Part 5
“You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”-Philippians 2:5
To live a gospel-centered life we have to develop the same same selfless attitude towards ourselves as Jesus had towards himself. Philippians 2:6-8 helps us to understand how Jesus viewed himself:
“Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges: he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”
Three things jump out from me from this passage:
- Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to hold onto. This flies in the face of our current culture that believes that striving to be in the top spot is the goal of life.
2. He gave up His divine privileges and took the humble position of a servant.
Jesus vacated His heavenly position, with all of its privileges, to become a servant.
3. He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death. He laid aside
His own aspirations to fulfill His father’s will.
Many people reject this line of thinking because they have convinced themselves that the only way to achieve any particular status is through self-promotion. However, look carefully at Philippians 2:9-11:
“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The word “therefore” means: for that reason. Because of Jesus’ selfless (gospel-centered) attitude, God promoted Him to the place of highest honor, gave Him a name above all other names, and great authority over heaven and earth.
The Apostle Paul admonishes us to we should conduct ourselves in the very same way:
“Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.”-Philippians 2:12-15
Ultimately, to live a gospel-centered life is to live a Jesus-centered life where Christ shines through us to communicate the love of God to a world full of hurting and broken people.
Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church
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