The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-10
TIE SUNDAY.scHOoI..

FOR Tue Chrlsuans ~ fnillppt Paul
seemed to cherish special regard and affec.
ton. This was not altogether for the reason
that they were The first fruits of his minis.
try In Europe, though this was the fact be
could not cease TO remember with interest.
But besides this they had proved more than
ordinarily stesdiast, and that under grea.
trials o. poverty and persecution. Moreover.
in III cir own stresses and poverty they had
never forgotten him or his work. Their con-
tributions to his support had been repeated
and generous.
But even the Christians Mt Phillippi had
their temptations to difference and discord.
Pride, rivalry and jealousy are everywhere,
for Christian faith does not at once eradicate
all the natural evil OF the human heart.
And 80 this interesting chapter opens with
an earnest eIhortstion 10 that humility aud
unsel6shness without which harmony and
concord are never secure. 1t is to enforcs
this lowly and self forgetting spirit that the
Apostle proceeds 10 point them TO the exam
pie OF Christ "Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus"
So We have, In these verses, q wonderful
example with its great reward. and, follow
ing upon this, q twofold important infiu-
ence
l. The example presented is that of
Christs voluntary humiliation for the sake
OF Others. aud the re ward is his exaltation 20
the highest placs in CORY.
We are firt reminded of what he orisi-
nelIy was: Being in the form of God"
The form" of anything is the mod4 10 which
1t reveals itself or appears. God reveals him.
self by his wisdom, power, holiness, good.
ness and truth. In and by these he appears
as God. In his original state, Jesus Christ
had these attributes. This majesty was his.
he was in this form" But to have assumed
this form, had he been less than God In es-
sence and nature, would have been impossi-
bic. He could not have taken it; it would
not have been given him. And so John dis
tinctly says. 1.-The Word was God" Then,
here equally" is explicitly presented in the
next verse.
And yet he did not count this "prize;"
something TO be grasled and tenaciously
held-for this the word rendered prize
means. To accomplish high and loving
purpose, be was willing TO surrender 1t. This
ne did. He "emptied himself, taking the
form servant, being made in the like
ness OF men. He put off the form" the
mslesty and glory that had been his, and
took that of servant" that of ''men."
Here Is only part o. the larger truth else
where more fully presented Uniting real
unique person Jesus Christ be appears as il
he had been man, pure and simple. He ap.
peart Invested OF the attri butes of God, and
assumed the dependence and needs OF SER
want man. Here was condescensioa. hu-
initiation, the greatness of which human
thought can never fathoml Some glorious
on, pose, moss gracious too, must have moved
him to il.
The next verse discloses yet another step
in mis- self surrender: Being found in fash
ion as man, be humbled himself, becoming
obedient even unto death. yea, the death of
the Cross" Being now man. he did not
stand upon human rights, insisting upon
comfors, honor. ease, cefsre ncs-thiugs hu-
man nature so Graves. To accomplish the
full purpose of MS becoming man, he must
needs die die on the cvoss. Mercy babe him
do this. That of the Father, aud that which
had already moved him to come Sd far and
sionp so low, bsde him do it. He obeyed.
While We were yet sinners, Christ died for
u.s.
Now come the reward Wherefore God
highly exalted Him" Having taken the
place of q servant, He had consented to have
just what the Father should give. And that
which was now given was "a name above
every name" The word name" here, as
so often elsewhere does not mean mere ii.
tie or appellation, but a certain manifesto
tion, glory or power or other distinction, by
which He should be known. And 90 His ex.
altsion was to glory above every other
John Il: 81. And the greatness of this is
further indicated by the dominion and SOW
ereignty thenceforth to be His. and in which
His name" should part consist. In willing
or unwilling homage to Him every knee
should bow. His Lordship every tongue
should confess. Creatures, rational and IRA.
tional, should submit to His sway; and all
voices should somehow speak it forth.
=. The example with its reward thus pre-
sented prepares the way for two:old impor-
Mt -cad hu
Wherefore" And the Apostle urges it
with his usual affectionateness and disposi.
ton to praise where praise is due. Where
lore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed."
he has just told his readers of Christ's won
derfui obedience. even to cath, for their
cakes. They themselves had not been
wanting. in obedience; but he would
urge them to moro costly earnest
ness in IL And so be saws: "Not as in my
presence only. but now much more in my
absence, work out your swn salvation with
fear and trembling" and DO all things
without murmuriDgs and dinpltings."
The argument is simple and powerful.
The costly humiliation and obedience of
Ohiist was not for nothing See what He
Was willing to do for your salvatiou And
see what il His exaltatiou He is now dis
p0ssd ana able to do Since. then, some.
thing remains for your obedience to accom-
plish, De in earnest to do 1t; be SOLICITORS TO
do 1T seasonably; and let no dissensous
or strifes among yourselves hinder your do
ing
But what we to unde rstand by work
ing cut cur own salvation Are We not, il
Christians, already saved2 And are we not
saved by the meritorious work of another
fes And yet this salvation is not carried
carried out TO completion. The pardoned
soul. written In the Lambs book of life, has
yet to 20 on unto perfection. Paul said:
Not as though had already attained or
were already perfect" And 50 he pressed
on toward the mark for the prizs. Being
freed from sins curse, we have to go on to
entire freedom from its power. The likeness
to Christ, begun in rs, is to be made COM
p,ete.
Strangely enough, many seem to fud in
the words addad IN this mart nj tina exhorta