Philippians 2 vs 9-13

Philippians Chapter 2 Verses 9 – 11

·    Every knee, every tongue…, one day free will will give way and every person that has ever existed will recognize Jesus for who He is. And who is He? Isaiah 45:23, “I have sworn by Myself. The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess.” Who is speaking here? This is Yahweh. This is Old Testament. So, who is Jesus? He is indeed the King of kings and the Lord of lords… No man can be exalted. No name of any man can be above every other name. This is a clear communication of the deity of Jesus.

·    Do you see how God the Father crowned Jesus, God the Son? He didn’t crown Himself. Could have, He himself is God., but, even so, He does not crown Himself. Why? He knows His worth. We are so ferocious in protecting our reputation and making sure everyone knows our worth, Jesus was never like that. He knew who He was and what He was worth and that freed Him to do what was so much higher than serving Hmself. This is the mind that Paul says we must “let” be in us as well.

·    Know your worth. God calls you His beloved. He actually call you His masterpiece in Ephesians. He thought you, purposed you, created you, intentionally. He redeemed you with His own life. And now wants to and can use you to beam His glory through. Yea, I’m not perfect, I make mistakes, I do dumb things and I’m not even close to being complete in my maturity…, the devil can whisper all of that in my ear and I’ll agree with him. But I know who my God is and what He has done for me and what He says of me and what He calls me. I don’t need you or me to tell me my worth. He does… How about you?

·    God, the King of kings, Lord of lords, took (with His own hands) the form of a slave… Why? Because it was the wisest, strongest, smartest, best, most powerfully loving thing possible. That is the mind of Christ. When you follow that you move past “saved” and you become a Christian. That’s when you and I grasp our worth  and it humbles you, and in that process the mind of Christ becomes welcomed so that Christ would come back to the world through you.

·    Oh man, just one more thing here… see this? The tongue is doing something and the body is doing something (the knee). What we say, what we sing in worship, what we pray, who we say we are, should align with what we do… Just want to point that out… And, these two agree (the tongue and the knee) that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father! What you say and what you do, they have to agree!

Philippians Chapter 2 Verse 12

·    People get all mixed up over this verse because they don’t couple it in correct context. All this means is there is no room for arrogance in the walk of salvation. I am, you are, saved by grace through faith and not of any merit of your own. And no merit of your own keeps you saved. Makes you acceptable or more acceptable to the Father or more than anyone, ANYONE, else. And so, work that out. Put it to exercise. Flex that over and over and over again until it breaks down and builds back stronger. Sure, you’ll be a little sore! That’s the fear and trembling part… No one is afraid anymore of offending God… but if we knew the power of God and the power of His Word, we would!!!

Philippians Chapter 2 Verse 13

·    There’s the correct context of verse 12. Anything good. Anything, harkening back to what Paul has already said, anything of consolation in Christ, anything of comfort, love, fellowship, affection and mercy, any of that is not you achieving honor but it is a shadow of the goodness that originated in God before time began and therefore it belongs to Him.

·    Think of it this way. Every evil thing. Every sin. Does any of that ever originate with God? Absolutely not. So, every good thing. Everything that is a blessing. Why do you think that originates with you? That’s Him just coming through. If He is the source of good from the beginning… then all good now is attributable to Him, right? So, every and all good in me or in you, why do I take credit for it? That’s incorrect.

·    So, secondary truth, when you raise your nose to that brother or sister in the faith you are raising your nose at least in a percentage to God Himself! Because in every Christian, there is at least a percentage of good…or…they are not a Christian!

·    I like what George Muller an 1800s Christian evangelist and orphanage director once said, “The believer must work out what God in His grace has worked in.” Jesus perhaps completing this thought in Matthew Chapter 4 Verses 13 – 16, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Philippians Chapter 2 Verses 14 – 16

·    How can I best reflect Jesus!? By memorizing and quoting and correcting and reciting and teaching others to do the same! Maybe…but what you do is entirely completely eternally forever less important than how you do it and why you do it! (Do you serve or are you a servant!?)

·    I mean, I was thinking about this. Do ALL things without complaining? Ugh, that’s so much! BUT, this does honor the Lord. This does destroy that which is in me that stirs discontent. So how can I do this? And the Lord just said to me, “Do less.” Simplify. I gotta go to work. I gotta love my wife. I gotta upkeep the house. I gotta go to church. I gotta go to the store. I gotta call this person. Meet this person. Respond to this email. Finish this project… That’s a lot! Put all of that in the envelope of, “I want to know the Lord more. I want to honor Him.” All that fits in there… Far more simple and far easier to do without complaining… Just a thought, perhaps!

·    The other side of that is to do these things without disputing. The English language is so weak. I mean, we read “complaining” but the word in the Greek Paul uses is actually “a secret displeasure not openly avowed.” Also, translatable as “grudging.” Do all things, (this is Christian talk here, what we are commanded to do), do all things without secret displeasure not openly avowed. Do all things without grudging. Does that mean air out all your offenses? Absolutely not. Proverbs 29:11 would call you a fool! That means don’t be a grudgy person. You are most like God when you give…., and when you forgive! Not concerned about being Christ-like? Whoa…, are you a Christian???????

·    It’s not be less grudgy, it’s don’t be grudgy at all, forgive folks and move on and do it without disputing. That word in the Greek means “imagination or thoughts or reasoning towards arguing.” It really means don’t be negative but the Greek word tells us how. Quit imagining how you feel is more real than what actually happened and think differently about them and the whole thing!

·    But, but, but, but, but…, yea I know. And where is that going to get you? Hurt, pouting, offended, annoyed, disturbed and irritated. You want that, that’s on you, but that is not Christ-like and therefore it is not right. You are in the wrong, no matter what has happened to you. Take it to the Lord.

·    But, but, but, but, but…, too many Christians are a group of “buts!” This is the purpose. Not so that life is fair to you…or to me…but so that we may become blameless and harmless children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life causing people like Paul, other Christians, to rejoice and be encouraged to run their own race!