September 6 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Philippians 2:1-13:

¹If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
²Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
³Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
⁴Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
⁵Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
⁶Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
⁷But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
⁸And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
⁹Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
¹⁰That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
¹¹And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
¹²Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
¹³For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Devotional

The question here naturally arises: What mind was in Christ Jesus? What did He think? What was his aim and purpose? In his high priestly prayer He speaks of the glory He had with the Father before the world was. Was He content just to enjoy this glory? The following verses here tell us what was in the mind of Christ. He was in the form of God, that is, He was as great and glorious as God the Father, but He did not con­sider his equality with the Father a thing to cling to, or hold on to. Instead of the form of God, He "took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men . . . and he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Think of it! He gave up his heavenly glory, and suffered the terrors and anguish of hell in order to save us from the pains and torments of eternal damnation. "Where­fore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name."

But now, such a mind should also be in us. Are we willing to humble ourselves, to make sacrifices, to suffer for the good of others? "If we suffer with him, we shall also be glorified with him." But Jesus did his Father's will. That was his meat. And that should be our aim and purpose, to glorify our Father in heaven, now and for ever.

Prayer

Our Father in heaven, make Thou us truly humble. May the mind of Christ be in us, that we may not please our­selves, and live for selfish ends; but please our neighbor for his good to edification. May we be likeminded one toward another, after the example of Jesus Christ; that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Pardon our sins. We ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.

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Scripture in Devotional: John 17:5; Phil. 2:8-10; Rom. 8:17; John 4:34.

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