When Jesus calls you to follow him, he calls you to act like he acts. The What Would Jesus Do (WWJD) bracelets were popular back when I was in high school and mostly became a comment to throw at someone who was acting out of line with Jesus. They’d do something wrong, and we’d say, “WWJD?” It is difficult to find parallels between what Jesus did in the gospels and what we were dealing with as high school boys. You see someone eating by themselves in the cafeteria, “WWJD?” That’s when we took one of their friends and prayed over them that God would multiply their friend group. Ok, that never actually happened, and it is a silly example of my point.
When we examine the life of Jesus, what are some key principles to apply to our lives to become more like him? Do these principles apply to every situation in life?
When Paul writes to the church in Philippi, he looks to shape them into the image of Christ. The task of the Apostle, Pastor, Elder, Preacher, Minister, etc. is to know the story of Christ in such a way that they help the church become like Christ. Paul was transformed by Christ. He was once one way, then he met Christ, and now he is different. For Paul, I don’t think this transformation was limited to his Damascus Road encounter. He demonstrates a continual transformation where he can continually look at the changes in his life. He then turns to the church and calls them to undergo the same transformation. He is able to stand before the church and say, “Follow my example…” (Phil 3:17; 1 Cor. 11:1). Paul forms himself to the image of Christ and has the same expectation for the churches under his care, not just the individuals within the church but the church, as a whole, in how they act toward one another.
Paul reaches into their songbook (metaphorically) for a guide to shape the church into the form of Christ. We find that early church hymn in Philippians 2:5-11. Before getting to the hymn, he gives the call, “conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:27). What is the gospel that forms you as a Christian? As we’ve talked about in other lessons, the gospel is bigger and more encompassing than “Jesus died so that I don’t have to.”
What other aspects of the gospel do you see in the hymn that Paul reaches for?
Read Philippians 2:1-11 a few times this week and wrestle with these questions:
What is Paul calling the church to in how they live towards one another?
What areas of your life do you seek your own interests rather than the interests of others?
In what ways do you need to lay down power that you have so that you can better serve others?
Looking at v9-11, how does knowing that God will glorify Jesus allow him to take a position of humility while being with humanity? How does that faith play out in your life today?