It is hard for us
to accept the majestic simplicity of this
constant, wonder-working Jesus. We are
used to getting things changed so that they
are always bigger and better!
He is Jesus, easier to approach than the
humblest friend you ever had! He is the sun
that shines upon us, He is the star of our
night. He is the giver of our life and the rock
of our hope. He is our safety and our future.
He is our righteousness, our sanctification,
our inheritance. You will find that He is all of
this in that instant that you move your heart
towards Him in faith! This is the journey to
Jesus that must be made in the depths of
the heart and being. This is a journey where
feet do not count!
Open Windows
Under a large barn in a cattle feedlot I
shoveled natural fertilizer. The task was not
pleasant, but I knew it would make my lawn
green. Nearby, cows watched. As I sweated,
my mind cleared, and I felt led to pray. As I
knelt, the thought hit me that this was an
unclean place to pray. I got up. Then I
thought ... It was in a stable that Jesus was
born, surrounded by cattle, other animals,
and stable odors. He did not come to earth
in a flaming chariot and set up residence in
a regal palace. Furthermore, He grew up
amidst the sweat and toil of his father's
carpentry work, mingling with the world's
little people in humble places.
With these thoughts, I knelt more
comfortably in my barnyard tabernacle,
thanked God for His blessings, and asked
for strength and guidance for the day. Such
assurance we have that we can pray
anywhere. The glorious Son came as a
servant in the form of common man that we
might know Him. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Sermon Note
 Downward
(upward)
 God exalted Him
(Lord over all)
 Above all names
(left heaven's glory)
 Jesus Savior
(emptied Himself)
 Above heaven
(became a servant)
 Above earth
(was fully a man)
 Above hell
(humbled Himself)
 Obedient to death
Today
Most people like a rags to riches story; the
kind in which a lowly person becomes
fabulously wealthy. But as fascinating as
stories like that can be, I like better the
riches to rags story of the gospel. This is the
story of Jesus, who, though he was rich, yet
for our sakes became poor. Jesus had it all.
He was fully divine and enjoyed all the
power, glory, perfection, and knowledge that
the Father has. And yet this Jesus came to
earth as a helpless baby, born in a barn,
raised in a carpenter's shop, rejected by his
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PHILIPPIANS
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people, and nailed to a cross to die a
horrible death. In contrast to what Jesus had
in glory, he truly made himself nothing.
But the wonderful part of this riches to rags
story is that it contains the key to our gaining
fabulous riches. What are these riches? We
have freedom from judgment: There is now
no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.
We have forgiveness: In Jesus we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins. We
have membership in God's family: In Christ
Jesus you are all children of God. We have
eternal life: The free gift of God is eternal life
in Christ Jesus our Lord. We have
protection: Jesus will strengthen and protect
you from the evil one. You see, Jesus'
poverty has made believers the richest
people in the world!
Sermon Note
 Christ emptied Himself:
 Equality with God
 God-form or God-body
 Immortality of body
 The glory He had with the Father
before the world.
 His authority in heaven and in earth.
 His divine attributes and outward
powers.
Today
Have you ever seen President Bill Clinton
cutting the grass at the White House? How
about Queen Elizabeth scrubbing the floors
of her palace? Or the Prime Minister of
Canada washing the dishes? We don't
expect people of high position to do lowly
and seemingly unimportant tasks. Yet
Jesus; the Lord over all royalty and
government leaders, did just that. You see,
Jesus served others regardless of his status.
In John 13 we read about Jesus washing the
dirty feet of his disciples. Do you know
whose job that was among the people of
Jesus' day? It was a lowly, undignified job of
the household servant, a slave. Despite this
fact, Jesus willingly washed the feet of his
disciples. You see, Jesus served others
regardless of the task involved. Judas was
there on the night Jesus washed his
disciples' feet. And the Bible makes clear
that Jesus already knew who was going to
betray him. Jesus knew that Judas was
going to leave early and betray his Lord to
the religious authorities. Yet Jesus still bent
down and washed the feet of Judas. You
see, Jesus served others regardless of the
person involved. After all the disciples' feet
had been washed, Jesus said, "I have set
you an example that you should do as I
have done for you." What will you do today
to show that you are following the example
of Jesus?
Great Text
He could do nothing of Himself in all His
earthly life. He attributed all His works,
doctrines, powers, etc., to the Father
through the anointing of the Holy Spirit. This
is proved by the following facts.
Sermon Note
 He was limited to the status of a
man.
 He was God's agent using God's
power of attorney.
 He was our example that we should
walk in His steps.
 The temptations prove that He was
limited as a man so that He could
overcome as a man.
 He was born without knowledge
enough to know to refuse evil and
choose good.
 He was limited as an ordinary baby.
 He was not born of high standing or
academic credentials.
 He received the power of divine acts
through the Holy Spirit.
 He grew in body, mind and spirit.
 He did not claim the attributes of
God but rather the anointing of the
Holy Spirit.
 Christ promised believers the power
to do the works He did through the
Holy Spirit.
Christ as Servant
Matthew 20:28
Just as the Son Man did not come to be
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PHILIPPIANS
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served, but to serve, and to give His life a
ransom for many.
Luke 13:4
For who is greater, the one who reclines at
the table, or the one who serves? Is it not
the one who relines at the table? But I am
among you as the one who serves.
John 13:14
Rose from supper, and laid aside His
garments; and taking a towel, He girded
Himself about.
John 13:3
Then He poured water into the basin, and
began to wash the disciples' feet, and to
wipe them with the towel with which He was
girded.
Philippians 2:7
But emptied Himself, taking the form of a
bond-servant, and being made in the
likeness of men.
C. H. Spurgeon
What a cruel and ignominious death for the
Son of God to suffer! Did he lose anything
by all this wondrous condescension? Will
you lose anything by any dishonor that may
come upon you for Christ’s sake, for the
truth’s sake? No; listen to what followed our
Savior’s humiliation
A Mysterious Union
Phil 2:7
The humanity and deity of Christ is a
mysterious union we can never fully
understand. But the Bible emphasizes both.
Luke 23:39-43 provides a good example. At
the cross,” one of the criminals who were
hanged blasphemed Him, saying, If you are
the Christ, save Yourself and us. But the
other answering, rebuked him, saying, Do
you not even fear God, seeing you are
under the same condemnation? And we
indeed justly, for we receive the due reward
of our deeds, but his Man has done nothing
wrong. The he said to Jesus, Lord,
remember me when you come into Your
Kingdom. And Jesus said to him, Assuredly,
I say to you, today you will be with me in
Paradise.”
In His humanness, Jesus was a victim,
mercilessly hammered to a cross after being
spat upon, mocked, and humiliated. But in
His deity, He promised the thief on the cross
eternal life, as only God can.
C. H. Spurgeon
He had not descended low enough yet,
though he had come down all the way from
the Godhead to our manhood: “he humbled
himself.”
2:8
And being found in appearance as a
man, He humbled Himself by
becoming obedient to the point of
death, even death on a cross.
And being found in appearance
as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!
And being found in fashion as a
man, he humbled himself, and
became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross.
Matthew 26:39
And He went a little beyond them, and fell
on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father,
if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet
not as I will, but as Thou wilt."
John 10:18
"No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay
it down on My own initiative. I have authority
to lay it down, and I have authority to take it
up again. This commandment I received
from My Father.
Hebrews 5:8
Although He was a Son, He learned
obedience from the things which He
suffered.
2:8 Death on a cross (crucifixion) was the
form of capital punishment that Romans
used for notorious criminals. It was
excruciatingly painful and humiliating.
Prisoners were nailed or tied to a cross and
left to die. Death might not come for several
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PHILIPPIANS
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days, and it usually came by suffocation
when the weight of the weakened body
made breathing more and more difficult.
Jesus died as one who was cursed
(Galatians 3:13). How amazing that the
perfect man should die this most shameful
death so that we would not have to face
eternal punishment!
R.C. Sproul
He who is King of all creation humbled
Himself, submitted to the will of His Father,
served sinful, rebellious human beings,
washed their dirty feet, and ultimately died
the death of a criminal to bring glory to God.
Here we have an exalted portrait of how
Christ maintained His rank and station, His
equality with God, and yet, subordinated
Himself to a role of submission and service.
Can a wife do any less? Is she too grand,
too self-reliant, too noble to submit to the
authority of her husband? Did Christ lose
His dignity, His worth, His nobility, His
divinity when He humbled Himself and
became obedient even to death on a cross?
No, quite the contrary. His submission to the
will of His Father brought Him even greater
glory. And in like manner, the wife who
submits to the authority of her husband
brings honor not only to herself but to the
man she loves and the God she adores.
God created Eve out of the side of Adam.
There was a never a time when the woman
existed alone, separate from her husband,
just as the church has never existed outside
of Christ as its head. Like the vine that has
its own root, but wraps itself around the
sturdy oak,, the wife is a distinct person with
an identity all her own, but she is dependent
on her husband for support and strength.
This arrangement of the husband-wife
relationship does not dishonor the woman
any more than Christ’s role as our
Redeemer dishonors Him. Through her
submission, the wife brings honor to her
husband. Through her submission, she
instructs her children by way of example on
how to respect those in authority. Through
her submission, she shows a rebellious
world the honor, peace, and dignity that
come through willing obedience to God.
Through her submission, the wife conforms
to the image of her Redeemer “who being in
the form of God, did not consider it robbery
to be equal with God, but made Himself of
no reputation; humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death, even the
death of the cross.” As B.M. Palmer writes,
“It is enough for her, if she, like Him is
exalted through submission to a station of
privilege and glory.”
One Giant Leap For God
[Christ] humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death. --Philippians
2:8
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts
landed on the moon. It was an
unprecedented
human
achievement.
Millions remember the words of Neil
Armstrong: "That's one small step for man,
one giant leap for mankind." President Nixon
declared, "All humanity is one in their pride."
Two thousand years earlier, the Creator of
the moon made a giant leap of a vastly
different kind. He descended from heaven to
earth (Philippians 2:5-8). God the Son, the
eternal Word (John 1:1,14), stepped down
from heaven to become fully human, while
remaining fully God. It was an amazing
"leap," which showed us God's heart of love.
He became one of us so that He could die
on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.
By trusting Him as our Savior, we are
forgiven. We also receive His Spirit, who
enables us to overcome selfish ambition and
conceit, and to care for others (Philippians
2:3-4).
A leap into space may unite mankind in the
pride of achievement, but it pales in
comparison with what God accomplished
when Jesus came from heaven to earth. He
now unites all who trust Him, producing in
them a growing humility and love that
replaces selfishness and pride. Going to the
moon is nothing compared to that.
Christ was born here below
that we might be born from above.
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Follow Me to the:
 Manger
 Nazareth
 Jordan
 Wilderness
 Mount
 Place
 Field
 Garden
 Cross
 Tomb
 Throne
 Hope
of humility
of ministry
of surrender
of temptation
of instruction
of transfiguration
of service
of Gethsemane
of Calvary
of resurrection
of ascension
of glory
Days of Praise
A Christmas carol which has ministered to
many over the decades is entitled Thou
Didst Leave Thy Throne. It tells the story of
Christ's incarnation, birth, life, and death,
ending with hope for the future and
assurance of salvation. Its five verses will
focus our attention these next five days. Our
text sets forth how God the Son set aside
His kingly crown and came to earth as a
man, to live a sinless life and die a perfect
sacrifice. The passage continues And being
found in fashion as a man, He humbled
Himself and became obedient unto death,
even death of the cross. The song declares
that He did this for me, and so He did, for
Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners, of whom I am chief (1 Timothy
1:15). Neither is there salvation in any other;
for there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be
saved (Acts 4:12). His status was kingly and
His mission gracious, but His birth in
Bethlehem was very lowly, from a human
perspective. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped Him in swaddling
clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because
there was no room for them in the Inn (Luke
2:7). Nevertheless, we can make room for
Him. O come to my heart Lord Jesus. There
is room in my heart for Thee.
Appearance:
The Greek word is skemati. The word
speaks of outward appearance, so the
phrase may be
paraphrased, and looking as though He
were merely human. Jesus was a true
human being. Paul's point is that He was
much more: one who in very nature was
God and equal with Him.
From Servant To Savior
He humbled Himself and became obedient
to the point of death, even the death of the
cross. --Philippians 2:8
Some Bible scholars believe that Philippians
2:6-11 may have been part of an early
Christian hymn. Believers praised the Son of
God because He "made Himself of no
reputation" (v.7) and chose to put aside His
own rights and privileges to become a man.
Not just any man, but a lowly servant. As a
man, Jesus gave Himself to be murdered as
a criminal on a Roman execution rack. How
high He was, and how low He came!
Yet look at what the early Christians sang
about. They praised Jesus Christ, who will
one day be acknowledged by everyone as
Lord and King, and will reign in glorious
triumph (v.11).
A Christmas card a few years ago captured
the truth of this hymn and the irony of what
Jesus did. On the front of the card was a
montage of many kings and dictators who
have
appeared
throughout
history:
Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar,
Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler, Vladimir
Lenin. The caption on the front of the card
said: "History is crowded with men who
would be gods." Then on the inside were the
words: "But only one God who would be
man."
We still sing about and worship that God
who became a servant to become our
Savior. His example inspires us to follow in
His steps, die to self, and serve the needs of
others.
In Christ, God veiled His deity
to serve and to save humanity.
Pride of:
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










Birth
Wealth
Respectability
Appearance
Independence
Learning
Superiority
Success
Self-reliance
Ability
Self-will
Intellect
Allegiance
Resentment
Reserve
Sanctity
Today
In the time of Lent we focus so much on
Jesus' final weeks of suffering that we may
tend to forget how much he suffered
throughout the earlier part of his life. Jesus
suffered from the very moment he was
conceived in Mary's womb. For the divine
Son of God to become one of us required a
level of humiliation that we cannot fully
understand. C.S. Lewis compared Jesus'
incarnation to our being reborn as a bug or a
worm. Jesus suffered throughout all his life
as he face the temptations of the evil one.
That's why Hebrews says, He has been
tempted in every way, just as we are; yet
was without sin. Jesus is truly like us!
When we hurt, we often feel as if others
don't really understand our pain. In our
frustration and loneliness we may cry out to
those around us, You don't know what I am
going through! But these are words that we
can never say to Jesus. He is fully human
and like us in every way, except without sin.
He has been tempted in every way as we
are. That means we are never alone in our
pain. That means our High Priest, Jesus
Christ, is able to sympathize with our
weaknesses. Do you hurt? Do you
experience heartache? Do you struggle with
temptation? Whatever your burden may be,
go to Jesus. Boldly go to our sympathetic
Savior to receive grace and mercy in your
time of need.
Sermon Note
 Incarnation
 Crucifixion
 Resurrection
 Ascension
 The Return
C.H. Spurgeon
Jesus is the great teacher of lowliness of
heart. We need daily to learn of Him. See
the Master taking a towel and washing His
disciples' feet! Follower of Christ, wilt thou
not humble thyself? See Him as the Servant
of servants, and surely thou canst not be
proud! Is not this sentence the compendium
of His
biography, He humbled Himself? Was He
not on earth always stripping off first one
robe of honor and then another, till, naked,
He was fastened to the cross, and there did
He not empty out His inmost self, pouring
out His life-blood, giving up for all of us, till
they laid Him penniless in a borrowed
grave? How low was our dear Redeemer
brought!
How then can we be proud? Stand at the
foot of the cross, and count the purple drops
by which you have been cleansed; see the
thorn-crown; mark His scourged shoulders,
still gushing with encrimsoned rills; see
hands and feet given up to the rough iron,
and His whole self to mockery and scorn;
see the bitterness, and the pangs, and the
throes of inward grief, showing themselves
in His outward frame; hear the thrilling
shriek, My God, my God why hast Thou
forsaken Me? And if you do not lie prostrate
on the ground before that cross, you have
never seen it: if you are not humbled in the
presence of Jesus, you do not know Him.
You were so lost that nothing could save
you but the sacrifice of God's only begotten.
Thing of that, and as Jesus stooped for you,
bow yourself in lowliness at His feet. A
sense of Christ's amazing love to us has a
greater tendency to humble us than even a
consciousness of our own guilt. May the
Lord bring us in contemplation to Calvary,
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then our position will no longer be that of the
pompous man of pride, but we shall take the
humble place of one who loves much
because much has been forgiven him. Pride
cannot live beneath the cross. Let us sit
there and learn our lesson, and then rise
and carry it into practice.
Death:
 Shameful
(deplorable, disgraceful)
 Voluntary
(spontaneous, uncompelled)
 Predicted
(anticipated, foreknown)
 Substitutionary
(replacement or surrogate)
Today
Some years ago a minister friend of mine
led a joyful service in which ten young
people publicly professed their faith in Jesus
Christ. After the service a man about 55
years old came up to him and said, Pastor,
I'm glad that God gave me two eyes. To
explain what he meant, the man said, When
I saw those ten young people profess their
faith in Jesus, that brought tears of gladness
to my eyes. But then I began to think of my
own son, who has refused to accept Jesus
his Savior, and that made me cry a tear of
sadness. That's why I'm glad God gave me
two eyes. With the one I can shed tears of
joy, and with the other I can shed tears of
sorrow. And in a sense we have been crying
during this month with two eyes. During the
first half of this month we have used one eye
to shed tears of sadness as we have
reflected on the deep suffering of Christ,
who humbled himself and became obedient
to death; even death on a cross! And during
the second half of the month we have used
the other eye to shed tears of gladness as
we have celebrated the reality that God
raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him
to the highest place so that we can now
make the wonderful confession of faith
Jesus Christ is Lord!
C. H. Spurgeon
He stooped, who can tell how low? He was
raised, who shall tell how high? “Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted him.”
Sermon Note
 Creator was creature
 With lowly men
 Humility and obedience
 Death as a criminal
Today
We all operate with something called a
threshold level of pain. Take, for example,
our fingers. Just under the skin are
thousands of nerve endings that are
sensitive to pressure. God has designed our
fingers to withstand a lot of pressure so that
we can use our hands for hard, physical
work. But at some point, the pressure
becomes too great and turns into pain. If we
accidentally hit our thumb with a hammer or
get our fingers caught in a car door, we cry
out in pain. Then we clearly have gone
beyond our threshold level of pain!
In a somewhat similar way, we also operate
with a threshold level of obedience. We're
obedient to God, but only up to a certain
limit. We'll tell the truth. But if that means
getting into trouble, we'll bend the truth.
We'll support our church financially as a sign
of our devotion to Christ. But if money is
tight, we'll keep back some for ourselves.
We'll honor our parents. But if they ask us to
do something we don't like, we won't bother
listening to them. You see, when the
pressure of obedience gets too high, we
back off. We become disobedient. Jesus,
however, didn't have a threshold level of
obedience. He became obedient to death.
And not just any kind of death but even
death on a cross! That's the awesome price
Jesus had to pay to become the source of
eternal salvation for all who obey him.
Sermon Note
 No doubts
(firmness of faith)
 Sin killed Jesus
(hatred of sin)
 Self denial
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PHILIPPIANS
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

(humility)
Crown of thorns
(contempt)
His Life
(love of God)
Suffered and Died
John 10:11
I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd
lays down His life for the sheep.
John 12:23-24
And Jesus answered them, saying, "The
hour has come for the Son of Man to be
glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a
grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it
remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears
much fruit.
Romans 5:6
For while we were still helpless, at the right
time Christ died for the ungodly.
1 Corinthians 15:3
For I delivered to you as of first importance
what I also received, that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures.
2 Corinthians 5:15
And He died for all, that they who live should
no longer live for themselves, but for Him
who died and rose again on their behalf.
Romans 5:9
And they sang an new song, saying,
"Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to
break its seals; for Thou wast slain and didst
purchase for God with Thy blood men from
every tribe and tongue and people and
nation.
The Agony Of The Cross
[Jesus] humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death, even the
death of the cross. —Philippians 2:8
As Christians, we understand the spiritual
significance of Christ's sacrifice at Calvary,
but it's easy to forget about the tremendous
agony He endured there. The worst aspect
was separation from the Father, but the
physical suffering was also horrible beyond
comprehension.
In his book Dare To Believe, Dan Baumann
shares some thoughts that can deepen our
gratitude for what the Savior did for us. He
wrote, "We have perhaps unwisely and
sometimes unconsciously glamorized the
cross. Jewelry and steeples alike are often
ornamental and attractive but carry nothing
of the real story of crucifixion. It was the
most painful method of public death in the
first century. The victim was placed on a
wooden cross. Nails . . . were driven into the
hands and feet of the victim, and then the
cross was lifted and jarred into the ground,
tearing the flesh of the crucified and racking
his body with excruciating pain. Historians
remind us that even the soldiers could not
get used to the horrible sight, and often took
strong drink to numb their senses."
With a fresh awareness of our Savior's
physical agony, let's thank Him anew for His
sacrifice at Calvary. He loved us so much
that He was willing to die for us—even the
painful death of the cross.
We can never sacrifice enough for the
One who sacrificed His all for us.
2:9
Therefore also God highly exalted
Him, and bestowed on Him the
name which is above every name,
Therefore God exalted him to the
highest place
and gave him the name that is
above every name,
Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, and given him a name
which is above every name:
Acts 2:33
"Therefore having been exalted to the right
hand of God, and having received from the
Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has
poured forth this which you both see and
hear."
Hebrews 2:9
But we do see Him who has been made for
a little while lower than the angels, namely,
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Jesus, because of the suffering of death
crowned with glory and honor, that by the
grace of God He might taste death for
everyone.
“therefore”--because of Jesus’ actions, God
exalted Him to the highest place. Everyone
will one day acknowledge that His name is
above all other names (v. 9).
Ephesians 1:20,21
Which He brought about in Christ, when He
raised Him from the dead, and seated Him
at His right hand in the heavenly places, far
above all rule and authority and power and
dominion, and every name that is named,
not only in this age, but also in the one to
come.
History will end and the kingdom of God will
come in power. Christ will return! Every knee
will bow and every tongue will confess that
He is Lord (v. 10; cf. Isa. 45:21-23; Rev.
5:9). To what end? “To the glory of God the
Father” (v. 11).
2:9-11 At the last judgment even those who
are condemned will recognize Jesus’
authority and right to rule. People can
choose to regard Jesus as Lord now as a
step of willing and loving commitment, or be
forced to acknowledge him as Lord when he
returns. Christ may return at any moment.
Are you prepared to meet him?
TODAY IN THE WORD
In the final months of World War II, after
Germany’s surrender, the United States
dropped atomic bombs on the cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Just days
later, Emperor Hirohito agreed to surrender.
On August 14, 1945, President Harry
Truman announced the end of the war!
Within minutes, the festivities began. In New
York, two million people poured into Times
Square. In Washington, 75,000 gathered in
front of the White House. In Chicago,
500,000 danced and celebrated in
downtown streets. Thousands gathered in
churches to worship and thank God for the
war’s end and to remember loved ones who
had died in military service.
If that kind of party breaks out for winning a
war, imagine the heavenly celebration for
Christ’s ultimate victory! The second half of
the Philippians 2 “hymn” gives us some
interesting insights into that day.
The early verses focus on Christ’s
incarnation and redemption, praising His
love for humanity and obedience to His
Father (vv. 6-8). Now we turn to the
While on earth, Jesus had prayed for this
very thing--“I have brought you glory on
earth by completing the work you gave me
to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your
presence with the glory I had with you
before the world began” (John 17:4-5).
The last book of Scripture reveals another
incredible picture of that day. “Then I heard
every creature in heaven and on earth . . .
singing: ‘To Him who sits on the throne and
to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory
and power, for ever and ever!’” (Rev. 5:13).
C. H. Spurgeon
Some foolish and superstitious persons
make this passage a pretext for bowing their
heads at the name of Jesus whenever it is
mentioned. Nothing can be more senseless,
because the passage means no such thing.
What we are taught here is the great truth
that Jesus Christ, though once he stooped
to the lowest shame, is now exalted to the
very highest glory, and even the devils in
hell are compelled to own the might of his
power.
We are also to learn from this passage that
the way to ascend is to descend.
He who would be chief must be willing to be
the servant of all. The King of kings was the
Servant of servants; and if you would be
crowned with honor by-and-by, you must be
willing to be despised and rejected of men
now. The Lord give us this gracious
humbleness of mind, for Jesus Christ’s
sake! Amen.
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The Name
God also has highly exalted Him . . . , that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow. -Philippians 2:9-10
Jesus! No other name draws people
together so closely, while at the same time
evoking hatred in others.
In 1999, a political candidate answered a
question about who had the greatest effect
on his life by saying, "Jesus Christ. He
changed my heart." This person's honest
answer was met with disdain from people
who detest the name of Jesus.
On the other hand, people all over the world
who love Christ meet every week to honor
and praise Jesus' name. To them, His name
means love, joy, peace, hope, and
forgiveness.
What is it about this name that divides
people so clearly? Why do some treat the
name of Jesus with contempt while others
hold it in highest esteem? I think the reason
some people can't stand Jesus' name is that
they don't want to be reminded of their sins.
Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life"
(John 14:6), the One who saves us from our
sins (Matthew 1:21). People who refuse to
ask for forgiveness from sin cannot love the
name of Jesus. Yet His name "is above
every name," and one day "every tongue
[will] confess that Jesus Christ is Lord"
(Philippians 2:9,11).
Jesus! Do you love that name? Praise God
for that holy name—and tell others what
Jesus has done for you.
We honor God's name when we
call Him our Father and live like His Son.
A.W. Tozer
The humblest man who heeds the call to
follow Christ has an honor far above that
given to any king or potentate, for the
nations of the earth can bestow only such
honor as they possess, while the honor of
Christ is supreme over all. God has given
Him a name that is above every name! This
being true and being known to the heavenly
intelligences, the methods we use to
persuade men to follow Christ must seem to
them extremely illogical if not downright
wrong.
Evangelical Christians commonly offer
Christ to mankind as a nostrum to cure their
ills, a way out of their troubles, a quick and
easy means to the achievement of their
personal ends. The message is often so
presented as to leave the hearer with the
impression that he is being asked to give up
much to gain more. And that is not good,
however well intentioned it may be! We are
not called to be salesmen, pointing out the
good things that will accrue if the right
choice is made. No one can come to Christ
with the idea of selfish gain in the
transaction. Salvation comes not by
accepting the finished work or deciding for
Christ. It comes by believing on the Lord
Jesus Christ, the whole, living, victorious
Lord who, as God and man, fought our fight
and won it, accepted our debt as His own
and paid it, took our sins and died under
them and rose again to set us free. This is
the true Christ, and nothing less will do!
Today
Weddings are a time of mixed emotions.
The bride and groom are bursting with
excitement that this great day has finally
arrived. Yet they also experience some
nervousness over what it will be like to be
married to each other till death do us part.
Parents often experience mixed emotions at
weddings as well. Their feelings of
happiness are mingled with some feelings of
sadness, because they realize their baby is
now leaving the nest for good. On the one
hand, There is a time of sadness and
shame; a time to remember the sufferings of
Jesus. Our sense of sadness and shame
comes from knowing that Jesus died for us
because of our disobedience against God.
But, on the other hand, this is a time of
incredible joy and thanksgiving; a time to
remember Jesus' victory over Satan and sin.
Our sense of Joy and thanksgiving comes
from knowing that we share in the victory
that Christ has won.
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Dear friend, I pray that your devotions this
month will create mixed emotions in your
heart: that you will experience in a deeply
personal way both the pain of Christ's
suffering for your sake and the confident joy
that you share in his victory over Satan and
sin.
7 Steps to His Exaltation:
 God highly exalted Him.
 Gave Him a name above all.
 At His name every knee must bow.
 Everything in heaven.
 Everything in earth.
 Everything under the earth.
 Every tongue confess His Lordship.
R.C. Sproul Jr.
It was probably the conch shell in Golding's
Lord of the Flies that first ensnared me. It
was a symbol of authority, of law. When
Golding cleverly caused it to be smashed I
knew barbarism was coming to the English
school boys stranded on a tropical island.
Something about his use of symbols caught
me and instilled in me a love of fine
literature. I wanted to unlock the hidden
meaning of everything. I spent two years in
graduate
school in English trying to learn the fine
priest-craft of lifting and interpreting symbols
in literature. I came to respect and admire
these great writers who could subtlety slip a
message into their stories, who could weave
together a lesson and a tale.
My feeble attempts at fiction are always too
much lesson, not enough tale. The fiction I
write ends up more like well illustrated
sermons. I keep trying though. Writing fiction
is an avocation of mine, a type of
entertainment or recreation. It wasn't until I
began training for my vocation, until I began
studying the Old Testament in seminary,
that I realized how much fiction is recreation.
God is the consummate writer. Consider this
symbol: Moses is traveling in the wilderness
with the Hebrews. He is writing the book of
Genesis, giving the people their history. And
Moses tells the people of Abraham's trip to
Egypt. Remember that Pharaoh took
Abraham's wife Sarah hostage. The future
of Abraham's children, the future of the
promise, was in mortal danger. God,
however, sent grave punishment down on
Pharaoh, and he relented, allowing Abraham
and Sarah to move on to Canaan. Do you
see Moses' point? He is telling the people
that God has done this before. Our children
were in danger, Moses is saying, when
Pharaoh ordered them killed. Then God sent
down the plagues, and Pharaoh relented.
The message to the worried wanderers was
this -- Abraham and Sarah made it with
God's blessing: so will we.
What is so astounding about God's novel,
however, is not the subtlety of the symbols,
but that it is fact and not fiction. God's
providence is the unfolding of the drama of
redemption. His theater is not some stuffy
dark room with flickering pictures but the
whole of His creation. His characters are not
two dimensional, but literal flesh and blood.
His plot is not some cleverly devised tale,
but all of history.
The trouble with our preoccupation with
earthly amusements, with other lesser
stories, is that they don't much matter. When
I find myself weeping for the victim on some
disease-of-the-week television movie, yet
lacking compassion for the man at the end
of the pew whose wife is battling cancer, I
know I'm not paying attention to the real
story.
If I go to the movies looking for some
powerful climax, that rush of adrenaline,
what will Hollywood provide? Insignificant,
insipid dreck. I am entirely too breathless
waiting to find out if Rocky will win the
boxing match, if Luke will quell temptation
and out-duel Darth Vader, his wicked father.
These are not the climaxes which should
excite us. In the first place Rocky and Luke
are stuck in celluloid limbo. They are
figments of the imagination. God's story
involves only the real and includes no
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destiny in limbo. In the second place, even if
the characters were real their conflicts are of
little import. They would still be time bound
and at best mere footnotes in history.
Luke 24:47
And that repentance for forgiveness of sins
should be proclaimed in His name to all the
nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
God's story, the unwinding of His
providential plan, is heading for something
far more cataclysmic than who wears the
heavyweight crown or who rules some
piddling distant galaxy. The story is one that
matters. It involves not just some real flesh
and blood characters, but a cast of billions.
And each and every cast member will have
their moment of curtain call, bowing at
story's end.
John 14:13
And whatever you ask in My name, that will I
do, that the Father may be glorified in the
Son.
The bowing at the end, in fact, is the end. It
is the climax for which we should be waiting
in eager anticipation. Are you excited, are
you watching the skies to see when this part
of the story will be released in a theater near
you? Are you going back to the screen play,
reading and re-reading the ending just for
the joy of anticipating its fulfillment?
Acts 3:6
But Peter said, "I do not possess silver and
gold, but what I do have I give to you; In the
name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene; walk!"
He is the one true writer, He who ordained
whatsoever comes to pass. This is the one
true story, history. We are all, least to
greatest, the players upon His stage. And all
of it exists to lead to the one true climax, the
drama above every drama. At that great
curtain call the truth will be spoken, the
mystery ended. For then, the screenplay
tells us, in unison the cast speaks the name
on the top of the marquee, the reason for
the story ... "Therefore God also has highly
exalted Him and given Him the name which
is above every name, that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow and every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil.
2:9-11).
C. H. Spurgeon
He threw away his name; he emptied
himself of his reputation. How high is his
reputation now! How glorious is the name
that God hath given him as the reward of his
redemptive work!
Mighty Name of Jesus
John 20:31
But these have been written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God; and that believing you may have life in
His name.
Acts 3:16
And on the basis of faith in His name, it is
the name of Jesus which has strengthened
this man whom you see and know; and the
faith which comes through Him has given
him this perfect health in the presence of
you all.
Acts 16:18
And she continued doing this for many days.
But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned
and said to the spirit, "I command you in the
name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!"
And it came out at that very moment.
Ephesians 5:20
Always giving thanks for all things in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even
the Father.
C. H. Spurgeon
Note how the apostle, after writing on this
high theme, again seeks the practical good
of his friends at Philippi:
TODAY IN THE WORD
For centuries audiences have loved George
Frideric Handel’s oratorio, Messiah, which
was composed in just twenty-four days.
Music historians say that the rather worldly
Handel claimed the leading of the Holy Spirit
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and often wept as he composed the piece. It
is well-known that the music mirrors the
Scripture verses it accompanies. Consider
the famous Hallelujah chorus: “Lord of
Lords” is sung with sure, steady beats; the
entire chorus blends stately majesty and
joyous exaltation.
What a fitting way to begin looking at this
lofty title of Jesus: the Lord of Lords. As we
have seen, the entire Old Testament pointed
to the coming of God’s Messiah. But as we
have also seen, Jesus’ death on the cross
seemed to prove that the Man from
Nazareth could not have been the Messiah
after all. Even the disciples were downcast,
fearful that all their hopes had been in vain
(Luke 24:17). But Jesus’ resurrection from
the dead declared to the world that He
indeed was--and is!--the Lord, the Almighty
One.
So important was it to acknowledge that
Jesus of Galilee was the Lord God that the
first creed of the church was simply, “Jesus
is Lord” (Rom. 10:9; 1 Cor. 12:3).
One of the highest affirmations of Jesus’
lordship is found in Philippians 2:9–11. We
have already looked at this passage (see
December 9) when we considered Jesus’
willingness to take on the nature of a
servant. Today’s passage shows the
Father’s response to that obedience-complete vindication and exaltation.
Not only is Jesus the exalted Lord, but He is
Lord of Lords. We don’t often think of other
lords, but in the Greco-Roman world of the
first century, there was a terrifying array of
gods and goddesses. Even the Caesar took
on the title dominus, or lord, and demanded
allegiance. In our own day, people who
attain athletic prowess or business success
vie for the status of lordship in our culture.
2:10
that at the name of Jesus EVERY
KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who
are in heaven, and on earth, and
under the earth,
that at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under
the earth,
That at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of things in
heaven, and things in earth, and
things under the earth;
C. H. Spurgeon
Now is he higher than the highest. Now
every one must confess his divinity. With
shame and terror, his adversaries shall bow
before him; with delight and humble
adoration, his friends shall own him Lord of
all: “that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.” See how the greatest glory of Christ
is the glory of the Father.
He never desired any other glory but that.
The highest honor you can ever have, O
child of God, is to bring honor to your Father
who is in heaven.
Do you not think so? I know you do.
Devotional
In the first part of this verse, Paul mentions
the word obey. In Greek this is a compound
word formed by the two words "hear" and
"under." Thus, to obey means "to be under a
hearing." Hearing the Lord's voice is integral
to obeying or following Him, even as He
indicated in John 10:27: "My sheep hear My
voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
To hear the Lord under the new covenant
means to recognize promptings within our
heart. The prompting is God Himself
operating within us. It is this prompting that
Paul refers to in Philippians
2:13: "For it is God who works in you both to
will and to do for His good pleasure." When
we respond positively to the prompting, we
are actually obeying Him. It is at the point of
obeying Him that we need to see the
difference between Old Testament and New
Testament obedience. Old Testament
obedience is man responding to the outward
law of God without the supply of life that is
necessary to carry it out (Gal. 3:21). New
Testament obedience is man responding to
God from the very responses and
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promptings inwardly produced by God
Himself out of the riches and supply of His
grace.
2:11
and that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
And that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to
the glory of God the Father.
John 13:13
"You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are
right, for so I am."
R.C. Sproul
Much of our society believes that man
determines laws for himself and is subject to
no higher authority than the general will of
the people. This democratic mindset, for
from being a great gift to man, has
contributed to our generation’s general
unwillingness to recognize, much less
submit to, God’s laws. Sadly, the church has
not escaped this corrupting philosophy.
People want Jesus as their Savior, but they
do not want to be subject to Him as their
King. The practical results of this heretical
view is that a Christian can live like the
world. He can be saved but continue to live
in sin without any regard to his duty as a
subject in Christ’s kingdom.
This, of course, is totally contrary to the
teaching of Scripture, which says that a
Christian will no longer follow the ways of
the world. Instead, he will live unto holiness
and set his mind on spiritual things (Rom. 8).
Of course, he will not be perfect, but he will
not continue to practice sin: “And you know
that He was manifested to take away our
sin, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever
abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins
has neither seen Him nor known Him” (1
John 3:5-6). John, of course, is not saying a
Christian is sinless (for he says in chapter 1
that if we say we do not sin, we are liars),
but he is saying that a Christian does not
live a life of sin. Those who uphold the “No-
Lordship” view maintain that it is possible to
be saved and yet live like a demon. They
separate that which God has joined together
when he made Christ the Savior and Lord of
all who believe.
It is significant that Paul teaches in 1
Corinthians 12:3 that no one can say Jesus
is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. This means
that only someone who has been changed
by the Spirit confesses that Christ is
sovereign over every area of their lives. It is
a humble confession of obedience, of
subjection, of recognition that Christ rules
over every area of our lives.
The Scriptures teach that Christ is Lord, that
He is Adonai, absolute sovereign over all
things. Only those who recognize this,
submit to His rule, and rejoice in His
kingship can truly be called Christians.
Today
Throughout human history, people have
struggled with how to answer the question,
Who is Jesus? The majority of Jewish
people believe that Jesus is simply a good
Jew. They argue that Christians have
wrongly turned Jesus the good Jew into
Jesus the divine Son of God. Many
theologians in Third World countries believe
that Jesus is a social revolutionary. They
argue that Jesus was primarily concerned to
fight against oppression and injustice and
that he showed the persecuted masses how
to rise up against their tyrannical rulers.
Many theologians in North America and
Europe believe that Jesus is merely a great
example. They argue that Christians should
not be so concerned whether Jesus was the
divine Son of God. What's really important,
they say, is that we be more like Jesus so
that this world will be a kinder and gentler
place to live in.
The Bible, however, claims that Jesus is
much more. The Bible says Jesus is Lord.
When Jesus walked out of the tomb, he won
the right to rule as Lord and King over all.
Paul says that after God exalted, or raised,
Jesus from the dead, he gave him the name
that is above every name, that at the name
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PHILIPPIANS
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of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven
and on earth and under the earth, and every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Who is Jesus? Praise God that he is our
Lord and King!
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His Lordship
Luke 6:5
And He was saying to them, " The Son of
Man is Lord of the Sabbath."
04. How can Christians show their unity in
Christ in practical ways? (2:2)
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Acts 2:36
Therefore let al the house of Israel know for
certain that God has made Him both Lord
and Christ; this Jesus whom you crucified."
1 Corinthians 8:6
Yet for us there is but one God, the Father;
form whom are all things, and we exist for
Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom
are all things, and we exist through Him.
1 Colossians 12:3
Therefore I make known to you, that no one
speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus is
accursed"; and no one can say, "Jesus is
Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
OPEN IT
01. When was the last time you had a
squabble with a family member?
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02. How much of a peacemaker are you?
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EXPLORE IT
03. What four qualities mark unity with
Christ? (2:1)
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05. What did Paul say about selfcenteredness? (2:3-4)
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06. What did Paul exhort believers to have?
(2:5)
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07. What did Christ set aside when He
became a man? (2:6-8)
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08. How did Jesus limit Himself? (2:6-8)
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09. How was Christ fully God and fully man
at the same time? (2:6-8)
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PHILIPPIANS
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___________________________________
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10. How is Christ the best example of
humility and unselfishness for us? (2:6-8)
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11. Why did Christ take on the limitations of
being human even though He was of the
same nature as God? (2:7)
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12. How did God exalt Jesus? (2:9)
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13. How did Christ win sovereignty over all
people and over everything? (2:10)
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14. What confession will every person
make? (2:11)
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GET IT
15. How does your life show that you count
on Christ?
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16. How do petty quarrels hold you back in
your Christian walk?
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17. How can Christ help you keep peace
with others?
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18. What hinders unity in your church?
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19. What kind of disposition does Christ
want us to have?
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20. How does Christ's example of humility
challenge our natural self-centeredness?
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PHILIPPIANS
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APPLY IT
21. What practical steps can you take this
week to demonstrate humility in your
relationships?
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22. For the sake of unity in Christ, what petty
squabbles should you clear up right away?
How?
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2:12
So then, my beloved, just as you
have always obeyed, not as in my
presence only, but now much more
in my absence, work out your
salvation with fear and trembling;
Therefore, my dear friends, as
you have always obeyed--not
only in my presence, but now
much more in my absence-continue to work out your
salvation with fear and trembling,
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have
always obeyed, not as in my
presence only, but now much more
in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling.
Philippians 1:5
Some to be sure, are preaching Christ even
from envy and strife, but some also from
good will;
Ephesians 6:5
Slaves, be obedient to those who are your
masters according to the flesh, with fear and
trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to
Christ.
2:12 “Therefore” ties this verse to the
previous section. “Work out your salvation,”
in light of the preceding exhortation to unity,
may mean that the entire church was to
work together to rid themselves of divisions
and discord. The Philippian Christians
needed to be especially careful to obey
Christ, now that Paul wasn’t there to
continually remind them about what was
right. We too must be careful about what we
believe and how we live, especially when we
are on our own. In the absence of cherished
Christian leaders, we must focus our
attention and devotion even more on Christ
so that we won’t be sidetracked.
TODAY IN THE WORD
Daniel did his job so well as a civil official in
the Persian Empire that the other
administrators were jealous. They watched
him carefully, looking for a “skeleton in his
closet” so they could run to King Darius and
tattle. But Daniel, dedicated to his God, lived
blamelessly. His rivals could find nothing
wrong. That didn’t stop them, however, from
concocting a plot leading to the famous story
of Daniel in the lions’ den, which you can
read in Daniel 6.
Daniel lived a godly life, being light in a dark,
pagan environment. In today’s reading, Paul
wanted the Philippians to be “Daniels” and
“christs” to the world around them.
Paul’s exhortation here was a follow-up to
his earlier command to imitate Christ (v. 5).
The intervening verses are an inspiring
“detour,” but they also form the foundation
for Paul’s teachings that follow.
How can believers have the same attitude
as Christ? Through obedience and
blameless living (v. 12; cf. Phil. 1:10).
Living this way honors the salvation Christ
has won. That’s what it means to “work out
your salvation with fear and trembling” --not
to be afraid or fearful, but to cooperate in
reverence and awe with God’s sanctifying
work in your life. Salvation is not by works. It
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PHILIPPIANS
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is wholly by God’s grace, and we have a
part to play after we are saved (Eph. 2:810).
That’s why Paul immediately balanced “work
out your salvation” with “for it is God who
works in you” (Phil. 2:13). We are never on
our own. We don’t have to complete what
God started. The strength in which we live
out our faith comes from God. He is always
working in us for our benefit and for His
glory.
R.C. Sproul
We have seen that it is an absolute
necessity that a person be born again if he
or she is to enter the kingdom of God. We
have also learned that regeneration is
performed by God, that it is done without
means, that it is mysterious, and that it
cannot be revoked.
Just as none of us would have lives to live if
we had not had birthdays, we cannot have
new lives in Christ without spiritual rebirth.
Yet just as the days of our lives are not the
same as our birthdays, our Christian lives
are not the same as our regeneration. This
seems elementary, but it is a fact that often
is not clearly grasped by believers.
Regeneration is simply the doorway into the
new life. In other words, our new lives in
Christ are the result of spiritual rebirth.
When He regenerates us, God changes us
forever. But He doesn’t stop there. He
continues working in us to move us toward
the next stages in the process of our full
redemption, faith in Christ, justification,
sanctification, and eventually, glorification.
A newly born baby has much growing to do.
The same is true for newly reborn believers.
Great capacity for evil remains in the hearts
of the regenerate. It must be resisted and
replaced by Christlikeness. This is the life
long process known as sanctification, or
growth in holiness. Whereas regeneration is
a work of God alone, sanctification is a work
in which we participate with God. But He
gives us tools for the task, for this process is
mediate rather than immediate, as is
regeneration. While God primarily uses the
Word as our means of grace, He also
employs prayer and worship, fellowship, and
service in the church. by making diligent use
of such means, we move on from the
starting point of our new birth to a greater
experience of God’s love for us.
C. H. Spurgeon
Get out of self. Work out your salvation from
pride, from vainglory, from disputations and
strife.
A Long Obedience
Work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling. —Philippians 2:12
Every January, health club memberships
dramatically increase and exercise rooms
become crowded with what some people
call "the New Year's resolution crowd."
Fitness regulars know that by March many
of the newcomers will be gone. "They don't
see results as quickly as they think they
will," says one club director. "People don't
realize it takes a lot of work and
perseverance to get in shape."
It's a phenomenon we experience in the
spiritual realm as well. Author Eugene
Peterson notes that in a culture that loves
speed and efficiency, "it is not difficult . . . to
get a person interested in the message of
the gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain
the interest." To follow Christ faithfully,
Peterson says, requires "a long obedience
in the same direction."
Paul urged the Philippians to adopt the
same mindset as Christ, whose obedience
to the Father was wholehearted and
complete (2:8). He encouraged them to
keep on obeying the Lord and to "work out
[their] own salvation with fear and trembling"
(2:12).
As new believers, we may have good
intentions when we take our first steps of
faith. Then, as we grow in Christ, God's
power enables us to keep walking joyfully
with Him along the long road of obedience.
Faith in Christ is not just a single step
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but a life of walking with Him.
Obedience is the:
 Secret
 Soul
 Sway
 Slayer
 Submission
 Sanctifier
 Stamp
of blessing
of success
of power
of self
of faith
of character
of approval
R. C. Sproul
In the Reformed tradition, the doctrine of
eternal security is called the perseverance of
the saints. This title can be a little misleading
because the word perseverance could imply
that we are somehow working alone,
pressing into the kingdom of God, working
out our salvation with fear and trembling. Of
course, these implications are taken from
Scripture itself, where it is made clear that
Christians are actively engaged in their own
sanctification.
Bu
we
must
not
misunderstand passages that speak in
terms of human effort by asserting that our
eternal security rests in our own ability.
While we are certainly actively engaged, our
sanctification ultimately rests on God
Himself, for He is the one who “works in you
both to will and to do for His good pleasure.”
The last part of Philippians 2:12 says, “work
out your own salvation with fear and
trembling,” a very strong admonition for
people to employ their own efforts in their
sanctification. But Paul doesn’t finish there.
He points his readers to the one who
enables them to work out their salvation,
and that one is God Himself.
Our persevering, then, is a long, hard road
of fighting sin and living by our heavenly
inheritance. As Christians, we can be
confident that we will persevere because
God has given His Holy Spirit to us as a
fullness of our heavenly inheritance. As
Christians, we can be confident that we will
persevere because God has given His Holy
Spirit to us as a promise that we will
succeed. Paul teaches this clearly in
Ephesians 1: “In Him you also trusted, after
you heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation; in whom also, having
believed, you were sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of
our inheritance until the redemption of the
purchased possession, to the praise of His
glory.”
Our salvation has already been purchased
on the cross, but it will ot be complete until
we are glorified. The Spirit, therefore, is
given to us as an earnest of our redemption.
WE need not have any doubts that those
who have been called will be glorified
because we have the seal of the Holy Spirit
to guarantee our reception into the kingdom
of God. He is, in a sense a down payment
given by God Himself on our full inheritance,
and as such, the Spirit is a foretaste of the
glory that is to come. God has sealed us in
Him by His own signet ring, and that seal is
a promise that we will persevere in the faith
and receive our inheritance of glory.
Fear:







Command
Caution
Consecration
Cause
Company
Condition
Consequence
Devotional
We may live for years having desires to
spend time with the Lord in a regular way.
We may experience these desires to a
greater or lesser degree, depending upon
our spiritual situation. Nevertheless, we may
not be aware of the fact that the very
existence of these desires stirring within us
is God operating in us. God works in your
will to incline you to spend time with Him. He
operates to that extent. But He does not
take us over, obliterating our faculties and
human responsibility and forcing us to spend
time with Him. He works in us to a point.
Then it is up to us to take the initiative to
follow through by cooperating with His
worked-in inclinations and desires. In other
words, God's part is to supply the desire and
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
the inclination to be with Him. Our part is to
find a private place, set the alarm clock, rise
up from our bed, wash our face, get our
Bible, hymnal, and other spiritual books, and
begin to wait upon the Lord by reading,
praying, singing, or just quietly being in His
presence to enjoy Him and behold Him.
We need to realize that our desires to be
with the Lord are God Himself. It is not just
you. It is not just your desire. It is not merely
your own thought that you should spend
time with the Lord. It is God! God is in your
desire! God is in your inclination! God is in
your thought! Now you must work out what
God has worked in. Just go along with that
still small voice, that slight sensation that
you should withdraw yourself to pray and
spend time with Him. If you obey those small
nudges, you are obeying God operating
within you.
Oswald Chambers
Our Lord warns that the devout life of a
disciple is not a dream, but a decided
discipline which calls for the use of all his or
her powers. No amount of determination can
give me the new life of God. That is a gift;
where the determination comes in is in
letting that new life work itself out according
to Christ's standard. We are always in
danger of confounding what we can do with
what we cannot do. We cannot save
ourselves, or sanctify ourselves, or give
ourselves the Holy Spirit; only God can do
these. Confusion continually occurs when
we try to do what God alone can do, and try
to persuade ourselves that God will do what
we alone can do. We imagine that God is
going to make us walk in the light; God will
not; it is we who must walk in the light. God
gives us the power to do it, but we have to
see that we use the power. God puts the
power and the life into us and fills us with
His Spirit, but we have to work it out. Work
out your own salvation, says Paul, not, work
for your salvation, but work it out; and as we
do, we realize that the noble life of a disciple
is gloriously difficult and the difficulty of it
rouses us up to overcome, not faint and
cave in. It is always necessary to make an
effort to be noble.
Definition
Work Out:
This verse does not even hint that one must
work for his eternal salvation. Some take
salvation
here in a theological sense, not that once
salvation is in us it must be worked out or
expressed. It is most likely, however, that
salvation is used in a non-theological sense,
with the meaning, work out solutions to your
own daily problems.
Oswald Chambers
Your will agrees with God, but in your flesh
there is a disposition which renders you
powerless to do what you know you ought to
do. When the Lord is presented to the
conscience, the first thing conscience does
is to rouse the will, and the will always
agrees with God. You say, But I do not know
whether my will is in agreement with God.
Look to Jesus and you will find that your will
and your conscience are in agreement with
Him every time. The thing in you which
makes you say, I shan't is something less
profound that your will; it is perversity, or
obstinacy, and they are never in agreement
with God. The profound thing in man is his
will, not sin. Will is the essential element in
God's creation of man: sin is a perverse
disposition which entered into man. In a
regenerated man the source of will is
almighty. For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of His good pleasure.
Your have to work out with concentration
and care what God works in; not work your
own salvation, but work it out, while you
base resolutely in unshaken faith on the
complete and perfect Redemption of the
Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an
opposed will to God's will, God's will is your
will, and your natural choices are along the
line of God's will, and the life is as natural as
breathing. God is the source of your will,
therefore you are able to work out His will.
Obstinacy is an unintelligent wage that
refuses to be enlightened; the only thing is
for it to be blown up with dynamite, and the
dynamite is obedience to the Holy Spirit. Do
I believe that Almighty God is the source of
my will? God not only expects me to do His
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PHILIPPIANS
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will, but He is in me to do it.
Conditions of Salvation
Endurance
Matthew 10:22
And you will be hated by al on account of My
name, but it is the one who has endured to
the end who will be saved.
Faith and Confession
Romans 10:9
That if you confess with your mouth Jesus
as Lord, and believe in your heart that God
raised Him from the dead, you shall be
saved;
Spiritual Receptivity
James 1:21
Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all
that remains of wickedness, in humility
receive the word implanted, which is able to
save your souls.
Spiritual Diligence
2 Peter 1:10-11
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent
to make certain about His calling and
choosing you; for as long as you practice
these things, you will never stumble; for in
this way the entrance into the eternal
kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
will be abundantly supplied to you.
Spiritual Cleansing
Revelation 22:14
Blessed are those who wash their robes,
that they may have the right to the tree of
life, and may enter by the gates into the city.
Devotional
We need to understand, from God's point of
view, what it is to take the initiative. It is our
response to and cooperation with God's
operation in our being. Let me say that if you
are born again and Christ is living in you,
then there is present within you a divine
working that is one-hundred percent bent on
beholding the Lord. There is something
already in you that matches the Word of
God concerning spending time to behold
Him. You do not have to produce something
in yourself in order to take the initiative.
Check with your inner man. Look for the
hidden desire within you, and see if there is
not a corresponding burden and feeling
about your spending time with the Lord.
If you are honest with your deepest sense,
you will realize that there is a still small voice
within you day by day speaking to you about
spending time with the Lord to enjoy Him
and to behold Him. In fact, on the negative
side, it feels like something nagging you.
When you live neglecting your time with the
Lord, there is something within you that
spontaneously feels dissatisfied. You sense
an incompleteness in your daily life even to
the point of an inner protesting. Also, on the
positive side, there is a desire and a longing
to be with the Lord in a definite way - to wait
upon Him, behold Him, and enjoy Him. This
desire and longing is God working in you.
Taking the initiative simply means to
cooperate with what God has already put
within you. The Greek word translated "work
out" in Philippians 2:12 and the word
"beholding" in 2 Corinthians 3:18 are both in
the middle voice. This means Paul was
emphasizing that believers need to take the
initiative to actively be involved and
participate in the working out of their own
salvation. However, the basis for taking this
initiative is clearly defined by the following
words: "For it is God who operates in you."
This means that the initiative we take is
actually our going along with the operating
God within us. This is a crucial point in all
our experiences of the Lord. God works and
operates in us to a certain extent; then we
need to take the initiative to complete and
finish what He is working in us.
C.H. Spurgeon
We must work out our own salvation with
fear and trembling, but not till he has worked
in us can we work it out.
2:13
for it is God who is at work in you,
both to will and to work for His good
pleasure.
for it is God who works in you to
will and to act according to his
good purpose.
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
For it is God which worketh in you
both to will and to do of his good
pleasure.
2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are adequate in ourselves to
consider anything as coming from ourselves,
but our adequacy is from God.
2:13 What do we do when we don’t feel like
obeying? God has not left us alone in our
struggles to do his will. He wants to come
alongside us and be within us to help. God
helps us want to obey him and then gives us
the power to do what he wants. The secret
to a changed life is to submit to God’s
control and let him work. Next time, ask God
to help you want to do his will.
2:13 To be like Christ, we must train
ourselves to think like Christ. To change our
desires to be more like Christ’s, we need the
power of the indwelling Spirit (Phil. 1:19), the
influence of faithful Christians, obedience to
God’s Word (not just exposure to it), and
sacrificial service. Often it is in doing God’s
will that we gain the desire to do it (see Phil.
4:8-9). Do what he wants and trust him to
change your desires.
A Supernatural Life
The obedient, productive Christian life is
directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Therefore it is a supernatural life. It is foreign
to the unregenerate person’s thinking, and
he can’t attain such a life.
Supernatural living is conforming your outer
life to your inner life, and living out the new
nature you have in Jesus Christ. But it is not
a mystical, undefined life based on abstract
philosophical concepts. It is practical living
derived from conscious obedience to God’s
commands. It is thinking, speaking, and
acting in daily conformity to His Word and
will.
C. H. Spurgeon
You may very well work out what God works
in. If he does not work it in, you will never
work it out; but while he works within your
spirit both to will and to do, you may safely
go on to will and to do; for your willing and
your doing will produce lowliness of spirit,
and unity of heart with your
Oswald Chambers
We cannot give ourselves the Holy Spirit;
the Holy Spirit is God Almighty's gift if we
will simply become poor enough to ask for
Him. If you then, being evil, know how to
give good gifts to your children, how much
more will your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask Him? But when the
Holy Spirit has come in, there is something
we can do and God cannot do; we can obey
Him. If we do not obey Him, we shall grieve
Him. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.
Over and over again we need to be
reminded of Paul's counsel, Work out your
won salvation with fear and trembling; for it
is God who works in you both to will and to
do of His good pleasure. Thank God, it is
gloriously and majestically true that the Holy
Spirit can work in us the very nature of
Jesus Christ if we will obey Him, until in and
through our mortal flesh may be manifested
works which will make people glorify our
Father in heaven, and take knowledge of us
that we have been with Jesus.
Sermon Note
 Reconciled
(state of agreement or accord)
 Cleansed
(freed from sin, guilt or defilement)
 Indwelt
(constitutional)
 Illuminated
(explained and clarified)
 Delivered
(rescued from danger)
 Comforted
(hope in times of grief or pain)
 Happy
(achieved satisfaction)
 Honored
(superiority, high esteem)
Our Daily Bread
The great inventor Charles Kettering
suggests that we learn to fail intelligently. He
said, Once you've failed, analyze the
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
problem and find out why, because each
failure is one more step leading up to the
cathedral of success. The only time you
don't want to fail is the last time you try.
Here are three suggestions for turning
failure into success: 1) Honestly face defeat;
never fake success. 2) Exploit the failure;
don't waste it. Learn all you can from it;
every bitter experience can teach you
something. 3) Never use failure as an
excuse for not trying again. We may not be
able to reclaim the loss, undo the damage,
or reverse the consequences, but we can
make a new start.
God does not shield us from the
consequences of our actions just because
we are His children. But for us, failure is
never final because the Holy Spirit is
constantly working in us to accomplish His
purposes. He may let us fail, but He urges
us to view defeat as a steppingstone[ to
maturity. God is working for our good in very
situation, and we must act on that good in
order to grow. Knowing how to benefit from
failure is the key to success; especially
when we trust God to work in us, both to will
and to do His good pleasure.
Success is failure turned inside out.
God Dwells In Believers
Ezekiel 36:27
And I will put My Spirit within you and cause
you to walk in My statues, and you will be
careful to observe My ordinance.
John 14:17
That is the Spirit of truth, whom the world
cannot receive because it does not behold
Him or know Him, but you know Him
because He abides with you, and will be in
you.
Romans 8:9
However, you are not in the flesh but in the
Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in
you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit
of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
1 John 2:27
And as for you, the anointing which you
received from Him abides in you, and you
have no need for anyone to teach you; but
as His anointing teaches you about all
things, and is true and is not a lie, and just
as it has taught you, you abide in Him
2:14
Do all things without grumbling or
disputing;
Do everything without
complaining or arguing,
Do all things without murmurings
and disputings:
2:14-16 Why are complaining and arguing
so harmful? If all that people know about a
church is that its members constantly argue,
complain, and gossip, they get a false
impression of Christ and the gospel. Belief in
Christ should unite those who trust him. If
your church is always complaining and
arguing, it lacks the unifying power of Jesus
Christ. Stop arguing with other Christians or
complaining about people and conditions
within the church and let the world see
Christ.
2:14-16 Our lives should be characterized
by moral purity, patience, and peacefulness,
so that we will “shine like stars” in a dark
and depraved world. A transformed life is an
effective witness to the power of God’s
Word. Are you shining brightly, or are you
clouded by complaining and arguing? Shine
out for God.
TODAY IN THE WORD
“Capacocha” was the name for the human
sacrifice ritual practiced by the ancient Incas
of Peru. Such sacrifices were often offered
after a significant event such as an
earthquake or the death of an emperor.
Once a physically perfect sacrifice was
chosen, typically the child of a chief, a
procession traveled from the child’s home
village to Cuzco, the capital city. Then, in
one form of sacrifice, the child was placed in
a tomb, walled in alive, and given only a
drugged potion to drink. In other cases, the
priests sedated then strangled the child. The
sacrifices, who were often deified later, were
buried at the tops of mountains so as to be
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closer to the Inca sun god.
unto death, even the death of the cross.
Without God’s truth, the practice of sacrifice
goes horribly wrong. When Paul calls
himself a “drink offering” or urges us to be
“living sacrifices” (tomorrow’s reading), he
does not have in mind a horrifying scene like
those practiced by the Incas, but the beauty
of spiritual consecration and service to God.
Service is another “sacrifice” we are
instructed to offer. After all, Jesus led the
way: “I have set you an example that you
should do as I have done for you” (Jn.
13:15; cf. Mk. 10:45).
Then Paul applies this pattern to the
believers in verses 12-14: "Therefore, my
beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as
in my presence only, but now much more in
my absence, work out your own salvation
with fear and trembling; for it is God who
operates in you both the willing and the
working for His good pleasure. Do all things
without murmurings and reasonings." This is
the cross - to do all things without
murmurings and without reasonings. This is
how to inwardly apply the cross. Once I
murmur or reason with the Lord's
environmental dealing with me, I nullify the
cross inwardly. This is why Paul gives us a
most practical handle on how to apply the
cross subjectively. Simply do not murmur
and do not reason, because these are the
two things that manifest rebellion to God and
to His arrangement.
A drink offering never stood alone in the Old
Testament, but was always offered with a
greater sacrifice (see, for example, Num.
15:6-7; 28:6-7). Thus, in today’s reading,
Paul places his individual service in the
context of the larger body of believers (Phil.
2:17), and presumably in the context of
Christ’s ultimate sacrifice as well (v. 16). To
transform the Gentiles into an acceptable
sacrifice was the consuming purpose of
Paul’s life (Rom. 15:16; 2 Cor. 11:2)!
C. H. Spurgeon
Do not say, “You give me too much to do;
you always give me the hard work; you put
me in the obscure corner.” No, no; “do all
things without murmurings.” And do not
begin fighting over a holy work; for, if you
do, you spoil it in the very beginning, and
how can you then hope for a blessing upon
it? “Do all things without murmurings and
disputings.”
Devotional
To live a life inwardly applying the cross, do
not rebel against God. You say, "What do
you mean, do not rebel? I am not rebelling."
Every murmuring is a rebellion, and every
reasoning is a rebellion. Murmuring and
reasoning are two words that describe how
we rebel against God and against the cross.
Paul uses these words in the context of
talking about the inward application of the
cross. In Philippians 2:6-8 the Lord Jesus is
presented as the pattern of one who did not
rebel against God. He emptied Himself, He
humbled Himself, and became obedient
TODAY IN THE WORD
When you’re caught in a blackout, what’s
the first thing you do? Probably you look for
a flashlight or candles.
When these are located and lit, the loss of
electricity immediately becomes easier to
bear. The small light provided by the
flashlight or candles seems more welcome
in darkness than when the house was fully
lighted.
Why is this? The answer is simple: contrast.
When all was bright, light was taken for
granted. But when darkness fell, light was
necessary and precious.
That’s the picture Paul has in mind when he
hoped that the Philippians would shine like
stars, piercing the darkness of their society
with the light of the gospel.
His injunction not to complain or argue (v.
14) is a practical application from
yesterday’s reading. Complaining and
murmuring show discontent with God’s will.
If believers avoid these sins, however, their
purity will be a bright witness to the sinful
culture around them (v. 15). As “stars” we
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follow in the footsteps of Christ, the “bright
Morning Star” (Rev. 22:16).
The idea is to behave without reproach, in a
manner worthy of the gospel (Phil. 1:27).
And that is our motivation--holding out the
word of life (Phil. 2:16) is a tremendous
privilege and responsibility (Matt. 5:14-16).
The power of Paul’s reasoning is clear-purity versus depravity, light in darkness, the
word of life pitted against the way of death.
If the Philippians obeyed this command,
Paul would boast, not about himself but
about God’s greatness and for His glory. He
eagerly wanted to know that his ministry had
benefited them. Then, both he and the
Philippian church could rejoice (vv. 17-18).
2:15
that you may prove yourselves to be
blameless and innocent, children of
God above reproach in the midst of
a crooked and perverse generation,
among whom you appear as lights
in the world,
so that you may become
blameless and pure, children of
God without fault in a crooked
and depraved generation, in
which you shine like stars in the
universe
That ye may be blameless and
harmless, the sons of God, without
rebuke, in the midst of a crooked
and perverse nation, among whom
ye shine as lights in the world;
Matthew 5:45
In order that you may be sons of your Father
who is in heave; for He causes His sun to
rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain
on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Ephesians 5:1
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved
children;
Ephesians 5:8
For you were formerly darkness, but now
you are light in the Lord; walk as children of
light.
C. H. Spurgeon
None finding fault with you, and you not
finding fault with others; neither harming nor
harmed: “blameless and harmless.”
Shine Where You Are
You shine as lights in the world, holding fast
the word of life. --Philippians 2:15-16
The name of Peter Carter is probably
unknown to most people today. He was a
19th-century American Presbyterian pastor.
He wasn't as famous a pulpiteer as Charles
Haddon Spurgeon. He didn't write great
works of theology like his contemporary
Charles Hodge. He never achieved the
international recognition of Henry Ward
Beecher of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. But he
lived his faith in such a way that he
encouraged hundreds of people to trust and
serve Jesus Christ. Carter radiated the
Savior's love to children as well as to adults.
For example, a visitor asked some of the
children in Carter's Sunday school if they
knew the Good Shepherd. "Oh, yes," they
answered. "He's Pastor Peter Carter."
Missionary-statesman Robert E. Speer said,
"If all the reasoned arguments in support of
Christianity were destroyed, Peter Carter
and the two or three men like him I have
known would remain for me as its
impregnable basis and defense."
Even if we think of ourselves as rather
ordinary believers, all of us can by God's
grace be shining lights that "glorify [our]
Father in heaven" and point people to the
Savior (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16).
We too can be flesh-and-blood evidence
that the gospel is true.
God put us on earth to shine as lights,
not to get used to the dark.
Oswald Chambers
Is it possible to be blameless in our social
lives? The apostle Paul says it is, and if we
were asked whether we believed God could
make us blameless, we would all say, yes.
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Well, has He done it? If God has not
sanctified us and made us blameless, there
is only one reason why He has not; we do
not want Him to. This is the will of God, your
sanctification. We do not have to urge God
to do it, it is His will; is it our will?
Sanctification is the work of the supernatural
power of God.
Beware of praising Jesus Christ while all the
time you cunningly refuse to let the Spirit of
God work His salvation efficaciously in your
life. Remember, the battle is in the will;
whenever we say I can't, or whenever we
are indifferent, it means I won't. It is better to
let Jesus Christ uncover the obstinacy. If
there is one point where we say I won't then
we shall never know His salvation. From the
moment that God uncovers a point of
obstinacy in us and we refuse to let Him
deal with it, we begin to be skeptical, to
sneer and watch for defects in the lives of
others. But when we yield to Him entirely,
He makes us blameless in our personal
lives, in our practical lives, and in our
profound lives. It is not done by piety; it is
wrought in us by the sovereign grace of
God, and we have not the slightest desire to
trust in ourselves in any degree, but in Him
alone.
Humble Stars
You shine as lights in the world. -Philippians 2:15
Our culture elevates certain people to the
category of "star" because of their ability in
sports, music, acting, or some other talent.
The stars who are often appreciated and
loved the most, though, are those who
accept their popularity graciously and
maintain humility despite their greatness.
They are humble stars.
Followers of Christ are to be stars of another
kind. Jesus said that He is "the light of the
world" (John 8:12). We too are to shine "as
lights in the world" by being "blameless and
harmless, children of God without fault"
(Philippians 2:15). That's how we stand out
in the dark, sinful world around us.
We can also look to Jesus as our model of
humility. Although He had every right to hold
on to His high position in heaven with God,
He "made Himself of no reputation," the
apostle Paul wrote (v.7). He became not
only a man but a servant. What a lowly
position for the Creator of heaven and earth!
Jesus is our example of genuine
servanthood, yet He is the brightest Star of
the universe. As we become like Him, we
will be bright and shining stars, and people
will be drawn to Christ through our humble
service.
Is your light shining brightly?
You can be too big for God to use,
but you can't be too small.
Generation:
The word is used here in the broadest
sense, to depict lost mankind. Against the
background of
general human depravity God expects us to
shine like stars. If we expect to be effective
in holding out the word of life, we need to
shine. It is the brightness of the Christian's
life that sheds light on the Gospel message
we hold out for others to see.
Lights In The Darkness
You shine as lights in the world, holding fast
the word of life. --Philippians 2:15-16
I once read about a woman who felt very
much alone at her workplace because she
was the only Christian. She was often
ridiculed for her faith and accused of being
narrow-minded. Finally she became so
discouraged that she considered quitting her
job. Before doing that, however, she talked
with her pastor. After listening to her
complaints, the minister asked, "Where do
people usually put lights?" "In dark places,"
she replied.
She quickly recognized that her place of
work was indeed a "dark place" where "light"
was vitally needed. So she decided to stay
where she was and become a stronger
influence for Christ. It wasn't long before a
number of her fellow employees—13 of
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them, in fact—came to know Christ as their
Savior.
As "lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15), we
who are believers in Christ have the
privilege of illuminating its dark places.
Although we are not of the world, we are in
the world. We must not allow ourselves to
be shaped by its pressures; instead, we are
to exert our influence on it.
If you are in an unusually difficult and
ungodly atmosphere, call to mind Christ's
words, "Let your light so shine before men"
(Matthew 5:16). Remember, it's the dark
places that need the light.
To lead others out of the darkness of sin,
let them see your light.
C. H. Spurgeon
So that men cannot rebuke you, and will
have to invent a lie before they can do it;
and even then the falsehood is too palpable
to have any force in it: “without rebuke.”
The Power Of Light
You shine as lights in the world. -Philippians 2:15
Some of us may not especially enjoy poetry.
But often a few lines of verse will grip our
imagination, as do the following by Francis
Thompson: "The innocent moon, which
nothing does but shine, moves all the
laboring surges of the world."
The moon is nearly 240,000 miles from
Earth and is only 1/400th the size of the sun.
With no light or heat of its own, it reflects the
radiance of that greater heavenly body. It
appears to be relatively insignificant. Yet,
the moon quietly and almost imperceptibly
moves the oceans of the world by its
gravitational pull.
Most of us may not seem all that influential
or well-known. We don't have the
giftedness, the wealth, or the position to
make much of an impact on our society. Our
names don't appear in the newspaper, nor
are they mentioned on television. We may
think that all we can do is practice our faith
in the humdrum routines of everyday life.
But perhaps, unnoticed by us, we are having
an influence on the people around us by our
Christlike attitudes and actions.
Let's not be concerned, then, about our
seeming lack of influence. Instead, do what
Jesus commanded: "Let your light so shine
before men, that they may see your good
works and glorify your Father in heaven"
(Matthew 5:16).
Even the smallest light can make a
difference in the darkest night.
Pilot Lights
You shine as lights in the world, holding fast
the word of life. --Philippians 2:15-16
In 1982, a London pastor watched as a man
stood on the church steps and witnessed to
passersby about Jesus. The pastor had
never seen anything like it. He admitted that
before that day he had considered himself
an evangelist because he preached
evangelistic sermons. But that night a fire
was kindled in his heart. He promised God
he would begin talking to people outside his
church as well as inside.
The pastor invited members of the church to
join him, and the weekly venture became
known as Pilot Lights. Just as a pilot light
stays lit and ready to be used, members of
the Pilot Lights commit themselves to be
faithful to God and available for Him to use
to tell others about Christ. After a time of
training and prayer, they walk the sidewalks
near the church every Saturday morning,
talking with people about Jesus.
Our churches are to be places of wonderful
friendship and support. But perhaps, like the
pastor in London, we need to raise our eyes
to see people just beyond the walls of our
traditional practice. It's important to share
the glow of worship together, but the
sidewalks of life are filled with people who
need to see the light of Christ shining
through us (Phil. 2:15).
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Let's step outside and be "pilot lights"
burning with God's love today.
A world in darkness
needs the light of the gospel.
C.H. Spurgeon
We use the lights to make manifest. A
Christian man should so shine in his life, that
a person couldn’t live with him a week
without
knowing
the
gospel.
His
conversation should be such that all who are
about him should clearly perceive whose he
is, and whom he serves; and should see the
image of Jesus reflected in his daily actions.
Lights are intended for guidance. We are to
help those around us who are in the dark.
We are to hold forth to them the Word of life.
We are to point sinners to the Savior, and
the weary to a divine resting-place. Men
sometimes read their Bibles, and fail to
understand them; we should be ready, like
Philip, to instruct the inquirer in the meaning
of God's Word, the way of salvation, and the
life of godliness.
Lights are also used for warning. On our
rocks and shoals a lighthouse is sure to be
erected. Christian men should know that
there are many false lights shown
everywhere in the world, and therefore the
right light is needed. The wreckers of Satan
are always abroad, tempting the ungodly to
sin under the name of pleasure; they hoist
the wrong light, be it ours to put up the true
light upon every dangerous rock, to point out
every sin, and tell what it leads to, that so
we may be clear of the blood of all men,
shining as lights in the world. Lights also
have a very cheering influence, and so have
Christians. A Christian ought to be a
comforter, with kind words on his lips, and
sympathy in his heart; he should carry
sunshine wherever he goes, and diffuse
happiness around him.
C. H. Spurgeon
You cannot straighten them; but you can
shine. They would destroy you if they could;
but all you have to do is to shine. If Christian
men would give more attention to their
shining, and pay less attention to the
crooked and perverse generation, much
more would come of it. But now we are
advised to “keep abreast of the times,” and
to “catch the spirit of the age.” If I could ever
catch that spirit, I would hurl it into the
bottomless abyss; for it is a spirit that is
antagonistic to Christ in all respects. We are
just to keep clear of all that, and “shine as
lights in the world.”
6 Results of Obedience:
 Blameless before God.
 Harmless to men.
 The sons of God.
 Without rebuke by man.
 Shine as lights.
 Hold forth the Word of Life.
Children of God
Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall
be called sons of God.
Luke 20:36
For neither can they die anymore, for they
are like angels, and are sons of God, being
sons of the resurrection.
Romans 8:16
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our
spirit that we are children of God.
Romans 9:26
And it shall be that in the place where it was
said to them, "You are not My people, there
they shall be called sons of the living God.
1 John 3:10
By this the children of God and the children
of the devil are obvious; anyone who does
not practice righteousness is not of God, nor
the one who does not love his brother.
Finding Our Way Home
. . . you shine as lights in the world. —
Philippians 2:15
Author Anne Lamott tells about a 7-year-old
girl who got lost in a big city. The girl
frantically ran up and down several streets,
looking for a familiar landmark. A policeman
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saw the girl, realized something was wrong,
and offered to help. So she got in the car
and he slowly drove through nearby
neighborhoods. Suddenly the girl pointed to
a church and asked the policeman to let her
out. She assured him, "This is my church,
and I can always find my way home from
here."
Many people think the church is an archaic
institution, no longer relevant in our modern
world. Yet I am convinced that a church that
faithfully teaches the Bible and proclaims the
good news of salvation through Christ
provides exactly what we all need to "find
our way home."
When our churches are fulfilling their Godgiven function, believers humbly serve and
care for one another, encouraging each
other to follow Christ's example (Philippians
2:1-11). Those groups of believers, by their
words and lives, also point a lost world to
Jesus. They serve "as lights in the world,
holding fast the word of life" (vv.15-16).
A church that teaches the truth about Christ
is not only relevant but desperately needed
in our world. It can help people of all ages to
find their way home.
A church helps the lost to find their way
home when its light shines brightly.
2:16
holding fast the word of life, so that
in the day of Christ I may have
cause to glory because I did not run
in vain nor toil in vain.
as you hold out the word of life-in order that I may boast on the
day of Christ that I did not run or
labor for nothing.
Holding forth the word of life; that I
may rejoice in the day of Christ, that
I have not run in vain, neither
labored in vain.
C. H. Spurgeon
You are to hold forth the Word of life as men
hold forth a torch. Your shining is largely to
consist in holding forth the Word of life.
God’s ministers cannot bear the thought of
having labored in vain; and yet if some of us
were to die, what would remain of all we
have done? I charge you, brethren, to think
of what your life-work has been hitherto. Will
it remain? Will it abide? Will it stand the test
of your own departure? Ah, if you have any
fear about it, you may well go to God in
prayer, and cry, “Establish thou the work of
our hands upon us; yea, the work of our
hands, establish thou it.” Paul cared much
about God’s work; but he did not trouble
about himself.
2:17
But even if I am being poured out as
a drink offering upon the sacrifice
and service of your faith, I rejoice
and share my joy with you all.
But even if I am being poured out
like a drink offering on the
sacrifice and service coming from
your faith, I am glad and rejoice
with all of you.
Yea, and if I be offered upon the
sacrifice and service of your faith, I
joy, and rejoice with you all.
2 Timothy 4:6
For I am already being poured out as a drink
offering, and the time of my departure has
come.
Romans 15:16
To be a minister of Christ Jesus to the
Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel
of God, that my offering of the Gentiles
might become acceptable, sanctified by the
Holy Spirit.
Colossians 1:24
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of
His body (which is the church) in filing up
that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions.
2:17 The drink offering was an important
part of the sacrificial system of the Jews (for
an explanation, see Numbers 28:7).
Because this church had little Jewish
background, the drink offering may refer to
the wine poured out to pagan deities prior to
important public events. Paul regarded his
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life as a sacrifice.
2:17 Even if he had to die, Paul was
content, knowing that he had helped the
Philippians live for Christ. When you’re
totally committed to serving Christ,
sacrificing to build the faith of others brings a
joyous reward.
C. H. Spurgeon
If he might be poured forth as a drinkoffering on their behalf, or offered up as a
whole burnt-offering in the service of the
Savior, he would be glad. He could not bear
to have lived in vain; but to spend his life for
the glory of his Lord, would be ever a joy to
him.
John MacArthur Jr.
American society is breeding a generation of
Christians who primarily want to be
successful. Seldom do they have a humble
attitude of service. They are unwilling to
make sacrifices for the cause of Christ
because they have been taught, whether
verbally or not, that Christians should be
rich, famous, successful, and popular.
Such an orientation toward personal
success rather than humble service is the
opposite of what glorifies God. Living for the
glory of God means knowing you are
expendable and being ready to die, if
necessary, to accomplish God’s ends. Such
a humble attitude glorifies God.
To grow spiritually, we must lose ourselves
in the lordship of Christ at the moment of
salvation and allow Him to dominate our
lives from then on. In doing so, we must
seek only His glory—not our own comfort
and success. We will not grow when we
choose our own way or serve God with the
wrong motive.
Glad People:
 Glad Sinner
 Glad Shepherd
 Glad Father
 Glad Receiver
 Glad Anticipator
 Glad Disciple

Glad Apostle
Oswald Chambers
Are you willing to be offered for the work of
the faithful; to pour out your life blood as a
libation on the sacrifice of the faith of
others? Or do you say; I am not going to be
offered up just yet, I do not want God to
choose my work. I want to choose the
scenery of my own sacrifice; I want to have
the right kind of people watching and saying,
'Well done.'
It is one thing to go on the lonely way with
dignified heroism, but quite another thing if
the line mapped out for you by God means
being a door-mat under other people's feet.
Suppose God wants to teach you to say, I
know how to be abased; are you ready to be
offered up like that? Are you ready to be not
so much as a drop in a bucket; to be so
hopelessly insignificant that you are never
thought of again in connection with the life
seeking to be ministered unto, but to
minister? Some saints cannot do menial
work and remain saints because it is
beneath their dignity.
Self-Sacrifice
Matthew 16:25
For whoever wishes to save his life shall
lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake
shall find it.
Matthew 19:21
Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be
complete, go and sell your possessions and
give to the poor, and you shall have treasure
in heaven; and come, follow Me."
Romans 14:21
It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or
to do anything by which your brother
stumbles.
1 Corinthians 10:24
Let no one seek his own good, but that of
his neighbor.
Philippians 2:4
Do not merely look out for your own
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personal interests, but also for the interests
of others.
2:18
And you too, I urge you, rejoice in
the same way and share your joy
with me.
So you too should be glad and
rejoice with me.
For the same cause also do ye joy,
and rejoice with me.
C. H. Spurgeon
To live and to die for Jesus Christ, with the
blessing of the Father resting upon us, is a
matter for us to joy in unitedly and
continually. God help us so to do!
Glad People:
 Glad Sinner
 Glad Shepherd
 Glad Father
 Glad Receiver
 Glad Anticipator
 Glad Disciple
 Glad Apostle
New Heart, Not New Body
Dwight L. Moody says: "I believe that God
forgives sin fully and freely for Christ's sake;
but He allows certain penalties to remain. If
a man has wasted years in debauchery, he
can never hope to live them over again. If he
has violated his conscience, the scars will
remain through life. As Talmage says, 'The
grace of God gives a new heart, but not a
new body.' "
OPEN IT
01. Would you prefer to explore the universe
aboard a spacecraft or looking through a
powerful telescope? Why?
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02. What do you most enjoy about the
nighttime sky?
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03. What is the most frequent complaint you
hear?
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04. Who pointed the way for you in your first
job?
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EXPLORE IT
05. What did the Philippian Christians need
to obey? (2:12)
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06. What were the Philippian believers to
work out? (2:12-13)
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07. How would God help the Philippians
obey Him? (2:12-13)
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
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08. What instructions did Paul give in
relation to everyday Christian living? (2:1416)
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09. Why were the Philippians not shining
"like stars" in their world? (2:14-16)
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10. Why did the Philippian assembly need to
show a united front to unbelievers? (2:1416)
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11. What would enable Paul to boast about
the Philippians? (2:14-16)
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12. Whose honor was Paul concerned
about? (2:16)
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13. How did Paul view his own life? (2:17)
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14. How did Paul view the faith of the
Philippian believers? (2:17)
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15. What did Paul want his friends at Philippi
to experience? (2:18)
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GET IT
16. What does it mean "to work out your
salvation with fear and trembling"?
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17. What do you tend to complain and argue
about?
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18. What godly qualities make Christians
"shine like stars"?
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
19. How does shining for Christ encourage
others to be drawn to Him?
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20. What Christian leader has personally
invested in your growth as a follower of
Christ?
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21. How can you help new believers "shine
like stars" for God's kingdom?
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APPLY IT
22. In what situations this week do you need
to make a conscious effort not to complain
or argue?
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23. Before whom do you want to shine in
your place of work or neighborhood? In what
ways can you do so?
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24. What sacrifices can you make for the
sake of others today?
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2:19
But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send
Timothy to you shortly, so that I also
may be encouraged when I learn of
your condition.
I hope in the Lord Jesus to send
Timothy to you soon, that I also
may be cheered when I receive
news about you.
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send
Timotheus shortly unto you, that I
also may be of good comfort, when I
know your state.
Romans 16:21
Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so
do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my
kinsmen.
2:19 Timothy was with Paul in Rome when
Paul wrote this letter. He traveled with Paul
on his second missionary journey when the
church at Philippi was begun. For more
information on Timothy, see his Profile.
TODAY IN THE WORD
John Maxwell is a former pastor in California
who since 1995 has focused full-time on
leadership development through books,
tapes, and an institute, Injoy, Inc.
Mentoring and discipling leaders takes
personal risk and energy. As Maxwell told
Leadership magazine: “The future of our
ministry and our churches depends on
developing others to lead . . . When you
understand that leadership is influence
instead of position, that changes everything.
You don’t strive to be a leader; you strive to
add value to people.”
Paul had this same attitude toward Timothy.
He was as a transparent, heart-sharing
father teaching his spiritual son not systems
or methods but godly character and passion.
He hoped to send Timothy to Philippi soon
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
(vv. 19, 23), indicating that they were at that
time together in Rome. Probably Timothy
had been helping the apostle and
evangelizing in that great city. But instead of
keeping Timothy for himself, Paul planned to
send him to minister to and return with news
of his beloved Philippians.
Timothy was personally known to these
believers, as he had been with Paul on both
of his recorded visits to the city. That’s why
Paul could say that they knew “that Timothy
has proved himself . . . in the work of the
gospel” (v. 22). The fact that Paul would
send a close, valuable companion no doubt
spoke volumes to the Philippians about his
love for them.
Paul had specially recruited Timothy for
missionary work (Acts 16:1-3). The
relationship between them was like father
and son, as may also be seen from the two
New Testament epistles Paul wrote to
Timothy. Timothy shared the apostle’s heart
for the gospel and for this particular church.
Paul wanted the Philippians to know that
Timothy represented him. He was unable to
visit them, but remained confident that he
would be vindicated and released soon
(Phil. 2:24).
Illustration
 Father a Greek
 Mother a godly woman
 Trained early in the Scriptures
 Circumcised by Paul
 Became Paul's assistant
 Wrote two epistles
2:20
For I have no one else of kindred
spirit who will genuinely be
concerned for your welfare.
I have no one else like him, who
takes a genuine interest in your
welfare.
For I have no man like-minded, who
will naturally care for your state.
1 Corinthians 16:10
Now if Timothy comes, see that he is with
you without cause to be afraid; for he is
doing the Lord's work, as I also am.
Matthew 22:5
But they paid no attention and went their
way, one to his own farm, another to his
business.
Matthew 24:12
And because lawlessness is increased,
most people's love will grow cold.
A Great Coach
I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely
care for your state. —Philippians 2:20
Although Billy Connors was not a great
athlete himself, many people consider him to
be the best pitching coach in major league
baseball today. New York Yankees manager
Joe Torre said: “Sometimes the best players
can’t coach, because they were such
naturals . . . whereas guys like Billy had to
work at it, and pay attention to all the little
things.”
Connors also knows and cares about the
men he coaches. All of them have been to
his home for a meal. His genuine concern
opens their ears to what he has to say.
This account of a caring and competent
coach made me think of Timothy in the New
Testament. Though at times he seemed
timid and fearful (2 Timothy 1:6-8), Paul
considered him proven and dependable in
guiding others. The apostle wrote, “I trust in
the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you . . . .
For I have no one like-minded, who will
sincerely care for your state” (Philippians
2:19-20).
Spiritual coaching is not just telling people
how to accomplish great things for God. It
begins with caring for them and earning the
right to be heard. Then, with a keen eye and
a kind word, we can encourage others in the
way of faith.
Any Christian can become a great spiritual
coach by the grace of God.
Genuine concern for others
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
is the mark of a great spiritual coach.
Indifference
Amos 6:1
Therefore be on the alert remembering that
night and day for a period of three years I
did not cease to admonish each one with
tears.
Who Cares?
I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely
care for your state. --Philippians 2:20
A political leader, summing up the
brokenness of our time, talked about a
"Humpty-Dumpty world." The intriguing
phrase takes us back to a childhood nursery
rhyme:
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall;
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men
couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again.
The message of that old rhyme is true to life.
Man is broken and needs to be put together
again. The Creator of the universe cares
about our situation and has taken steps to
restore us to wholeness. He came into the
world in the person of Jesus Christ, and He
fashioned the church as His body so that the
members should "care for one another" (1
Corinthians 12:25). Timothy demonstrated
that kind of care for Paul, and for other
believers (Philippians 2:18-22).
Caring is as basic as giving money to help
destitute Christians or looking after aged
parents; as simple as being patient and kind
or visiting widows and orphans in distress;
as obvious as paying a just wage to
employees; or as unspectacular as giving a
cup of cool water to someone who thirsts.
That's how our Savior would have us care
for broken people in our Humpty-Dumpty
world.
Are we letting Jesus care through us?
If you really care, you'll want to share.
2:21
interests, not those of Christ Jesus.
For everyone looks out for his
own interests, not those of Jesus
Christ.
For all seek their own, not the things
which are Jesus Christ's.
2:21 Paul observed that most believers are
too preoccupied with their own needs to
spend time working for Christ. Don’t let your
schedule and concerns crowd out your
Christian service to and love for others.
Albert Barnes
How many professing Christians in our cities
and towns are there now who would be
willing to leave their comfortable homes and
go on embassy duty to Philippi as Timothy
did? How many are there who would not
‘seek their own’ rather than the things which
pertained to the kingdom of Jesus Christ?
Paul implies here that it is the duty of those
who profess faith to seek the things which
pertain to the kingdom of the Redeemer, to
make that the great and leading object of
their lives. There are few Christians who
deny themselves much to promote the
kingdom of the Redeemer. People live for
their own ease, for their families, for their
business: as if a Christian could have
anything which he has a right to pursue, and
without regard to God’s will and glory.
Devotional
What is often behind the anxious attempts to
solve our problems is a self-life and flesh
that
is chronically dissatisfied
with
everything. It is only occupied with its
preferences, desires, and self-centeredness.
Paul alludes to this in Philippians 2:19-21:
"But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send
Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be
encouraged when I know your state. For I
have no one like-souled, who will genuinely
care for your state. For all seek their own
things, not the things which are of Christ
Jesus." We can be one of two kinds of
persons - one who seeks his own things,
including being centered on solving our
problems for the sake of self, or one who
seeks the things of Christ.
For they all seek after their own
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
A supplied mind asks, Where is Christ in
this? What is Christ in this? What is my
portion of the Lord in this? The more there is
the supply of the Spirit to the mind, the more
our attitude, thinking, disposition, inclination,
tendencies, even our reactions, are reduced
to one thing - to gain Christ. This is a mindset that is furnished and produced in us by
the inner operation of God (Phil. 2:12-13). It
is the mind-set to experience Christ, rather
than a mind-set to solve problems. We all
have problems. We all encounter problems.
We will never get away from problems.
However, we may be "otherwise minded" in
our problems. That is, we may not be
pursuing Christ in some areas of our life. Yet
Paul assures us in Philippians 3:15 that God
will reveal even this to us. Thank God for His
condescending mercy. He meets us right
where we are.
2:22
But you know of his proven worth
that he served with me in the
furtherance of the gospel like a child
serving his father.
But you know that Timothy has
proved himself, because as a son
with his father he has served with
me in the work of the gospel.
But ye know the proof of him, that,
as a son with the father, he hath
served with me in the gospel.
2:22 Just as a skilled workman trains an
apprentice, Paul was preparing Timothy to
carry on the ministry in his absence. Who
are you apprenticing for God’s work? For
more information, see Timothy’s Profile.
Excerpts On "My Dad's Tops!"
A few years ago a Milwaukee newspaper
invited young readers to submit short essays
on the theme "My Pop's Tops!" and
published in the paper on Father's Day.
Here are some excerpts:
 "My pop's tops. He lets me hoe the
garden, even when I don't want to."
 "The first time he took me to church,
he was so afraid I would make a riot
that he sweat all the way through




the commercial."
"Because I am not very good in
arithmetic, he gave me a small
adding machine. But it is not very
good at arithmetic, either."
"My pop is willing to help with the
housework, although he complains
about it a little—quite abit, really. In
fact, he hollers. Well, to tell the truth,
he won't do no housework at all!"
"My pop's tops! One time he took
me to the lake and threw me in to
see whether I could swim. I couldn't.
My pop saved my life."
"My pop is a farmer. He smells like a
cow. And when I come in and smell
a cow in the house, I know my pop
is home, and I'm glad."
Sometimes it's useful to catch a glimpse of
dad through the eyes of a son or a daughter.
We all need to remember that our daily lives
are making an impression on those around
us, and a child's remark often stabs us
awake to our responsibility.
2:23
Therefore I hope to send him
immediately, as soon as I see how
things go with me;
I hope, therefore, to send him as
soon as I see how things go with
me.
Him therefore I hope to send
presently, so soon as I shall see
how it will go with me.
2:23 Paul was in prison (either awaiting his
trial or its verdict) for preaching about Christ.
He was telling the Philippians that when he
learned of the court’s decision, he would
send Timothy to them with the news and
that he was ready to accept whatever came
(Phil. 1:21-26).
2:24
and I trust in the Lord that I myself
also shall be coming shortly.
And I am confident in the Lord
that I myself will come soon.
But I trust in the Lord that I also
myself shall come shortly.
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
Trust And OK
I rather like the small boy's version of the
hymn, "Trust and Obey," when he said that
at Sunday school they had been singing
"Trust and O. K." Good! Everything must be
O. K. if the life has been committed to His
precious keeping. There is no other way.
2:25
But I thought it necessary to send to
you Epaphroditus, my brother and
fellow worker and fellow soldier,
who is also your messenger and
minister to my need;
But I think it is necessary to send
back to you Epaphroditus, my
brother, fellow worker and fellow
soldier, who is also your
messenger, whom you sent to
take care of my needs.
Yet I supposed it necessary to send
to you Epaphroditus, my brother,
and companion in labor, and fellow
soldier, but your messenger, and he
that ministered to my wants.
Philippians 4:18
But I have received everything in full, and
have an abundance; I am amply supplied,
having received from Epaphroditus what you
have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable
sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
Philemon 2
And to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus
our fellow soldier, and to the church in your
house;
2:25 Epaphroditus delivered money from the
Philippians to Paul; then he returned with
this thank-you letter to Philippi. Epaphroditus
may have been an elder in Philippi (Phil.
2:25-30; Phil. 4:18) who, while staying with
Paul, became ill (Phil. 2:27, 30). After
Epaphroditus recovered, he returned home.
He is mentioned only in Philippians.
TODAY IN THE WORD
The U.S. House of Representatives is made
up of four hundred and thirty-five members;
but all states are not represented equally.
Since House seats are allotted based on
population, seven of the fifty states have the
minimum
number
of
representatives
possible: just one. The seven smallestpopulation states are Alaska, Delaware,
Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota,
Vermont, and Wyoming.
If you can have only one representative, you
definitely want to select the right person!
Paul certainly got the right person when he
chose Epaphroditus as his representative to
and co-work Erin the church at Philippi. This
diligent man is mentioned only in today’s
text and in Philippians 4:18, but what a
ringing“ endorsement” Paul gave him!
Epaphroditus was a “brother,” “fellow
worker,” and “fellow soldier” to Paul. The
apostle wasn’t the type to throw
compliments around lightly, so these terms
ought to make us stop to take a closer look
at this remarkable disciple.
Paul’s
sense
of
brotherhood
with
Epaphroditus suggests a warm affection for
him. The two men also shared a passion as
fellow workers for the ministry of the gospel.
Calling Epaphroditus a “fellow soldier” may
have been Paul’s highest tribute, for it meant
that Epaphroditus was able to endure the
same kind of hardship in ministry endured
(see 2 Tim. 2:3).
Paul was in prison, probably in Rome, when
the church at Philippi sent Epaphroditus to
the apostle with their gift of support. While
with Paul, Epaphroditus became almost
fatally sick. God spared his life, to the delight
of Paul and Epaphroditus’ fellow believers
back in Philippi.
7 Facts Regarding Epaphroditus
 A brother in Christ.
 Companion in labor.
 Fellow soldier.
 Your messenger.
 Minister.
 Physical breakdown.
 Was healed.
True Friendship
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
1 Samuel 18:1
Now it came about when he had finished
speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan
loved him as himself.
2 Samuel 15:37
St Hushai, David's friend, came into the city,
and Absalom came into Jerusalem.
1 Kings 5:1
Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to
Solomon, when he heard that they had
anointed him king in place of his father, for
Hiram had always been a friend of David.
2 Corinthians 2:13
I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus
by brother, but taking my leave of them, I
went on to Macedonia.
TODAY IN THE WORD
Edward Kimball is a name you should know.
One day in Boston, Kimball passed the shoe
store where one of his Sunday School
students worked. He wanted to share the
gospel with him, but wasn’t sure if he should
bother him during working hours.
He decided to enter the store. Despite what
Kimball thought was a weak gospel
presentation, that young shoe salesman
trusted Christ. His name was D. L. Moody,
the great evangelist and founder of Moody
Bible Institute.
Because Edward Kimball shared the gospel
with one man, D. L. Moody preached Christ
to tens of millions of people! That qualifies
Kimball as an “unsung hero”--a hidden part
of a spectacular work of God.
Epaphroditus is another such “unsung hero,”
earning high praise from the apostle Paul in
today’s reading. He had been sent to
minister to Paul as a personal representative
from the church in Philippi. In Rome, he had
fallen seriously ill and nearly died. Paul put
death in this case on a par with a martyr’s
death (v. 30), since Epaphroditus would
have died “in the line of duty.”
But now Paul was glad to be able to send
Epaphroditus back to the Philippians. They
had been worried because of his sickness.
He also had been anxious, knowing that
they were worried. And Paul had been
troubled that a mission of love and care
might have been the cause of sorrow and
grief. He was not speaking of sinful anxiety
or worry (cf. Phil. 4:6), but of natural human
anxiety prompted by the emotions and close
relationships involved. After all, Christians
are not stoics!
The Philippians were told to esteem
Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:29), who may very well
have been the original bearer of this letter. If
so, they could have immediately obeyed the
instructions to rejoice and honor him.
2:26
because he was longing for you all
and was distressed because you
had heard that he was sick.
For he longs for all of you and is
distressed because you heard he
was ill.
For he longed after you all, and was
full of heaviness, because that ye
had heard that he had been sick.
Philippians 1:8
For God is my witness, how I long for you all
with the affection of Christ Jesus.
Difficult Passage
Some have identified Epaphroditus here
with Epaphras in the Epistle to the
Colossians. Here he is represented as
sorrowful, even to agony, because his
friends had heard of his illness, and he
would have wished that no one should be
burdened on his account. But in the other
epistle he is represented as always striving
for the saints in prayer. It is very beautiful to
discover his unwillingness to have his
sickness published. When we are in trouble
it is best not to speak much of it, save to
God. Only inexperienced suffered are
voluble; those familiar with the secrets of
anguish are silent. Let us anoint the head,
and wash the face, that we may no appear
unto men to fast, but to the Father who is in
secret; and our Father who seeth in secret
will Himself reward openly. The Comforter
57
PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
will draw close, will whisper his own
consolations, and amid much sorrow we
shall be calm and strong.
The first stage is denial. Here the patient is
unwilling to accept his fate and the nature of
his predicament.
But with Epaphras there was probably
another thought. He knew that the
Philippians were bearing a very heavy load
of sorrow. It was a hard and difficult fight for
them, as for him. And with much generosity
he was most unwilling that the news of his
illness should add a feather-weight to their
grief. This eagerness to conceal pain, lest it
should add sorrow to those who already
have almost as much as they can bear, is
very characteristic of noble souls. And we
may quote here Robert Hall's words, on
recovering from a keen paroxysm of
anguish: I have not complained, have I, sir?
No, and I will not complain. How much of
God's strength and comfort we miss in our
incessant endeavor to secure the support
which notoriety for pain and privation may
bring from our fellows!
When physical indications make denial no
longer possible the patient moves into the
second stage, that of anger. He becomes
angry for no apparent reason with his
doctor, his friends, his family, and the
nurses.
2:27
For indeed he was sick to the point
of death, but God had mercy on
him, and not on him only but also on
me, lest I should have sorrow upon
sorrow.
Indeed he was ill, and almost
died. But God had mercy on him,
and not on him only but also on
me, to spare me sorrow upon
sorrow.
For indeed he was sick nigh unto
death: but God had mercy on him;
and not on him only, but on me also,
lest I should have sorrow upon
sorrow.
5 Stages In Facing Death
Several years ago a profound and dramatic
research project began in Chicago's Billings
Hospital. It was a seminar on death, in which
psychiatists, chaplains, nurses, and medical
doctors studied the ultimate human crisis of
facing death.
Basic findings is that the very ill proceed
through five emotional stages on their way
to death—
Following this comes the stage of
bargaining. Dr. Ross explained here the
patient bargains to stave off the inevitable by
promising to "live for God," go to church,
give his body to medical science, or some
other futile means. Yet, the bargaining is
little more than a temporary respite in the
progress toward dying.
The fourth and most difficult stage is that of
increasing depression. The patient finally
realizes what is happening to him and enters
a time when he is actually grieving for his
own demise. It is a trying time for both
patient and loved ones.
However, Dr. Ross says, this is followed by
the fifth and final stage, and that is
acceptance. Then, even though the smallest
glimmer of hope will remain, he is ready to
die.
An interesting note of this study was that if
the patient is interrupted in any phase of this
circle of suffering, he merely prolongs his
agony. Therefore, Dr. Ross suggests
ministers and doctors should understand
these basic cycles; and rather than merely
trying to cheer up the terminally ill, minister
to their particular needs at that particular
time.
2:28
Therefore I have sent him all the
more eagerly in order that when you
see him again you may rejoice and I
may be less concerned about you.
Therefore I am all the more eager
to send him, so that when you
see him again you may be glad
and I may have less anxiety.
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
I sent him therefore the more
carefully, that, when ye see him
again, ye may rejoice, and that I
may be the less sorrowful.
2:29
Therefore receive him in the Lord
with all joy, and hold men like him in
high regard;
Welcome him in the Lord with
great joy, and honor men like
him,
Receive him therefore in the Lord
with all gladness; and hold such in
reputation:
2:29-30 The world honors those who are
intelligent, beautiful, rich, and powerful.
What kind of people should the church
honor? Paul indicates that we should honor
those who give their lives for the sake of
Christ, going where we cannot go ourselves.
Our missionaries do that for us today by
providing ministry where we are not able to
go.
Anatomy Of Fear
In spite of what they say, 90% of the chronic
patients who see today's physicians have
one common symptom. Their trouble did not
start with cough or chest pain or
hyperacidity. In 90% of the cases, the first
symptom was fear.
This is the opinion of a well-known American
internist as expressed in a roundtable
discussion on psychosomatic medicine. This
is also the consensus of a growing body of
specialists. Fear of losing a job, of old age,
of being exposed—sooner or later this fear
manifests itself as "a clinical symptom."
Sometimes the fear is nothing more than a
superficial anxiety; sometimes it is so deepseated that the patient himself denies its
existence and makes the round of doctor to
doctor,
taking
injections,
hormones,
tranquilizers and tonics in an endless search
for relief.
2:30
because he came close to death for
the work of Christ, risking his life to
complete what was deficient in your
service to me.
because he almost died for the
work of Christ, risking his life to
make up for the help you could
not give me.
Because for the work of Christ he
was nigh unto death, not regarding
his life, to supply your lack of
service toward me
Introductions
For the work of Christ he came close to
death, not regarding his life, to supply what
was lacking in your service toward me. —
Philippians 2:30
I thought it was a misprint when the
schedule at a Christian men's conference
noted 2 1/2 hours for introductions. But the
time was correct and it turned out to be the
most meaningful part of the weekend for me.
Instead of giving our own names, jobs, and
family information, each man introduced
someone else. Some presented longtime
friends, and others told about someone they
had met only the night before. Every
introduction was an affirmation, with special
attention given to the uniqueness and value
of each individual.
The apostle Paul was a great "introducer"
who spoke highly of his colleagues in the
faith and ministry. His letters are dotted with
the names of men and women to whom and
for whom he was deeply grateful. He
affirmed Timothy as a person of proven
character, who "as a son with his father" had
served him in the gospel (Philippians 2:22).
He also praised Epaphroditus, who almost
died because of his unselfish devotion to
Christ and his service to others (v.30).
In a world dominated by put-downs, let's
resolve to master the art of building others
up by what we say to them and about them.
Such "introductions" can be one of the most
important things we do each day.
Our day's work isn't done
until we build up someone.
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
True Sacrifice
For the work of Christ [Epaphroditus] came
close to death, not regarding his life. —
Philippians 2:30
Teenagers amaze me. So many of them
love life with grand passion and face it with
unrelenting optimism. Sometimes they
demonstrate the Christian life in ways adults
can only hope to emulate.
Such is the case with Carissa, a teen who
loves soccer, basketball, friends, family, and
Jesus. In 2000, her mother was diagnosed
with cancer. Carissa was just 12 years old,
but she began helping to care for her mom.
During the next few years, Carissa often fed
her mom, dressed her, and helped her do
anything she couldn’t do for herself. “It was
so hard to learn,” she said. “Can you
imagine, a mother and daughter literally
changing roles? I truly learned to be a
humble servant.”
Sometimes, while her friends were out
having fun, Carissa was helping her dad to
take care of her mom. She continued to do
so until the summer of 2004, when Carissa
and her family said goodbye to Mom for the
last time. As Carissa puts it, “God took her
home and made her perfect.”
Carissa reminds me of Epaphroditus, who
sacrificially cared for Paul’s needs
(Philippians 2:25-30). What examples of
caring, love, and compassion! Not all of us,
of course, could set aside our lives to give
as they did. But their sacrifice can teach us
all about the value of servanthood.
When you do little things for others,
you do big things for Jesus.
OPEN IT
01. When was the last time you gave a
character reference for a friend?
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02. If close friends were to talk about you
behind your back, what would they say?
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EXPLORE IT
03. Why did Paul plan to send Timothy to
the Philippians? (2:19)
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04. What was Paul's opinion of Timothy?
(2:20)
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05. What was Timothy's relationship with the
church at Philippi? (2:20)
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06. In Paul's view, why did Timothy stand
out? (2:21-22)
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07. When would Paul send Timothy to the
Philippians? (2:23)
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
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08. Why was Paul confident that he would
revisit the believers at Philippi? (2:24)
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09. Who was Epaphroditus? (2:25)
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10. Why did the Philippians send
Epaphroditus to Paul? (2:25)
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11. How did Epaphroditus feel about his
friends in Philippi? (2:26)
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12. What happened to Epaphroditus? (2:2627)
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13. How did God spare Paul tremendous
sorrow? (2:27)
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14. How did Paul demonstrate his
selflessness? (2:28)
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15. How were the Philippians told to
welcome home Epaphroditus? (2:29-30)
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16. Why were the Philippians told to honor
their messenger? (2:30)
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GET IT
17. Among your circle of Christian friends,
for whom do you have the highest regard?
Why?
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18. Why could Paul count on Timothy and
Epaphroditus?
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PHILIPPIANS
Chapter 2
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19. What reputation do you have in your
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20. In what ways have you proved to be a
reliable servant of God?
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21. What risks are you willing to take on
behalf of other Christians?
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22. In what ways can you be God's "courier"
to others?
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APPLY IT
23. How can you be a model of humility and
service to other Christians this week?
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24. This week, how can you look out for the
interests of the Lord rather than your own
interests?
62