The Essential Attitude
Philippians 2:5-11
What we consider essential can change with our circumstances. The things essential for a baseball player to be successful are vastly different from what a dentist would consider essential to performing their jobs well (or at least I sincerely hope they are). For Christians there are things that we must consider essential whether we are playing baseball or doing dentistry (please make sure you are fully licensed and educated to perform the latter).
Over the next few weeks, we are going to look at what Christians are called to consider essential in their lives by studying the book of Philippians. Let’s start by reading Philippians 2:5.
Philippians 2:5 - You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Paul tells us that it is essential that we have the same attitude as Jesus. But what does this mean? Paul goes on to tell us five things that Jesus considered essential in His life that we should strive to mirror in our lives.
#1. It was essential for Jesus to set aside His status.
Philippians 2:6 - Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
Paul starts out by affirming the deity of Christ. Jesus is indeed God and has been from eternity past, but for the sake of the Gospel, He willingly set aside His status as God. He set aside all the glory, honor, and praise He deserved. We see this played out throughout the life of Jesus starting with His birth. He was born in a stable and placed in a manger. He was God. He deserved so much more but gave all that up to carry out His mission that ultimately culminated with the cross. It has been said that if you want to find out what a person is really like, don’t give them responsibilities—give them status. Most people can manage responsibilities especially if you pay them enough, but it takes a real leader to handle status. A leader will use his status to help others and build the organization, but a lesser person will use status to promote themselves.
Jesus shows us what is essential by setting aside His status.
#2. It was essential for Jesus to set aside His rights.
Philippians 2:7- Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.
Not only did Jesus give up His status as God, but He also gave up His rights as God. Paul tells us this by saying that Jesus took the position of a slave. Slaves have no rights and have no right to say, “That’s not fair”. This is the same with Jesus - never do we hear Him say in any of the gospels, “That’s not fair”. Rather we see Him say things like, “Not my will, but Yours be done”, and “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. To give up your rights is an awkward thing. Rights are something we are owed because they are something we think we deserve, and they are guaranteed. Despite this, Jesus laid His rights down for the Gospel. Are we willing to have this same attitude that Jesus had?
#3. It was essential for Jesus to be obedient.
Philippians 2:8 - He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Obedience is undoubtedly the hardest part of our walk with Jesus. Jesus said if you love me, you will keep my commandments. That is easier said than done. Here we see that obedience was essential to Jesus because it is the ultimate show of faith. When you trust in someone totally, you humble yourself and obey. Jesus did this in the most amazing way possible. He was obedient unto death.
#4. It was essential for Jesus to give up His own life.
Philippians 2:8 - He humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Such great love and sorrow were all wrapped up in one event. Jesus gave up His own life taking a punishment He did not deserve, so that we could have a way to the Father. He humbly laid down His own life. There is no greater love than that, but it was essential for Jesus. He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world; it was essential to the Gospel that Jesus came to die.
#5. Worship was essential for Jesus.
Philippians 2:9-11 - Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
As we look at these five things that were essential in the attitude of Jesus, we see a thread of selflessness and putting others first, but the most important was the final point. It was essential for Jesus to glorify the Father - He set aside His status to glorify the father, He set aside His rights to glorify the Father, He was obedient to glorify the Father, and He gave up His own life to glorify the Father. Everything Jesus did was to bring glory to the Father. Yes, we got the undeserved reward of being made right with God through the blood of Jesus Christ, but ultimately it was only to give God more glory.
I guess we need to ask - do our attitudes do the same? Christ's attitude was unselfish and looking out for others, but all the while bringing glory to the Father. Can we do the same? What would it be for us to give up our status for God? What would it be like to give up our rights for God? Can we say we would be obedient even to death for God? Are all our attitudes an act of worship towards God?
