The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1916-02-11
LESSON FOR FEBRUARY 10
HuMBLED AND EXALTED.

| JstSSON ItAl-Gnll. S'l-ll.
GOLDEN TEXT-For We know the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. that
! though he was rich. yet for your sakcs
he became poor that ye through his pow
erty might become rich.-lI Cor. $50
The key word OF the FIRST chapter OF
Philippians is confidence" tsee w.
6, IA, 25). Paul has confidence in the
church at Philippi on account OF their
spiritual condition wv. l, y, which re-
suited in fellowship (vv. 3-S) and fruit
fulness wv. 9-13). This confidence in
spires boldness and is a source of Joy
and blessing Pauls creed is also set
forth in chapter l:5-11. This con-
fidence IS in the face of the conflict
ana suffering which was before them
(see l:2i-30).
|. Be OF the Same Mind, w. IA. The
key word OF this chapter is the word
comfort" (vv. /, 19). The first sec
ton might be entitled The Comfort of
Love" (vv. 1.1S) and the second sec
ton The Comfort of knowledge tvv.
1890. II there was to be opposition
from without certainly the Christians
ought to stanG together Paul is urg-
ing them to unity in order that 1t
might comfort and console him. lie
had always rejoiced in this church
Q:4). but he desires them to iii full
his JOY by being OF the same mind,
having the same love, being of one ac-
cord, OF one mind" Paul's comfort of
love III the disciples he anticipated
would be due to their state of mind,
which depended upon "a unity wy.
1,2; CO. humility ". 81; ic) that
they might mind the things of 9th
ers" ". ~, Nothing would so comfort
and console, or so gladden. the heart
Of Paul as such unity II was even
so with the heart of our Lord tsee
John 172D. The words be of the
same mind" do not refer merely to a
unity of opinion, but rather to unity
of purpose and affection, literally be
ing souled together.
II. Let This Mind Which
Was Also in Christ Jesus, w. SO. The
second comfort of love was due, not to
a unity of mind, but to the standing
which Paul and this church had in
Christ due to his tChTist'sl standing
in God. The words of this passage
are among the most wonderful to be
found anywhere in the Bible. They
contain statement of the most pro-
found truth and mystery that we have
regarding the person of our Lord Jesus
Christ. No plummet has sounded their
depth, nor rod scaled their height,
nor tape measured their breadth. His
eternal deity-and on the other hand
his amazing self-humiliation-yet
these facts and truths are brought be-
fore us to enforce the homeliest duties
of every day life. Equal to God John
10:3G) yet he gave up his divine glory
and incarnated himself in the his
torical Jesus, was anointed of God.
died on a Roman cross, buried in Jo-
seph's tomb, yet rose again and is
alive today as much as when he walked
DER Galilee's hills. The mind that
was IN Jesus was purpose to choose
the lowest depth of humiliation rather
than a full equality with God, either
choice of which he might have made;
but he chose the creation
most sublime illustration of selt.sacri.
fce-and this is the mind we should
have. The word robbery" implies
thing to be seized hold OF. Instead of
selling hold of equality with God,
Jesus let go and seized hold of the
death on the cross, and thus made
I himself OF no reputation, literally emp
tied himself The context shows Of
what he emptied himself: (a) his
divine form; (b) his divine glory. This
latter is shown by his birth in a stable
and his death upon a cross, thereby
being under the curse OF God tGal.
3:13). But this was an act of obedi'
ence to God ". 81. The father babe
him to do 1t. The sacrifice Of Christ
had its original source in the will of
God-his love towards us John 1915,
Rom. $50. There are three thoughts
in this passage: (a) the incarnation
(b) the passion; (c) the exaltation.
Keep this in mind and remember
Paul's circumstances in prison when
he wrote this letter.
III. God Also Hath Exalted Him, w.
eli. The result of this comfort OF
love, due to a state Of mind on the
part of the disciples and their having
the mind of Christ. was first the ex-
altation of Christ ". 81, and the giving
unto him of the name, not "a" name,
that is above all other namesi and
secondly, worship on the part OF all OF
Gods creation, every knee bowed in
submission; and third, confession ".
III. Jesus, who humbled himself to
the lowest place, God has exalted to
the highest place Humiliation Of self
is the path to exaltation by God.
The name Jesus is above every
name, because Jesus has been exalted
above every man.
The worship mentioned here is not
merely that we worship through him
though that is true John 1870.