Jeremiah 18-19
2 Timothy 3
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus...” Philippians 2:5
In the opening verse of this devotion, Paul is saying to us that we are to set our minds on Jesus. Why? Because we live in a world of distractions. For those of us with a smartphone, we are addicted to endless scrolling and watching videos that are not going to matter for eternity. Very few people devote their mind and energy to the questions that really matter in life: Who are we? Where did we come from? Where are we headed? What happens after we die? What is the purpose of life? Paul is calling us to think about these things by having the same mindset as Christ.
Why? Paul tells us, “…who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped…” (Philippians 2:6, ESV). Did we notice that Jesus was in the form of God? In Jesus’s pre-earthly eternal state, He existed in and possessed the form of God. In other words, whatever God was inwardly, Jesus was inwardly, and whatever God expressed outwardly, Jesus expressed outwardly. Pastor and freelance playwright Kevin Stone writes, “The fact that the Lord Jesus had ‘glory’ before the world began means that His inherent worth is eternal. Jesus, by nature, possesses the quality of infinite value.” All that Jesus is, says and does is of supreme magnitude.
Paul continues, “…but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7, ESV). What does it mean that Jesus was made in “human likeness”? “Likeness” emphasizes similar, yet different. While Jesus bore the resemblance of humanity and was truly human, He did not cease to be God. In other words, the One who existed in the form of God, in equality with God, emptied Himself, took on human likeness and yet never ceased to be God.
Jesus’s descent of emptying Himself continues as “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8, ESV). The cross was a punishment reserved for the lowest of criminals. By dying on the cross, Jesus displayed His humility by descending to the absolute depths.
From Jesus’s humble state, “…God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name…” (Philippians 2:9, ESV). He who humbled Himself to the lowest state is the very One who was exalted to the highest state. Jesus is worthy of the highest title that can be bestowed upon any man and He is worthy of the highest title that can be bestowed upon God. When we have the same mindset as Christ and understand what He did for us, we live differently.
Almighty God, help my mind and energy not to wander onto things that do not matter in life. I want to have the same mindset as Jesus and do Your will on earth. Thank You, Lord.
2 Timothy 3
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus...” Philippians 2:5
In the opening verse of this devotion, Paul is saying to us that we are to set our minds on Jesus. Why? Because we live in a world of distractions. For those of us with a smartphone, we are addicted to endless scrolling and watching videos that are not going to matter for eternity. Very few people devote their mind and energy to the questions that really matter in life: Who are we? Where did we come from? Where are we headed? What happens after we die? What is the purpose of life? Paul is calling us to think about these things by having the same mindset as Christ.
Why? Paul tells us, “…who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped…” (Philippians 2:6, ESV). Did we notice that Jesus was in the form of God? In Jesus’s pre-earthly eternal state, He existed in and possessed the form of God. In other words, whatever God was inwardly, Jesus was inwardly, and whatever God expressed outwardly, Jesus expressed outwardly. Pastor and freelance playwright Kevin Stone writes, “The fact that the Lord Jesus had ‘glory’ before the world began means that His inherent worth is eternal. Jesus, by nature, possesses the quality of infinite value.” All that Jesus is, says and does is of supreme magnitude.
Paul continues, “…but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7, ESV). What does it mean that Jesus was made in “human likeness”? “Likeness” emphasizes similar, yet different. While Jesus bore the resemblance of humanity and was truly human, He did not cease to be God. In other words, the One who existed in the form of God, in equality with God, emptied Himself, took on human likeness and yet never ceased to be God.
Jesus’s descent of emptying Himself continues as “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8, ESV). The cross was a punishment reserved for the lowest of criminals. By dying on the cross, Jesus displayed His humility by descending to the absolute depths.
From Jesus’s humble state, “…God has highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name that is above every name…” (Philippians 2:9, ESV). He who humbled Himself to the lowest state is the very One who was exalted to the highest state. Jesus is worthy of the highest title that can be bestowed upon any man and He is worthy of the highest title that can be bestowed upon God. When we have the same mindset as Christ and understand what He did for us, we live differently.
Almighty God, help my mind and energy not to wander onto things that do not matter in life. I want to have the same mindset as Jesus and do Your will on earth. Thank You, Lord.
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