Taking on the mindset of Jesus Christ; a bondservant
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Living in God’s joy is His intended purpose for His children. Jesus came with the heart of a bondservant. The instruction is to let this mind set be in you! Jesus did not come to be served but he came to serve. A bondservant indeed! The bondservant is a volunteer servant; one who loves the master and wants to live out his days in service to him. Jesus was the bondservant of God the Father; Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. Jesus was divine but laid it aside and walked in humanity; He robed Himself in flesh.
Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
Jesus was destined for the cross. It was the only way redemption could be brought to sinful man. For the joy set before Him He endured the shame of the cross. When Jesus died on the cross He had you and me on His mind!
Philippians 2:9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
There is no greater name than the name of Jesus! Those who accept Jesus as Messiah have bowed their knee to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. At the name of Jesus is salvation, provision, healing, and all that you will ever need. Jesus has been given authority over all and we the body can rest and operate in that authority.
Philippians 2:12 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; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
God has called us to work out our salvation in fear and trembling. The two verse have a semicolon between them. That is these two sentences are incomplete without one another. My surrender is my working out my salvation. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasures. My work is to surrender to the work He is doing in me! God delights to work in His children with their surrender!
Philippians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing,
Complaining and disputing is one of the greatest tools of satan; complaining and disputing is a joy disrupter! It is God’s word that should flow from our lips; complaint and disputing rob us from the opportunity to praise and lift up the name of Jesus.
Philippians 2:15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.
The complaint and disputing disrupt the glory of God showing up in our lives. People cannot see that we have become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Complaint and murmuring makes our light not shine! What you put in your mouth matters so much; it determines if you will fulfill your God given destiny or live just outside of victory’s grasp.
Philippians 2:17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.
Paul was happy to serve from the jail cell to service the faith of the believer and bring the saints to living in the joy of the Lord.
Philippians 2:19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. 20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. 22 But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. 23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. 24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. 25 Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; 26 since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 27 For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. 29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; 30 because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.
The last half of this chapter is opening the windows of the new testament Church showing how Paul was working as a bondservant and his fellow ministers also were working as bondservants, that Christ might be formed in the church. Their selfless service brought them joyful fruit in the kingdom of God. Paul sent the ministers, his assistances, away to minister to the body of Christ instead of being ministered to himself.
Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!
Rejoice is the theme that is repeated over and over in Philippians. Walking in joy keeps you from the schemes of the enemy of your soul. Beware of those who have called you to walk in the strength of your own flesh. Trust exclusively in Jesus Christ and Him crucified; it is the only source of Joy. It is in what Christ has done in us. Remember we have been circumcised by God; not in the flesh but becoming a newly created being in JESUS.
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, 4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
It is relationship with Jesus, put no confidence in the flesh. It not what you can do or how great your standing is. We worship God in the Spirit, rejoicing in Christ Jesus! Paul begins to make a human argument. If it is about what you do, Paul said he could boast.
Philippians 3:5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
So boast he does. He was circumcised in the flesh, he was a pure Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrews of Hebrew. Concerning the law of Moses, a Pharisee. Concerning religious zeal, it was so great he persecuted the church. In regards to the law of Moses and the righteousness it provided, he was blameless. BUT… He counted all these things loss for Christ. It not found in your great performance, or your position in society, or in your great religious works; it is found exclusively in knowing intimately Jesus Christ.
Philippians 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Paul counted all things as rubbish in comparison to knowing the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus is the truth that sets men free.
Philippians 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
It is the righteousness found exclusively in Jesus Christ. It cannot be about the good performance of the law or trust in any other thing; it must be faith in Jesus Christ alone!
Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. This is a faith in Jesus Christ issue and there is no other way.
Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
I want to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me! Press in saint of God!
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
What are we pressing for? Relationship with Jesus!! Pursuit of stuff behind me; I want to know Jesus Christ!
Philippians 3:14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The goal of the prize is intimacy with Jesus Christ and the revelation He bring about the goodness of God! God is calling us upward to intimacies we have never known before!
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