Well, let us turn to the Word
of God and turning for our text to words that we have in Philippians
chapter 2, reading verses 5 and 6. The portion of Scripture we
read, the second chapter in the epistle, the poor to the Philippians,
and reading verses 5 and 6. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God's, thought
it not robbery to be equal with God's. Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God's,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God's. Here we have the the Gospel pattern
of humiliation. And we see it of course in the
person and the work of the Lord Jesus. The Gospel pattern of
humiliation. Or we might say what we have
here is really the mind of Christ. Isn't that what the Apostle says?
Let this mind be in you. which was also in Christ Jesus
and the words follow after those exhortations those very practical
exhortations that we have in the opening verses of the chapter
an exhortation to unity and humility and selflessness If there be
therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love,
if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bells and mercies, he
says, fulfill ye my joy that ye be like-minded, 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. very practical part
of the epistle really as he gives these directions and exhortations
that they be a united people, a humble people that they give
evidence of their selflessness. These are all we might say gospel
precepts instruction as how those who profess the gospel of the
grace of God profess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, how they
are to live their lives, how they are to conduct themselves.
It's gospel precepts that we have then here in the opening
verses of this chapter. And it's interesting because
all of these precepts, all these exhortations are grounded really
in doctrine. Where there is right practice
Godly practice, we will see the root of that in the truth, in
the doctrine, the doctrine of the Word of God, the doctrine
of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is the doctrine
that we have here. He speaks of the person of the
Lord Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not right
to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. who
took a bond in the form of a servant and was made in the likeness
of man." Well, this is the mind of Christ. Humiliation. He speaks there of his person
as God and yet that one who humbles himself to become a man. And then he goes on, doesn't
he, to speak of the work. Not just the person, the God-man,
the Lord Jesus, but the work, verse 8, being found in fashion
as a man. Even as a man he humbles himself
again and becomes obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. Well let us consider then something
of what he says here in verses 5 and 6 with regards to the mind
of Christ, the mind of Christ. And I want to speak of the dignity
that belongs to Christ as God but then also here we see his
pattern of gospel humility his dignity and his humility beginning then with Christ's
divine dignity and it is the dignity that belongs to God That's what we read here in the
6th verse. We read of him being in
the form of God. He thought it not robbery to
be equal with God. There is mystery here. There's
a mystery that has always been. There's an eternal mystery. But there's also another mystery
there's a mystery that has had a beginning these two mysteries
and that each of them concerns this person that he's speaking
of first of all let's think of that mystery that had a beginning
what is a mystery that has had a beginning? well it's what he
speaks of here in verse 7 how this person made himself of no
reputation and took upon him the form of a servant who was
made in the likeness of man. What is this? This is the mystery
of the incarnation. That's a mystery that has a beginning
without controversy. Great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh. That's something that has actually
happened and it has happened here upon the earth at a certain
time. In fact it happened in the fullness
of the time when the fullness of the time was come. God sent
forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law. It's It's spoken of, it's prophesied
there in the Old Testament Scriptures. Behold a virgin shall conceive
and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel. Those words
that we have in Isaiah 7.14. What a mystery this is, a virgin.
Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son. who is this virgin? well we read
of the virgin of course there in Luke's account opening chapter
of Luke the angel comes to the virgin Mary and tells her the
holy ghost is going to come upon her the power of the highest
will overshadow her and there is some holy thing that is going
to be conceived in her virgin womb that holy thing the human nature
the human body, the human soul that's going to be joined to
the eternal Son of God. That holy thing that shall be
born of thee, says the angel, shall be called the Son of God. It has a beginning. A beginning
in time. What a wonder it is. Unto us
a child is born, unto us a son is given. Again, the language
of the prophecy of Isaiah. or the son is given the son is
not born there the son is the eternal son the eternal son of
the eternal father but unto us a child is born unto us a son
is given God gives his only begotten son he takes to himself in that
that human nature it's a mystery and it's a mystery of the person
of the Lord Jesus because he is that one who is God and he's
that one who is man. He's God-man. He has two natures
and yet he's not two people, he's not two persons, he's one
person. And in that one person of the
Lord Jesus Christ we have the God's man and in all that he
does here upon the earth he is never anything less than God
and man in one person. What the theologians call that
hypostatic union. We can't divide the natures. We mustn't divide the natures.
We're not to say, well, here we see him as a man and here
we see him as God. No! He's always God-man, whatever
he does, in all his work. We're not to separate the natures. There's a union there. What a
mystery! But that mystery is not an eternal
mystery. That mystery had a beginning. And in that mystery that has
a beginning, we see something of the dignity of the Lord Jesus
Christ but we also see his dignity in another mystery there is a
mystery that always has been a mystery that has no beginning
at all and what is that mystery? well it's the doctrine of God
it's the being of God and we read of this Christ Jesus here
in verse 6 who being in the form of God thought it not robbery
to be equal with God. All this is the mystery of the
doctrine of the Trinity, the mystery of God and of the Father
and of Christ as Paul speaks there in Colossians 2 and verse
2 the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ. And it's this mystery, isn't
it, that God is One. There's only one God, and that
is so plain in Scripture. The children of Israel are told
quite clearly, Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. There's only one God, the the
Creator of all things, the One who made man and created man
in His image and after His likeness. But in that mystery of God there
are three Persons. There is God the Father, God
the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Not three Gods, one God, but
one God who subsists in the in the essence of being God one
essence and yet three persons we cannot we cannot explain it
we have to bow before it and God is to us incomprehensible
above and beyond our poor finite minds And he declares himself,
doesn't he? To Moses there in Exodus chapter
3. And how does he declare himself?
He says, I am that I am. All is the great I am that I
am. And when we come to the New Testament
and begin to read about this person that he's spoken of here
at the end of verse 5, Christ Jesus. Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus This Christ Jesus, when we read
the Gospels, we see to be none other than the I Am. Does he not declare himself as
such? There at the end of John chapter 8 and verse 58, he says,
Verily, before Abraham was, I Am. That's how it reads. In that verse, before Abraham
was, Christ Jesus says I am and remember in John 18 when
we see the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane and they come to
lay hold upon him they come to arrest him and there is Judas
at the head of the band and they've come to take him and the Lord
steps forward and says who seek you and they say Jesus of Nazareth
and he says I am he and we've referred to that passage several
times there in John 18 4 following and time and again he simply
says I am he I am he but we know how that the pronoun in our orthonised
version the word he is in italics literally he says to them I am whom seek you? Jesus of Nazareth
and Jesus says I am and they fall backward well they fall
backward They can't approach Him. As He declares His deity,
as He reveals Himself to be God, they cannot arrest Him. They
couldn't lay a finger upon Him. We know that His death was a
voluntary death. No man could take that life from
Him. He says, doesn't He, in chapter 10 of John, concerning
that life that He is going to lay down, I have power, I have
authority to lay it down. I have authority to take it again.
This commandment have I received of my Father. He came to give
himself that great sacrifice for sins. Well, where is that mystery then
that always has been? That God is one and God is three
and in the three persons of the God there is God the Father,
God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. And this is this man,
Christ Jesus, that we're reading of tonight, who, being in the
form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Here we
see his being, Christ being as God, being in the form of God. There are some significant words,
of course, in this whole passage. We've looked at it previously.
There's the word FORM. There's the word fashion. There's
the word likeness. How significant these words are.
In verse 6 we have this word form. Who being in the form of
God. And what does this word signify? What's the meaning of this word?
Well, it refers to that inner, essential, and abiding nature
of a person. That's the strength of the word.
the inner essential abiding nature of a person. The very mode of
his existence. He is God. He is God, being in the form
of God. And then in verse 8 we have another
word. The word fashion. He's in the form of God. Verse
8, being found in fashion as a man. and this is an interesting word
it's different to the other words because this word fashion points
to the what is called the external accidental the fleeting appearance the external accidental fleeting
appearance the margin gives the word habit being in the habit
of a man He is eternally and essentially God, he is in the
form of God, but he is also, he is said to
be in the habit of a man. What a wonder this is! He has
always been God, always will be God, and yet, in the fullness
of the time he is born into this world, and appears in the habit
of a man, a real man. What is he essentially? He's
the brightness of God's glory. He's the express image of his
person. The image of the invisible God in whom dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead, Bodily. That's what he is essentially.
And he is that one who is clearly equal to God. and yet he humbles himself to
become a man. That's what's being said here.
This is the mind of Christ. Oh, what humiliation that he
should be found in fashion as a man. But think of his equality. What are
we told here at the end of verse 6? being found in the form of
God, he thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Now again, the word is interesting,
the word robbery. He thought it not robbery. The
word has the idea of seizing hold of a thing, pillage, plunder,
laying hold of something with some violence. He doesn't need to do that because
he is equal with God. He doesn't need to lay hold of
equality. That's what he is. Dr. Gill, Dr. Gill is helpful. Dr. Gill says form of God and equal
with God signify one and the same thing. is in the form of
gods, is equal with God. There is equality you see. There's
no superiority and inferiority when we think of this great mystery
that always has been, this eternal mystery which is God, Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. The Father is equal to the Son,
the Son is equal to the Father, the Spirit is equal to the Father
and the Son, There's no grading between these persons. They are
all eternally God. They are all equally God. And this person of whom we're
reading Christ Jesus in verse 5, he is God. As much God as the Father, as
much God as the Spirit. That's what Paul is saying. Now,
we know how that Satan himself it seems is a created being of
course he is only one creator God and God has created all things
he has created not only men he has created the angelic world
a multitude of angels, Seraphim, Cherubim and we know that there are angels
that fell there were some angels that never fell, elect angels
We know the names of some, Michael, Gabriel, and how they do the
bidding of God, how those angels about the throne in Isaiah chapter
6, they have six wings, and with two wings they are covering their
feet, the ground is so holy, they are in God's presence, with
two they are covering their faces, they cannot bear the sight, though
they are sinless themselves, God is so glorious in His holiness. And so they use two wings to
cover their feet, two wings to cover their faces, with two wings
they fly. Why do they do that? Because
God commands, and immediately God commands, they obey. They
do His bidding, day and night, they're obedient creatures. But
what of the fallen angels? Well, there's that strange passage,
isn't there, in Isaiah? In Isaiah 14, at verse 12, Now, it does seem historically
to have reference to Nebuchadnezzar, the proud man, the proud emperor. But many say that it has a deeper
meaning than that. It's not just a reference to
a proud man, a proud emperor. He had to do God's bidding of
course when he destroyed Jerusalem and laid siege. to the holy city
and then raise the temple to the ground and remove the people
into exile. But here in this chapter we read
of his fall. Listen to the words, Isaiah 14,
12, How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the
morning? How art thou cut down to the
ground, which didst weaken the nations? For thou hast said in
thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God, I will sit also upon the mount of the
congregation in the sides of the north, I will ascend above
the height of the clouds, I will be like the Most High. Yet thou
shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pits, Is this just a reference to a
man such as Nebuchadnezzar? I believe that this also is referring
to that arch-demon, Satan himself, Lucifer. Lucifer. And see how he would exalt himself.
Or how he would exalt himself I will exalt my throne above
the stars of God. I will sit also upon the mount
of the congregation. I will ascend above the height
of the clouds. I will be like the Most High."
Satan would grasp after that equality with God. Christ thought
it not robbery to be equal with God. It wasn't something that
the Lord Jesus had to try to take hold of. Oh, that's what
Satan does. That's what Satan does. And you
know that's what man did, isn't it? That the instigation of the
devil. That awful event that's recorded
in the third of Genesis, the fall of our parents, our first
parents Adam and Eve. And what does the serpent say
to the woman? God doth know. that in the day
that thou eatest hereof, thine eyes shall be opened and thou
shalt be as God and she couldn't resist man, woman, they want
to be as God and that's men today, they want to be God it's in us
all, I know we can easily point the finger at others, we want
to be Gods we want our own way, we want our own will We want to be able to look after
ourselves, provide for our... Well, there's much that's good
and commendable in what we might want to do, but... Oh, how subtle
is this, you see? The sin that's within us. And
that sin that's bound up in unbelief and bound up in pride. Men would
be as gods. And that was true with regards
to the first man, Adam. though he comes from the hand
of his creator God and he's made in the image of God he's created
after the likeness of God and what a wonderful creature why
he gives names to all the animals and the names are so appropriate
whatever he calls the animal that's the name of the animal
and a wonderful mind oh there's not a man on the face of the
earth could have a mind like Adam has when he was first created
and came fresh from the hand of his maker but now you see the mind darkens
alienated from the life of God wanting to be God and yet not
being God but rather now bearing the very image of the fallen
angel of your father the devil but
how different when we think of that first Adam and how the temptation
comes through Satan who would seize after equality with God
even superiority to God and telling man you see ye shall be as God
how different is the last Adam He thought it not robbery to
be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation. It took upon
him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
How he humbles himself, this man, the Lord Jesus. What a humble
man. Though he didn't take on him the nature of the angels,
did he? We're told here in chapter 2. He took upon Him the seed of
Abraham and for as much as the children are partakers of flesh
and blood, He likewise takes part of the same. He humbles
Himself in becoming a man, a real man. We read of God sending His
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. Although He
is altogether without sin, He's preserved from all that original
sin in the miracle that is the virgin birth, in the mystery
which is the incarnation. He is preserved, it's that holy
thing and yet, how he identifies with sinners. God sends his own
son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin. He who knew
no sin was made sin for us, Paul says, so we might be made the
righteousness of God in him. Oh what matchless condescension
the eternal God displays when we think of what the Lord Jesus
Christ is that lowliness of mind, that humility and this is what
Paul is speaking of 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. For
this is the mind of Christ. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, sought
it not robbery to be equal with God. What is Christ then? Well,
we sought to say something with regards to that dignity that
belongs to him. as the God-man. That mystery
that began in the incarnation but also that dignity that belongs
to him because he is God. He is the second person in the
Godhead. He is the eternal father of the
eternal son. But let us now consider how Christ
is the gospel pattern. He is the gospel pattern. What we have really in verse
5 is a precept, isn't it? A gospel precept. Let this mind
be in you. It's an imperative, you see,
it's a command. We're to have the mind of Christ.
Let this mind be in you. Which was also in Christ Jesus. And he goes, well he's speaking
of the whole context really, of, of humility. and it's been
observed that to be converted is nothing else than to be humbled
if we really are converts and we all need to be converted we
all need to be born again if we really are converted we've got to be humbled it's
a humbling experience except to be converted and become as
little children says the Lord Jesus but look at what we have here,
we have this this word in verse 5 and I say
it's in the imperative, it's a word of command, it's a precept,
a gospel precept but it doesn't stand alone does it? it doesn't stand alone, their
commandments when they come to us What does the Lord do? It condemns us. The commandment
condemns. Lord and terrors do but harden
all the while they work alone. What does Paul do here? As he
gives this word of exhortation he directs us to Christ. We're pointed
immediately to the Lord Jesus Christ as that one who is the
great gospel pattern. let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus." Or this is the one we have to look
to. It's only by the power of the
Lord Jesus Christ, it's only by Him coming and working in
us mightily and effectually, that we can ever begin to obey
such a commandment. doesn't he go on here to speak
of two men who were clearly so wondrously affected by the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ he speaks of Timothy whom he's going to
send to them I trust in the Lord Jesus he says in verse 19 to
send Timothy shortly unto you that I also may be of good comfort
when I know your state for I have no man like minded you will naturally
care for your state. Always like-minded, he has a
mind of Christ this man. He has a mind of Christ. He's
so dear unto the apostle. But he doesn't just speak of
Timothy, he also speaks of a Bathroditus. Verse 25, I supposed it necessary
to send to you a patronite as my brother and companion in labor
and fellow soldier but your messenger and he that ministered to my
wants for he longed after you all and was full of heaviness
because that he had heard that he had been sick. Oh, he had been sick, nigh unto
death but God had mercy, his life was spared. But how he is
one who is longing after these Philippians. Who are these men? These are wonderful examples
of what the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ does in the soul
of a man, in the soul of a sinner. They have the Spirit of Christ,
they have the mind of Christ. If any man have not the Spirit
of Christ, he is none of His All we have to look to the Lord
Jesus in as that one who to us is the great example, the great
pattern. What does Paul say to these Philippians
later on in his epistle? Those things which ye have both
learned and received and heard and seen in me do and the God
of peace shall be with you. he himself is a pattern the pattern
of them who should hereafter believe as he says in 1st Timothy
that to observe not only the things that he's been teaching
them but that to observe the manner of man that he was the
things that they had heard and seen in me he says these men
were so wondrously wrought on by the spirit of the Lord Jesus
Christ they had the mind of Christ, they learned of Christ. And doesn't
the Lord himself tell us to learn of him, learn of me, you see?
In that great passage in Matthew 11, there at the end, that lovely
gospel invitation, come unto me, all you that labour and are
heavy laden. What does the Lord say? Learn
of me. For I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest
unto your souls." Well, this is the mind of Christ, you see.
This is the mind of Christ's meekness, humility, lowliness
of heart. Let me just quote the comment
of Matthew Henry. I don't often quote Matthew Henry,
but it's a good commentary, isn't it, Matthew Henry? So practical. He says this, if we were lowly-minded,
we would be like-minded. And if we were like Christ, we
should be lowly-minded. If we were lowly-minded, we should
be like-minded. And if we were like Christ, we
should be lowly-minded. There is the pattern, the Lord
Jesus. And where there's that lowliness of mind, there's that
like-mindedness, there's that peace, that unity in the church
where each esteem other better than themselves look not every
man on his own thing but every man on the things of others how
practical it is and all the wonderful thing is with this it's all the
doctrine is bound up with the practice it's a great passage
Philippians 2 it's a tremendous passage really on the doctrine
of Christ and yet it's so practical because Paul speaks of Christ
and the glories of Christ and the dignity of Christ and the
humility of Christ and his lowliness of mind and then he applies it
if we know Christ we must be like Christ Paul the believer
you see his humility is a willing humility he's not driven by the
law but he's drawn by the gospel It's Christ. Or let this mind be in you which
was also in Christ Jesus. He's immediately directing us
to the Lord Jesus. And this is what he does time
and again when it comes to the practical part of these epistles. We have it in the previous epistle,
that to the Ephesians, there at the end of chapter 4, beginning
of chapter 5, now he exhorts them he says in chapter 4 let
all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking
be put away from you with all malice and be ye kind one to
another tender hearted forgiving one another and then he adds
this even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you He gives the exhortation, then
he reminds them of what God has done in Christ. God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven
you. Be ye therefore followers of
God as dear children, and walk in love, he says. That Christ
also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us, and offering
him the sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour. Again,
he gives exhortations here. walk in love, and immediately
directs us to what Christ has done. We're to walk in love as
Christ loved us, gave himself for us, a sacrifice. And then
he says, But fornication, and all uncleanness, and covetousness,
let it not be once named among you, as become as saints neither
filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient,
but rather giving of thanks. As he speaks of their responsibilities,
their duties, as he sets before them gospel precepts, it's all
bound up with Christ, and the love of Christ, and the sacrifice
of Christ. It's gospel motivation, that's
what we have. It's gospel motivation. And that's what we have here
in the words before us tonight. look not every man on his own
things but every man also on the things of others he says
lowliness of mind, esteeming others better than yourselves
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 all that he was, all that he
is, the eternal son of God. That eternal mystery that ever
was the doctrine of God. That great mystery that came
in the fullness of the time when God was manifest in the flesh. He made himself of no reputation,
he took upon him the form of a servant, he was made in the
likeness of men. for he humbled himself in becoming
a man and then as a man what did he do? being found in fashion
as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even
the death of the cross wherefore God also has highly
exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that
at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven
and things in earth and things under the earth and that every
tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of
God the Father how God has exalted him and this is the one we're
to look to and this is the one that we're to follow in all lowliness
of mind we're to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God
and He will exalt us, even us, in due season. Oh, the Lord then
be pleased to grant us that mind, the mind of the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus. Amen. conclude our worship today as
we sing our final praise in the hymn 1076, the tune Arizona 284. Jesus, in whom the Godheads raise,
being forth with mildest majesty, I see thee full of truth and
grace, and come for all I want to thee, save me from pride,
the plague repel, Jesus thy humble mind impart, O let the spirit
within me dwell, and give me lowliness of heart. 1076 TUNE
284