Philippians
2:5-8
"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: but
made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a
servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in
fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross."
We
emphasized this before our death on the cross, yes our death through
trusting His word and our receptivity of His activities (this is our
following Him and our doing as He has done) by faiths receptiveness.
What made the
death of the cross so unique so far as we are concerned? Is this, it
was not just another crucifixion, because the Romans crucified people
by the thousands back in Jesus’ day. But
His is unique because it was on His terms, and on Him that all the
sins of the world were placed. It was while He hung upon that stake
that the sun turned blood red, the moon and the stars did not give
off their reflective light. So the stars it could be said, fell
heaven, and the day became dark as night, the world was in judgment
(Ezekiel
32:7-8).
That is our death and judgment of the cross.
That is our flesh which houses sin and sins voice. It was there that
our sin was laid on Him (Isaiah 53 and 1Peter 2 tell us that by His
stripes we are healed or restored to right standing, to free from
error and made the righteousness of God), and that is why Isaiah
could write that He was more disfigured than any man that had ever
lived. Because of the judgment of the curse of man’s sin along with
the curse which the Law carried, were laid upon Him as He died that
vicarious death of the cross. Not for Himself but for all humanity
from Adam until the last baby born of woman. In what Paul Harvey
calls, the rest of the story, the revelation of the Lord's Last
Supper (the first part of His marriage feast a betrothal of promise)
coupled with the cross's death, burial, resurrection and His
ascension. The full sequence of events laid out and hidden within the
framework of the Old Covenant came to it's desired end with Christ's
ascension. All of this serves as the bases of this Gospel of God's
Grace and the New and Better Covenant of which we are to believe and
by the action of Faith receive within us. Jesus emptied Himself of
His Glory to take on our shame, our humility and our humanity to
became of no reputation. This is that which Israel never did because
of the heart of stone within mankind during that 3000 year period in
mans history.
The
point I want you to see here is that it all comes to us through the
mind of the heart. When the Spirit gives us understanding
(illumination, revelation, just as Peter revealed when asked who
Jesus was in Matthew 16:13-15) and we with our mental capacity except
these things by trusting His faith. These revelations do not have to
make sense or be some great illumination but they do have to be Light
and Truth which heals from within. Now for a moment let’s follow
the mind by looking at Romans chapter 12, because we cannot take the
mind out of this equation. It is part and parcel of our makeup, and
it is through the mind that we function, spiritually as well as
physically.
Romans
12:1
"I
beseech (beg) you therefore, brethren, by the mercies
of God, that ye present your (physical) bodies a living
sacrifice (not
as a burnt offering), holy, acceptable unto God
which is your reasonable service*. And be not conformed to this
world, but be ye transformed** by the renewing of your
mind,..."
*There
is nothing unreasonable or bizarre about this request at all is
there? Because burnt flesh is good for nothing, of no value to God.
He requires our life be His, through love and trust. **our love and
trust make us totally different from the world around us. By taking
on, in receptiveness of the mind of Christ. Because as He emptied
Himself, to take on our humanity, He now fills us with Himself.
Because He did the first He is able to do the second and we must also
do the first to be able to receive the second thing. This is being a
doer of the word and is required by our having done the other first,
the denying of all self and resisting the voice of our own
flesh-self.
I
just revealed another mystery of Genesis 1 through 3 and the law of
the first therein concealed.
And
now the rest of the story in Romans 12, picking up at verse 2-5;
“And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that we may prove what that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God is. For I say, through the grace
given to me, to every man that is among you, not to think more highly
than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has
dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members
in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, many,
are One Body in Christ, and every one members one of another*.”
*The
mystery of marriage to Him as One. Our being bone of His bone and
flesh of His flesh through our surrendering of self and
self-centeredness to Him.
This
is how we have to start. We have to analyze it, and have to think of
all these things that God has done on our behalf, and it has to be
done through the thought processes, we cannot do it any other way. So
again turn with me to Acts chapter 16. This is when Paul and Silas
went to Philippi. Keeping in mind that this is the first time this
Gospel had been on the European side of the Aegean Sea.
Acts
16:13-14
"And
on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer
was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spoke to the women which
resorted thither. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of
purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshiped God, heard us:
whose heart* the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things
which were spoken of Paul."
*now
here’s the part I always pray for. “Oh Lord give me Lydia’s
today” people with open and receptive hearts.
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