June 03, 2022 – Friday
Philippians 2:8 NIV
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!
Comment.
Was not planning on using this verse today, but it came in an email from Truth for Life which is a daily email with some thoughts or commentary with it. The thoughts provided focused on how Jesus humbled Himself and saved all of those who will turn to Him.
I want to focus on how He humbled Himself and contrast that with pride, arrogance/arrogant, being proud, being stiff-necked. If you go to BibleGateway and do a word search on any of these words – pride, arrogance/arrogant, proud, stiff-necked – you will find the are always or almost always shown to be a negative description of a person or people or even a nation.
Reread the verse for today where Jesus, our Creator, And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! All too often we only think of Jesus as a man, because that is how He is presented in most of the Bible. However, there are a few places where we get a glimpse of who and what He really is – God. For example, there are the verses that describe Him after His transfiguration before He returns to His humble appearance as a man something no butterfly could do (return to being a caterpillar). Those verses are discussed here. Then there is this from Colossians 1:16-17, 16 For in Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.
Now we know much more about Jesus, who And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! And this is why sometimes I cringe when I hear someone speaking (bragging?) about how proud they are to be a Christian. I believe I understand the impulse, especially when comparing one’s life before becoming a Christian to one’s life after becoming a Christian. the word “proud”, I’m not so sure about. Perhaps, happy, glad, joyful, etc. would be better. I even wonder about those who brag about their Bible knowledge instead of being humbled by it. While I am all for greater Bible knowledge, I know it is a gift, a gift from God, something to be treasured and shared, not ours to be prideful about.
I am reminded of Luke 21:1-4 where the wealthy were giving large sums while a poor widow put in two small copper coins. I can certainly imagine the wealthy congratulating each other on how much they gave, but what they gave was out of their wealth and was easy for them to do. The poor widow was another story, she gave all she had. What she gave was sacrificial giving. Few people, if any, give sacrificially in this day and age. Oh, they might be careful to tithe or to give more than the tithe, but are they giving sacrificially? If they give more than tithing, do they brag to others about it or even to themselves as a perverse form of pride. This is not to beat up on anyone, but to point us to humbleness and humility as we seek to emulate Christ Jesus and take joy in our salvation.
Bottom Line: Be careful, very careful, of letting pride creep into your faith and your walk with Christ.
Prayer: Almighty God,– Through Your Son You showed us in an incredible way what it means to be truly humble. Help us to follow His example. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor
Calvary Chapel of Dayton
in Beavercreek