Imitating Christ
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Technical difficulties (mine!) this morning! Sorry for the delay!
Romans 9:30-33
30. What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith; 31. but that Israel who pursued the righteousness which is based on law did not succeed in fulfilling that law. 32. Why? Because they did not pursue it through faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33. as it is written, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall; and he who believes in him will not be put to shame."
Philippians 2:1-11
1. So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any incentive of love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2. complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3. Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves. 4. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6. who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7. but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 9. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11. and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Paul warns that the biggest threats to our faith are often not from external forces, but are from within “the body of Christ.” To avoid conflicts, to ensure that no one hold himself in too high a regard, that no one assumes to be the example of proper Christian service, to prevent one from thinking he is saved by his works, Paul admonishes us to look to Christ himself as our example.
The biggest threat to our own salvation, is our humanity! We tend to think that we are so busy “doing” things that we are surely winning eternal life! We forget that that prize has already been won for us! When we do works, it should be out of gratitude for that gift, and in recognition of our inability to ever earn what God has already freely offered! We are to serve others as Christ demonstrated in the washing of the disciple’s feet, and in the healing of the lepers, and in every “miracle” he performed. If you’ll do some research, I think you’ll find that Christ never took credit for the miracles – He always gave the glory to God.
That is how we are to conduct ourselves. That is how we are to live. We become less that others may become more. We humble ourselves that others may have glory. We serve others that they may have rest and strength and energy. We become like Christ – both in His perfect humanity, and in his divinity, when we set Him in our sights as the example for living. We become like Christ when we seek to please only God, when we desire to be loved and honored and accepted only by Him. We become like Christ when we give all the glory to God, and take none for ourselves.
That behavior goes counter to our natural instincts! But Jesus came to earth and lived as a human being to show us that it is possible to pursue (notice I didn’t say achieve!) perfection when God is the source of our strength and His glory is the purpose of every act and thought and breath
9. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11. and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
I hope you spend your day confessing that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Mary
