AN INMITATION OF
CHRIST
Philippians 2:5-11
V:5. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus."
A. What is the mind
of Christ?
1. Christ is love.
2. Christ is
forgiving.
3. Christ is
patient.
4. Christ is long
suffering.
5. Christ is
compassionate.
6. Christ is
righteous.
7. Christ is
eternal life.
B. Paul suggested that we imitate Christ.
1. We were made in
the image and the likeness of God ( Elohim) Gen 1:26
2. Our hearts ought
to reflect the heart of Christ.
a. Out of the
heart flows the issues of life. Prov
4:23
b. We should
always be in harmony with Christ.
3. Our motives and
actions ought to imitate Christ.
a. Our lives will be most productive if we are
in unity with Christ. John 12:23
b. Christ took
on humanity and performed the most lowest office to benefit us.
c. As Christ
did, we must become a servant to benefit others in the body.
CHRIST SEVENFOLD SELF HUMILIATION
V:6. "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God."
#1
A. He rendered His
claim of being equal with God.
1. Jesus and
the Father are one.
2. Yet Jesus
did not see a problem with giving up His equality with the Father for
our salvation.
B. Form = morphe=
shape, nature.
1. Jesus has the
same nature of the Father.
a. He is
Spirit as God is Spirit.
b. He is the
great I Am.
c. He is Alpha
and Omega.
b. He is
divine.
2. Jesus was with
God in the beginning. John 1:1
V:7. "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon
him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men."
#2.
A. He made Himself of
no reputation.
Defn: made=
kenoo= make empty, void
1. Jesus is God
and the creator of all things.
2. He took off
His robe of glory to become common with us.
3. He made
himself empty of His glory.
4. He volunteered
to empty Himself before He came down out of heaven.
#3.
B. He took on the
form of a servant.
1. Jesus came
down from heaven to become a servant to all mankind.
2. He could have
set Himself up as a king on earth for the world to serve Him.
a. He set
Himself up on earth to be a servant to the world.
b. Only by
being a servant could He be the salvation of man.
3. He laid aside
the glory He had with the Father before the world was. John 17:5
a. He laid
aside the splendor of Ruler, King of Kings, Lord of Lords to be a
servant to all
men. 1 Tim 6:15-16
#4.
C. He was made in the
likeness of man.
1. Likeness=
homoioma= form, shape
2. He is God, but
He formed Himself in the shape of a man to identify with us.
a. His spirit
was clothed in human flesh and blood.
3. Before Jesus
was incarnated to human flesh, He placed His Word in the hands of
the Jewish nation.
a. Jesus in the
flesh was the living example of the Word for the World to see.
b. Jesus is the
light of the world that only believers can understand. John 17:14
#5
V:8. "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross."
A. He fashion Himself
as a man.
1. He was God,
yet He took on all the infirmities of human flesh.
2. He was born
of a woman by the power of the Holy Spirit.
a. Laid in
the womb for nine months.
b. Grew in
stature, shape and size as ordinary men.
2. God in the
spirit needs no food, clothes of shelter.
3. God in the
spirit does not get tired or sleep.
4. Jesus became
man and subjected himself to all these needs.
#6
A. He humbled
Himself.
1. He humbled
himself first to the Father then to man.
2. Even though
He is equal to the Father, He subjected Himself to the will of the
Father.
3. He took the
lowly position in the body of a man.
a. He is the
parent of all mankind, yet He submitted Himself to human parents.
4. He subjected
Himself to the laws and rules of nature and man.
5. He was above
all law, yet submitted to the laws and traditions of man.
6. He was the
author of all the commandments and He kept them all.
B. He is the creator
of the universe and is every where in it.
1. Yet He
centered Himself in one place.
C. He is eternal
life.
1. Yet He channel
His life into one body.
D. He
"kenoo", made Himself nothing so we could have everything good.
1. He is the
good shepherd. We are his sheep
2. Jesus the
good shepherd has an intimate relationship with us.
a. Through
His suffering as our shepherd, He knows our suffering and
comforts
us.
#7.
A. He became
obedient unto death, even the death the cross.
1. He committed
no sin, yet He allowed Himself to be judged as a sinner by sinful
men.
2. Wrongly
convicted, He sacrificed His life on the cross for the atonement of the
sins of the whole
world. Heb 2:17
a. No one
took His life, He gave it up freely.
John 10:18
b. He is the
unblemished lamb whose shed blood satisfied God's demand for
justice.
3. Death on the
cross was considered just punishment for the worst criminals.
a. He counted Himself among the worst
so we could have the best.
HIS EXALTATION
V:9. "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and
given him a name which is above every name."
A. As a reward for
His humiliation, God the Father elevated Him above all others.
1. As a result of
Jesus supreme sacrifice, God (theos) elevated Him to the supreme
position.
a. He is
raised to the throne of glory. Heb 1:3
b. He is seated at the right hand of the
Father. Mat 26:64
c. He is the
mediator between God and man. 1 Tim
3:5
2. He is given a
name above every other name.
a. No
other name can be compared with the name of Jesus.
b. He alone is the Redeemer of mankind.
c. He alone is Savior.
d. He alone is the Christ, the anointed one.
e. He is the only begotten Son of God.
f. He is the only one who laid down His life
and took it up again.
g. He is the only one we can call to forgive
sin.
h. In Him is all grace and mercy.
V:10. "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth."
A. It is God's design
that every one honors Jesus.
1. Just the
mention of His name should cause us to give Him praise.
a. He is our
King, our Prophet and our Priest.
2. The name Jesus
means, Jehovah is salvation.
a. Jesus is
what His name suggest; our salvation.
b. No other
name deserves or can claim this honor.
B. All things were
made by Jesus and is His glory.
1. The heavens and
the earth are the glory of Jesus.
2. The rocks cry
out the glory of God.
a. Man can dig
up a rock, but can't make one out of nothing.
b. Man can
only marvel at it's composition and structure.
3. Every living
animal, plant and tree are the works of His voice.
V:11. "And that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
A. Confession of
faith in Jesus Christ is key to the believers salvation.
1. Jesus is Lord.
a. Lord is the
Greek word "Kurios" which the supreme authority, controller,
master.
2. Jesus is the
creator of everything, therefore the owner of everything.
B. Everything that
Jesus does is to glorify God the Father.
John 13:31-32
1. God= theos=
supreme being
2. Father= pater=
parent
C. When we honor
Jesus, we honor the Father.
1. The parent of all
of us is God the Father.
2. The savior of all
of us is Jesus the Son.
3. The
Enlightenment of all of us is the Holy Spirit.
We should give God praise and honor for our presence on this
earth and for our
heavenly home made
possible through faith in our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
My notes are posted on Face Book and my blog http://www.revmmitchell.com/ministries
Rev. M. Mitchell
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