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Philippians chapter 2, as we continue on in our series here of Paul's letter to the Philippian church.
This passage, as you know, is one of the most helpful and most concise explanations of the identity of Jesus
and the salvation that he has provided to us through his death on the cross.
Paul says,
And remember, there's a parenthetical here.
If there is consolation in Christ, and there is.
If any comfort of love, and there is.
So on and so forth.
He says,
Because of that, fulfill my joy that you be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord and of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind.
Let each esteem others better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
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,
took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.
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,
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.
Now, Paul's first and primary intention in writing these verses in this particular set of doctrinal statements
wasn't so much to just give a description and really a miniature doctrinal treatise of the person of Christ.
His first intention, as we see in verse 5, was really to give an example to the Philippian believers
of how they were to humbly submit to one another and be unified together as believers.
That's what we talked about last week in the first four verses.
It was all about loving one another, submitting to one another, being unified as a church family.
And we get to verse 5.
Paul isn't just completely changing the subject all of a sudden.
And what he's doing is saying, since this is what it takes for you to live a gospel-worthy life,
to be unified together and to love one another,
you should pattern this after what we see in the person of Christ.
And so he's connecting Jesus' life to the example of how we're to live out our lives as believers,
specifically within the local church.
Now, obviously, the supreme example of this humility in verses 3 and 4,
and this unity that Paul is referring to,
obviously, the supreme example of that is Jesus Christ.
And this text becomes one of the classical,
Christological passages of all the Bible.
Some people even have suggested that this was a hymn that was sung by the early church,
that it was so impactful and concise in the way that Paul presented these truths of Christ
that the early church on through the centuries began to sing these words
as a song, as a time of worship in their services.
But there is a balance that we have to take as we look at this passage,
just like there's a balance that we have to take when we look at any passage.
Now, my tendency is to dig so far into the doctrinal element of a various passage
that I leave off sometimes the practical applications of that passage.
That's my personal tendency.
Others have the opposite tendency.
They want so much to be impacted by the practical application
that they never actually spend any time diving into the doctrinal instruction
that supports that practice.
So we could spend all of our time today just jumping into the person of Christ
for knowledge's sake as far as developing and increasing our knowledge of who he is.
But if we miss out on what Paul's intention in writing this is,
then we've missed out on the whole purpose.
If we study the Bible only to gain knowledge,
and we never apply that knowledge to practical living,
then what's the purpose of the knowledge?
It's wasted.
But if we come to the scriptures only looking for the top 10 things to make us a better father,
or the five ways to be a better parent,
or whatever it is,
if we're only looking for the practical,
then we miss out on the whole reason that our life has to be different anyways.
So we have to come to this passage with a balance.
We have to come with every passage with that particular balance.
And that's what I'm going to try to do today.
Balance out the doctrine of who Jesus is
with the practical intention of why Paul cares to write about it here.
And that is because our lives are supposed to mimic his.
As we live our life within the church,
we're to be unified together because we exhibit the same humility that Christ has exhibited.
And then at the same time,
we certainly want to grow in our knowledge of Christ as well.
Now, the truths of these verses between 6 and 11
are really centered on the identity of Jesus and who he is.
And we'll deal with four facets of Christ's identity.
Three of them today in verses 6 through 8,
and the last one in verses 9 through 11,
we will deal with next Sunday.
So let's jump right into it before I take too much time, okay?
First thing we see here, verse number 6,
Jesus' identity.
Jesus is the sovereign God.
Look with me again at verse number 6.
Paul says, or let's start at 5,
let this mind be in you, this humble mind, this unifying mind,
which was also in Christ Jesus,
who, being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
In verse number 6, we see Paul presenting the truth
that Jesus is divine.
He has the very nature and essence of God.
He is deity himself.
The humility of Jesus, as we study and apply this passage,
is only meaningful to us as we come to understand his true identity.
If we are to accept his life as the supreme example of humility,
then we must first acknowledge the fact of his deity,
that he is God.
And think about it.
If Jesus were merely a man,
why would we characterize his life as particularly humble?
It would actually be incorrect to do that.
Why in the world would we think that a seemingly insignificant person
born to an insignificant family,
in an insignificant place,
with a relatively insignificant career,
and a following of people that are mostly insignificant people,
why in the world would we think that that life is particularly humble?
If anything, we would look at the life of Jesus
and we would say he's actually probably exalted a little higher
than what most people born into that dynamic
with that particular story of life would be.
I mean, at least for a portion of his life,
he had a following of people that wanted to be around him,
people that wanted to see him,
and people that wanted to listen to him.
But if Jesus was only a man,
if that's all that he was,
why would we regard him as particularly humble?
The fact of Jesus' deity is what makes him infinitely spectacular.
It's what makes him infinitely significant.
The fact that Jesus first and foremost is God
is what actually makes him the supreme example of humility
in which we should pattern our own life.
The greatest satanic attack against Christianity
is the plethora of religions and philosophies
that try to rob Jesus of his divine nature.
The denial of his deity renders his life utterly purposeless.
If he's not God,
then why do we care to study what the Bible says about him?
The Bible then actually becomes useless.
If Jesus is not God,
then the Bible is a lie,
and we're wasting our time giving it any credibility at all.
The truth is we must stand firm as believers
on the truth of Jesus' identity
and defend it against the doctrinal errors
that have even begun to infiltrate the evangelical church in America.
John gives us the same instruction in his first epistle
in 1 John chapter 4.
He says,
Beloved, believe not every spirit.
By spirit, he means teacher
or person that is proclaiming truth in some way
or at least claiming to proclaim truth.
Believe not every spirit,
but try those spirits,
whether they are of God.
because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
And then he says,
here's how you know the spirit of God.
Every person that confesses
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.
Not just that Jesus is man,
but that Jesus has come to be man,
that he is the divine
that has taken on human flesh is of God.
And every spirit that confesses
not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
is not God.
And this is that spirit of Antichrist.
Where have you ever heard that it should come?
And even now already is in the world.
And we must be committed to understand
the doctrine of the Bibles
so that we can defend this truth
because our faith rests on this truth.
If we waver in this way
or we begin to accommodate friends and family
and other philosophies
and even maybe perhaps go along with other philosophies
that would rob Jesus of his divine nature
then we actually unsettle our entire faith
and make it pointless.
I wanna encourage us to be like the Bereans
in Acts chapter 17.
Paul and Silas were effectively run out of Thessalonica
and they go to Berea
and they find the synagogue of the Jews.
In Acts chapter 17,
it says that these Bereans were more noble
than those in Thessalonica
and that they received the word
with all readiness of mind
and here's what they did.
They searched the scriptures daily
whether those things were so.
Therefore, many of them believed.
Church, we have a responsibility to do this.
Our responsibility as believers
goes much further
than just our weekly gathering for worship.
There's a whole dynamic of life within church
and we're gonna get around to teaching a lot of that
but even beyond that,
we have a responsibility as Christians,
as believers,
to study out the scriptures
to see if these things are so
in order that we know the scripture
and stand firm on sound doctrine
and can preach the truth
even when those around us are polluted with error.
What does this passage actually say about his deity?
Two phrases actually.
The first one is this,
being in the form of God.
Look at verse six.
Jesus who being in the form of God.
This word form means
or is a reference
to the very essence of a person's nature.
It's their continuous state or condition.
When Paul says that Jesus existed in the form of God,
he meant that the very essence
of who Jesus was is completely God.
He possesses the nature of deity
to the fullest extent.
In other words,
if you want to see God,
look at Jesus.
If you want to know God,
study Jesus.
If you want to hear from God,
listen to the words of Jesus.
He is God.
The scriptures affirm this over and over again.
John chapter one,
in the beginning was the word
and the word was with God
as Kyle just read it a minute ago.
And then it says,
and the word,
another name for Jesus,
was God.
The same person was in the beginning with God
long before his birth in Bethlehem.
All things were made by him,
that is creation.
And without him was not anything made
that was made.
Clearly,
John is attesting to the fact
that Jesus was not merely a man,
that he existed long before his birth
in Bethlehem,
that Jesus is in fact God and creator.
The writer of Hebrews
at the very beginning of his book
in chapter one says that
God has spoken to us
by his son,
Jesus,
whom he appointed heir of all things,
through whom also he created the world.
that it was Jesus who was active in creation.
He says,
he is the radiance of the glory of God
and the exact imprint of God's nature.
He upholds the universe by the word of his power.
And after making purification for our sins,
dying on the cross,
he ascended back into heaven
where he sat down at the right hand
of the majesty on high,
where he sat back down
at the right hand
of the majesty on high.
The scriptures clearly affirm over and over,
Jesus was not just a man.
He is God himself.
Jesus explicitly made this claim.
In John chapter 17,
he prayed to his father and said,
glorify me in your presence
with the glory that I had with you
before the world existed.
In John chapter 10,
Jesus said,
my sheep hear my voice
and I know them
and they follow me.
And then he says,
and I give them eternal life.
No man has power
to give another human being eternal life.
That power rests solely in God's power.
And here in John chapter 10,
Jesus is saying,
in his divinity claim,
I am that God
and I am the one
that gives believers eternal life.
And he goes on and he says,
they shall never perish,
neither shall any man
pluck them out of my hand.
My father which gave them me
is greater than all
and no man is able
to pluck them out of his hand.
And then he says,
I and my father are one.
The same person
by his own claim.
And then here's what happened
in John chapter 10,
very next verse.
Then the Jews took up stones
to stone him.
They hated him,
not because of his messianic claim.
The Jews then
and even the Jews today
don't mind that Jesus claimed
to be a Messiah.
They will tell you,
we've had lots of Messiahs
through the year.
We've had lots of saviors
through the year
in one way or another.
Their problem with Jesus
is his divinity claim.
They didn't start
to pick up the rocks
until Jesus said,
I and the father are one.
I give eternal life.
I forgive sins.
It wasn't his messianic claim.
It was the fact
that he said
that he was God.
And it's the same reason
that people hate him now.
It's not because
he was a great teacher.
It's not because
of some prophetic element
that they think that he had.
It's because he claimed
to be God.
And if Jesus is God,
then as man,
we are accountable to him
and we are accountable
to his teaching.
But it's for this very reason
that we cannot come casually
to the person of Jesus.
It is improper
to come to Jesus
and say that Jesus
was just a good teacher
or that he was a moral man
or that he was a prophet
in some way.
Jesus himself
made a claim
of being deity.
Either he's a liar
and a fanatic
or he truly is God.
There's no in between.
And we must all
make that decision
of whether we're going
to trust him
as God and Savior
or whether,
like the Jews would say,
he is an imposter.
And a liar
and a perverter
of the faith.
That's the first mention
in verse six
that he's in the form of God.
The second one
is a little bit different.
Thought it not robbery
to be equal with God,
it says.
This is Paul's statement
and introduction
to Paul's description
of Jesus' humility.
But his humility
doesn't matter
if we don't understand
his divinity.
Now, Paul says,
in that divinity,
Christ willingly
humbled himself
and set aside
the benefits
of that divine nature
in order that he might
provide salvation
for us.
That's the humility
of Christ.
The phrasing
is a little bit odd.
If you've got
one of those
scripture journals,
it probably says
something to the effect
of he did not
count equality
with God
as something
to be grasped.
That robbery,
that grasped,
is a reference
to holding tightly
to something.
It's clinging
to something.
And Paul's point
is that
though Jesus
is God,
he did not consider
the glory
that comes along
with being God,
his place
on the throne
in heaven,
amidst the praises
of the angels
and the Old Testament
saints that were
already there
and all the benefits
of the riches
and the wealth
and all of those things.
He didn't cling
to that stuff
desperately
in an unwillingness
to help us,
but rather
in his humility
as God,
though he deserved
all of those things,
in his humility,
he set those things
to the side,
not his deity,
but the glory
of being divine.
He set that
to the side
and he condescended
to man
in order
to provide
salvation
for us.
And Paul says
this is the humility
that we're to show
with one another.
In fact,
it's exactly
what Paul says
in verse number
three,
or excuse me,
four.
He says,
look,
not every man
on his own things,
but every man
also on the things
of others.
When Paul says
at the end
of chapter one
that we are
to live a life
that is worthy
of the gospel
and the way
that we're going
to live that life
is by endurance
and persecution
and then in living
unified together,
he says the only way
that that's going
to happen
is when you
humble yourself
and stop looking
at your own things,
be willing
to set aside
the glory
of whatever it is
that you have been
blessed with
in your life
in order
to serve others
because that's
exactly what
Jesus did.
He did not cling
to the things
that were pleasant.
He did not cling
to the things
that were the blessings
and did not cling
to the glory
of his deity.
He set it aside
in order to serve
others and we need
not cling to the things
that God has blessed
us with and cling
to the power
that maybe we want
to enjoy
in a group dynamic
or cling to one thing
or another.
We ought to be willing
to set aside
whatever glory
we have
in order to serve
one another
and it's only
in that humility
that as a church
we will be able
to be unified
and live a life
that is worthy
of the gospel.
So we see
in verse 6 then
that Jesus
is the sovereign God.
Secondly,
in verse 7
we see that Jesus
is the humble servant.
He is the humble servant.
Look with me
at verse 7.
But he made himself
of no reputation
and took upon him
the form of a servant
and was made
in the likeness
of men.
In verse 6
we see the deity
of Jesus.
In verse 7
we see the humanity
of Jesus.
And it's here
where we can begin
to see more clearly
the example
of his humility.
It says that
he took upon him
the form of a servant.
Now you'll notice
that Paul uses
the same word
for Jesus' deity
in verse 6
as he does
for his humanity
in verse 7.
It's that same word
form.
And here's what he means
in doing that.
That Jesus
in verse 6
in his very essence
and his nature
is God.
Jesus in verse 7
in his very essence
and in his very nature
is man.
It's rigid
and inflexible
in his being
and we get this
mysteriously
glorious truth
of the identity
of Jesus
and that is
that in his very nature
he is simultaneously
God and man
to the fullest extent.
The God of heaven
in verse 6
condescended
in humility
in verse 7
to become a man
like you and me
with the purpose
of providing
redemption
and salvation
and forgiveness
for our sins.
the phrase
made himself
of no reputation
it means
to make empty
and in your scripture
journals
it will actually say
that he emptied himself
but what did he
empty himself of?
Not his deity.
That's who he is
by his very nature.
That can't be changed.
He emptied himself
as we mentioned
of his glory.
But think about that.
MacArthur said
in light of the profound reality
of Jesus'
full
and uncompromised deity
!
His incarnation
the fact that he became a man
was the most profound
possible
humiliation.
For him to change
in any way
or to any degree
required dissent.
It gets no higher
than being God.
For him to change
in any way
required dissent
humiliation
humbleness.
And Jesus
took that
to the extreme
in becoming a man
and subjecting himself
the holy God
to pain.
He subjected himself
to poverty
to grief
to being a sinless being
in the midst
of a sinful
and perverse culture.
He subjected himself
to that
the holy God
in his humility.
humility.
And it was this example
of Christ
that led Paul
to encourage
the Philippians
in verse 3
when he said
that they ought not
do anything
with selfish ambition
or conceit
but in humility
count others
as more significant
than themselves.
Ashlyn and I
have had this conversation
a lot this week
haven't we Ashlyn?
We're trying to get
in the habit
of throughout the week
as we're studying
the Bible on Sundays
trying to make application
to that study
throughout the week
in various forms
and Ashlyn and I
are a lot alike
we both have a tendency
to be a little bit selfish
right?
And so we've been
calling each other out
on that throughout the week.
Remember what Paul said
to the Philippians
that we're to consider
others as more significant
than ourselves.
Paul's not saying
that you've got to think
poorly about yourself
he's just saying
don't think about yourself.
Let others
have this significance.
In biblical days
there was a cultural dynamic
that Jesus confronted
in the Pharisees
where whenever they would
go to a big dinner
there were particular seats
at the feast
that were meant
for the most prominent
people in the room.
And the Pharisees
had this habit
of when they would get
to the feast
they would immediately
take their seat
at the most prominent place
at the table
believing themselves
to be significant
and letting everyone else
fall into their own place
as less significant
than them.
And Jesus says
rather than do that
you ought to sit
at the worst seat
at the table
and if somebody's
going to exalt you
let them do it
don't exalt yourself.
Paul explains that
even further here
and he says
look
he says
consider everybody else
as more significant
don't look on your own things
look on the things of others
and that's exactly
what Jesus did.
The God of glory
put us first
in condescending to us
but there are
some profound examples
of Jesus living this out
even in his life
and ministry
and there's one of them
that I want to point out
to you before we move on.
In fact
I want you to turn
in your Bibles
over to Matthew chapter 20.
Would you do that quickly?
Matthew chapter 20.
This passage tells us
about a prideful initiative
between a couple
of Jesus' disciples
was James and John
the sons of Zebedee
the sons of thunder.
What they wanted
was for the Lord
to give them
a place of authority
and a position
in his kingdom.
When Jesus' kingdom
would finally be set up
they wanted to be
one on Jesus' right side
and one on Jesus' left side.
They wanted the most prominent place
among all the disciples.
disciples
and so
they did like
most really brave
and courageous
and bold men
would do.
They recruited their mother
to go and talk to Jesus
on their behalf
and their mother
went to Jesus
and said listen
we've been thinking
about this
and you know Jesus
I love you
and if you love me
I'd love for you
to put my sons
one on one side
and one on the other side
in your kingdom.
And the other disciples
obviously didn't like
that very much
and there became
a contention
between the disciples
in this moment
that lasted for days
a contention
where they were just
fighting over
who was more important
and who was going to be
more significant
in Christ's kingdom.
Here's how Jesus responded
in Matthew 20.
Look at verse 24.
When the ten heard it
they were moved
with indignation
against the two brothers
but Jesus called them
unto him
and here's what he said
you know that
the princes
of the Gentiles
exercise dominion
over them
and they are
great exercise
authority
upon them
but it shall not be
so among you
Jesus said
but whosoever
will be great
among you
let him be
your minister
and whosoever
will be chief
among you
let him be
your servant
and then he says this
that he's the example
of it.
Verse 28
even as the son
of man
came not
not to be ministered
to
but to minister
and to give his life
a ransom
for many.
Jesus says
listen you ought to
treat one another
like I've treated you.
I am the son of God
I'm the savior
and I didn't come
to this earth
for you to serve me
I came to serve you
and the way
that I'm going to do that
is by giving my life
for you.
Well I want you
to flip over
to John chapter 13
just a few pages
to the right
John chapter 13
you would think
after that instruction
that
it was abundantly clear
how they needed
to change
and
when we think
highly of ourselves
we assume
that we would have
known better
than the disciples
and we probably
would have taken
that lesson well
and continued on
in humility
and serving one another
but that's not
what happened.
Just a few days later
in John chapter 13
we see that
Jesus had to
demonstrate this
further for his disciples.
This is the last supper
he's about to go
to the cross
and in the Passover
he has sent
Peter and John
ahead
to prepare
the Passover feast
that they're going
to observe.
Part of that
meant that they
should have prepared
a method
and a way
for washing
each other's feet
but they failed
to do that.
So they go
around the table
and they're having
their dinner
and here's what
John says
happened in John
chapter 13
look at verse 4
Jesus rose up
from supper
he laid aside
his outer garments
and taking a towel
tied it around
his waist
then he poured
water into a basin
and began to wash
the disciples feet
and to wipe them
with the towel
that he had
wrapped around him.
It's a monumental
demonstration
restoration of humility
on the part
of Jesus.
The washing
of feet
was a necessary
custom of the day
because of the sandals
that they wore
their feet would get
incredibly dirty
and it was customary
of a host
when hosting guests
to make provisions
!
for their guests
to have their feet
washed.
It was a sign
of respect
and it was a sign
of honor
and if a host
were not to do that
it was actually
a sign of unfriendliness
or even contempt
for the person
that has come over
to their home
in that particular moment.
It was an incredibly
lowly task.
It was reserved
for the lowest
of society.
In fact
there were even
some Jewish writings
that you can even see
still today
called the Midrash
that stated
not even a Hebrew
slave
could be commanded
to wash
someone else's feet.
It was just
degrading.
It was degrading.
It would be degrading
for us now.
It was certainly
degrading for them then.
So you can imagine
perhaps a silent tension
as the men
became aware
of the fact
that the one
who was seated
at the prominent
place at the table
the one
who by their
own confession
was not
just a man
but was the very
son of God
that had come
to establish
his kingdom
on this earth.
They had just
made that confession.
Remember Jesus
had asked Peter
who do you say
that I am
and he said
you're the son
of God
and I'm going
to follow you.
Imagine how they
felt as they sat
around that table
that night
all of them
bickering
about who's
going to be
greatest in the
kingdom
and then all of a
sudden they look
up and Jesus
has gotten up
the one that is
the greatest
in the kingdom
and he's gotten
up from the table
and he's taken
his jacket off
and he's taken
the slave's towel
and he's wrapped
it around his waist
and he's put some
water in a bowl
and now he's going
around one by one
to these men
and he's getting
down on his hands
and his knees
the God of heaven
is on his hands
and his knees
and he's washing
their nasty
stinking feet
and they're silent
except for one of them
you can read about
that on your own
but he goes by
one by one
and he gets down
and he cleans
their nasty feet
and then when he's
done with it
he puts the towel
away
and he puts
the bowl away
and he puts
his jacket back
on
and he goes
right back
to the place
of prominence
at the table
it's an exact
picture of what
he's done
in coming to
this earth
and condescending
to us
he left
his place
of prominence
to condescend
to man
to accomplish
a specific
task
providing redemption
and once the
task was completed
as we'll study
next week
he ascended
back into heaven
and went right
back to his
seat of prominence
when Jesus
left the seat
of prominence
at the table
that night
he wasn't
leaving off
the fact
that he was
the most
important person
there
that didn't
change
what he did
was in his
humility
he got up
from his
place
and he served
the people
that did not
deserve to be
served
and Paul says
this is exactly
how we're to
serve one another
Jesus said
this is exactly
how we're to
serve one another
if you're still
in John 13
look with me
down at verse
number 12
when he had
washed the feet
and put on his
outer garment
he resumed his
place
and then he
said
do you
understand
what I have
done
to you
you call me
teacher
and Lord
and you're
right
for that's
who I am
if I
then
your
Lord
and
teacher
have
washed
your
feet
you
ought
also
to
wash
one
another's
feet
and he
says
for I
have
given you
an example
that you
also
should do
just as
I have
done
to you
truly
I say
to you
a servant
is not
greater
than his
master
nor
is a
messenger
greater
than the
one
who
sent
him
if
you
know
these
things
blessed
are
you
if
you
do
them
so in
verse 6
we see
the
sovereign
God
that's
who
Jesus
is
in
verse 7
we see
that
sovereign
God
condescending
to man
in humility
and becoming
the humble
servant
and even
in his
life
and ministry
demonstrating
that in
a way
that we
should
follow
and then
thirdly
and finally
in verse
8
we see
that Jesus
is the
sufficient
savior
he's
the
sufficient
savior
look with
me at
verse
number
8
Philippians
2
being
found
in
fashion
as
a
man
he
humbled
himself
and
became
obedient
unto
death
even
the
death
of
the
cross
this
is
the
extent
of
Christ
humility
how
far
was he
willing
to go
to
demonstrate
this
all
the way
to
death
he
humbled
himself
and
became
obedient
unto
death
he
didn't
become
obedient
to
death
was
not
his
lord
he
became
obedient
to
the
father
and
in
his
obedience
to
the
father
he
was
obedient
to
him
unto
death
on
our
behalf
what's
amazing
here
is that
it
was
all
his
initiative
no
one
humbled
Jesus
he
humbled
himself
no
one
forced
him
to
condescend
and
die
he
chose
to
do
it
himself
and
it
wasn't
just
any
death
he
didn't
die
a
king's
death
he
didn't
die
a
ritualistic
death
he
didn't
die
with
honor
he
died
a
criminal's
death
a
cruel
death
he
died
our
death
and
this
is
what
makes
him
our
savior
1
John
chapter
3
and
verse
16
says
hereby
we
perceive
we
the
love
of
God
because
he
laid
down
his
life
for
us
he
laid
down
his
life
for
us
this
wasn't
just
death
this
was
our
death
he
took
our
place
he
made
a
substitution
for
us
that
was
the
extent
of
his
humility
in
2
Corinthians
chapter
5
we
read
that
in
his
deity
he
was
made
to
be
sin
who
knew
no
sin
is
the
antithesis
of
his
being
and
he
took
on
our
sin
in
order
to
pay
the
price
for
us
he
never
committed
it
and
he
didn't
deserve
that
death
but
he
took
it
in
our
place
and
it's
here
that
all
of
that
time
in
verses
6
and 7
becomes
important
to
our
doctrine
of
the
gospel
because
acknowledging
Jesus'
true
identity
as being
God
and man
is
absolutely
necessary
for him
to be
our
savior
his
sacrifice
is only
sufficient
for our
sin
because
of his
true
identity
his
deity
made it
possible
for him
to live
a sinless
life
that would
provide
sufficient
payment
for sin
but his
humanity
made it
possible
for him
to actually
die
the
death
that
was
necessary
to
satisfy
God's
wrath
because
of
his
identity
in
his
humble
condescension
he
was
made
sufficient
for
our
salvation
1 John
chapter 4
explains this
to us
it says
in this
was
manifested
or shown
or demonstrated
the love
of God
to us
because
God
sent
his
only
begotten
son
into
the
world
not
his
only
created
son
his
only
begotten
son
that
we
might
live
through
him
and
here
in
his
love
not
that
we
loved
God
but
that
he
loved
us
and
sent
his
son
to be
the
propitiation
for our
sins
that word
propitiation
is
vastly
important
to our
theology
it
means
to
satisfy
or to
appease
fully
the
means
for
God's
wrath
to be
satisfied
because
of
our
sin
is
only
our
death
that's
why
Romans
says
that
the
payment
for
sin
is
death
the
way
that
God's
wrath
is
appeased
on
us
is
through
the
death
that's
as a
result
of
our
sin
Jesus
in
this
propitiation
!
fully
satisfied
God's
wrath
on our
behalf
because
of his
sinless
life
we
can
be
saved
God
is
the
God
who
is
responsible
to
appease
the
wrath
of
the
offended
deity
but
in
reality
man
is
incapable
of
satisfying
God's
justice
apart
from
Christ
except
by
spending
eternity
in
hell
Jesus
was
not
just
the
Savior
he's
the
sufficient
Savior
he's
the
one
that
brings
satisfaction
to
the
wrath
of
God
and
this
humility
that
he
has
demonstrated
in
his
death
on
the
cross
in
providing
salvation
is
the
same
humility
that
Paul
says
we're
to
show
to
one
another
even
so
far
as
to
give
our
lives
for
one
another
for
the
sake
of
the
gospel
what
a
Savior
what
a
Savior
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