Christ’s Main Interests
‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God…. did not consider equality with God……something to be grasped…….But made himself nothing,….taking the very nature of a servant…..being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:5-7
In Paul’s world, great human leaders, like the Greek leader, Alexander, and the Roman Caesar, Augustus, wanted others to believe they were gods.
But here One who truly is God has become human.
The NIV says Christ ‘made himself nothing’ or more literally ‘emptied himself.’ What did He empty himself of? Some would answer “his divinity” but that’s not what Paul is saying. ‘Christ Jesus … (emptied himself) … (by) being made in human likeness.’ He emptied Himself by becoming a man. There was a change in role and status but not in attributes or nature.
In holding up Christ as an example, Paul isn’t encouraging the Philippian Christians to “give up” or “lay aside” any of their essential attributes or become a diminished version of what they are. What he is asking them to do is to put the interests of others first, ‘Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others’ (v.4) Because this is his goal, Paul uses Christ as the supreme example of one who put others’ interests first, and was willing to give up some of the privilege and status that was His as God.
For our sake, Christ, the eternal Son of God, laid aside His glory, became a man and suffered death to secure our salvation. He abandoned His rights to win the world.
What are you willing to do to win your world?
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