Although He existed in the form of God, Jesus did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
This is almost beyond comprehension, the Son of God taking the form of a bondservant and humbling Himself, learning obedience from the things which He suffered so that He might obey His Father.
Unlike Jesus, many today seem to think equality with God is a thing to be grasped. They seem to believe Jesus has given them His authority to use whenever and for whatever they want. They never even consider learning obedience. They ignore the fact that Jesus emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and learned obedience through the things which He suffered BEFORE He was given all authority in heaven and on earth.
Paul said in Philippians 2:5-7,
5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus… an attitude of emptying oneself and taking the form of a bond-servant, and subjecting oneself to the disciplining of God:
Hebrews 12:6-8,
6 “FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES,”
7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Dear ones, just as Jesus humbled Himself and learned obedience from the things which He suffered, so also should we humble ourselves and learn obedience through our sufferings, that we might obey and honor our Father, which, by the way, is His will.
1 Peter 4:1, 2,
1 Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
2 so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.
Jesus did nothing on His own; He did only what the Father led Him to do. Should we not do the same, rather than do what we want, when we want? Are we now above Jesus in that we don’t have to humble ourselves and become obedient?
Ephesians 2:10,
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Our works are already prepared, but we must follow our Lord to know what they are.
Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth AFTER He had completed His earthly ministry and had been raised from the dead. To think He gave us that same authority while we are still in our fleshly bodies is not only the height of arrogance; it is downright foolishness.
Proverbs 18:13,
13 He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him.
Those who preach such foolishness as having the authority of Christ and declaring and decreeing things into existence are speaking before they hear from the Lord. They don’t hear what He says because they listen only to their own fleshly desires, thereby bypassing waiting on God and working as He works. They hunger and thirst for authority to do things their way and twist the Scriptures to excuse their selfishness. You will know them by their fruits.
By God’s grace, the sheep know the voice of their Shepherd and will not follow a stranger.
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
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