See How Much Christ Loved Us

-


Scripture: Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Devotion:

            In today’s scripture passage, Paul tells us that we are to have the same mind that Christ Jesus had toward us. This sounds like an impossible task for any mere mortal. How should a flesh and blood mortal think and love like God? In this section of scripture, Paul describes what that mind and love look like. So, today, we look at what the Son of God endured to save us from the mess that sin has made of our lives.

            The apostle begins by telling us that the mind of Jesus is already ours if we follow Jesus. He then goes on to describe what that mind looks like. Paul tells us that although Christ Jesus was in form and function, God, he did not count his position in the Godhead to be of more importance than the salvation of humankind. Theologians call this kenosis or self-emptying. Taking the time to behold this transformation from the very form of God into human flesh occupies the rest of the passage.

            The first step in Christ Jesus' kenosis was to leave His God-likeness and put on human-likeness. He then lived His life as a human among other humans. Christ Jesus suffered all the pleasure and pain of living as a human being. His divine nature is hidden but still present in His alongside his humanity. Christ Jesus even suffered and died the worst kind of death-crucifixion even though He had committed no crime or sin of any kind. His death was simply the result of mere human displeasure with Him.

            Paul is teaching us here that we should live out in our own lives, this self-emptying even to the point of our willingness to suffer and even die for the name of Jesus. We must even be willing to suffer with others in their tribulation and distress. We can dare to do this because we know that Christ suffered and died for us while we were still sinful unbelievers. Let us be courageous then in living a life that is Christ-honoring and faithful to our great God.

Devotion:

            Lord, we look with amazement at your incredible love for us. The thought that you would willingly suffer and die for us takes our breath away. We ask for courage to live the kind of life you lived among us. Please help us to be willing to do anything to follow you. May we even be able to suffer and die for you. Grant that we may have this mind, the very mind of Christ Jesus, living and working in and through us. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Welcoming the Unwelcome

-
  Scripture: Luke 7:36-38 (NIV) 36  When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37  A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. 38  As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and poured perfume on them. Devotion:             First of all, some warnings to my readers. This post will exceed the 500 words I try to limit my posts. Second, this post will contain content people may find offensive or otherwise unfit for print. Please understand that my purpose is neither to offend nor upset but to provoke thought and, hopefully, respectful dialog.             We will use Luke chapter seven as an aid to interpreting the events that occurred last Thursday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. On that da
Read more

Transgenderism letter

-
  This is a copy of my letter to my senators, representative, and President Biden. January 15, 2024 Dear President Biden, Senators T. Duckworth, R. Durbin, and Representative D. LaHood             I am writing to you because I am concerned about the situation affecting our children and grandchildren, namely transitioning them from one gender to another. This nation must adjust course concerning these “interventions” because they are dangerous, irreversible, and life-changing. Our country should not be permitting these procedures on minor children under any circumstances. We must also make sure that adults who seek this care are given informed consent as to the risks versus benefits of sex reassignment treatments.             There are many drawbacks to gender-affirming care for minors. Besides the loss of any ability to give or receive sexual pleasure and sterility these treatments cause, there are social and psychological effects that we have no way of identifying because these
Read more

The Hatred of the World

-
Scripture: John 15:18-20 (ESV) 18  “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19  If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20  Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. Devotion:             This scripture is compelling. It explains what happened to Jesus and His disciples some 2,000 years ago. The message of God is rarely welcome news for the world. It calls out many of the culture's favorite practices for what they are: sin. Ever since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, humankind has been adamant about trying to hide or excuse their sin. Sin causes a barrier between humans and God that humanity cannot overcome in its own power.             Things have not changed in the
Read more