The Power of Humility and Sacrifice

Philippians 2

​“I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves one above the other, and that the taller we grew in Christian character the more easily we could reach them. I now find that God’s gifts are on shelves one beneath the other and that it is not a question of growing taller but of stooping lower.” F. B. Meyer

Philippians 2 is such a powerhouse chapter for believers with its focus on what Jesus joyfully and humbly did for humanity and what God did for Him. Warren Wiersbe divides the chapter by the description of look out, work out, and poured out. However, Dr. Harold Wilmington divides the chapter in major bullet points of what Jesus did for you and me. I am moved to focus on the humility of Christ and the impact of His Godship being laid down on your and my behalf.
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“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:1–11 (ESV)

Jesus is the model for Christian life and service because He thought first of others—about you and me--not of Himself. I am moved by His selflessness of Jesus, and am convicted by lack of Christ-like humility. How about you?

Dr. Tony Evans writes, “Jesus emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant. He didn’t empty himself of deity; he didn’t stop being God. Rather, he poured the fullness of deity into his humanity. He took on human flesh and became a servant. He didn’t let his deity stop him from expressing humanity. The incarnation resulted in Jesus being fully God and fully man. In theology, this is known as the hypostatic union—two natures in one person, unmixed forever.”
Serving was never a threat to Jesus because he never lost sight of who he was. He knew his position with the Father. Similarly, when you know who you are—a son or daughter of God—rendering service won’t be a problem. It’s when you don’t know who you are that serving becomes a problem. When you are unsure of your identity, you’ll fear that serving is beneath you, that you’ll somehow be taken advantage of if you serve.

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 14 all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” Philippians 2:12–16 (ESV)

As you yield to the Lord and His Will for your life, He works in and you work out; in this way, you fulfill His plan for your life.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10 (ESV)

God cannot shine through you until He works in you, so let Him have His way in and through you. You are a light in a dark world, a runner holding forth the living Word to a dead world.

“Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. 19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. 25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.” Philippians 2:17–30 (ESV)

The image is that of the drink offering, poured out on the altar.

“The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land you are to inhabit, which I am giving you, 3 and you offer to the LORD from the herd or from the flock a food offering or a burnt offering or a sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering or at your appointed feasts, to make a pleasing aroma to the LORD, 4 he who brings his offering shall offer to the LORD a grain offering of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil; 5 and you shall offer with the burnt offering, or for the sacrifice, a quarter of a hin of wine for the drink offering for each lamb. 6 Or for a ram, you shall offer for a grain offering two tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a third of a hin of oil. 7 And for the drink offering you shall offer a third of a hin of wine, a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 8 And when you offer a bull as a burnt offering or sacrifice, to fulfill a vow or for peace offerings to the LORD, 9 then one shall offer with the bull a grain offering of three tenths of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with half a hin of oil. 10 And you shall offer for the drink offering half a hin of wine, as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.” Numbers 15:1–10 (ESV)

Paul was willing to pour out his very life for the sake of the Lord and the church, and to do it joyfully. Timothy and Epaphroditus had the same attitude of service and sacrifice, giving themselves for others.

Do you look out for the interests of others, or do you think only of yourself? Do you have the servant attitude of Jesus Christ, willing to sacrifice for others? Will you empty yourself that others might be filled?

Know today that when the mighty Son of God became the lowly Son of Man, he did several things:
• He left heaven’s glory for earth’s poverty.
• He “made himself nothing,” or “emptied” himself.
• He “appeared in human form,” This simple fact can hardly be grasped by the human mind. The infinite, holy Creator suddenly came into the world in the likeness of his creatures. One might compare that to a human king voluntarily becoming a peasant. But a better comparison would be a human king becoming a lowly ant—though even that comparison would be inadequate!
• He “took the humble position of a slave.” He did not come as a mighty human king or philosopher, but as a lowly servant.
• He “humbled himself:”
— He talked our language, wore our clothes, ate our food, breathed our air, and endured our vicious treatment. Contrast Christ’s humble statement in the Garden of Gethsemane with the statement of arrogance that many scholars attribute to Satan.
— Christ’s ultimate humiliation came as he allowed himself to be killed. And this was not just any death but “a criminal’s death on a cross,” the worst kind of death both physically and judicially. (Dr. Harold Wilmington, Wilmington’s Bible Handbook)
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Because Christ humbly gave himself for our sins:
• God has “raised him up to the heights of heaven.”
• He has been given a name (a position and place of authority) above all other names.
• Someday He will be acknowledged as Lord by everyone:
— “in heaven” (angels)
— “on earth” (human saints and sinners)
— and “under the earth” (demons) (Dr. Harold Wilmington, Wilmington’s Bible Handbook)

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