To Be Spurned On
This letter is so theologically rich about who Christ is and how we should respond to the salvation offered through Him. Chapter two's structure is interesting, but as with all things God does, it is intentional.
This chapter teaches several main things about Christ. These are essential pillars of Christianology (the study of who Christ is).
To begin, let’s start with verses 6 and 7, which states, “who, as He [Jesus] already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but emptied himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.” There are three things we learn about Christ from this. First, Jesus was before all creation. We read that here and in John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:15–17. Jesus was one part of the Triune God.
Bringing us to our second point: though He was fully God, He did not count it for His glorification. In Micah 6:8, the prophet tells us to walk humbly with our God. This is the ultimate walk of humility through the life of Christ. Jesus emptied himself of the independent exercise of His divine attributes during His human life on Earth. We only see Jesus use His divine powers when it was God’s will trusting that His glorification will come as it was promised by the Father. Why is this important? It is crucial and essential for the gospel to be good news. Jesus, the Son of God, came to empty Himself to live the life we could not. Fully obedient and completely sinless.
Jesus’ life is something to be in awe of because it wasn’t just God covered in flesh, but Jesus was fully human. Born of a woman, like all of us, but unlike us, He was completely obedient, “obedient to the point of death, death on the cross.” Jesus' humility doesn’t end in His fleshly presence, but in the pouring out of His life on the cross willingly, dying the most degrading and excruciating of human deaths - crucifixion. Though we know that Jesus’ story does not end here, God exalts Him through raising Jesus from the dead.
The last point is to learn that Jesus' glory doesn’t end in resurrection but a promised future of universal allegiance, and worship from every tribe, tongue, and nation. This is the gospel: Jesus emptied himself to be a fully obedient and wholly sinless human, to die a death reserved for us, and to rise in glory to become King now and forever.
After Paul explains this, he turns it back to the Philippians and now to us. How do we respond to all these truths about Jesus? He gives us three ways to respond:
Obedience
Just as Jesus was obedient, we are to be obedient in our daily lives. We often think of glorifying God in big things, but Jesus was fully obedient in everything He did. We are obedient in private and public on Sundays and every other day of the week. We are to be lights, just as Jesus is the Light. Paul lays this out very clearly throughout the passage. If we loved Christ, obedience would look like being united in the Spirit (v. 2), intent together on one purpose (v.2), humbly considering one another more important than yourself (v. 3), looking for the interests of others (v. 4), not complaining or arguing (v. 14), living above reproach, i.e., a life that does not need consistent rebuking (v.15), holding firm to the word of life (v. 16), and lastly rejoicing (v.18).
Does your life look like this? We often privatize and individualize obedience, but Paul urges the Philippian CHURCH to be united and obedient. Just as Jesus poured out Himself, which is evident by His death and resurrection, we should also pour ourselves out, counting others as more significant.
Working out our salvation
In verse 12, we see a funny little verse. Paul tells the Philippians to work out their salvation. This can seem confusing to us now because the rest of the Bible is very clear that we only gain salvation through faith in Jesus and Jesus alone. Yet, Paul is communicating something different than a works-based
salvation. Working out our salvation is not to please or earn but to recognize the salvation we’ve been given freely through Jesus. As we realize this gift, we respond with a commitment to be responsible and lean into discipleship, trusting in God’s sovereignty. We work with God to become like Jesus.
So do not work out to earn salvation, but trust in the salvation already given to you to work with God and through God for your sanctification. This is not easy work, but this is a whole dedication to the discipline of following Jesus. Paul again says something like this in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27:
24 Do you not know that all the runners run in a race, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
We work like athletes, committing to daily practices of transformation so that we may leverage our lives as acts of worship. Do you do this? Do you work out your salvation daily with the empowerment of the Spirit in you?
Fruits of obedience
The fruit of obedience is one of joyous sacrifice. Verses 17-18 is one of my all-time favorite passages and really challenges the life of the American Christian. In the Old Testament and the pagan world of the Gentiles (the background of the Philippians), a drink offering was an act of sacrifice as worship. It was usually an additional act that went along with a burnt offering that was a sacrifice for atonement of sin.
Paul calls others to emulate him as he sacrifices his life to spread the gospel. We rest in the complete and forever sacrifice of Jesus that offers salvation to us, and in turn, we sacrifice our lives as a pleasing aroma of worship to the Lord. Not only do we sacrifice, but we do it with deep joy. Just as Jesus poured out His life as a burnt offering for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2) we are to be poured out as drink offerings.
As you commune with God, reflect on how you could respond in these three ways.
Where can you turn to a more obedient life?
Where do you need to work out your salvation?
Where can you sacrifice your life out of worship?
Let God, who dwells in you like a temple, lead you to be a pleasing aroma this week. Let your life be a joyful sacrifice for the sake of the faith of others around you.
