Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 22

Paul Warns the Philippians of Complaining

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputing’s: KJV

The Apostle Paul after declaring that it is God working in these Philippian believers and we believers today, immediately exhorts them to, “Do all things without murmurings and disputing’s” (Philippians 2:14). Paul concludes that if each member of Christ Body His Church has God working in the inner man or inner woman, then the result of this should void, nullify, or cancel out complaining against one another. Paul did not want them to repeat the same ungrateful mistakes and error in judgement as the children of Israel did shortly after God the Father brought them out of the bondage of over 400 years of slavery to the Egyptians as documented for us by these words written by Moses, “And the whole congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, And said to them, ‘Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.’” (Exodus 16:2-3) (Amplified Bible). The English word murmurings is translated by the Greek word goggusmos which means a grumbling or a complaint uttered in a low and indistinct tone; showing an unhappy, ungrateful, and critical attitude.

In other words, the Apostle Paul’s desire here was to point out to these Philippian believers and we believers today the absolute disgust, disdain, and dissatisfaction this disposition of believers bring to the heart of God the Father who gave up the most precious thing to Him, that being His Beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ to die for our sins. This ungrateful and critical attitude was what many of the Israelites demonstrated after their deliverance from slavery in Egypt and this greatly displeased God to the point that they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years and the entire generation of grumbling murmurers all died in the wilderness, never getting to see the promise land flowing with milk and honey as the Apostle documented and declared to the Corinthian believers with these words, “Nor discontentedly complain as some of them did--and were put out of the way entirely by the destroyer (death).” (1 Corinthians 10:10) (Amplified Bible). The English word disputing’s Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word dialogismos which means to reckon thoroughly, that is, (generally) to deliberate (by reflection or discussion): that is, (internal) consideration (by implication purpose), or (external) debate: to take an inventory, that is, estimate (literally or figuratively):

In other words, the Apostle Paul wants them to shun debating, that is, arguing with one another over things which are not essential to their growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ and to edifying or building one another up in the faith as Paul declared to the Roman believers with these words, “As for the man who is a weak believer, welcome him [into your fellowship], but not to criticize his opinions {or} pass judgment on his scruples {or} perplex him with discussions.” (Romans 14:1) (Amplified Bible) and likewise as the Apostle Peter declared with these words to the saints, “Above all things have intense {and} unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the offenses of others]. Practice hospitality to one another (those of the household of faith). [Be hospitable, be a lover of strangers, with brotherly affection for the unknown guests, the foreigners, the poor, and all others who come your way who are of Christ’s body.] And [in each instance] do it ungrudgingly (cordially and graciously, without complaining but as representing Him).” (1 Peter 4:8-9) (Amplified Bible).

Although many people feel that murmuring and complaining are not to be considered so-called big sins, however, they are hindrances to love and we see that our Heavenly Father feels very different about these so-called little sins for this is what He said directly to the ungrateful Israelites in the wilderness, “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘How long will this evil congregation murmur against Me? I have heard the complaints the Israelites murmur against Me. Tell them, As I live, says the Lord, what you have said in My hearing I will do to you: Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness--of all who were numbered of you, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me, Surely none shall come into the land in which I swore to make you dwell, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.’” (Numbers 14:26-30) (Amplified Bible). The first disciples/Apostles were guilty of failing in this area also (just as we are today) as documented for us by the Gospel writer Mark, “And they arrived at Capernaum; and when [they were] in the house, He asked them, ‘What were you discussing {and} arguing about on the road?’ But they kept still, for on the road they had discussed {and} disputed with one another as to who was the greatest.” (Mark 9:33-34) (Amplified Bible).  

Disagreements within the Church are bound to occur and they cannot be avoided, but those who engage in secret murmuring and behind the back complaining against their fellow brothers and sisters “in Christ” have caused strife to begin growing in the congregation like cancer and this is at all times to be avoided as the Apostle Paul instructed Brother Timothy and Titus with these words to them respectively, “But refuse (shut your mind against, have nothing to do with) trifling (ill-informed, unedifying, stupid) controversies over ignorant questionings, for you know that they foster strife {and} breed quarrels. And the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone {and} mild-tempered [preserving the bond of peace]; he must be a skilled {and} suitable teacher, patient {and} forbearing {and} willing to suffer wrong.” (2 Timothy 2:23-24) (Amplified Bible) and to Titus “But avoid stupid {and} foolish controversies and genealogies and dissensions and wrangling about the Law, for they are unprofitable and futile. [As for] a man who is factious [a heretical sectarian and cause of divisions], after admonishing him a first and second time, reject [him from your fellowship and have nothing more to do with him], Well aware that such a person has utterly changed (is perverted and corrupted); he goes on sinning [though he] is convicted of guilt {and} self-condemned.” (Titus 3:9-11) (Amplified Bible).

My own Personal Note: “Paul throughout all of his letters never shied away from warning or even rebuking the recipients of each letter when he learned that they may have strayed off into the wilderness (as the Israelites did) in order to draw them back to Christ and the truth of His Word as in another example of these words written to the Ephesian believers, ‘Let all bitterness and indignation {and} wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). And become useful {and} helpful {and} kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.’ (Ephesians 4:31-32) (Amplified Bible).”

“The ‘murmurings’ are not against men but against God. The ‘disputing’s’ are not wrangling with others but the division of mind in one’s self-questionings, hesitations, and the like. So the one are more moral, the other more intellectual, and together they represent the ways in which Christian men may resist the action on their spirits of God’s Spirit, ‘willing,’ or the action of God’s providence on their circumstances, ‘doing.’ Have we never known what it was to have some course manifestly prescribed to us as right, from which we have shrunk with reluctance of will? If some course has all at once struck us as wrong which we had been long accustomed to do without hesitation, has there been no ‘murmuring’ before we yielded? A voice has said to us, ‘Give up such and such a habit,’ or ‘such and such a pursuit is becoming too engrossing’: do we not all know what it is not only to feel obedience an effort, but even to cherish reluctance, and to let it stifle the voice?” Alexander MacLaren

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 21

Paul Exhorts the Philippians to Work out what God has worked in Them Part 2

Philippians 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. KJV

Christianity is defined by Webster as the Christian Religion or Christians as a whole or the state or act of being a Christian. However, this being a man-made definition of a Divine condition, then there is no wonder why the definition is vague, not precise, or not clearly understood. Religion on the other hand is defined by Webster as belief in and reverence for a supernatural power accepted as the creator of the universe or a specific unified system of this expression like the Buddhist religion. However, like all man-made things or man-made concepts or ideas, they are temporary, decaying, rotting, and are derived solely by theory or concepts that are not and cannot be verified as factual seeing that man is finite or limited in every capacity. My definition of Religion (Buddhist, Muslim, Hindus, etc.) is the act of man doing things to make himself known to and acceptable to God, gods, or goddesses in order to absolve or remove the guilty conscience that burns within over sin. The question that has been asked by many non-Christians for centuries with many varying answers is what is Christianity really? Well, the Apostle Paul gives us and answer in one small sentence, but very powerful sentence here in his only letter written to the believers or Christians in the city of Philippi and it is, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13).

Paul in only one small sentence written in a letter to men, women, boys, and girls that he loved dearly answers the question for all humanity. In this one tiny sentence, the Apostle Paul places Christianity in another entire category far from and opposite to Religion. The English word “worketh” Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word energeo which means to be active, efficient: - be effectual (fervent), be mighty in, work effectually in. In other words, from this one small word in this one small sentence we see the one dramatic difference from a Christian verses someone in a man-made Religion and that is the One True and Only God is actively working His Almighty power in us as it is written by this same Apostle Paul with these words to the Christians in Ephesus, “And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable {and} unlimited {and} surpassing greatness of His power in {and} for us who believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength, Which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places]” (Ephesians 1:19-20) (Amplified Bible).

The true Christian has God the Holy Spirit working or energeo on two fronts in the inner man or inner woman of the believer; first to will and this English word is translated by the Greek words thelo or ethelo meaning the first or the second form may be used, however, in the context here that Paul writes he uses the tense meaning to prefer or to determine (as an active voice); to delight in or to desire to or be disposed to; to gladly be willing. The second English phrased “to do” is the exact same Greek word from above for the English word “worketh” which is energeo. In other words, a true Christian has God the Holy Spirit not only working in us to desire to do that which is good and not evil, but He also gives the power/energy to carry out the good God the Father desires from His adopted children as the Psalmist writes in this manner with these words, “Your people will offer themselves willingly in the day of Your power, in the beauty of holiness {and} in holy array out of the womb of the morning; to You [will spring forth] Your young men, who are as the dew.” (Psalm 110:3) (Amplified Bible) and also as the Prophet Haggai declares to the warriors of Israel with these words, “Yet now be strong, alert, {and} courageous, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; be strong, alert, {and} courageous, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, alert, {and} courageous, all you people of the land, says the Lord, and work! For I am with you, says the Lord of hosts. According to the promise that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit stands {and} abides in the midst of you; fear not.” (Haggai 2:4-5) (Amplified Bible).

All the working of God the Holy Spirit in the inner man and inner woman of God the Father’s adopted children is of and for His good pleasure and this English phrase “good pleasure” is translated by one Greek word eudokia meaning satisfaction, that is, (subjectively) delight, or (objectively) kindness, wish, purpose: - desire, good pleasure. In other words, it brings great joy and delight to the heart of God the Father when He sees His children working out their salvation with reverence to Him desiring to please Him while He keeps us pilgrims here on the earth carrying out His Sovereign purposes in every corner of the earth for the good of all men, even the unredeemed as our Lord Jesus declared with these words, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:44-45). It is likewise as the writer to the Hebrews put it in his closing prayer with these words, “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21) and as Paul prayed for the Thessalonian believers with these words, “Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of His goodness and the work of faith with power, that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12).

My own Personal Note: “Here is the great paradox, ‘God does all in the inner man or inner woman at the same time man does all.’ This is a great mystery! Only God the Father Himself understands it fully, because He is the Author of it, but He has now made it known to us as Paul wrote with these words to the Ephesian believers, ‘Making known to us the mystery (secret) of His will (of His plan, of His purpose). [And it is this:] In accordance with His good pleasure (His merciful intention) which He had previously purposed {and} set forth in Him, [He planned] for the maturity of the times {and} the climax of the ages to unify all things {and} head them up {and} consummate them in Christ, [both] things in heaven and things on the earth. In Him we also were made [God’s] heritage (portion) {and} we obtained an inheritance; for we had been foreordained (chosen and appointed beforehand) in accordance with His purpose, Who works out everything in agreement with the counsel {and} design of His [own] will, So that we who first hoped in Christ [who first put our confidence in Him have been destined and appointed to] live for the praise of His glory!’” (Ephesians 1:9-12) (Amplified Bible).

“Our will does nothing thereunto without grace; but grace is inactive without our will” [St. Bernard].

“We will, but God works the will in us. We work, therefore, but God works the working in us” (Augustine).

“Every good is freely given of God; no man deserves anything from Him; and as it pleaseth Him, so He deals out to men those measures of mental and corporeal energy which He sees to be necessary; giving to some more, to others less, but to all what is sufficient for their salvation.” Adam Clarke

“The fact that God works is an encouragement for us to work. When a man is about to set out a peach or an apple tree, it is an encouragement for him to reflect that the agency of God is around him, and that he can cause the tree to produce blossoms, and leaves, and fruit. When he is about to plow and sow his farm, it is an encouragement, not a hindrance, to reflect that God works, and that he can quicken the grain that is sown, and produce an abundant harvest. What encouragement of a higher order can man ask? And what farmer is afraid of the agency of God in the case, or supposes that the fact that God exerts an agency is a reason why he should not plow and plant his field, or set out his orchard? Poor encouragement would a man have in these things if God did not exert any agency in the world, and could not be expected to make the tree grow or to cause the grain to spring up; and equally poor would be all the encouragement in Christianity without His aid.” Albert Barnes

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

 

 

 

 

Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 20

Paul Exhorts the Philippians to Work out what God has worked in Them Part 1

Philippians 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. KJV

The Apostle Paul had discovered during his own journey or walk of faith with our Lord Jesus Christ that there was a responsibility of every individual believer “in Christ” to act upon or to put into use their reliance on Jesus Christ. Paul wants them to not be vigilant concerning their faith “in Christ” only when he is in their presence, because now Paul finds himself imprisoned in Rome and he is certain that soon he will go to be with our Lord Jesus Christ forever in heaven as he has already declared to them (Philippians 1:21-23), but he wants to exhort and encourage them to be diligent about their faith “in Christ” and to never surrender to complacency, coldness, or callousness acting with the same principles, motives, and disposition found in our Lord Jesus Christ when He humbled Himself to become a Man and even further humbling Himself to die on the Cross for our sins, we are also to exert this same obedience in the effort to work out the salvation/new nature placed “in us” by God the Holy Spirit. Therefore, now understanding and believing that our Lord Jesus Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth should move these Philippian believers and we believers today into acting upon this authority of Christ as it is transmitted to us, Paul now exhorts them to, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12).

The English phrase work out is translated by one Greek word katergazomai which means to work fully or to toil as a task, occupation, etc., that is to perform, accomplish, or finish; to be engaged in or with; to commit. In other words, Paul’s exhortation to these Philippian believers and we believers today to “work-out” salvation is a clear declaration of human responsibility or free will in carrying out the on-going work of salvation. Paul is by no means telling these believers in Philippi to work for their salvation, but on the contrary to work out what God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit has already worked in them and in us today as he declared when he wrote these words at the very beginning of this letter, “And I am convinced {and} sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] {and} perfecting {and} bringing it to full completion in you.” (Philippians 1:6) (Amplified Bible). Paul was just echoing what the Prophets of old had likewise declared about YAHWEH long before Paul was born just as Isaiah said the same thing in this manner, “Lord, You will ordain peace (God’s favor and blessings, both temporal and spiritual) for us, for You have also wrought in us {and} for us all our works.” (Isaiah 26:12) (Amplified Bible).

Note: “We must never find ourselves believing the lie coming from the pit of hell that there resides in man something good in the eyes of God the Father, Paul discovered this truth in himself and wrote of it saying, ‘For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it. [I have the intention and urge to do what is right, but no power to carry it out.]’ (Romans 7:18) (Amplified Bible), instead we must yield to God the Holy Spirit who began this ‘good work’ ‘in us’ to help us work it out to completion.” The exhortation to do so in “fear and trembling” is not one of slavish terror of God the Father, for that has been removed forever from us as Paul declared with these words written to the Roman believers, “Therefore, since we are justified (acquitted, declared righteous, and given a right standing with God) through faith, let us [grasp the fact that we] have [the peace of reconciliation to hold and to enjoy] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).” (Romans 5:1) (Amplified Bible).

However, we must be diligent and serious in our relationship with Christ seeking to work out of us the things given to us by Him that are well-pleasing to Him as Paul tells us what fruit He is the author of when he wrote this to the Galatian believers, “But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge]. And those who belong to Christ Jesus (the Messiah) have crucified the flesh (the godless human nature) with its passions and appetites {and} desires. If we live by the [Holy] Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. [If by the Holy Spirit we have our life in God, let us go forward walking in line, our conduct controlled by the Spirit.]” (Galatians 5:22-25) (Amplified Bible). The attitude of heart declared by Solomon should be our attitude in our sojourn here on the earth when he wrote, “Blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) is the man who reverently {and} worshipfully fears [the Lord] at all times [regardless of circumstances], but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.” (Proverbs 28:14) (Amplified Bible) also the attitude declared by the Apostle Peter in his first epistle when he said, “And if you call upon Him as [your] Father Who judges each one impartially according to what he does, [then] you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence [on the earth, whether long or short].” (1 Peter 1:17) (Amplified Bible).

My own Personal Note: “We are weak and inadequate in every area of our Christian life and only by the Word of God and the Power of the Holy Spirit to activate His Word can we work out the salvation freely given to us by God the Father through God the Son’s sacrifice for our sins as Paul again reminds us with these words written to the Corinthian believers, ‘Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments {or} to claim {or} count anything as coming from us, but our power {and} ability {and} sufficiency are from God.’” (2 Corinthians 3:5) (Amplified Bible).

“Whatever rest is provided by Christianity for the children of God, it is certainly never contemplated that it should supersede personal effort. And any rest which ministers to indifference is immoral and unreal - it makes parasites and not men. Just because God worketh in him, as the evidence and triumph of it, the true child of God works out his own salvation - works it out having really received it - not as a light thing, a superfluous labor, but with fear and trembling as a reasonable and indispensable service” (Drummond, “Natural Law in the Spiritual World,” p. 335).

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

 

 

 

 

 

Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 19

Paul Declares the Humble and the Exalted Christ Jesus Part 3

Philippians 2:10-11 That at the name of Jesus every knee should 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. KJV

Paul now concludes his declaration of Christ humility and exaltation by revealing to these Philippian believers and to we believers today that our Heavenly Father has so honored our Lord Jesus Christ that He has made all of His Creation to worship Jesus, whether it be willingly and lovingly or whether it be forcibly by saying, “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:10). The eternal reality we find expressed here by the Apostle Paul declares that the Eternal Word of God who humbly, voluntarily, freely, and willingly chose to not just put on human flesh that He created, but to literally become human in order to redeem and bring many sons to glory as it is written, “For it was an act worthy [of God] {and} fitting [to the divine nature] that He, for Whose sake and by Whom all things have their existence, in bringing many sons into glory, should make the Pioneer of their salvation perfect [should bring to maturity the human experience necessary to be perfectly equipped for His office as High Priest] through suffering. For both He Who sanctifies [making men holy] and those who are sanctified all have one [Father]. For this reason, He is not ashamed to call them brethren; For He says, I will declare Your [the Father’s] name to My brethren; in the midst of the [worshiping] congregation I will sing hymns of praise to You. And again He says, My trust {and} assured reliance {and} confident hope shall be fixed in Him. And yet again, Here I am, I and the children whom God has given Me.” (Hebrews 2:10-13) (Amplified Bible).

Jesus Christ the God-Man being full of grace and truth (John 1:14) has now been exalted above every created being of God the Father, therefore, when Paul says that every knee will bow or bend at the name of Jesus, he is emphatically declaring the deity of Jesus Christ the same way the Prophet Isaiah spoke of YAWWEH when he said this, “Declare and bring forward your strong arguments [for praying to gods that cannot save]; yes, take counsel together. Who announced this [the rise of Cyrus and his conquests] beforehand (long ago)? [What god] declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, a rigidly {and} uncompromisingly just {and} righteous God and Savior; there is none besides Me. Look to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself, the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear [allegiance].” (Isaiah 45:21-23) (Amplified Bible).

The things in heaven refers to all of the faithful angels, seraphim, cherubim that did not rebel against God, the things on the earth refer solely to human beings those that have received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior as the Apostle John declared with these words, “But to as many as did receive {and} welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name.” (John 1:12) (Amplified Bible), also the human beings on the earth who have resisted or rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior as it is written, “Then I saw a great white throne and the One Who was seated upon it (Jesus Christ), from Whose presence {and} from the sight of Whose face earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. I [also] saw the dead, great and small; they stood before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is [the Book] of Life. And the dead were judged (sentenced) by what they had done [their whole way of feeling and acting, their aims and endeavors] in accordance with what was recorded in the books. And the sea delivered up the dead who were in it, death and Hades (the state of death or disembodied existence) surrendered the dead in them, and all were tried {and} their cases determined by what they had done [according to their motives, aims, and works]. Then death and Hades (the state of death or disembodied existence) were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s [name] was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was hurled into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15) (Amplified Bible), lastly the things under the earth refer to Satan and the third of the angels (now demons) that rebelled in heaven and were cast down to the earth, some in chains (Jude 1:6) as it is written, “Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels went forth to battle with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. But they were defeated, and there was no room found for them in heaven any longer. And the huge dragon was cast down {and} out--that age-old serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, he who is the seducer (deceiver) of all humanity the world over; he was forced out {and} down to the earth, and his angels were flung out along with him.” (Revelation 12:7-9) (Amplified Bible).

Finally, Paul declares “that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:11), meaning that every nation on the earth in every human language given to man by God will confess or the Greek word for confess exomologeo, that is, to acknowledge or (by implication of assent) agree fully that the exalted Redeemer Jesus Christ is the One and Only Sovereign God of the Universes. It is God the Father that receives all the Glory because it is He that declared our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ to be so worshipped and honored in heaven and on the earth as the Apostle John wrote as much with these words, “Even the Father judges no one, for He has given all judgment (the last judgment and the whole business of judging) entirely into the hands of the Son, So that all men may give honor (reverence, homage) to the Son just as they give honor to the Father. [In fact] whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, Who has sent Him.” (John 5:22-23) (Amplified Bible).

My own Personal Note: It is the God-Man Jesus Christ that the entire heaven and earth is to bow down and worship, for He has now all Authority and Power in both places (Matthew 28:18), therefore, it is only by the Power of God the Holy Spirit can the spiritual eyes of all the false worshippers such as the Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, etc. to see this truth and bow their knee unto salvation as it is written, “Because if you acknowledge {and} confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe (adhere to, trust in, and rely on the truth) that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) {and} confirms [his] salvation. The Scripture says, No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame {or} be disappointed. [No one] for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek. The same Lord is Lord over all [of us] and He generously bestows His riches upon all who call upon Him [in faith]. For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13) (Amplified Bible).

“So then we may say, perhaps, that as in the humiliation He who is God experienced what it is to be man, now in the exaltation He who is man experiences what it is to be God. But the point to dwell on chiefly is this consideration-What is it that attracts so specially the Father’s approbation? What does so is Christ’s great act of self-forgetting love. That satisfies and rests the Divine mind. Doubtless the Son’s pure and perfect character, and the perfection of His whole service, were on all accounts approved, but specially the mind of Christ revealed in His self-forgetting devotion. Therefore, God has highly exalted Him.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary

“‘Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, how that though He was rich yet for our sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might be made rich.’ ‘He loved me and gave Himself for me.’ And in various forms and degrees the manifestation of this same grace has astonished, and conquered, and inspired all those who have greatly served Christ in the Church in seeking to do good to men. Let us not separate ourselves from this fellowship of Christ; let us not be secluded from this mind of Christ. As we come to Him with our sorrows, and sins, and wants, let us drink into His mind. Let us sit at His feet and learn of Him.” Expositor’s Bible Commentary

“There is a sense in which Jesus is our example even in His ascent and exaltation, just as He was in His descent and humiliation. The mind which was in Him is for us the pattern for earthly life, though the deeds in which that mind was expressed, and especially His ‘obedience to the death of the Cross,’ are so far beyond any self-sacrifice of ours, and are inimitable, unique, and needing no repetition while the world lasts. And as we can imitate His unexampled sacrifice, so we may share His divine glory, and, resting on His own faithful word, may follow the calm motion of His Ascension, assured that where He is there we shall be also, and that the manhood which is exalted in Him is the prophecy that all who love Him will share His glory. The question for us all is, have we in us ‘the mind that was in Christ’? and the other question is, what is that name to us? Can we say, ‘Thy mighty name salvation is’? If in our deepest hearts we grasp that name, and with unfaltering lips can say that ‘there is none other name under heaven given amongst men whereby we must be saved but the name of Jesus,’ then we shall know that ‘To us with Thy dear name are given, Pardon, and holiness, and heaven.’” Alexander MacLaren

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

 

 

 

 

Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 18

Paul Declares the Humble and the Exalted Christ Jesus Part 2

Philippians 2:8-9 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and 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: KJV

Our Lord Jesus Christ not only (being God) humbled Himself to the low point of becoming a Man, that is, a human being that He created, but the Apostle Paul now details for these Philippian believers and we believers today how He even humbled Himself lower as a Man, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8). It is incomprehensible that the very God that spoke man into existence, would love man so much that in order to restore man to the honor and worth that man held in God the Father’s heart before the first man Adam sinned and disobeyed God the Father, Moses documents for us with these words, “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” (Genesis 2:15-17), would now die (taking man’s sin and rebellion upon Himself) to bring man back to the heart of God the Father. As the second person of the God-Head, our Lord Jesus Christ could never die in that capacity, therefore, His humble and loving sacrifice of putting Himself in a weak human body shows us what real humility looks like. Who among us would sacrifice their life for those who hate you, despise you, mock you, profane you, blaspheme you, etc.?

The answer is none of us would, but the Man Christ Jesus did, therefore, when we lose sight of what it means to be truly humble in this life, let us always look back again and again to the Cross at Calvary to remind ourselves of what humility it took to keep us out of hell and eternal torment and then look at each one of our spiritual brothers and sisters “in Christ” with the love, care, honor, and humility the Apostle Paul has been exhorting these Philippian believers to see in one another as he just said earlier, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4). It is through suffering for Christ sake that we should learn obedience just as our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ (Hebrews 5:8). Paul now shifts his focus to the place our Lord Jesus Christ holds now because of His humble obedience to God the Father by declaring, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name:” (Philippians 2:9). The English phrase “hath highly exalted” is translated by one Greek word huperupsoo (this is the only time this word is used in the Bible) which means to elevate above others, that is, raise to the highest position: - highly exalt.

In other words, for His self-humiliation and obedience to dying on the Cross for the worlds sin, our Lord Jesus Christ the God-Man has been given by God the Father the highest place in heaven above all the angels (1 Peter 3:22), therefore, if these Philippian believers and we believers today want to be exalted in the sight of God we too must humble ourselves as it is written, “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for ‘God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.’ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:5-7). God the Father exalted Jesus Christ as Man to equality with God, therefore, the Man Christ Jesus as it is written is far above all, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For to which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You’? And again: ‘I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son’? But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.’ (Hebrews 1:1-6).

“Laid Himself as low as possible: In emptying Himself - laying aside the effulgence of His glory. In being incarnate - taking upon Him the human form. In becoming a servant - assuming the lowest innocent character, that of being the servant of all. In condescending to die, to which He was not naturally liable, as having never sinned, and therefore had a right in His human nature to immortality, without passing under the empire of death. In condescending, not only to death, but to the lowest and most ignominious kind of death, the death of the cross; the punishment of the meanest of slaves and worst of felons. What must sin have been in the sight of God, when it required such abasement in Jesus Christ to make an atonement for it, and undo its influence and malignity!” Adam Clarke

“From which it appears that no creature of God is so far exalted and so glorious as the man Christ Jesus, human nature being in Him dignified infinitely beyond the angelic nature; and that this nature has an authority and pre-eminence which no being, either in heaven or earth, enjoys. In a word, as man was in the beginning at the head of all the creatures of God, Jesus Christ, by assuming human nature, suffering and dying in it, has raised it to its pristine state. And this is probably what is here meant by this high exaltation of Christ, and giving Him a name which is above every name. But if we refer to any particular epithet, then the name Jesus or Savior must be that which is intended; as no being either in heaven or earth can possess this name as He who is the Redeemer of the world does, for He is the only Savior; none has or could redeem us to God but He; and throughout eternity He will ever appear as the sole Savior of the human race. Hence, before His birth, Gabriel stated that His name should be called Jesus; giving for reason, He shall Save His people from their sins. The qualifications of the Savior of the world were so extraordinary, the redeeming acts so stupendous, and the result of all so glorious both to God and man, that it is impossible to conceive a higher name or title than that of Jesus, or Savior of the world.” Adam Clarke

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 17

Paul Declares the Humble and the Exalted Christ Jesus Part 1

Philippians 2:5-7 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, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: KJV

Paul’s ultimate goal for these Philippian believers is “unity of the Spirit” and in order to get them to this goal he has been declaring, describing, and detailing to them what their behavior among one another should be and how they are to see one another. Paul has already told them to be on one accord and have one mind, now he shows them the example that he and they as well as we believers today must follow by saying, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). What was it that permeated the “mind of Christ”? Humility was the over-riding attitude of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul knows that the only way for these Philippian believers and we believers today to reach the end goal of “unity in the Church”, that humility must be the desire of every member of the Body of Christ, that is, how he has just declared to them how they should view themselves and view others in the Church (Philippians 2:3). Paul knows that there will never be unity among believers if there are many seeking to be in the lead and always having their views heard, at the same time relegating others to the background, for this will only breed chaos, confusion, and controversy as he declared to the Corinthian believers who were allowing just that to happen in their fellowship when he said, “And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets. For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the Churches of the saints.” (1 Corinthians 14:32-33).

Therefore, Paul’s desire is to see them and us today thinking within ourselves as our Lord Jesus Christ did within Himself, for as it was written of Him as recorded for us by Dr. Luke through the words spoken by the Apostle Peter to the Roman Centurion and his household, “How God anointed {and} consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength {and} ability {and} power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed {and} oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38) (Amplified Bible). This was the mind in Christ to only do good to humanity and to renew, reboot, and release all who were broken down by the devil, for our Lord Jesus was not concerned with status or style or did He desire the honor of other men, but His only desire was to please God the Father and finish the work that He gave Him to do. Paul declares in the very next verse the Divinity or Deity of the Man Jesus Christ. What Paul is doing here for the Philippian believers and we believers today is painting a word picture for us of true humility. Let me try and paint a picture in human terms that might illustrate for us the very low depth our Lord Jesus Christ submitted Himself to for humanity. Let us say there is a country ruled by one-man King Edger who has ruled for 75 years, however, King Edger realizes that his son is afflicted with some disease (sin is the disease of humanity) that can only be cured by him willingly allowing all of his blood to be drained from his body and pumped into the body of his son.

This is a weak and feeble human example of the humility shown by our Lord Jesus Christ for us as our Lord Himself said this speaking of Himself, “For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves” (Luke 22:27). Jesus Christ before His incarnation as Man was and continued to be the One and Only God that spoke all things visible and invisible into existence, yet He willingly subjected Himself to limitations (as a Man) of being in only one place at a time as before His incarnation, He was everywhere at the same time. Christ Jesus as a Man veiled, concealed, or covered up His Glory as Creator God in some way that we will never understand, for remember this conversation He had with Moses, “So the LORD said to Moses, ‘I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.’ And he said, ‘Please, show me Your glory.’ Then He said, ‘I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.’ But He said, ‘You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.’ And the LORD said, ‘Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.’” (Exodus 33:17-23).

Despite this being the essence or the inwardness of Jesus Christ Paul declares how He so humbled Himself in order to gain the prize of winning lost human souls into His eternal family, so Paul says He, “made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). The English phrase “made Himself of no reputation” is translated by one Greek word kenoo which means to make empty, that is, (figuratively) to abase/humble - make (of none effect, of no reputation, void), be in vain. In other words, in some supernatural way Christ Jesus the God-Man made all His inherent power as God and His equality with the Father to be neutralized for the time He was on the earth prior to His death and resurrection, but He never ever relinquished all His Inherent Power, Glory, and Majesty as God. Therefore, we see as the second member of the Holy Trinity our Lord Jesus Christ gave us the ultimate example of humility being God, yet becoming a Man, that is, making Himself like His own creation as it is written, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:14-17).

My own Personal Note: “Jesus became like us, so that we could become like Him.” (Hallelujah!!!)

“The general sense is that He divested Himself of that peculiar mode of existence which was proper and peculiar to Him as one with God. He laid aside the form of God. In so doing, He did not divest Himself of His divine nature. The change was a change of state: the form of a servant for the form of God. His personality continued the same. His self-emptying was not self-extinction, nor was the divine Being changed into a mere man. In His Humanity He retained the consciousness of deity, and in His incarnate state carried out the mind which animated Him before His incarnation. He was not unable to assert equality with God. He was able not to assert it.” Vincent’s Word Studies

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 16

Paul Exhorts the Philippian Believers to be Humble Minded like Christ

Philippians 2:3-4 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. KJV

Since the death of our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary, the condition of the visible Church has changed dramatically, we now have some hundreds and thousands of Christian Denominations that were never the intent of our Lord Jesus Christ, for as we declared in the last study (John 17:20-23), He prayed for us to be one, however, within these various Denominations there is an unspoken, unwritten, and unshakeable reverence of the Apostle Paul as having been perhaps the greatest Christian Evangelist, Teacher, and Missionary ever in the Body of Christ. Paul, if he were alive today, would not accept, acknowledge, or account this honor to himself, but instead he was as close to being humble as our Lord Jesus Christ was in my opinion. Paul’s desire was the same as our Lord’s when it came to how believers functioned or interacted with one another in the Church and more importantly in the world at large. This is why we see Paul exhorting these Philippian believers and every true believer of every generation to, “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Philippians 2:3). When Paul says nothing here at the beginning of this verse, he is being emphatic meaning “not even one thing”. The nothing refers to doing things (among one another) through strife or vainglory.

The English word strife is translated by the Greek word eritheia meaning quarrels or angry disputes causing dissention and contention; intrigue, that is, crafty and involved plots to achieve your (usually sinister) ends. In other words, to Paul, the idea of the Church of Jesus Christ having people in her midst that would sink to such low level as to plot against another part of the Body of Christ was unthinkable to Paul, that would be like the hands plotting against the eyes of the physical body to gouge them out, this would bring hurt and harm to the entire physical body, and so is it when members of Christ Body quarrel or wrangle amongst one another to hurt or harm the individual, but it likewise hurts and harms the entire Body of Christ. It is Paul’s desire to see every follower of Christ to no longer behave as mere carnal men or baby Christians as he warned and reprimanded the Corinthian believers with these words, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

The English word vainglory Paul uses here is translated by the Greek word kenodoxia (only use of this word in the Bible) meaning empty glorying, that is, self-conceit. The Apostle Paul never looked upon the things done through his hands either writing, witnessing, healing, casting out demons, comforting, praying, etc. as being performed or done in or by his own ability, talent, or endowment. Paul wanted these Philippian believers and we believers today to be fully aware and fully acknowledge that everything done “in us” or “by us” is all of God the Holy Spirit working out Christ plans, procedures, and purposes here on the earth for the Glory of God the Father as our Lord Jesus told us with these words, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:7-8). Paul wants every believer to understand that whatever is accomplished through them is not of their doing at all, but all the glory belongs to God. After this same Apostle wrote so eloquently to the Galatian believers detailing to them the fruit of the Holy Spirit in contrast to the works of the flesh, he concluded that chapter with these words, “Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galatians 5:26).

So is it this contrast Paul wants believers to have literally oozing out of our spirits to and for one another, therefore, he uses the English phrase “in lowliness of mind” which is translated by one Greek word tapeinophrosune meaning humiliation of mind, that is, modesty: - humbleness of mind, humility (of mind), lowliness (of mind). How does the Apostle Paul define this “lowliness or humbleness of mind”? with the very next words put in black ink on white paper, and that is by each person having a desire, disposition, and determination to “let each esteem other better than themselves” and this attitude carried into action will squash, squelch, and squeeze out all factions that seek the vainglory of individuals over giving God all the Glory for all things done in the Church. This is the way the Apostle Paul looked upon himself verses others as he informed us with these words, “To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 3:8-9). The Love of God is in direct opposition to a heart that is self-seeking desiring to receive praise from men and not from God and it does not reside in such a person redeemed by the Blood of Christ as Paul described for us with these words, “Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

My own Personal Note: “It is the man of God or woman of God that sees their sinfulness, infirmities, and weaknesses, in the light of the Perfection of the Word of God and the Perfect life of our Lord Jesus Christ, and knows that they are nothing without Christ and therefore, we are ‘lowly of mind’ when we see our continual dependence on Christ moment by moment of each and every day as sojourners and pilgrims here on the earth.”

“Have always a humbling view of yourselves, and this will lead you to prefer others to yourselves; for, as you know your own secret defects, charity will lead you to suppose that your brethren are more holy, and more devoted to God than you are; and they will think the same of you, their secret defects also being known only to themselves. Adam Clarke

“A Christian should not seek his own honor and applause, and to have his own will, and a point in a Church carried his own way, but should consult the honor of Christ, the good of others, and the peace of the Church; he should not look upon his own gifts, he may look upon them, and ascribe them to the grace of God, and make use of them to His glory, but not to admire them, or himself for them, and pride himself in them, and lift up himself above others, neglecting and taking no notice of the superior abilities of others.” Dr. John Gill

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…