Paul presents the attitude or mind of Christ as a model for Christian behaviour. And by the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts we must strive to model our lives after his. Paul makes several points about Jesus:

"Who, being in very nature God" - Paul is affirming that Jesus is God, possessing all the attributes of deity which are revealed in the Bible.

"did not regard equality with God something to be grasped." Jesus did not tenaciously hold onto his equality with God. He who is God never ceased being God – that would be impossible – but for a period assumed humanity. As John says, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." (John 1:14)

"but made himself nothing" - The One before whom angels bow in ceaseless adoration and praise, the One who made the world, "made himself nothing" through the incarnation!

"taking the very nature of a servant" - He who is in very nature God, when he became man took upon himself "the very nature of a servant."

"being made in human likeness" - God came in human likeness and inhabited our world. He identified with fallen humanity. He experienced all the temptations and trials we experience.

"And being found in appearance as a man" - Jesus was not a phantom, a spirit or a ghost. He was fully man and fully God. He was God in human form.

"he humbled himself" - Humility marked the life of our Lord. He served the most undeserving of sinners. He washed the feet of a traitor, of another who would deny him and others who would forsake him in his hour of greatest need.

"and became obedient unto death even death on a cross!" Humility, obedience to the Father and his sacrifice upon the cross are inseparable. The awe-inspiring wonder of the cross can only be understood by seeing for whom it was that Jesus died. It was not for good people, but for the ungodly, for his enemies, for sinners like us whose behaviour separates us from the Father.

Change From The Inside

In the first part of this lesson, we saw that problems were manifesting themselves in the church at Philippi. Paul knows that these problems must not be allowed to continue; they must stop immediately. And Paul knows that behaviour is changed only when there is a change in attitude or mind, so he presents the attitude or mind of Jesus as the model for correct Christian behaviour. What Jesus did for us is not something we simply admire. On the contrary: we are to imitate the attitude or mind of Jesus that expressed itself in his incarnation, his humility, his servanthood, his obedience, and his giving of himself in death for the sins of his enemies. It is this attitude that we must exhibit.

Our lives and our churches would be transformed beyond recognition if each of us made it our ambition to display in our daily life the mind of Christ Jesus.