Willing to Give It All Up

Philippians 2: 5-7

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

As this verses teaches: when Jesus came to earth to be born in a stable in Bethlehem, He never diminished or forfeited His absolute equality with God. The word “equal” in verse 6 refers to exact equivalence. The incarnation did not change that.

Yet, as a man on earth, Jesus never used the perks of deity for His own personal benefit. He never used His power and authority independently of His Father’s will because He didn’t consider that power and authority things to be grasped. He would not use them for His own benefit.

That attitude was what set in motion the incarnation. He willing left heaven to be born into poverty knowing that the path He took would take Him to the cross. He took upon Himself all that humiliation and abuse willingly. At any time, Jesus could have called down uncountable multitudes of angels to rescue him from the cross. He could have appealed to His father to be excused from the mission. He could have independently used His power to annihilate His opponents. But He did not. And that demonstrates the mind of Christ.

For us to have this same attitude, we would have to stop clinging to everything we hold onto so dearly. We would have to be willing to give it up to God for His control even if He asked us to give it all away. That’s what Jesus did to the rich, young ruler in Mark 10:21 when he tested His faith. The young, up-and-coming ruler of Israel thought he was pretty good and that God should accept him for his works. But this is what Jesus told him, Mark 10:21:

21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.”

What would you have done if Jesus had asked you to do that? But the truth is, Jesus says the same thing to every one of us. In Luke 14:33, Jesus flatly states: “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” Being willing to forsake all to follow Christ is having the mind of Christ. He was willing to forsake heaven for you, even dying in your place on the cross. What are you willing to give for Him? You should be willing to give up our own life if He should ask you.

But all too often, even Christians grasp tightly to all that they have making things most important to them. And then they are so unwilling to die because that would mean giving them all up anyway.

No! We must have the mind of Christ. That will so liberate us to serve God and to serve one another.