Being The Church 11

Philippians 2

Last week we examined the STEP DOWN that Jesus took when coming to solve our massive problem. [You have this massive problem – and I wonder if you have realised it and brought it to Christ who is your only possible Rescuer.] The massive problem we share with the rest of humanity is the pollution, distortion and ruin caused by sin which is dragging us down into death and makes us fit only for God’s wrath.

Christ’s step down sheds brilliant light what it means to look not only to your own interests but the interests of others. He showed the ultimate empathy. Empathy is to take on the experiences of others so we feel, along with them, their actual circumstances. This is what Jesus did in the most remarkable and incredibly intimate way. He became what we are. He became sinful man – sinful with our sin – not his own. For our sake God made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Cor 5.21.

Though he was God by nature and knew that no one could ever compete with him or rob him of his ‘Godness’, he chose to empty himself of his privileges and rights as Son of God. He deliberately took to himself a human life and assumed responsibility for all our transgressions. To transgress means to ‘walk across’; when you transgress you cut across the direction you should be going in. Our transgressions are our cutting across God’s purpose for us. Disobedience. Jesus took responsibility for our disobedience by being obedient to the point of death. He took our disobedience where it needs to go: he took it under God’s wrath and judgement – he took it there personally and in his own person. He suffered death on a cross for us and in doing so he solved our massive problem. Not everyone believes; But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1.12.

Paul is teaching us – urging on us the need to have among us this same mindset and attitude that Jesus Christ had in coming to rescue us. He got ‘up close’ to humanity by taking on our sin-damaged lives. He felt pain, he experience tiredness, he wept, he was tempted.

We are called to bear one another’s burdens as Christ bore ours. Galatians 6:1-5.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbour. For each will have to bear his own load.

Of course we cannot clean up one another’s sins. Only Jesus could do that by offering his lifeblood as a sacrifice at the cross. However, we must serve one another by leading each other back to the cross – back to the place of safety in forgiveness – when we stumble. This requires the same empathy Christ has for us - the mind of Christ - which is to put aside our own rights and privileges and lay down our lives for the sake of our brothers and sisters. When our brother or sister is tripped up by sins (‘caught in any transgression’) we will not take a superior attitude but stoop to restore them – all the while making sure that we are not participating in those sins or making light of them. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. Jude 20-23. The apostles (Paul and Jude) are teaching us here that we are not to be swallowed up by our own interests. We are to look out for the interests of others – and what greater investment does a person have than his or her own eternal existence – what a shocking loss to let that slip away! We are to look out for each other – strengthening each others’ faith – going after those who drift away – encouraging those who are undergoing trials. We are to have the same attitude Christ has for us – LET HIS MIND BE IN YOU!

John goes even further when he calls this serving our brothers and sisters, ‘laying down our lives’ for our brothers and sisters and says that it is the evidence that we are ourselves saved in Christ. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. By this we know love that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 1 John 3.

This ‘laying down of our lives’ extends from going without some little thing so that you can meet a Christian brother or sister’s need …. right through to actually surrendering your life so others can be saved. This is what we see every time we hear of a Christian who has been killed for taking the gospel into a hostile community. The same love that Jesus had in laying down his life for us, is seen in that Christian who leaves the safety of his home and country and grows a church in dangerous places and is killed for it. We are all called to lay down our lives somewhere along that continuum – daily.