Have the Attitude of Christ (Part 2)

Living the Christian Life

Chapter 2:1-11
Live lives that are united in thought and purpose with other believers and dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another.

Verses 5-11
Christ is the supreme example of humility and selfless concern for others.

• Christ is the supreme example of humility and selfless concern for others.

Philippians 2:5-11 NLT
Have the Attitude of Christ (Part 2)
⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
⁶ Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
⁸     he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
⁹ 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.

 Examine the scriptures:

Philippians 2:5-11 NLT
Have the Attitude of Christ (Part 2)

From the previous passage:

Let there be no divisions in the church.

Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. V. 2

United in self-sacrificing love and humility. V. 2

Looking out for the interests of others. V. 4

Paul goes on to say:

⁵ You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

• Christians are to have Christ’s attitude of self-sacrificing humility and love for others.

Christ is the supreme example of humility and selfless concern for others.

• Jesus tells us to follow his example.

John 13:12-15 NLT
¹² After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? ¹³ You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. ¹⁴ And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. ¹⁵ I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.

Jesus prays for unity among believers.

The Prayer of Jesus
John 17
⁹ “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. ¹⁰ All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. ¹¹ Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are.
²⁰ “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
²² “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. ²³ I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. 

The Christ Hymn

Many view Philippians 2:6-11 as an early Christian hymn, telling about the nature of Christ, taken over and perhaps modified by Paul.

Colossians 3:16 NLT
¹⁶ Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.

• We are told, in scripture, to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 

⁶ Though he was God,

John 1:1-2 NLT
¹ In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
² He existed in the beginning with God. 

Colossians 1:15-20 NLT
¹⁵ Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.
He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,
¹⁶ for through him God created everything
in the heavenly realms and on earth.
He made the things we can see
and the things we can’t see—
such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.
Everything was created through him and for him.
¹⁷ He existed before anything else,
and he holds all creation together.
¹⁸ Christ is also the head of the church,
which is his body.
He is the beginning,
supreme over all who rise from the dead.
So he is first in everything.
¹⁹ For God in all his fullness
was pleased to live in Christ,
²⁰ and through him God reconciled
everything to himself.
He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth
by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

• The Son of God is God.

• The Son of God has always been God.

Colossians 1:17
¹⁷ He existed before anything else,

John 17:24 NLT
²⁴ Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began! 

he did not think of equality with God

Jesus is God.

John 10:30 NLT
³⁰ The Father and I are one.”

as something to cling to.

⁷ Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;

• Jesus did not stop being God. He gave up the privileges that were His because He is God.

2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT
⁹ You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.

Example:

Matthew 26:52-54 NLT
⁵²“Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? ⁵⁴But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” 

• Christ gave up His right to manifest himself visibly as the God of all splendor and glory. 

The Jesus we will see in heaven will be different than the Jesus seen on earth. 

 he took the humble position of a slave

Matthew 20:28 NLT
²⁸ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

• Jesus came to earth to serve, not to be served.

As a servant, Jesus was always submissive to the will of the Father.

 and was born as a human being.

Jesus is truly God and truly man.

John 1:14 NLT
¹⁴ So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. 

1 Timothy 3:16 NLT
¹⁶ Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith:
Christ was revealed in a human body
and vindicated by the Spirit.

• Jesus was born as a human being. 

When he appeared in human form,

⁸     he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Matthew 20:28 NLT (repeated)
²⁸ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

in obedience to God

• It was God’s will that Jesus die for the sins of humanity.

Romans 5:8 NLT
⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

1 John 4:9-10 NLT
⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

Matthew 26:39 NLT
³⁹ He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

John 10:17-18 NLT
¹⁷ “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. ¹⁸ No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

Crucifixion was a cruel and humiliating punishment intended for criminals. 

⁹ Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,

• As a result of Christ’s humble obedience, God elevated Him to the place of highest honor.

Jesus is now in a position of supreme authority and power.

Matthew 28:18 NLT (After His resurrection)
¹⁸ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 

Acts 2:33-36 NLT
³³ Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. …. ³⁶ “So let everyone in Israel know for certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and Messiah!”

¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

1 Peter 3:22m NLT
²² Now Christ has gone to heaven. He is seated in the place of honor next to God, and all the angels and authorities and powers accept his authority.

Ephesians 1:9-10, 21 NLT
⁹ God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. ¹⁰ And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.
²¹ Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.

• Jesus is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 

¹¹ and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

God’s design is that all people should worship and serve Jesus as Lord.

• Ultimately, everyone will acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, whether willingly or not.

 

Review:

Chapter 2:1-11
Live lives that are united in thought and purpose with other believers and dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another.

Christ is the supreme example of humility and selfless concern for others.