One area where the mind of Jesus is emphasized is in Philippians 2. Promoting unity in the local church, the Apostle Paul states that believers should have the humble mind of Christ. Humility is one certain way to know if we are thinking the same thoughts as Jesus—He was the greatest example of humility that has ever been. This humility is vital to our growth and change. The great theologian, Augustine, when asked about the most essential virtue of a Christian responded, “humility.” Asked again, he responded again, “humility.” Modern theologian Wayne Mack defines humility as “the recognition of our own insignificance and unworthiness before God…and behaving in a manner that appropriately expresses this attitude.” This kind of thinking is what God expects of us.

God expects us to think like our Lord Jesus.

The same thoughts that characterized His thinking, should characterize ours as well. “Let this mind,” Paul writes in 2:5, “be in you.” The verb in this text is present passive imperative. That means that the mind itself is not our mind. We don’t think our thoughts. We think His thoughts. This is to be a continual action throughout the day. Moreover, this kind of thinking is non-negotiable. This is how every Christian must think.

How did our Lord Jesus think? He subjugated Himself to the Father’s will. Even though He was God, the second Person of the Trinity, Jesus did not feel as if He had to hold onto His glory. Instead, He made Himself of no reputation. Charles Wesley imprecisely put it this way: He “emptied Himself of all but love” (from the hymn And Can It Be?). While the theology of that sentence is much debated, it captures the essence of what Paul is writing here. Jesus was made in the likeness of men. He took upon Himself the servant’s form. If that is not enough, He embraced the cross. Crucifixion is the most degrading form of execution mankind has ever devised. It strips one of his human dignity completely leaving him physically and emotionally exposed for anyone to see. There is no humanity left for one who has been crucified. It is a truly awful way to die. The writer of Hebrews informs us that in spite of the shame of the cross looked only to the joy of being the Savior of His people. This was the greatest act of love. This was the greatest act of humility. This, theologian D.A. Carson writes, is the “supreme standard of our behavior.”

One cursory glance though John’s gospel makes this very clear.

5:19—I do nothing of myself.
5:41—I do not accept the praise of men.
6:38—I have not come to do my own will.
7:16—My teaching is not my own.
8:42—I have not come on my own.
14:10—My words are not my own.

Jesus did not come into the world to promote Himself. He came to seek and to save the lost. Based upon this example, we can see why Paul argues for humility in our relationship with others. In v. 3 Paul writes that the spirit of rivalry has no place in the local church. Humility is the antidote to strife. It is the cure-all. Strife is always the result of pride on the part of one or both in an argument. How many marriages, how many careers, how many parent/child relationships would be salvaged by just one person in the dispute having “lowliness of mind?” This is why humility is so important to Christian growth and change.

Imagine two adults wrangling over a large, square piece of plastic. Are you tempted to think that’s not possible? You should watch the news more often on the day after Thanksgiving. This is the kind of behavior you would expect to see in a nursery where little toddlers fight over a toy, not in a public place with grown-ups fighting over a $79 television. “Lowliness of mind” lets the other person have it. When we are truly humble we begin to think of others better than ourselves. Like Paul writes in Romans 12, we tend to stop minding “high things” but feel more at ease with those who are of a “low estate.” This is when we are a blessing to others. The thinking of Jesus was continually influenced by His great humility. If we are going to follow Him, we must also be humble. This is how we must think.

Discipleship Questions:

1. Reflect on a recent situation where you were at odds with someone else. How would a humble attitude on your part have changed the situation?
2. How often do you think about the importance of humility?
3. Who in your life is there towards whom you struggle to be humble?
4. What specific ways can you grow in humility?

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Biblical change is not something that occurs in a vacuum. It cannot be reproduced in a lab. It is the product of a community of believers helping each other grow into Christlikeness. This truth is evident in Jude’s epistle where the half-brother of Jesus was encouraging Christians to ‘contend for the faith.’ This was the same faith that the first followers of Jesus possessed, a faith which was probably codified in the Regula Fidei, the ‘rule of faith’ which guided the early Christians before the close of the New Testament canon. The reason for Jude’s message was that false teachers, people who he refers to as libertines, had quietly assumed leadership positions in local churches. This is exactly what Peter had warned the people of a few years earlier (2 Peter 2:1). In fact, it is fairly apparent from reading 2 Peter and Jude that much of Jude’s material is borrowed from Peter. The apostle Peter was warning the Christians of these libertines. Jude was explaining how the believers should respond to them after they arrived.

Consequently, the end of Jude’s short epistle thematically mirrors the end of 2 Peter. Peter encourages the Christians to “grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.” Through this, Peter is encouraging these to fortify themselves against the libertines through spiritual growth. Likewise, Jude encourages these same believers to grow as a means of both protecting themselves against the doctrine of the libertines and also as a means of helping those who had been caught up into the false teaching.

V. 20-21: The main verb in these two verses is ‘keep,’ a command to maintain one’s position in God’s love. While it is unclear whether Jude means to keep loving God or remaining where God loves, it is probable that Jude is encouraging these believers to keep loving God. God never stops loving His people, even when their love for Him waxes cold. This command to keep loving God is modified with three participial phrases: (1) building up our faith; (2) praying in the Spirit; (3) waiting expectantly for Christ’s return. By these three actions Jude sees these believers as remaining constant in their love for God.

V. 22-23: The two commands here both address how believers are to deal with those who had been influenced by them. For those who are doubting, people who are ‘making a difference’ (a strange statement which refers to people who don’t know whether to follow the libertines or the true leaders in the church, the command is to show compassion. This makes a lot of practical sense. These people are struggling between two competing doctrinal positions. The second group were following the libertines. The command is not compassion. To these we are to ‘pull them from the fire’ by offering them salvation which comes through the fear of the Lord. At the same time, these were acting wickedly as they were being influenced by the libertines. The Christians were to hate their wickedness while offering the gospel.

V. 24-25: While the application of the command to ‘grow’ from 2 Peter 3:18 is primarily to believers, the truth about sanctification is that it is something God accomplishes in those who follow Him. He has the power to keep us from falling away. In truth, the perseverance of the saints is that which God does. Not only will He keep us from falling, He will keep us blameless. Ephesians 5 states that we have been washed. We are not faultless because of some internal sainthood, but because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. Consequently, we cannot claim any glory for our ‘growth,’ but that all goes to God.

Christian growth is vital for the protection of God’s people from false teaching. It must be something accomplished as a collective within the confines of the local church. We are all responsible for this. Each of us must be growing ourselves and encouraging growth in others. This is the imperative.

Discipleship Questions

1. How can church members care for the spiritual growth of each other?
2. What kind of prayer emphasis should a church promote? How can our church encourage more members to gather together for prayer?
3. What can our church do practically to continually remind each other to wait for the Lord’s return?
4. How should a disciple-maker deal with someone who is struggling spiritually with doubts about his faith?
5. Sanctification should bring humility. Unfortunately, many Christians become proud of their “spiritual” attainments. What can we do to encourage personal humility and glorify the Lord for His work in us?

We are living in a time when the value of anything is determined by its ability to “work.” Functionality, more than just about every other quality, is deemed most important of all.

• Who wants an expensive cell phone that won’t make or receive phone calls?
• What good is that expensive digital camera where the storage capacity for the pictures is too small to hold more than a few shot?
• If your air conditioner isn’t functioning properly, one 100* afternoon will bring you to your knees.

Functionality is important. Because of this, most people judge their religion based upon the perception of its ability to work. If one’s religion does not work, then it’s likely that he will leave that faith very soon. Likewise, functionality is important in Christianity.

As a Christian, I want a faith that will:

• Answer the crucial questions about life
• Provide a framework through which I interact with others (ethics)
• Cause me to improve as an individual (morality)
• Encourage overall well-being (financial, physical, social)
• Promote an environment which provides social interaction with others
• Accept me as an individual
• Be acceptable to others in society

While all of these points may trace their origin to the gospel, there is a lot more than gospel here. In fact, these are just areas of general concern. I think most of these would be true regardless of the religion. These just represent where people are. People want their faith to work.

Unfortunately, many Christians have come to believe that Christianity does not work. I think the reason for this is quite complex. It might be one of the following reasons (or some combination).

• There is a seeming contradiction between Science and Christianity.
• There are many believers who have become notorious for their sinful behavior which stains the reputation of our faith.
• Many believers fail to see tangible spiritual growth for long stretches of time (or they fail to perceive that growth).
• A whole lot of believers are struggling in areas of well-being.
• Though they generally gather together a few times a week, some Christians feel more disconnected at church than at any other place.
• A lot of Christians feel judged at church.
• Many Christians never reproduce themselves in the life of another person other than family (mainly children).

In other words, even with the modern emphasis on relevance (particularly in the areas of marriage and family, finances, and interpersonal relationships), there are Christians who have come to the conclusion (though they would never state it verbally) that Christianity does not work.

The point of this study is that the Christianity God outlines in the Bible does work. In fact, when it functions in the way God intends, it works beautifully.

One of the Bible passages which demonstrates this is 2 Timothy 3:16-17. In 2 Timothy 3 the apostle Paul injects an important statement about the value of God’s Word to the life of every Christian. After acknowledging the role of Scripture in Timothy’s personal faith in Jesus for salvation, Paul adds this argument. Not only is the Bible an important part of bringing us to Christ, it is vitally important after our salvation in terms of our living the Christian life. The “holy Scriptures,” when they are fully known, offer the necessary wisdom for one placing his faith in Christ Jesus.

They were also to be the primary part of Timothy’s preaching ministry. Paul states that these “Scriptures” (the same word in v. 16 and in v. 15) are valuable to Christian living. The reason for Paul’s confidence that the words themselves have this value is that they were the words that God spoke. The term “inspiration” has the idea of being “God-breathed.” This is similar language to the creation of man by God breathing into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7). Remember in John 20:22 that Jesus breathed onto His disciples and commanded them to receive the Holy Spirit. God breathed life into human words so that they are more than just words. They are God’s words.

What this means is that when Timothy taught God’s words to the people in Ephesus, he was bringing to them the very words of spiritual life. This is why the Scriptures are valuable. When we read or meditate on God’s words we are renewing the spirit of our minds (Ephesians 4:23). We literally begin to think God’s own thoughts after Him. Romans 12:2 indicates that this has transformative power. They influence my thoughts, my emotions, and my will. When God’s words are brought to bear on these different aspects of my being change begins to take place. Spiritual life is breathed into me.

Specifically, God’s words are beneficial in four different (yet overlapping in some cases) areas. These are:

1. Doctrine: The Bible teaches me about God. From the Scriptures I learn His will, His ways and methods, about what He wants from me.

2. Reproof: God’s words are truth. More than ever, we need them because we live in a culture where truth is considered to be relative. God’s truth is not relative.

3. Correction: These words effect the necessary changes in my heart where the wrong thoughts ruled.

4. Instruction about righteousness: God’s words teach me how to live a right kind of life.

While these words have no consequential effect on unbelievers, the truths of the Scriptures are “spiritually discerned” according to Paul in 1 Corinthians 2, they are transformative in the life of a Christian. Hebrews 4:12 teaches that the Scriptures penetrate into the deepest parts of our hearts. They discern our thoughts and our intentions. 2 Corinthians 3:18 indicates that these words cause us to see God like we are looking into a mirror. When we gaze into God’s words we see His glory. This changes us into the “same image” as what we see there—glory to glory.

Thus, every time the word of God takes the central part of my thoughts I either learn about God; I am challenged by what I learn about God; I am corrected where wrong thinking has caused me to sin; or I gain valuable training as to how to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. The result of this is that I become increasingly more mature in Christ. The term in our translation is “perfect.” Some translations use the word “complete.” The idea is one of spiritual maturity. This maturity, Paul adds, equips me to do things that are beneficial (every good work).

Think of this text this way. If I do not have a right view of God, then there is no way I can do acts of service to Him like I should. If I am not challenged in those areas where my behavior is sinful, then I cannot do acts of service for God. If I continue in the same sinful habits as before then I cannot really do acts of service for God. If I do not have the necessary training in righteousness then my acts of service will not be what God wants from me. This is what God’s words do—they are transformative.

In God’s words are the answers for the crucial questions of life. I find there the necessary framework for living ethically in relation to others. God’s words provide me His moral law teaching me the righteous way to live. Scripture teaches the balanced life that produces personal well-being. I learn in its pages how to handle money, how to be a good steward of my God-given resources, and how to socialize with other people. The church, the place God ordained for the gathering of His people, offers opportunities to interact with others who desire to worship God. In that environment I can accept others and be accepted. Through the gospel message I can take my faith to those who do not yet believe with the great hope that they will turn to embrace my same faith in the Lord Jesus. In other words, biblical Christianity works.

The important question is: in what areas do I need to change?

1. What thoughts do I have that are not biblical?

i. These thoughts might be in relation to God—worry, fear, frustration
ii. They might be in relation to other people—anger, lack of forgiveness, lack of love

2. Where do I need rebuke?

i. There are probably hundreds of areas where mild rebuke is needed (some areas I don’t know about because I haven’t reached a stage of life where it becomes apparent—parenting is an example).
ii. There might be a few areas where I need strong rebuke.

3. Where do I need correction?

i. These areas are probably more akin to doing something wrong or improperly than—a lesser degree than rebuke.
ii. It is the idea of truth coming to bear on my life.

4. Where could I use further training in righteousness?

i. Maybe I need basic Christian life skills such as:

1. Life in the Spirit
2. Worship—public and private
3. Sharing the gospel
4. Handling trials biblically

ii. I might need to develop God-honoring habits such as:

1. Prayer
2. Bible reading
3. Giving offerings and stewardship

iii. I might need interpersonal relationship help such learning to:

1. Forbear when others sin against me
2. Forgive when I cannot forbear

Discipleship Questions

1. Is there ever a time when a Christian reaches a place where he has no more room for spiritual growth? (Can he become “complete” –v. 17?) If not, why not?

2. What obstacles are there which inhibit spiritual growth in the lives of believers? Arrange the list below in order of priority and explain why you came to that conclusion.

a. Lack of motivation/apathy
b. Lack of valuing change
c. Lack of information
d. Bad, sinful habits
e. Worldly culture
f. Wrong information (previous Bible teaching that was wrong and misleading)

3. Were you ever discipled after you accepted Jesus as Savior?
4. Are you currently in a discipleship relationship with another Christian?

a. You are discipling someone
b. You are being discipled by someone

5. Can you point to obvious spiritual change that has taken place in your life over the past five years?

My experience with sports is less spectacular. I played two sports growing up, soccer and badminton. Soccer was not as popular then as it seems to be now. Badminton has yet to really catch on. In actuality, I played nearly all the sports and enjoyed it immensely. In college I started playing golf and, for a short time, entertained the notion that I could play professionally. The truth is, I couldn’t even beat my friends consistently, much less a group of professionals. I still love sports.

In my early 20’s, however, I learned that my true passion was Jesus Christ. While there are days when I feel the same strain as everyone else regarding my life’s ambition—cold and listless—these days are few and far between. The cause of Christ led me to give up politics and sports as ambitions. My true love led me away from my other loves.

This is why I am so concerned with how Christians will respond to the latest separation between our culture and Christian living. So many Christians are invested in the culture trying to redeem it from within (contextualization), that they are in danger of being swept away by the culture’s hard move toward moral wickedness. This is apparent in both of the arenas I mentioned above. In politics, a man who has historically supported immoral politicians has become one himself. He offers no solutions, no real policy ideas, and yet he has the support of millions of American evangelicals. He may win the Republican nomination and many Christians will be the reason for his election. At the same time two events in politics have collided with sports—one in Georgia and the other in North Carolina. In my home state of North Carolina, the state government and the governor have overruled the city of Charlotte regarding a law that allowed men to use women’s bathrooms if they identify as a woman. In Georgia, the state legislature there has passed a law outlining religious liberty as it relates again to LGBT issues. The NFL, the NCAA, and other sports organizations including the Atlanta Falcons, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, and other state based teams have strongly urged the governor to reject the legislation.

The point of this article is not take a position on these legislative actions. I have not studied them at all and do not know if they are really good or bad. My point here is that there appears to be a time coming when Christians are going to have to choose what they love more, God or politics/sports. My choice is made. I will gladly give up the political arena and stop watching the NFL if it comes to that because my love for God is just so much greater than these. When what I truly love is threatened by my other loves, those have to fall away. There is no other option for me.

“The sounds of a crowd wildly chanting fill the arena as a perfectly dressed man walks on to the stage. As he strides forward the roar grows to nearly deafening decibels.  After many minutes the cheering dies down and the man begins to speak. His message is part political and part social having been honed on the campaign trail for a few months. He speaks about economic growth, about immigration policy, about what’s wrong in government. He does not give many solutions to these perceived problems, but he offers up himself as the answer. His speech has references to the Bible and to God, though it is apparent that he is not really comfortable talking about spiritual things. Still, the polls show that people who identify as “evangelical” are supporting his candidacy in record numbers. If enough people vote for him he will take his place as the next leader…of the world.”

This is not a description of the 2016 Republican presidential primary, even if some parallels appear in the story between the two. This is a fictional account of the election of the Antichrist, the political figure who will arise at some point in the future according to God’s perfect timing. This man is described in a few places and in the Bible—Ezekiel 28, Daniel 7, 2 Thessalonians 2, and Revelation 13 and 17. Look at how 2 Thessalonians 2 describes this man.

2:3—he is called “the man of sin”

2:4—he opposes God and desires worship (notice the connection between politics and religion)

2:9—his power is Satanic and very deceptive (Matthew 24:24 indicates that his lies will be so deceptive that even Christians will be tempted to believe him).

2:11—he will deceive unbelievers.

Think about this coming election. In some form of future global democracy, the people of the world will rise up and support this man who opposes God and even people who call themselves Christians will support him.

Here is how the late theologian Dwight Pentecost describes him in Things To Come. Antichrist is a political leader whose influence is worldwide (332-333). He is persuasive and smart, subtle and crafty (333). He is part of Satan’s great masterpiece in his imitating the program of God (335). In other words, Satan will empower this politician so that his lies will be trusted to the point of his assuming control over the one-world government which will be in place during the time of the end.

What does this prophecy of a future political figure mean for us living today?

First, it is important to listen carefully to a candidate’s “talking points” and judge them by past actions. Abraham Lincoln supposedly remarked in a speech given in Clinton, IL in 1858 that “you can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time….” Politicians are adept at the use of language. This does not mean that everyone in politics is corrupt. God has blessed us with some wonderful governmental leaders. But it does mean that you cannot take anyone’s words at face value. The only way to know how a person will behave in office is to judge his words according to what he has already done. If a person has advocated practices which are immoral in the past, his present day commitment to morality must be questioned.

Second, this highlights the importance of recognizing the influence of Satan upon the political system. Who rules the nations of the world? While Jesus is the rightful ruler, the Bible teaches that Satan presently exercises authority over them. Moreover, Daniel 10 seems to indicate that there are demons controlled by Satan who exercise some influence over territories. With this knowledge a Christian must come spiritually armed to the ballot box.

Third, God is the one who actually elects our leaders. Psalm 75:7 indicates that God sets up people into positions of authority and He alone removes them. Democracy is a great social contract that began in the days of the Magna Carta. But it does not trump God’s sovereignty over the things of this life. Consequently, voting for the “lesser of two evils” might be a politically astute option, but it not one which is supported by Scripture.

As we enter into a political season where we are called upon to cast our vote for men and women who will assume high office in our land, let us be fully aware of our responsibility to vote in such a way as will bring glory to God, not in a way that will win us some measure of political victory. While God cares who is our next president, He’s not worried in the least about it. The day will come that Antichrist will be elected too, and by God’s sovereign will this wicked man will rule the earth, but his time is short. He will accomplish only what God determines him to do. Then he will be destroyed by the Lord Jesus—by the breath of His mouth and the brightness of His coming.

Most of our decisions are relatively unimportant. Imagine yourself in the oral hygiene aisle at Wal-Mart. It probably does not matter very much to your life whether you choose the toothpaste that whitens your teeth while freshening your breath, or the one that gives you fresher breath while whitening your teeth.  Either one will probably do about the same. Choices such as which gas station you use to fill your car with gas; which cell phone carrier you use; whether you buy the honey wheat bread or the one with all the little nuts; these are routine and generally do not amount to much. These fill our day and most of them are relatively unimportant. Let’s call these “level 3” choices. These can be changed frequently. They require little effort.

Some choices are more important. If you choose typewriter repair as your profession you are going to deal with the consequences of never having any work. If you choose to live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan you should be prepared for the extreme cold that winter brings. These choices are more serious than the brand of t-shirt you buy. (If you choose to live in the UP I would buy the wool ones). Let’s call these “level 2” choices. They have some life-changing implications, but they are not ones from which a person is unable to recover. You can learn a new profession but not without some difficulty. You can move to North Carolina, but not without some expense and effort on your part.

Even further, there are decisions we have in which we are tested as to whether we are going to follow Christ or not. These choices are deal-breakers. They mark out our path through life. Some of these choices occur in the moment such as the decision to follow Christ in salvation. Others are daily decisions such as whether to invest some time reading the Bible or not. When it comes to these kinds of choices, going in the wrong direction can result in severe consequences. These are “level 1” choices. Moses’ decision to strike the rock instead of speaking to it as God commanded, and thereby give God the glory He alone deserved, caused him to miss out on experiencing the Promised Land for himself. Demas forsook Paul and fled to Thessalonica. This was likely not a spur of the moment decision but one that was precipitated by hundreds of less dramatic ones, all of them leading him away from loving God and towards loving the world. Level 1 choices, whether dramatic or not, are the ones where we either follow God or follow something or someone else.

In Psalm 119 we find a man with two incredible things going on in his life. First, we find someone who is committed to following after God. You cannot read the Psalm without noticing this. In nearly every verse, and there are one hundred seventy six of them, he refers to God’s Word in some fashion. He refers to it with terms such as precepts, statutes, judgments, law, commandments, testimonies, and ordinances. Because of the time in which the writer lived, he probably had very little of the Old Testament available to him and none of the New Testament at all. Every appellation that he pours out on God’s “word” is in reference to the Pentateuch and maybe a couple historical books like Joshua or Judges/Ruth. He has a limited view of truth from our perspective as we have the entire Scriptures. Yet he is fully committed to what is there because even though it is incomplete in its scope, it is not incomplete in its dealing with the heart of man. God’s Word is powerful to save and to change the life in every part. By committing himself to following God’s word this man is demonstrating that he is committed to following after God. The second thing we discover about this man is that he is suffering. While the psalmist never identifies the cause of his suffering, it is certain that he is in great difficulty. It may have had something to do with lies which were told about him by his enemies (69). These were apparently very important people too (23). He refers to himself as being afflicted (50), and under the persecution of others (51). He describes this as “horror” which is the result of wicked people hurting him (53). He talks about what life was like before his afflictions came to him (67). He refers to himself as being in great trouble (81) and desperately needing the Lord to help him (84). He recognizes that on various occasions he was near death (87).

How important do you think decisions are for a person going through difficulties like these listed here? Decisions are crucial when your life is on the line. So where does this man turn for counsel? Remember that he is committed to following after God. Because of this initial choice, he turns to the right source of comfort. He writes that God’s Word illumines his path (105). To the contrary, he also notes that whatever direction does not come from God’s truth is “false” and he rejects it out of hand (104). This is an important cluster of verses for the contemporary Christian. The way ahead, he admits, includes an “evil way” (101) which he wants to avoid. Because of this he rejoices that God’s truth is “sweeter than honey” to his mouth (103). While the “evil way” includes a trap that his enemies have laid before him (110), he has chosen to follow after God’s way (112).

What difficult decisions do you face today? What problems do you see coming up quickly from behind you? What trials are about to overwhelm you? Whatever they are, you can be confident that God’s Word has the solution.  It is sufficient in all things. Seek the Lord to give you wisdom for the choices you will have to take. Ask Him to teach you (33); to give you understanding (34);  to help you follow His way (35); to incline your heart to choose what is right over what is convenient (36);  to help you avoid the emptiness of the world that seems so easy and alluring (37); to ground you in His truth (38); to lift you up (39); and ultimately, to enliven you from the depths of your despair (37, 40).

As God makes plain to you the way in which He wants you to go, you will find yourself ordering your steps in God’s truth (133); delighting in God’s commandments (143); and resting in His peace (165). You will go from a troubled Christian with all the accompanying sorrows and fears to an upright, joyful, praise-filled saint (171). Certainly, there will be times when you feel a little bit lost, but at least you know that God is watching over you like a shepherd keeps his sheep. How wonderful to know that even if you do stray a bit off of the pathway, God will be there to steer you back on track (176).