I write a lot in my journal and today I decided to share it with you in hopes that it would encourage you as much as it did me. Recently I started a bible reading plan from YouVersion called, “The Essential Jesus”. I enjoy going through books of the bible in a timely and orderly fashion, but this one is a bit different as it holds Jesus up and gives you a multi-perspective view of Him that wont leave you without awe of God’s glory by visiting many different passages of the NT.
Day 2 camps in Philippians 2:1-11. I suggest you read this passage. Right now. Go ahead.
We live in a culture of people who try to obtain power and status, often using others as an instrument to further the advancement of that journey. Yet, Christian faith goes against the grain of our power hungry culture. God, (who has ALL the power, ALL the glory, of which man cannot touch, handle, see, or have apart from being found in Christ) laid all His power down an chose to put on flesh. “Though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” (VS 6-7)
God came as the Son of Man named Jesus. He was perfectly obedient to the Law and God has highly exalted Him. He is our Savior, our righteousness and our example. Bask in the glory of His goodness toward you and you just might find yourself tangibly working out this command in the text, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (VS 3-4)
The things that God commands us to do will most often jump off the pages of His word first. This happens because you are keenly aware of your guilt because of an inability to do that command. Your failure to please God on your own hovers over you like an eery storm that is looming. You look in the mirror and see the word GUILTY written in your eyes.
Dear friend, rather than sit in that guilt and be paralyzed by it, allow it to be used as a tool that points you the One who has not failed to please God perfectly on your behalf. The One who not only did it for you, but freely gave you the gift of His righteousness and declared you guilt FREE. Jesus has done it and you are loved by God. Now, and only because of your generous King, can you be empowered to love others the way He does.
Let that guilt be the very driving force that allows you to agree with it, accept it, and be lavished in the grace that you are free from it because of Christ!
Burris Blunders 