Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The letter to the Philippians was written by the apostle Paul during the time he was in chains in Rome. Our verses today are profoundly Christological – written not to refute heresy or error but to give a solid theological understanding of Christ Jesus who is the example of supreme humility and love. The Bible is silent on self esteem – to grow in humility we must understand the incarnation and death of Christ.

Christ voluntarily took on human nature and entered time and space to rescue from God’s judgment people who did not deserve it. Jesus is not a created being but is true God. He added human nature to divine nature but did not cease to be God. His human nature was without sin. His human body was subject to human ailments, aging and death – He was human in every observable way. Christ Jesus didn’t surrender any attribute of deity; He did not cease to be God when He took on the nature of man.

All of the Bible is Christological and the center of all doctrine is not Bethlehem but Calvary. All of salvation history points to this. Man was alienated from God because of sin and atonement was necessary – this was impossible for man to accomplish. We are given Christ, true God and true man and his sacrifice of atonement and in faith in His sacrifice man is saved. Christ was raised up from the dead to the height of exaltation and every knee shall bow and every man will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. In Him our sins are are no longer remembered.