Be Like Christ

Be Like Christ
Philippians 2:1-15
October 5, 2025

Everyone wants to be seen as mature people. Yet immaturity is at the order of the day.  Not only are children throwing tantrums, we see young adults, university students, even adult learned people throw tantrums.

Illus – The reaction you see from some people nowadays on social media videos when people oppose their point of view is shocking…

Everyone wants to be seen as mature. But there is a push-pull in the soul. From baby to adulthood, everyone goes through stages of growth. You want  more freedom, but it brings more responsibility. Eventually the pull of the promise of freedom draws into more responsibility; a continuing cycle.

Illus – From diaper, to eating on your own, to having your own room, to getting a driver’s license, to working…

As Christians, we all want to be seen as spiritually mature. There is just something hard-wired in us that we don’t want to stay the way we are. There is a pull forward. Just like in the physical, it is exciting, but sometimes scary.

Thankfully, Paul in this section gives us roadmap to maturity. Be like Christ. Christ is our example, and He goes into the detail of how much Christ humbled Himself to save us.  But it doesn’t stop there. It asks for a response from us. We are encouraged to grow, to follow the example of Christ.

This can be nerve wrecking. ‘How can I be like Christ? How do I change and how will I ever be good enough?’, you might ask. The flesh doesn’t want to lay itself down. The old nature doesn’t want to change. So many people live with this battle in their soul.

In this section, we again see the amazing grace of God at work as Paul explains the process God uses to grow us to maturity to be like Christ.

I. Humility is Godly Maturity

• Paul commends the Philippian church. When a church is healthy it’s a beautiful thing, but God wants more for them, and Paul reminds them of this.
• Church is where we grow, where we train, where we mature. It is a hospital for the sick, it is a physical therapy for the weak, it is gym to strengthen, and a training ground for soldiers. One thing it is not, is a cruise ship.
• In order for us to grow in our faith and in the maturity of Christ, it starts with an attitude of humility.
• God can do nothing with the proud. Proud people cannot be taught, proud people cannot serve, proud people are selfish and are a drain on the system. That is why God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
• We weren’t humble; we were born completely selfish and self-centered. Something has to change, there has to come a shift from how we were born to what God wants us to become.

A. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit

• That in itself is a remarkable statement because it’s completely opposite of our natural state of being. It’s very common for people to continue in that selfish state all the rest of their lives.
• It can even manifest in church.

Illus – I remember in some churches people could ‘sponsor’ a pew in the church and would have their name plate installed at the end so no one would sit in ‘their’ pew. Many churches do a fundraiser “buy a chair”. It should be ‘buy a chair for someone else…’

• God is speaking about this because He knows that selfishness and empty conceit does not make a person fulfilled in their soul, or happy, or blessed.

Illus – Have you ever met a spoiled child? We have another word for it, a spoiled brat. Why? Because they’re not happy and no one around them is either.

• Can you imagine how unhappy and unhealthy a marriage would be if both people were always selfish? This is many times the core root of marital problems.
• Can you imagine how unhappy and unhealthy a church would be if everyone was self-focused and self-centered?

James 3:16-17, For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits…

B. Regard others as more important than yourself

• We are now touching on one of the deepest most important issues to the heart of God for us. If we can take hold of this and truly apply it to our lives, we have taken hold of one of God’s deepest truths.
• If pride and selfishness are the root and foundation of all that is sinful and hurtful, then humility of mind is the root and foundation of all that is good and godly.
• Paul writes that humility in mind is what allows a person to regard others as more important than himself. What is humility in mind?
• One definition might be, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less.” However, that’s not a common attitude.
• Why should we regard others as more important than ourselves if it’s not the natural way of thinking? Answer; because it’s the spiritual way of thinking.

Matthew 23:11-12, “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”

• In other words, humility is part of faith. If you believe God’s word, then you believe that these principles are empowered by God Himself.

James 4:6, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

James 4:10, Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

• Those who exalt themselves, will be humbled; God will see to that Himself.

C. Jesus is our example

• Opposers of our faith might say: God is the most prideful being! He just wants everyone to grovel before Him! This can be no further from the truth.
• Verse 5 – have this attitude in you which was also in Christ Jesus… He Himself is the example of the attitude of heart that God will bless. Humble yourselves -in the sight of God- and He will lift you.
• In the section we read, Paul discussed the humbling process Jesus went through.
• He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. By His death, and by His suffering, our sins were paid in their entirety.
• In other words, He did it for us. This is amazing humility, and love.
• Jesus embodies the perfect definition of maturity. Immaturity is favoring oneself at the expense of others. We’re all familiar with that because we’ve done it many times. Maturity is favoring others at the expense of self.
• And because Jesus humbled himself so profoundly, the principle holds true, God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord.
• How do you become great in the kingdom of God? Answer; become like the king. Follow His example.
• Jesus didn’t just lower Himself to become a man, He lowered Himself to become a servant.

Illus – Here’s God’s heart, “I wash feet.” You’ve no doubt heard the expression, “I don’t do windows.” What does that mean? It means, I won’t lower myself to that. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples and gave us an example. In fact, it’s what makes us like Him.

John 13:8, 14, Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.… If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

• Jesus washed Peter’s feet, knowing he would deny Him. He washed Thomas’s feet, knowing he would doubt Him; He washed Judas’ feet, knowing he would betray Him.
• Many rebuff and say, but Jesus was God. And He knew that He would only have to humble himself for a short while, and then He would be lifted up.
• But isn’t this exactly what He is promising us? Our humility and humbling are also for a ‘short’ while. For eternity we will be raised with Him, seated with Him in heavenly places.
• So, we see this principle. From glory, to glory, but the cross is in between.

II. Live for the Glory of God

• It is important to note, that Jesus didn’t do it all begrudgingly, but it was love that drove Him to the cross.
• Verse 14 – Paul therefore exhorts them to do all things without grumbling or disputing. It all sounds beautiful when we read these wonderful words sitting in church very piously. But it is with practical things that our hearts and maturity are tested. And I am sure that we all here sometimes fail and that keeps us humble.

Illus – Last week we had our Night of Intimate Worship and there was a full trash bag in the sanctuary…

A. Work out your salvation

• Verses 12-13; work out your salvation with fear and trembling…
• Notice he didn’t say work for your salvation; he said to work out your salvation.
• God has already given you salvation. God has already made you righteous. Now let it permeate every area of your life.

Illus – When I was young, I loved playing with Legos. The wonderful thing about Lego is that it has Lego available for all ages…

• If we use this analogy, God is not asking you to work for your Legos. (salvation). He gives it as a free gift. He then tells you to build out and complete your salvation.

Verse 12 –  (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). AMP

• In other words, build well.

B. It is God who is at work in you

• Unfortunately, works-driven churches stop here. They put the focus on doing good things to be saved. This brings a lot of stress, heavy burdens and condemnation in people’s souls, as they never feel they are measuring up to the high expectations that God is placing on them. This is totally out of context and not true.

Verse 13 – for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

• When I come to Christ and humbly submit my heart to Him, HE writes His law on the tables of my heart. He works His will and desires in me.
• To use the Lego analogy, you do not get dumped with the advanced Lego at the age of 5 without any directions, and are then expected to build the masterpiece. God leads you into age appropriate builds with the directions in hand. Not only that, He also has the master builder, the Holy Spirit, guide you through it.

Illus – Building something with someone who knows how it works is exciting, because it gives you a sense of achievement, but you also know that if you make a mistake, the mentor is there to help you correct it.

• God also gives you the desire or thought to do something. I call it a God-idea.

Illus – Have you ever had an idea jump into your mind out of the blue? Invite that person for coffee. Call that friend. Let’s take this road instead of that one…

• Not only that, He gives you the excitement and the capacity to do it. And in the end, it will be for His good pleasure.
• You might ask: How do I know it is from God?
• Two tests: God will never lead you to sin or to go against His word.
• And secondly, His Spirit will lead us to do what is aligned with His kingdom.

Romans 14:17, for the kingdom of God is … righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

• So, the Spirit will lead you on the path of righteousness.

Illus – In a business deal, the Spirit will lead you to do the right thing, not the shady thing that will make you more money. That is the devil and the flesh.

• You will have a deep peace even in the unknown.

Philippians 4:7, And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Illus – I only move when I have the peace of God. When we got married, when we move to a new calling, job, country, even when we buy a car, rent a house, and even smaller decisions, I aim to be led by the peace of God.

• On the end of the extreme scale, I have never seen missionaries be dragged onto a plane kicking and screaming that they do not want to go to that mission field. You cannot stop them!
• God stirs the excitement in your heart for what He leads you in.
• These three work in tandem. The flesh can also mimic “life”, although it is death. And most of the time it will be driven by selfishness. Wrong, sinful, fleshly things might seem exciting, but there are no life and peace in it.
• And the changed heart might be tempted by it, but it will not truly want it.

C. Be lights in the World

• Verse 15- Prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach the midst of a crooked perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.
• When you live led by the Spirit, in the freedom of God, you are not shackled to the “ordinary” way of the world’s living, crooked and perverse. You step into the realm of living the “extra-ordinary”.
• There is nothing more wonderful than to live in the peace of God, led by His Spirit, knowing that the one who knows ALL is the one guiding you. And wherever He leads you, it is both the best for you and simultaneously for the glory of His kingdom.
• When you start to live led by the Spirit with God working His will in you stirring the desires of His heart in your heart, it will prove to the world that there is something different in you. There is a hope, a light, something they do not have, something they need.
• Our prayer should be, Lord I surrender my heart to you. Work in me to will and to work for your good pleasure. Stir in me the mind of Christ, lead me in adventures where there are righteousness, peace and joy. Use me for your glory. Because there is real life.
• This is the wonderful beauty and adventure of a transformed life. Living in the freedom of God. Living like Christ.