Philippians 2:7 (KJV)
“but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”
This very scripture is a contradiction to anything representing the Christian life today. No-one today wants to be “of no reputation”, or be found in the “form of a servant/slave”.
There’s this desperate desire Christians have to be great, popular, to rule, reign and have dominion. Yet, outside of accurate biblical interpretation this has become nothing more than a scheme of satan himself. When observing the life of Christ, it’s evident that He had no desire for the things present-day Christians strive for, pray and hope for. Jesus didn’t seek stature, prominence, wealth, or to be served by anyone. He came to do the will of His Father.
As Christians we need to realize that everything we have and possess doesn’t actually belong to us, but merely entrusted to us to be stewards over. This realization changes our point-of-view of how we relate to things, and causes our conduct in nature and character to ‘somewhat’ change. Jesus knew all He was given is the Father’s, given by the Father, for the glory of the Father.
We have truly cheapened the gospel and inaccurately presented it. “Accepting Jesus” and becoming a “believer” has been reduced to simply saying a prayer. The lives of Christians have become nothing more than acknowledging what Jesus done on the cross, and now that we’ve accepted Him as ‘Lord and Savior”, what can we get from Him?!
The church, the body of Christ, is in desperate need of having the gospel presented to them with complete accuracy. We need to understand that the ‘image and likeness’ in which we’ve been created has been lost. And in order to regain that which was lost, we will undoubtedly go through the process called ‘suffering’. Like Jesus, the goal is to bring us to a place of ‘obedience’. Because the intent is for us, as believers, to be as Jesus was in the earth. A previous article stated the student is not beyond the master. If the master suffered, the student will suffer, that the student might at least be as the master is.
BECOMING AS A SLAVE
In today’s culture the word “slave” has an extremely negative connotation attached to it, specifically due to the history of race-based slavery. But Paul strives to explicitly captivate our understanding as to his positioning in God.
Throughout the writings of the Apostle Paul, he often refers to himself as ‘a slave; a prisoner of Christ; an ambassador in chains”. The Apostle Paul is aiming to paint a picture of the nature of his identity. There’s absolutely nothing glamorous about portraying yourself as being a slave. And these were not merely frivolous words uttered by the Apostle. The life of Paul reveals the evidence of his confession to being a slave, prisoner, a chained ambassador for Christ. Paul had a clear revelation of what it was to completely surrender himself to God and His will. He knew what it was to fully submit his life to God, and what it meant to ‘live for Christ’.
1 Peter 2:21 (NIV)
“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
1 Corinthians 11:1 (NIV)
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”
The Apostle Paul boldly and confidently encouraged believers to follow his example in the way they conducted their lives as he conducted his life according the same manner as Christ Jesus conducted His own. Like Jesus, Paul’s desire to see the purpose of God fulfilled was greater than his desire to preserve his own life. Paul began to walk in the earth in the same manner as Jesus did. The Apostle faced many trials and sufferings for the sake of upholding, preaching and teaching the gospel, and walking in obedience to the Father. In spite of all that Paul encountered, his faith in God did not waver, but he persisted, standing firm and fulfilling that which God had called him to.
Philippians 3:8/10 (AMP)
“But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him—a joy unequaled]. For His sake I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ,… And this, so that I may know Him [experientially, becoming more thoroughly acquainted with Him, understanding the remarkable wonders of His Person more completely] and [in that same way experience] the power of His resurrection [which overflows and is active in believers], and [that I may share] the fellowship of His sufferings, by being continually conformed [inwardly into His likeness even] to His death [dying as He did].”
It’s obvious that Paul adds no value to anything outside of Christ. Knowing Christ has taken the seat of priority in Paul’s life. The things of this world, the achievements, accomplishments, possessions, have become detestable and worthless to the Apostle. Paul wants to know Christ in such an intimate way. He seeks to partake of the resurrection power at work in the day-to-day experience of being in Christ. The Apostle Paul has fully grasped the value of the persecutions, struggles and trials that accompanies anyone who seeks to walk intimately and in total surrender to Christ.
There is a resistance within us to walk in complete obedience and submission to God and His will. We have a will of our own, a will which has been shaped and designed to satisfy us and bring us pleasure. Our will, for the most part, is in direct conflict with the will of God. It is bringing our will into submission to the will of the Father, that we experience the sense of suffering.
Galatians 5:17 (AMP)
For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do.
The Apostle Paul knew by being conformed inwardly, into Christ’s likeness, is partaking in the fellowship of Christ’s death. In having our inward self/nature conformed to Christ, part of us must die. It is our act of “being crucified with Christ”; our ability of imitating Christ, and displaying our obedience to the Father. God desires us to walk in complete obedience to Him, just as Jesus walked completely obedient to the Father’s will.
Luke 22:42 (NKJV)
“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
To follow the example of Jesus, there has to be a complete abandoning of our will. We need to come to the place where all things of this world, the temporal and momentary things, become detestable and worthless to us.
The Apostle Paul continually uses specific imagery to emphasize this notion of becoming ‘slaves to Christ’. When we begin to string this descriptive language together it forms a particular point of reference from which we should strive to position ourselves.
- “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.”
- “Paul, a slave to Christ Jesus/God.”
- “Ambassador in chains.”
- “Slaves to righteousness.”
- “Slaves to God and Christ.”
It’s with an earnest conviction that Paul speaks of being a “slave” to God and Christ. He intentionally does this in order to make it clear that his ultimate allegiance and loyalty was neither to himself, family, country, nor to anyone other than Jesus. His time was not his own to spend on what satisfied him. His mind was not his own to think about whatever brought him pleasure.
Any teaching involving the believer being a slave to Christ has been forsaken and abandoned in the current church. We reject teachings which ushers the believer into an accurate relationship with God, and we boast in teachings which causes separation from the truth.
You have to deny yourself to truly follow Christ. We are delusional to think that we are “carrying our cross”, yet living according to our own ways and desires.
Galatians 2:20 (NIV)
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
There’s not two lives which exists, there’s only Him. Your will and desires have been forsaken and abandoned in order that His is expressed in and through you. If it is Christ who now lives through you then it is His pleasures, will and desires which are lived out through your body which is nothing more than a vessel.
I Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)
“…and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
A very different truth from simply “say a prayer and accept Jesus into your heart”. Forget about an overflow of responses at your alter-call presenting that as the offer. This is what REPENTANCE is! The need for us to come into a true and accurate understanding of God’s desire and will has never been greater.
God is not in search of church buildings filled to capacity. He is not impressed by these mega structures, erected for “His glory”. He finds no pleasure or glory in people living in mansions, driving flashy cars, living in abundance and overflow, living their best lives now, as though it is to honor Him. No. He’s in search of men and women who have given themselves completely, as living sacrifices, and who have allowed themselves to be formed into the image and likeness of Christ. His desire is to have true representatives of Him, as Christ was in the earth.
When we understand the result God is aiming to achieve, the manner by which we measure things change. No longer does where we live, our bank balance or our occupation have any effect on the purpose of God. It’s lives, fully given in submission to Him, leaving its’ own pleasures and will behind, in order to see the Fathers will accomplished through it. The gospel must begin to produce those who come to a place by which they are able to declare, “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”.
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