Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
The Apostle Paul is stressing the servant mind of the christian. I believe we have gotten away from this from the pulpit on down. We argue over the color of the carpet, how the tables should be set up for the fellowship, curtains for the window, or the type of flowers to plant. Why? None of that matters.
Let nothing be done in strife or vainglory. All things should be done for the good of the Savior and His cause. Nothing should matter to us except the furtherance of the Gospel. Pastor condemning pastor, Church members arguing for preeminence, thinking the church revolves around us rather than us revolving around Christ. Church splits come from pride and arrogance and the absence of Christ in the assembly.
Paul was spot on 2000 years later, we are so worried about our "church", our service, our convenience, we have forgotten the sole purpose of the Christian, the Christ follower, the disciple of Christ. This applies to all who profess Christ as their savior. Our purpose is to win this world for Christ and we will never do that as long as we let all the little details be a stumbling block. As long as we feel the need to let everyone know how important we are. We are not.
Getting the world to Christ is the important thing, but our arrogance (whether real or perceived) is hurting us.
Paul says that we are to look on the needs of others not just look to our own selves. When was the last time you looked at someone, truly looked at them saw their need, their unspoken need. Are you applying intercessory prayer to your church and your pastor? Those who have abused and used you? those who disagree with you? Those that mock you?
We always talk of being Christ minded but Christ was a servant to the people, to God. How much Christ mindedness do we truly want? To be totally filled with a purpose from God, to be totally dedicated so that no matter what happens to us we are going to do His will, Be a light to a lost and dying world. No matter the cost, the financial struggles, the loss of family and friends, the derision of the world, how much are we willing to bear to be a light?
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Think that through. He came to this earth to do the will of the Father. He was God. He is God. He took the form of man. Solely given to completing the Will of God on His Life. Solely dedicated to letting the people know of the Love of God. Not a care or a thought did He give for Himself, He was all about the Father's Will. Are you? Am I? Only God truly knows the heart and the motive behind the actions.
Later in this chapter Paul states that there is no man among them like minded as he, sold out and true for the Gospel and Christ. Therefore He must send Timotheus to them.
What a sad state of affairs. No one like minded.
Php 2:20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.
Php 2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.
How far this church must have fallen that none were seeking the things of Christ but their own agenda. The sadness and heartbreak the Apostle Paul must have felt.
Paul is in prison, and the church has fallen to false teachers, for they put the things of themselves before the things of Christ. What happened? They forgot the mind of Christ, the servant status of the Christian. For we are not called to be the head, that is Christ. We are called to be a servant, to our fellowman, to our Savior, and to the Lord God Almighty.
Seeking the preeminence here, seeking the reward here is not what we are supposed to be doing.
We are called to be fellow servants, workers together for the cause of Christ.
Oh that many would understand this and get over what they want, what they think is right and get back to the Gospel and the Altar.
We are called to die daily to ourselves, to pick up His cross and follow Him. How, if we die daily can we be worried about ourselves? Our wants and needs? For if we truly die daily to self, His wants and needs will become ours, He will provide the needs of the day, He will provide the strength to get through. He will provide the way to serve, if we but let Him have the preeminence we say He has.
Let it not be said of us that there is none like minded among us, let it not be said of us that we sought preeminence, that we sought our way and not His.
Well done thou good and faithful servant is what we should strive for.
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