Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,who, existing in the form of God, didn’t consider equality with God a thing to be grasped,Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped,
17 sermons cite this verse
… that alignment look like? And here's the part that's so powerful. Listen, who though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave. There's an earthquake in those words. There's a turning upside down of the world. Here's the first thing, everybody. This text, they think, is Paul's adaptation of an ancient hymn. So he's writing this around the early years of the 50s of the first century, let's say 20 years after the death and resurrection. But if this is a hymn that was being used in Christian liturgies, and if it took, as indeed it did, a while for things to get around the ancient world, this hymn probably goes back certainly to the 40s of the first century, perhaps even the late 30s. In other words, it's probably one of the oldest texts we have, certainly the oldest liturgical texts we have in Christianity. And what's affirmed at the very heart of it, the divinity of Jesus, though he was in the form of God, he didn't deem equality with God a thing to be grasped, but rather emptied himself. …
… That's a big drop. takes on the form of a man. God thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but takes on the form, makes himself of no reputation. Then it says, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbles himself. That's another level. Because you can, watch this, you can obey God, show up, but not like what obedience feels like and say, I'm going to go ahead and take my glory back. It felt a little better up there. But it says, and being found in appearance as a man, right, he then humbles himself. He keeps getting lower. Woo! And then it says, and then he humbles himself to death. That's lower. Because it's one thing to humble yourself. It's another thing to humble yourself even to the point of death. And he doesn't stop there. He keeps going lower. Then it says, even the death of the cross, dying in your sleep, is different than dying on the cross. He keeps getting lower and lower and lower and lower and lower. …
… who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant and being born in the likeness of men what's the mindset of Jesus? Humility. Servanthood. Go low. Save people. Die for others. That's the whole mindset of Jesus in this text. So here it's just the opposite of set your mind on high things. Here you're setting your mind on go low. Be a servant. Empty yourself. Be like your Savior. So do you have a mindset like that? when you get up in the morning, is your mindset, I'm going low at the breakfast table. I'm serving my wife at the breakfast table. I'm serving my kids at the breakfast table. I am the leader, and I will lead, but I will lead like Jesus led. I will not be arrogant. I will not be pushy. I will not be looking for compliments. I'll be looking for how I can bless the whole cast of mind. …
… And where Paul closes this whole thing, his central treatise right in the middle of this amazing book is in Philippians chapter two, verses five through 11. and he says this he says in your relationships with one another have the same mindset as Christ Jesus you see the battle in the mind the mind of the flesh the mind of the spirit and he says to you if you want to see it differently have a different mind have the mind of Jesus because when you have the mind of Jesus you will see it differently and he says this is of our Savior who being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be used for his own advantage. You see, he's throwing shade on the first Adam. Adam thought he would be like God and he trusted his own wisdom and he looked at something and said, oh, it's pleasing and he ate it and he didn't see that it would kill him. …
… God in the flesh, Jesus. He did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, one version says, or something to be used to his own advantage. Rather, Jesus made himself nothing. He is God in the flesh, the supreme creator and sustainer of the universe, the all-powerful one, all-knowing, ever-present. and he made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant. And Jesus humbled himself. becoming obedient to death, even death on the cruelest instrument of torture called the cross. Jesus, the son of God, who had every right to demand respect from others, but he made himself nothing. The one who could have kept score what everybody else did wrong, but instead he kept serving. and even when he deserved every bit of praise, Jesus still went first. And that same grace from his death and resurrection that forgives your sins, that same grace is what can heal your selfishness. Here's the bottom line. You let that rule, it will ruin any relationship you have with your kids, with your friends, with your coworkers. …
… Philippians says, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. Hebrews 13, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. because God is the same. He cannot change. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights with whom there is what? No variation or shadow of turning. And every single day, Christians are falling into that deception that God has changed his mind. That God of the New Testament is not the God of the Old Testament. That it's not the same. That we have a new thing. And it's a new thing. Guys, this is not a different God. It's the same God. Psalm 102, but you are the same. And your years will have no end. And it's not just who He is. His promises are also final. You see, thank God His promises are final. …
… Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped. But he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death even death on a cross. So what did it set Jesus back to redeem the world? He paid that ransom by sending himself back, being mistaken as nothing but a carpenter. He stepped back from the glory of heaven's throne. He set himself back from showing his relationship to the Father who praised him at baptism and at the transfiguration. But he was obedient unto death, even death on the cross. And on the cross, he put himself under the sins of the world, as Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 5, for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. …
I know y'all, y'all throw hands, y'all don't turn the other cheek. He says, let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. That means that when Jesus was with God, that they were equal, and that was okay. But he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant. That means he left glory. He left that position. And he came into earth with the likeness of man. You have to understand that it was unnatural for him to leave heaven. He stepped out of eternity and into time. Do you understand that he found himself in the appearance of a man? And he humbled himself and became obedient even to the point of death, even the death of the cross. This is the kind of mentality that Paul says you should have if you're going to be a believer. Jesus did what was unnatural. He exchanged the wonder of glory in heaven and streets paved with gold to come into an earth filled with pain and grief. …
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage. Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Therefore, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Somewhere in the middle of the Lord of the Rings films, Frodo is sitting with the wizard Gandalf Lamenting his mission He had been tasked with returning the Ring of Power To the fires of Mordor So that it could be destroyed It was claimed that whoever had the Ring Had the power to rule over all Middle-earth Up to this point in the films Things were not nearly as bad as they would eventually be And yet Frodo says I wish it need not have happened in my time And Gandalf, with his wisdom of years, responds So do I, and so do all who live to see such times But that is not for them to decide All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us …
… See, and all that irony is there now that Jesus, the crucified one, is the Mashiach. Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not deem equality with God something to be grasped. Mind you, who did deem equality with God something to be grasped? Adam. That's the original sin. Eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Oh, the devil says, he knows if you eat that, you'll be like him, knowing good and evil. Adam, the nature of sin, is to grasp at divinity. Well, Jesus, who really is God, doesn't deem equality with God a thing to be grasped. Rather, what? he emptied himself and took the form of a slave. Now, in Roman society, a slave? There's nobody at the bottom. Slave, if you kill the slave, nobody would care. That's your prerogative. You abuse a slave in every possible way, that's your prerogative. But see, God takes the form of a slave, coming in human likeness, humble himself, listen now, becoming obedient to death. …
… but it is in being humbled. Humbled. That Jesus, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, Philippians 2, 5-10. He emptied himself. He humbled himself, taking on the form of flesh of a servant. So Jesus humbled himself, and so did Mary, and so must you and I. How will this be? How am I going to do it without drinking again? How am I going to do it without having a nervous breakdown? How am I going to do it when I wasn't raised and taught? How am I going to do it when nobody in my family ever did. How am I going to do it at this age and stage of life? How am I going to do it when I can't even feel God when I'm in church? How will this be, Mary asked the angel, since I am a virgin? Valid question. Powerful answer. Verse 35. The angel answered. How many of you would like to have an appointment with an angel so you could get some answers for your how today. I want an appointment with Gabriel so he can tell me how I'm supposed to put up with this mess. I want an appointment with Gabriel so he can tell me how I'm supposed to fix this mess. …
… It doesn't say that the men weren't educated. It says that they were disappointed. And Jesus, being in very nature God, who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself a servant, made himself a servant, comes up alongside them and begins to speak with them. He says, you're being foolish because you thought the funeral was the end. Bring me my computer screen, y'all. I told them I might need the screen for this message. I said, if the people look really engaged, I'm going to bring out the screen. So, boys, bring out the screen. Yeah, it's one of those days. Now, everybody clap your hands as they come because it's awkward while we wait. I want to show you a word from the Lord that came to me, and I'm not preaching this text in order to give you all of the details of it. I actually preached seven weeks on this one story seven years ago, and that is all online for free. You can go watch all of the ways that I took every single word of this text and tried to bring all of the meaning out of it that I could, But today, just as a backdrop, I want to tell you, don't let the funeral fool you. …
… others and not just in it to make sure you're taking care of yourself and then tom rainer goes on and adds he says we must adopt the mindset of christ like in philippians chapter 2 verse 5 through 11 that says let this mind be in you that was also in christ jesus we quote this we know this i've preached this and we still miss this let the mind of christ be in you well what did christ do in philippians chapter 2 verse 5 through 7 is what they call the christ hymn it's the christ hymn what did he do a couple things he did he did not consider equality with god as something to be used as his own advantage i'm about to walk back through this he emptied himself kenosis emptying himself by assuming the form of a slave he humbled himself he became obedient to the point of death he told the lord whatever you want me to do i'm going to do that so let's walk back through this although christ was equal with god had power prestige platform privilege he didn't let it go to his head he did not use it for his own advantage but instead he used his platform his privilege his his his uh his prestige to help somebody else that's why god can't elevate some of you because god knows if he gives you power and puts you over somebody else you will lose your whole mind you don't even have a position and you arrogant you don't even have a title and nobody …
… Which was also in Christ Jesus Who although he existed in the form of God Did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped But emptied of himself Taken the form of a bondservant And 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 the death of the cross Now here's what he was saying Paul said, I'm learning how to be a servant. In whatever circumstance I find myself even obedient in servitude, even if I know it means my death. You see, Paul had made a commitment in his life. Listen, the commitment he made had something to do with being able to live in a small circle, totally surrounded by frustrating circumstances, but unmoved and unruffled by those circumstances. Because, you see, his focus was upon the positive. His focus was upon God. And his focus was not upon his circumstances.
… You know, he's going to say, let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Would you say he thought lowly of himself? He says, I'm co-equal with God. And he is. Humility is not thinking lowly of yourself. Humility is not saying, I am no good. I've said this before. If Margaret Lafferty says, oh, I can't play the piano, that's not humility. That's a lie. That's a lie. Of course she can play the piano, like few people in this world. But she's a humble person. She's a humble person. I've seen her with that spirit of humility. Not because she thinks lowly of herself, because she knows who she is and what she is. Now, my dear friend, we are to have not only humility and not only harmony and humility, but here's the third ingredient that makes for unity in the church, and it is helpfulness, helpfulness. Look in verse 2 of this same chapter. …
… Who though Although he existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but he emptied himself and took on the form of servant. He was found in the likeness of men. And when he was found in the form of a man, he became obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross. therefore because of his submission therefore god has highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every name that at the name of jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue should confess that jesus christ is lord to the glory of god the father so he submits to the father he is glorified and when he's glorified it brings glory to the Father. That is what a woman models through her submission in a biblical marriage relationship. That's what she paints as a picture for the entire world to see. when my wife paints that picture it doesn't make me want to dominate her or use her or abuse her when she paints that picture for me it makes me want to do any and everything in my power to see to it that she has everything that she needs and everything she wants in order to become the woman that God has called her to be this is the beauty of submission before I leave ladies let me leave you with this a lot of you left last week and heard what he's supposed to be, …
… which was also in Christ Jesus who although he existed in the form of God did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied of himself taken the form of a bondservant and 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 the death of the cross now here's what he was saying Paul said, I'm learning how to be a servant. In whatever circumstance I find myself even obedient in servitude, even if I know it means my death. You see, Paul had made a commitment in his life. Listen, the commitment he made had something to do with being able to live in a small circle, totally surrounded by frustrating circumstances, but unmoved and unruffled by those circumstances. Because, you see, his focus was upon the positive. His focus was upon God. And his focus was not upon his circumstances. Now, look in chapter 4 again, if you will, just for a moment. …