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"He will save all that hope in Him, all the faithful, all that fear Him, all that call upon Him in truth: "and all sinners He will destroy." What "all sinners," save those who persevere in sin; who dare to blame God, not themselves; who daily argue against God; who despair of pardon for their sins, and from this very despair heap up their gins; or who perversely promise themselves pardon, and through this very promise depart not from their sins and impiety? The time will come for all these to be separated, and for the two divisions to be made of them, one on the right hand, the other on the left; and for the righteous to receive the everlasting Kingdom, the wicked to go into everlasting fire. Since this is so, and we have heard the blessing of the Lord, the works of the Lord, the wondrous things of the Lord, the mercies of the Lord, the severity of the Lord, His Providence over all His works, the confession of all His works; observe how He concludeth in His praise, "My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy Name for ever and ever" - ST. Augustine of Hippo. |
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Here in Philippians 2 we have an exhortation from God to saints everywhere, penned by the inspired Paul, which instructs us to be like Christ. We know the aspects of the purity and beauty of Christ are infinite, so there will be several that time will permit to look at, but these verses in Philippians are extremely powerful in relation to the subject of being like Christ, so this is a pretty decent place to look at some of the most important ways. In verse 6 of Philippians 2 we read that Jesus: "thought it not robbery to be equal with God". Although it is a mystery why mankind fell in the garden of Eden, nevertheless we have going for us the fact that as humans we are made in the image of God or Christ who are One. So from birth we were conceived in the image of Christ yet because we are sinful flesh and the seed of sinful human flesh we are born into bondage and are in need of Christ, the Word through whom faith comes (Romans 10:17). We are in need of Christ as a Savior to restore us to the state of being washed of sin and by grace transformed back into a sinless person made in the image of the LORD:
"Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God." (John 5:18).
To conform to our creation in the image of the LORD and be like Christ requires us to do as He did to the extent that we can. So we note in verse 6 of Philippians 2 that Jesus "took upon him the form of a servant". Can we as believers do likewise? The answer is yes. This is the nature of the Christian life; it is a service driven life.
"For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich." (2 Corinthians 8:9).
"Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28).
"And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:26-28).
Of course the "many" spoken of in Matthew 20:28 and 26:28 are the same many. This is not a reference to the local congregations that make up the corporate church, but the true saints, the elect, the eternal church.
As we go on with our text, the next attribute to the life of Christ and being like Him is humility. We must humble ourselves in order to walk in the steps of Jesus who humled Himself to the point of rejection, suffering and eventual death for His people. Jesus was a "man acquainted with sorrows" according to Isaiah 53. He lived a life of humble means in which the world hated Him to the point where He, the eternal Price was crucified. Humility in itself is another subject in itself that requires far too much time than a few moments and that speaks of its importance. At Calvary, Jesus became sin for the many sinners He would save. By His faith the sinner is made righteous by His righteousness. Jesus was sinless, He had not comitted any sin or knew any sin in His personal life. He took upon Himself the cross to pay for the sins of many; that is, His children. But His death was only a chapter in His glorious scheme of redemption. Christ took up life again when He arose from the dead with power:
"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." (John 11:25,26).
"For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 5:17-21).
To be like Christ also means we must worship Him as verse 8 in Philippians teaches us: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name". Salvation is by no other means than Jesus. It is not from the church, other holy saints, or any other imaginable thing. Salvation is through Christ alone. All authority has been given Him:
"Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18).
"Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." (Ephesians 1:20-23).
So here we have a good starting point in striving to be like Christ.
a.) service
We worship Him. Everyone and everything will confess Christ one day, if not willingly now, than certainly in the future. All who have not confessed Him with His saving grace upon their hearts will wail because of Him:
"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Revelation 1:5-7).
"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." (Revelation 22:20,21).
Before the church was corrupted by man made doctrines and confessions, Jesus is LORD was the unifying Biblical confession. The creeds and confessions written by fallible humans are destructive and devisive.
"Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he." (John 13:13-19).
"But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed." (Romans 10:6-11).
"For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (Romans 14:7-11).
Christ is the supreme example of renouncing ones self and this is the very foundation and basis for us to build upon as we seek to be like Jesus.
"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:2-13).
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