The Form of a Servant:
The Mind of Christ, Part Four
Philippians 2:1-8

February 4, 2007
by C.W. Powell

“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Php 2:1-8 AV)

Some of this material was used when I preached on these verses back in 1997; and some comes from a sermon from 2003, when I preached on the Apostles’ Creed, and some material is new, and some is from other sources.

These verses give us the very essence of Christianity. This describes what Christianity IS. What is set before us has some faint charicatures in idolatry and false religion, but the reality is found only in Jesus Christ. It is so amazing that we are forced to confess that Jesus is the Son of God and that this is the very heart of true religion. If you have never listened to a sermon before, you better listen to this one, for this goes to the core of our faith.

What is set before us, is simply the essence of Christianity. What is set before us cannot be faked, for there is no motivation in the flesh to fake it. In fact, every motivation of the flesh is against it, and the flesh will always be strong motivated in an opposite direction. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared for those that love Him; but God has revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.” (1Co 2:9-10 AV)

There are three things that I want to say about this and some other passages of the Scripture this morning: I want to speak of three things that are brought about by the Holy Spirit in the life of a Christian: Humility; Trust; Exaltation. The pattern here, as always, is Jesus Christ.

I. The voluntary humility of Jesus Christ. See 2Cor. 8:9.”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.”. This is parallel to Phil. 2: "Being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but took upon himself the form of a servant."

a. He was rich: He was in the form of God: Form does not mean “appearance” as those he was simply the image of God. The Greek does not bear that idea. He was really God. 2nd Person of the Trinity. The doctrine of the Trinity is expressed in H.C.

Q25: Since there is but one Divine Being,[1] why do you speak of three persons: Father, Son and Holy Ghost?

A25: Because God has so revealed Himself in His Word,[2] that these three distinct Persons are the one, true, eternal God.

i. Essence: What God is: There is only One God. Simple, undivided; etc.
ii. There is nothing in God that the Son does not possess. Even the idea of Fatherhood with respect to creation belongs to Him: "His name shall be called Wonderful...etc.

b. He became poor. He took the form of a servant. He really became a man, and more than that, He really became a servant; not only of His Father, but of His disciples. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost; He endured the pains of labor. He was laid in a manger, for He was not born among the rich or the mighty of the earth. He was circumcised on the eighth day. Grew up in the carpenter's shop in Nazareth. What distresses did He know growing up? Was there conflict with brothers and sisters? The scripture does not speak to it, but it does speak that He was tempted in all points like we are, yet without sin. His life was filled with sorrow: not the weeping of anger or selfishness; but of discomfort, suffering. He suffered hunger and thirst.

Great knowledge and understanding: confounding the doctors in Jerusalem, but returning to be subject to Mary and Joseph. The death of his father. Were there whispered slanders about his Mother? We know they surfaced later.

c. He, For our sakes, became poor. How for our sakes? To display God's love? Yes, but the heavens and the earth do that. Man lives in this splendor, but does not respond to the love of God. He does not give back to God what God requires. We rebel against his law; we chaff against His discipline; we seek our own way and our own exaltation. How, For our sakes?

This takes us back to the beginning: when God formed man of the dust of the earth. The commitment God made at that time, to send His only begotten Son into the world, to die in the place of sinners. The Last Adam would do what the First Adam failed to do: the Last Adam would perfectly keep the whole will of God; but more than that, He would willingly assume the death of the Cross.

Behold again the humbling of Jesus Christ:

1. His faithful teaching of the will of God; the true exposition of the law of God.
2. His suffering at the hands of men not worthy to tie his shoes.
3. His trial before Pilate, Herod.
4. His buffeting by the Roman soldiers; the clamor of the mob.
5. His bitter death on the cross;
6. Most bitter of all, was the loss of the sense of fellowship and communion with His heavenly father. Have you ever lost a friend? Have your ever been set at odds by someone you value and esteem? How bitter that is.
7. It is most bitter to be set aside, to have unworthy motives attributed to you; to have your sacrifice mocked and ridiculed; to have your gift spurned as of no value.
8. For our sakes.

d. Let this mind be in you: Lay down your life for the brethren. We ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. He did this for the church; for you and for me. He became like us, so that we could become like Him.

II. Trust is the second. He left the exaltation to His Heavenly Father. God has highly exalted him. He did not do what Adam did. It was God's will for Adam to be like God. Adam had been created to be like God. Jesus voluntarily laid aside His glory and came and was born like a man, lived like a man, died like a man, and rose like a man. He lived His life on this earth as an example of how we are to live our lives. The mind that Jesus had is the mind that we are to have: We are to follow Him.

a. It is important to distinguish in what respect man is like God. In some things we cannot be like God.

i. Incommunicable attributes: Independence; eternity; immutability; unity. These man could never have. These belong to God alone, and man cannot possess these even in an image, although he pretends to them.
ii. Communicable attributes: goodness; wisdom; power; understanding; will; love, longsuffering, patience, holiness; etc.

b. It is interesting that Christ was “tempted in all points like we.” See Heb. 4:15. Christ did not yield to the temptation:

§ --make the stones bread; instead he would trust his heavenly father. He would be a servant.

§ --cast thyself down; gain the praise of the people; don't tempt God. He would trust God for fame. He would be a servant.

§ --get the kingdoms; don't worship that which is not God; God only shall you serve. You cannot serve God and mammon. He would be a servant.

§ Jesus won what Adam had lost. Adam aspired to be like God, not knowing what God was like: Jesus won by knowing the mind of His father, and delighted in serving men, who were created in the image of God.

c. “Trust in the Lord with all thy heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.” The wise man said. Trust in the Lord. Can you be carried as a child; or must you try to operate without God. The flesh says, “I want to do it, and I will do it, though I leave wreckage all around me.” The Scripture says, “Trust the Lord.” Jesus did. Faith is not only certain knowledge; but it is a hearty trust.

1Pet. 5:1-7 is a wonderful passage; it represents the mind of Christ. He will exalt you in due time.

1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

III. Exaltation. There was no wreckage behind Him. I have lost none of the sheep. Think of David. How David exemplifies the mind of Christ. Would not slay Saul. No one could say that David had gained the throne by violence and wickedness: He had trust in the Lord, and the Lord exalted him. There were no hidden bodies in his climb to exaltation and honor. He did not crawl over anyone on his way to the top, nor leave wreckage behind him.

It was God's will for Adam to be like God. It was God's will that David be king over Israel; It was God's will for Jesus to be raised from the dead, be exalted to the right hand of God; and be the head of the church. But God will be God. He will resist the proud and the arrogant. He will oppose those who exalt themselves and do not humble themselves under his hand.

How contrary this is to the wisdom of the world. The world teaches that no one will respect you if you do not respect yourself: you must make them respect you. The world teaches that power is taken, it is not given. The world teaches that wealth is achieved, that it is not the gift of God. The world teaches that you "have to do what you have to do," that is it "pie in the sky" to trust the Lord, and do what is right, though the stars fall.

One day the Lord and his disciples were at dinner. After the meal, Jesus put a towel around his waist, took a basin of water, and began going around the table, washing the disciples feet. When he finished; but let us read it:

John 13:12-17. If you know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. "blessed" are ye.

12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 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.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

What is the alternative to the mind of Christ:, the mind that in love and humility serves the church and the people of God? The alternative is pride, insisting on having your own way, wanting to be served. It is certain that the true work of the church cannot be done in the flesh, but only in the mind of Christ.

“Let this mind be in you.” This is the imperative that follows the four great gifts of God: the Consolation in Christ, the Comfort of Love, the Fellowship of the Spirit, Compassion and Mercies; also following the beginnings of grace by the Holy Spirit in the hearts of His people: the singleness of heart, mind, accord, love and unity, and summarizes the great commands of verses 3 and 4: the command of all commands: which is the essense of Christianity and true religion:

Let the mind which was in Christ dwell in you. Leave everything else to God, but serve your brothers and sisters in humility, kindness, and love. You may never get credit in this life for your work, but that is not the reason you do it. You may be misunderstood, but so was Christ; in fact, only those who were taught of the Holy Spirit ever truly understood Christ, and only those who are so taught will understand the work of Christ in you. So it has always been. But your reward is in Heaven.

May God bless you.

Amen and Amen.