Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 but emptied Himself ['made Himself of no reputation' {KJV}], and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
Looking Unto Jesus..
.. We don’t even have to work at being self centred, it can just happen. And so we need to be reminded, we need to have a power working within us and through us that challenges that and continues to get us to look away from that.. to Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith.. ‘ Our Self Emptying Will Mature Faith ‘
.. Taking Up Our Cross
The Lord had to do exactly the same. And so we look away and look to The Lord as we to take up our cross each day and follow Him. What is working in all of that is this self emptying which we call the kenosis experience. You see in Christ’s humanity He took on as it says the form of a bond servant..
' ..but emptied Himself ['made Himself of no reputation' {a.v}], and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.. '
Faith And Humility
.. He could have come in many different ways and forms but that is how He chose to come. Now can I suggest to you that He chose to come as a servant – as a slave – because that is how faith will work – in those conditions. Faith cannot work if you are self centred.. proud.. arrogant.. It can only work if we are humble before God.. each day not trying to fathom it out or intellectualise it..
The Revelation Of Faith
.. We are there in humility with bowed knees in his presence – accepting the revelation of faith that He gives to us. That is the vast difference, as I say so often ‘ it is revealed to us. ‘ It is given to us.. a revelation. Jesus praised His Father that flesh and blood did not reveal those things to His disciples.
Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
.. Why did He praise His Father for that? Because that was what He lived by and was experiencing. He was now seeing that they to were beginning to experience it as well.. .. ..
Matthew 20:26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
