2 1-4 If
you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has
made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit
means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do
me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited
friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to
the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be
obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough
to lend a helping hand.
5-8 Think
of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal
status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling
to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the
time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status
of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human.
It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special
privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a
selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a
crucifixion.
9-11 Because
of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond
anyone or anything, ever, so that all created beings in heaven and on
earth—even those long ago dead and buried—will bow in worship before
this Jesus Christ, and call out in praise that he is the Master of all,
to the glorious honor of God the Father.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please post comments here.