Posted on 12/04/2024 11:33:04 PM PST by metmom
“[Christ] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Philippians 2:6).
Christ is equal with God but willingly yielded His divine privileges for our sake.
At the time Christ lived, even His worst enemies, the apostate religious leaders, knew what Jesus claimed about Himself. John 5:18 says, “The Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but was also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.” In Philippians 2:6 Paul affirms Christ’s claim of equality with God. The Greek word translated “equality” (isos) describes things that are exactly equal in size, quantity, quality, character, and number. Isomorph (equal form), isometric (equal measures), and isosceles triangle (a triangle with two sides of equal measure) are all English terms that describe equality. Christ is equal to God, and He exists in the form of God. A literal English rendering of the Greek text is: “He did not regard the being equal with God”— a tremendous affirmation of the deity of Christ.
The first step in the humiliation of Christ was that He did not hold on to equality with God. Though He had all the rights, privileges, and honors of Godhood, Christ didn’t grasp them. The word translated “grasp” originally meant “robbery” or “a thing seized by robbery.” It eventually came to mean anything clutched, embraced, held tightly, clung to, or prized. Paul meant that though He was always and forever God, Christ refused to cling to His favored position with all its rights and honors. He was willing to give them up for a season.
The Incarnation expresses the humility and unselfish nature of the Second Person of the Trinity. Christ looked down on wretched sinners who hated Him and willingly yielded His privileges to give Himself for their sake. Let us follow His example by being humble and living unselfishly for others.
Suggestions for Prayer
Thank the Lord for His example of humility and unselfishness.
For Further Study
Read John 10:38; 14:9.
What did Christ say about His relationship with the Father?
In John 20:28 how did Thomas address Christ?
From Strength for Today by John MacArthur Copyright © 1997. Used by permission of Crossway Books, a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, IL 60187, www.crossway.com.
…and when He taught us to pray, it begins with, “Our Father…”
“But unto the Son He saith, “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Thy kingdom”
Oh thank you so much!
I’ve just come back inside after watching a beautiful sunset and then the new moon with Venus close by. I come in to your post, so beautiful!
Praise His name.
The Lion of Judah Shall Rule
From the Throne of David
Forever and Ever !
Amen
>>>“[Christ] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Philippians 2:6).>>>>
Lucifer did, and that is when everything went south for God’s universe and unfortunately, the cancer of sin spread to earth when Adam failed. Then Israel failed.
Lucifer, Adam, and Israel. A Trifecta of failure. Thankfully, Jesus is called the 2nd Adam in scripture. He undid what Adam did. Now we all have a chance if we want it. The Bible says however.....only a few want it enough.
Which is tragic when they can have it all as a gift.
>>>Which is tragic when they can have it all as a gift.>>>
Yes, and God knows we are stupid so he has to say “FREE” Gift as if there is any other kind of gift. Every word in scripture is deep and profound. Amen.
Romans 5:15: KJV and NKJV: (beware of Jesuit influenced translations that take out the word “free”. They are works based theology even with the aid of the Holy Spirit. The Protestant says Grace ALONE through Faith ALONE)
Quote Romans 5:15:A
15 But not as the offence, so also is the FREE gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Amen! Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
Paul is saying, “Have the same mind as Jesus, who humbled Himself...). The thing that puzzles me after observing severe conflict in some evangelical churches is why many Christians who claim to now have Jesus controlling their lives don’t show evidence of His humility in their own character.
When I meet a new Christian, I often pray that God would protect them from other Christians.
Having said that, I often do see Christians getting this right.
You Said:”he thing that puzzles me after observing severe conflict in some evangelical churches is why many Christians who claim to now have Jesus controlling their lives don’t show evidence of His humility in their own character.”
The question becomes for me how any one individual may judge who is being “humble” the way Christ showed his humility and who is not. Christ at times said some pretty bold things in ways that “niceness” people might have declared as being...”unkind and not humble”! If we are to imitate Christ then humility and boldness often will seem to blend together!
(the way that the harmlessness of doves and the wisdom of serpents appear to be paradoxical when Christ told his disciples to exhibit both of those traits, when he sent them out to preach, minister and to do miracles.)
Jesus cleansed the Temple and read the pharisees the riot act in Matthew 23 and yet He was humble.
I suspect we don’t properly understand Biblical humility.
Which was a point i was raising. Too many people think they have this inner “humility meter” with which they think they can read people. Sure, some cases are obvious but on the other hand if I am being confronted by someone who is rightfully confronting me on some issue and they are using a strong tone of voice, my first fleshly instinct might be to lash out at that person and to accuse him of being proud and definitely not humble! If my reaction is first to consider what was being said and then realize that I was in the wrong and admit to it and resolve to repent, then i have humbled myself to the truth. Now the guy confronting me may or may not have been excessive, but I still have to consider the truth, thus I would not have been in any condition to judge the condition of my “detractor’s” humility before Christ!
A surgeon’s blade is not nice and makes no apologies as to its function...but if it cuts the infection out, then that is to my benefit!
Great point.
The other thing is, it’s easy to take things wrong when we’re being confronted about something. self-preservation of the ego kicks in and it can interpret words and attitudes wrongly where no offense was meant.
You are correct, judging other people is fraught with danger.
Watching manipulative people threaten lawsuits does cause me to pull out my humility detector though.
Paul implored Christians not to drag each other into the courts of his day.
That is an example of something so obviously Not “Christ” like humility.
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