Philippians (Lesson 20)

God didn’t “almost” save you. Philippians 2 shows Jesus Christ stepping down, on purpose, from eternal glory to the brutal shame of the cross and it forces a question we can’t dodge: what does real humility actually look like?

We open up Philippians 2:5–11 and trace the downward steps Scripture describes. Christ exists in the form of God, equal with God, and He is worshiped without stealing honor that isn’t His. Then He does the unthinkable: He makes Himself of no reputation, takes the form of a servant, and is made in the likeness of men. We talk through the reality of the incarnation, the cost of being rejected and despised, and the wonder of “God with man’s clothes on,” walking among ordinary people.

From there, we slow down at the heart of the passage: Jesus “became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” This message argues clearly that the crucifixion is not simply the outcome of human politics or a violent plot. It is willing obedience to the Father’s will, the planned work of redemption, and the center point of Christianity.

We then turn back to Philippians 2:1–4 and bring it home: like-minded love, no strife, lowliness of mind, esteeming others, and looking out for someone else’s good. If you want practical Christian living, servant leadership, and a real blueprint for unity in the church, it starts here. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review telling us what challenged you most.

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Transcript

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Welcome And Scripture Focus

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All right, thank you very much for that kind word of introduction. Thanks to each and every one of you for tuning in today. I'm Brother James, and I greet you one more time in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. This is the preaching of the cross radio broadcast. By the grace of God, we've been on the air since nineteen eighty one, doing all that we can to uplift and magnify the glorious person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are in the midst of a study of the book of Philippians, and better still, we are in the midst of one of the grandest portions of all Scripture. In Philippians the second chapter, we have laid out for us the incredible downward steps taken by Jesus Christ as he made his way from heaven to the cross, and then the incredible upward steps as Jesus Christ made his way back to his place, his rightful place in glory, to be seated at the right hand of his Father, to rule and reign forever and ever, as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, as our great high priest, as the Savior of sinners, the one who intercedes for the saints, and this portion of Scripture is really unmatched in God's Word. When we try to take in and try to consider how far down Jesus Christ stooped to lift us, and when we try to consider how far upward God the Father therefore exalted him, it really it really goes beyond our ability to comprehend. Oh, we can talk about it, we'll do the best we can, we can comment upon it and do all that we're able by God's help, but no one can fully take in this matter of the Lord's humility and

Christ Equal With God

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then his subsequent exalting by his Father. The Bible says in Philippians two and verse number five, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation incredible and took upon him the form of a servant, remarkable, and was made in the likeness of man. We've got a lot to get to, don't we? And being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and become became obedient unto death even the death of the cross. Wherefore? God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every nation bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I stand amazed as I consider this downward progression on the part of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at where he began. He is God in visible form. He is God made visible to the human eye. He is God revealed, God declared, God made known to man's feeble capacity and ability to understand him. In eternity past, before there was a heaven, before there was an earth, before there was sun, moon, and stars and planets, Jesus Christ existed in the form of God. Before there was time, before there was man, before there were angel or devil, Jesus Christ eternally existed as almighty God, but with form, whereby he might be beheld. And this Lord Jesus Christ, the creator and sustainer of all things, this Lord Jesus Christ who is surely the as surely the Alpha as he is the Omega, who is as surely the beginning as he is the ending, this Lord Jesus Christ did not for one moment step beyond his rightful place when he allowed men and angels and cherubim and seraphim to own him and worship him as God. Were I to take to myself for one split second the honor, the glory, the majesty, the title of God, I would be committing an act of robbery. I would be attempting to take to myself something that does not belong to me. But when Jesus Christ is adored as the Almighty, when Jesus Christ is magnified as the Lord of all, when Jesus Christ is lifted up as the Creator, when Jesus Christ is said to be very God, he is not taking to himself honor, glory, position, place, title that does not belong to him. He is God almighty. He has ever been God almighty. He ever shall be God Almighty. So this one this one who is God in visible form, this one who is God in every way it is possible to be God. The Bible says made himself not a great king, he was already a great king. Made himself not Lord of all, he was already Lord of all. Made himself not the high and lofty one who inhabiteth

He Made Himself No Reputation

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eternity. He has ever held that place. Rather he made himself of no reputation. This is the one, this is the one around whose throne those curious creatures fly continually saying holy, holy, holy Lord God almighty. He made himself of no reputation. This is the one who spoke and said, Let there be light, and there was light, and he made himself of no reputation. He stooped so far that the Bible says in Psalm twenty two six he became a worm and no man, a reproach of man and despised of the people. He stooped so far in making himself of no reputation that the Bible says that he had no form, nor comeliness, no beauty that we should desire him. He not only became man, he became the very lowest of men, he not only took him the f upon him the form and likeness of man, but made himself so void of reputation that he was actually despised and rejected of men and endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, so far down did he travel, and without reputation, born of a virgin, but that miraculous birth gave way and lent opportunity to so many scandalous lies about his origin and his birth, born not in a palace, but in a lowly manger, raised not among nobility, but in

The Servant Who Became Man

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a carpenter's shop. This Lord Jesus Christ, who made himself of no reputation then went a step farther. He laid aside his right to demand service from mortals. He laid aside his right to be waited on, to be adored, to be treated like the king that he was, to be worshipped as the majesty that he was, and he took upon him this one who had been forever in the form of God, took upon him the form of a servant, he came to wash the feet of men, he came to dry the tears of women, he came to lift the burdens of laborers, he came to heal the broken hearts of commoners, he came to eat with ordinary folk. He came to dine with men like you, with women like me. He came to rub shoulders with the outcasts of this world. This one, this Lord of Lords, took upon him the form of a serpent, and then as insulting as it may be to you, my friend, the Bible then says and was made in the likeness of men. Do you understand that angels serve God? And in this universe the host of heaven has little or no reputation, as out in those eternal realms God gets all the glory. So do you realize that for Jesus Christ it was a lower step to be made in the likeness of men than to be made a servant in the form of a servant angels serve, but without shame. The host of heaven gives God all honor and glory, but without resentment. And so we see that for Jesus Christ to be made in the likeness of man is really the greatest downward step of all. Keep in mind man is a fallen creature. Keep in mind man lost the wonder and marvel of the perfection that he had when God created him through the sin in which he willingly engaged. So this Lord Jesus Christ, how far down he stooped, not to serve God the Father, not to allow God the Father to have all reputation while he himself had none, but think how far he stooped to take upon him the likeness of man. And there he is, there he is. Not with a gradient glow about him as was seen for a brief moment on the Mount of Transfiguration, not with a halo upon his head or wings upon his back, but undistinguished in a crowd of mortals, unrecognizable in a group of Adam's descendants. There walks, there stands, there sits the God of the ages. What a remarkable thing that Jesus Christ would stoop so low for you and for me. Then the Bible says, and being found in fashion as a man, see this is God with man's clothes on. You remember the Bible said we have a desire not to be unclothed but clothed upon, that is to take off the clothing of our mortal body and put on the clothing of our resurrection body. So Jesus Christ is wearing a fashion. He's wearing a garment, clothing, what is it? A human body. He did not begin his existence in that manger at Bethlehem. Rather he put on human fashion when he came into this world. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself. More so, more so than leaving heaven's glory, more so than laying aside the form of God, more so than being made in the likeness

Obedient Unto Death On A Cross

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of man. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death. Now that phrase is vital in so many ways. First of all, it shows that Jesus Christ came into this world for the purpose of dying that death. It did not come about as a result of circumstances arising from the life, ministry, and teaching of the Lord Jesus. That death was the plan of God the Father and God the Son from the day sin entered this world. I hope you see, understand, believe, know that to be the fact that it is. Then I want you to see, my friend, that Jesus Christ becoming obedient unto death tells us in unmistakable terms that the Lord Jesus was not killed by a plot of Jewish religious leaders working in concert with Roman government officials. I want you to see and I want you to understand that Jesus Christ was not killed by men, but that Jesus Christ came to willingly and obediently submit himself to death because it was the plan, purpose, will, necessity determined upon by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in the council chambers of heaven. Now look, you have to see this. Some somebody, somebody decided that Jesus Christ must die. That was not scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees. Somebody decided, somebody decided that Jesus Christ must suffer on a cross to pay for sins. That was not Pontius Pilate and Herod. Somebody decided that Jesus Christ would lay down his life in death. And when Jesus Christ laid down his life in death, the Bible says that was an act of obedience. Tell me, to whom? To whom was he being obedient? To the will of his Father, not to the will of man. So what an incredible step down Jesus took from heaven, knowing that he was coming to this earth to die for your sins and for mine. Then the Bible says, not only to become obedient unto death, but obedient unto the death of the cross, the horrific torture of the cross, the incredible shame of the cross, the brutal abuse of the cross, hanging for all the world to see, thereby a declaration being made that this man is of such of such character, and his conduct is of such ill repute that he is not fit to live in a society of sinful and fallen people. And there he hangs. Naked, beaten, abused, despised, rejected. That's the Lord of glory, and he knew that's what awaited him when he came to this earth. And he came. And he submitted himself to that plan so that you could be saved, and so that I could

Humility Lived Out Toward Others

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be saved. Now let's backtrack. Let's go back to where we spent the last couple of programs. Verse number one If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill you my joy that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Now let me ask you something. Does your love for your mother, father, brother, sister, husband, wife, child, parent, does your father does your love for for your brothers and sisters in Christ does it show forth an understanding of and a fellowship with this love of Jesus Christ? Verse three, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. When Jesus Christ hung upon that cross where he did not belong, dying for those who did belong there? Do you see a total absence on his part of malice, hatred, ill will, unforgiveness, bitterness, grudges? Do you see the Lord Jesus Christ the better? Placing himself under the wrath of God for you, for me the worse. It is that humility of mind that is called for in Philippians 2 1 to 4. When the Bible says in verse 4, look not every man on his own things, but every man also in the things of others. It is beyond my ability to rightly express the extent to which Jesus Christ is ignoring his own well being and looking out for your well being. The extent to which Jesus Christ has laid aside all the good to which he is rightly entitled, so that you by grace and mercy might receive all the blessings to which you have never been entitled. This, my friend, is the center point of Christianity. This, my friend, is the death of Jesus Christ as it relates to the lives of his followers explained for all to behold. In this passage Jesus is not set forth as dying to pay for our sins, though he did. In this passage Jesus is not set forth as dying to save us from eternity and hellfire, though he did. In this passage, Jesus Christ is set forth dying upon that cross to show you and to show me how our heart should be toward others, how our thoughts should be toward others. This, my friend, is God's testimony of self sacrificial love for others, and it is to this high calling, it is to this mark that we are to run, that we are to press, it is upon this that we are to set our sights and never turn our attention away. This is Christianity, it is the love of God manifest in the Lord Jesus Christ, delivered to us by the Holy Spirit, and living through us to others. This is the Christian life. We sure need to pray one for another, don't we? That God would help us not just to be saved, but to be Christians. As

Resources And Closing Invitation

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our time winds down today, let me take a moment to encourage you to visit our web address where you will find probably enough sermons and Bible study materials to keep you occupied from now until the Lord comes for you. Thousands and thousands and thousands of hours of Bible teaching true to God's word. That web address is jamesknox.com. Jamesnox.com. Hope you'll drop in. Our mailing address, for those of you that want to send a letter of encouragement and how we appreciate that. Or those who would like to obtain a catalog of our available materials, if you'd rather do it that way than visit the website. That mailing address is 872 Glenwood Road. 872 Glenwood Road. That's in Deland, D-E-L-A-N-D, D-Land, Florida. And the zip code number 32720. That mailing address is in the United States of America. All right, the announcer will be on now in just a moment to let you know when this program will be heard again over this radio station. And we hope that at that time you and a friend that you invite to listen with you will join us for the preaching of the cross radio broadcast. Until then, I'm Brother James. May the Lord richly bless you.

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And radio broadcast.