The moral history of the Christly spirit.
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus," etc. "From a practical introduction in the familiar exhortation to follow the example of our Lord, St. Paul passes on to what is perhaps the most complete and formal statement in all his Epistles of the doctrine of his great humility. In this he marks out first the Incarnation, in which, 'being in the form of God, he took on him the form of a servant,' assuming a sinless but finite humanity; and next the passion, which was made needful by the sins of men, and in which his human nature was humiliated to the shame and agony of the cross. Inseparable in themselves, these two great acts of his self-sacrificing love must be distinguished. Ancient speculation delighted to suggest that the first might have been even if humanity had remained sinless, while the second was added because of the fall and its consequences. Such speculations are indeed thoroughly precarious and unsubstantial—for we cannot ask what might have been in a different dispensation from our own, and moreover we read of our Lord as 'the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world ' (Revelation 13:8; see also 1 Peter 1:19), but they at least point to a true distinction. As the 'Word of God' manifested in the Incarnation, our Lord is the treasure of all humanity as such; as the Savior through death, he is the especial treasure of us as sinners" (Dr. Barry). This is one of the grandest passages in the Bible; it has been the arena of many a theological battle, the subject of many a sermon ay, and of many volumes too. Eschewing, as far as possible, all verbal criticism and speculation, I shall turn it to a practical account by using it to illustrate the moral history of the Christly spirit—the spirit which the Philippians in the preceding verses are exhorted to obtain and cherish. Using it with this view, there are two great facts to be noticed.
I. IT IS A SPIRIT OF SELF-ABNEGATION. "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus," etc. Now, this "mind," or spirit, he details as developed in Christ himself.
1. In what Christ did not do. "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God." Or, as Dr. Davidson renders the words, "Did not think equality with God a thing to be grasped at." "The term 'God' here and in the following paragraph," says Bengel, "does not denote God the Father; the form of God does not mean the Deity himself nor the Divine nature, but something rising out of it. Again, it does not signify the being equal with God, but something prior, the manifestation of God, that is, the form shining out of the very glory of the invisible Deity." The form of man is not the man himself, so the manifestation of God is not God himself. Now, Christ did not seize at this manifestation, did not consider it a thing to be grasped at. Of the true Christly spirit it may be said that, when great good is to be done, it does not hold on to privileges, honors, dignities, etc. This is strikingly illustrated in St. Paul, "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ" (Philippians 2:7).
2. In what Christ did do.
II. IT IS A SPIRIT OF DIVINE EXALTATION. Because of this self-abnegating love "God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name which is above every name; "rather," the Name above every name." Perhaps all intelligent creatures through the universe have appellations by which they are distinguished from others and recognized. Angels have their names: Michael, Gabriel, etc. Some names are greater than others. It often happens that the name of one man towers in significance and grandeur above the name of a whole generation. Such names as Moses, Paul, Luther, Howard, Garibaldi. But the apostle declares that there is one "Name above every name," either on earth or in heaven.
1. It is a transcendent Name. "A Name which is above every name." It is idealistically and independently perfect. There is no name like unto it in the universe. Above every name in every hierarchy in the creation.
2. It is a morally conquering Name. "That at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow." There is a talismanic energy in this Name. It has wrought wonders on our earth already, and far greater wonders it will work in the human mind "until all his enemies be made his footstool." It wins the mastery over the soul, ay, and gains ascendency over all minds in the universe. "Of things in heaven, and things in earth," etc. For "things," read "beings." "And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever."
3. It is a God-glorifying Name. "And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." The acknowledgment of the glory of Christ is the acknowledgment of the glory of the Father as the source of Deity manifested perfectly in him. "And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all" (1 Corinthians 15:28).
CONCLUSION. Here is the fixed law of heaven. The moral spirit that would ascend to true dignity, win a name that shall command the reverence both of earth and heaven, must empty itself of all selfish motives and personal interests. There are two hills lying opposite each other, one is the hill of personal pride—barren, bleak, cloudy; the other is the hill of Divine dignity—grand, sunny, blooming in beauty, and abounding in fruit, crowned with the pavilion of the Godhead. No soul can ascend the one without descending the other; he must go down the brow of selfishness step by step, till he reaches the dark valley of self-abnegation, and then upward he may commence scaling the sublime altitudes of Divine dignity and bliss.—D.T.
Salvation as a work in the soul.
"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. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." It is worthy of note that this, of all the Epistles of Paul, is the only one that contains no direct rebuke. The apostle hero speaks of them as "having always obeyed," not only in his presence, but in his absence. The passage leads us to contemplate salvation as a work in the soul. The word "salvation" implies a previous lost condition. The soul is lost; but in what sense? Not in the sense of missing, as the piece of silver was lost, the sheep was lost, the prodigal son lost; God knows where every soul is. Not in the sense of destruction, as the tree or house is lost when burnt to ashes; but in the sense in which a worthless child is lost to his parents, a worthless soldier to an army, a worthless citizen to his country. All souls are lost to God in this sense—they fulfill not their mission, which is
I offer three remarks on this subject.
I. SALVATION IS A SUPREME WORK IS MAN. The apostle urges it here as supreme: "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence," etc. As if he had said, "Mind, attend to this, wherever I am, in whatever condition, whether I am living or dying, do not neglect your salvation." This is the supreme work. If the soul is not restored to the knowledge and image of the true God, what matters it what else a man may possess? "What shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
II. SALVATION IS A DIVINE WORK IS MAN. "It is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."
1. He works in you. He works everywhere outside of you. He is the force of all forces, the Spirit in all the wheels of nature; but in the soul he has a higher sphere. As outside in unreasoning nature he works in harmony with the laws which he has established, so in the soul he works according to its laws of thought and volition.
2. He works in you for your salvation. Not for your destruction; destruction would require no work on his part, a mere volition would extinguish you for ever, but he works to save you—works as the physician works to save his patient, as the lifeboat works to save the sinking bark.
3. He works in you for your salvation "according to his good pleasure." It is not his will that you should perish; the desire of his great fatherly heart is that you should be saved. Hence he works in you, works silently, constantly, and in connection with all the influences of nature, events of history, and the laws of your own being.
III. SALVATION IS A HUMAN WORK IN MAN.
1. It is a work which the man must do for himself. "Work out your own salvation." No one can do the work for you; no one can believe, repent, and love for you; the work is absolutely personal.
2. Man's encouragement to this work is the co-operation of God. "God worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." His agency, instead of superseding the necessity of yours, should stimulate yours. If he did not work with you, your efforts would be futile; if against you, your efforts would be baffled and confounded. But your salvation is his "good pleasure." He works with you as he works with the industrious agriculturist; he supplies all the necessary conditions for success in the production of golden crops. He works with you as he works with the genuine truth-seeker, touches the springs of thought and stimulates by ever-opening prospects.
CONCLUSION. Never let us forget that our supreme work is spiritual salvation, that all other works should be made subservient to this.—D.T.