Humility and the Mind of Christ

The Order of the Pierced Ear--Humility and the Mind of Christ

The true way to be humble is not to stoop until you are smaller than yourself, but to stand at your real height against some higher nature that will show you what the real smallness of your greatness is. --Phillips Brooks

The emotional violence of Glory.

Humility is primary. An essential idea is that holiness is a product of grace and that god only gives grace to the humble. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (metamorphosthe te anakainosei) Mind here is equivalent to the “heart”. Romans 12: 3 goes on to order us not to think more highly than we ought of ourselves.

Humility is the essence of all virtues. Walk humbly and love mercy and justice says the Lord. Conversely, Pride is the agent of stasis. The prideful see no need for change.

The main idea of the first chaprter that I must ake issue with is the contention that to be meek and humble you must not pass judgement on others. Matthew 5 : actually says

Matt. 7:1 ¶ “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

Matt. 7:2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ( merciful reciprocity is in order here)

Matt. 7:3 ¶ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

Matt. 7:4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?

Matt. 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

So in verse 5 we are told the prerequisite for removing the speck in our brother’s eye is removing the plank in our own. The judgement of others will be tempered by justice and mercy, but it is not as if we are to wink at sin or ignore the speck that is blinding our brother, as Frangipane intimates. Our motive must be like Christ’s. And that is not always to “save”. Meek and lowly jesus had some devastating words to say to the hypocritical Pharisees. These were words of judgement, not of salvation. On page 12, Frangipane states that unless you are first committed to die for people, you are not permitted to judge them. Sounds good, but what is the biblical basis for saying this?

I am not sure that Jesus’s death was what qualified him to be judge. I would say his resurrection is that qualifier. We are set to become udges only if we are in the one who is both just and justifier. 1Cor. 6:2 Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?

We are to judge those within the church, but not those without in this present age.

1Cor. 5:12 ¶ What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

1Cor. 5:13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.”

Page 13- Christ did not condemn sinners.

John 5:30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.

John 8:15 You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.

John 8:16 But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone. I stand with the Father, who sent me.

John 8:50 I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.

John 12:47 ¶ “As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it.

John 12:48 There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day.

sin is that which is condemned in Romans 8:3. Sin kills, sepoarates us from God and gives us a false view of ourselves.

We all have heard the fable of Narcissus- who fell in love with his reflection in a pool. A pool gives a most distorted view of all it reflects. We are all marked by self love- in one way or another we have all been affected by the all consuming search for self.We commit early on to fulfilling self, and we lose more of ourself in the process than we find.Like Narcissus, we meet our undoing when we become too enamored of ourselves.

Christopher Lasch- The Culture of Narcissism -American Life in an Age of Diminishing Expectations in 1979...asks these questions-

Have we fallen in love with ourselves?

Have we bargained away our future for self gratification now?

Have we lost intimacy, joy, insight and shared love in a frantic search for ourselves?

This book describes a culture of competitive individualism, which in its decadence has carried the logic of individualism to the extreme of a war against all, the pursuit of happiness to the dead end of a narcissistic preoccuation with the self....

He goes on to say...

The ethic of self preservation and psychic survival is rooted, then , not merely in objective conditions of economic warfare, rising rates of crime, and social chaos but in the subjective experience of emptiness and isolation. It reflects the conviction- as much a projection of inner anxieties as a perception of the way things are- that envy and exploitation dominate even the most intimate relations... the ideology of personal growth, superficially optimistic, radiates a profound despair and resignation.

It is the faith of those without faith...

The ideology of personal growth- we live in a day characterized by blind faith in abstract concepts that have no contact with reality, no context of faithfulness.

Do you know people like that? who are afraid to knock on the door of their soul for fear of finding no one home? They go through life with the faith of those without a faith. - convincing themselves that everything will turn out in the end, but having no basis for this belief. So they turn to improving themselves - self help, self fulfillment, self realization-to appease the nagging sense that there may in fact be some kind of accountability in the universe. They seek the benefits of God without God Himself.

I am afraid that rather than learning from the mistakes of the world, we somrtimes pursue in the church the same search for significance- in all the wrong places...

How can we avoid this? And how can we help others to be freed from this??

By finding and thinking the Mind of Christ- we have been looking at repentance- metanoia- from the root ennoia- means mind, intent, notion- the changing of the mind in regard to sin- reforming our thinking- in one of my past lessons we looked at 1 Corinthians 1 and saw the foolishness of God is actually wisdom- that everything the world knows is wrong.Today we will look at another similar word-phroneo-mind, to think, moral interest. We will be looking what it is we are to change our minds to.

The preamble (v10) to that chapter Paul exhorts the Corinthians to unity in having the same mind- which was to focus on the fact that intelligence and the pursuits of the world’s wise can never comprehend the foolishness of the cross- which God has chosen to shame the wise, to shame the strong with something weak- what we are speaking of here is the humilation of all before the cross, the greatest humiliation, I Cor 1:22-25.

Today we are going to return to the theme of The foolishness of God and what it demands- Humility. We are going to look from a different aspect of the life of Christ- not the crisis of the cross, but the meaning of the manger...

Remember we asked the question - how can we avoid or help others avoid the trap of becoming trapped in the cult of self. The Bible exhorts us to examine ourselves- but we all know people who are so consumed with analyzing and examining self that they fixate on the self’s state and not on God.

The answer to this is found when we understand the meaning of the manger- when we grasp this we begin to grasp the meaning of our own lives- the source of what it is to be a person- to be true, whole and complete.We have been so indoctrinated by the world that we think that success and mental capacities are to be enhanced by schools, universities, seminaries- yet these do not produce the brilliance that seeks to serve-

Let's look at Philippians 2 starting with vv 1-4.We find a very similar exhortation to the one in 1 Corinthians in Phil.2 a call to unity -

( this is a section of scripture that points out the best and worst of the KJ translation- so we will look at the NIV also.)

KJV

PHI 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

PHI 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

PHI 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

PHI 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

PHI 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

NIV

PHI 2:1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,

PHI 2:2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

PHI 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

PHI 2:4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

PHI 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Overview:

People who understand the meaning of the manger support each other.

v. 1a. Significance is found in being a servant. - giving up of ourselves, not seeking our rights.Encourage one another - alongside walking- -consolation- refers back to Christ. The manger means Christ's Presence with us- Emmanuel. If you have been encouraged, there is a response you must make.

1b. Console, comfort one another in love..this concept takes it a step further. The commitment of an unending friendship- the incentive to express this kind of love to each other is because of his Love. We console one another out of compassion, not compete with one another.

1c. . Share with one another v1. fellowship of or with the spirit= literally partnership (The parenthetical sense is = if there is, AND THERE IS) there is no doubt in the fact.

1d. act out of affection and compassion- tenderness- affection in Greek terminology is not about the heart- a Greek would never say "I love you with all my heart!"- KJ has it bowels- I love you with all my guts- its a gutsy kind of love from the deepest regions of my soul. We could call it courageous compassion.

v. 2a Make my joy complete

We are to become completers of one another- this is the whole of biblical submission- covenant relationships demand this. It is not that one commands another, but an interdependence based on mutual subordination- Paul says make my joy complete- remember - he is a prisoner- his concern is the fractured disunity that marks the Philippians-this kind of disunity can plague a church, a home, or friendships- any situation where the body of Christ functions.

Many call this the epistle of joy- but I challenge you to look at the places where Paul speaks of joy - he finds it in what he sees God doing in the lives of others- but you have to invest in people to get close enough to see it.

2b. Be like minded

Our problem is not active factions, or party spirit at our church.There exists here a remnant who have survived such things however- and therin lies a danger- we easily justify a passive disunity in the light of the pain and glaring wrongs of the former situation. We are busy. Our lives are so full of so many activities and things- and we come and we go, and shoot the breeze- How is your life in 2 minutes or less if you please.

v. 2c. Paul is saying that the object of our coming and going its to complete each other. When Paul exhorts the Philippians to become one , he knows their joy will be completed!.

Sometimes I wish for relationships that would carry me into the lives of others, my relationship with Earnie not withstanding. I need to know that I am encouraging and supporting them and I get the same in return! Paul says if we understand the meaning of the manger we will be committed to that kind of relationship as the number one object of our life.

I am convinced that Lasch's words are just a mild approximation of what is going on around us daily. There are longings, loneliness and pain in our society that cannot be described. There are silent screams that arise daily around us out of spirits and souls that live with emotional struggle- and WE have what people are searching for. but they will only know it if they see it in our lives.

v. 3. esteem others= Theologian Millard Erickson has listed several effects of sin on the sinner- enslavement(to sin), flight from reality, denial of sin, self deceit, insensitivity, self centeredness, restlessness. Several of these to the preoccupation with self that characterizes Narcissism, to vainglory and strife, conceit-

On the other hand, the effects of the mind of Christ are- true freedom IN Christ, proper estimation of reality, confession of sin, truth, sensitivity to others, Christ centeredness, peace. These speak of the last part of verse 3

Listen to your prayers- are they primarily prayers of adoration, intercession or of petition?

Remember the Dr. Suess story of Horton Hears a Who? Horton the elephant hears a cry for help from a tiny civilization of Whos. No other jungle animals seem to hear the Whos, but Horton sets out to rescue them from danger. Despite ridicule, Horton perseveres. Christians should be alert to the cries of people like the Whos, escpecially when they are overlooked by a narcissistic society.

In review, we have just looked at an If...then statement. If we enjoy the benefits of being in Christ... then we are to be of one mind.

What is the step we have to take? What do we have to do to complete one another?

When we turn from disunity to unity(v 2a)- to the same mind, spirit and purpose- (v. 2b)there is a tremendous set of commitments here. The same mind is not a 1996 kind of thing-not lockstep, bang , bang, bang... it is like a symphony- an unanimity (vv3-4)- a commitment to the same Lord and to one another. No matter where we work, what sphere we find ourselves in,we are to come together to form one perfect body- the body of Christ. Our aim should be to see selfishness turned into true humility. To look out for the interest of others.(V. 4)The body of christ will never function properly without a mind- the mind of Christ (v. 5).

This lowliness of mind(KJ) or humility (NIV) is not some abstract concept, so high and lofty theory we are to attain to - the next verses tell us of the source, example and mystery of humility-

What do you think of when you hear the word humility?

When I think of humility I think of REALITY. To have a true estimation of ourselves...

What I am suggesting is not WORM THEOLOGY. But neither is it the theology of one who writes" The most serious sin is the one that causes me to say'I am unworthy'"Look at Luke 18:9-14

LUK 18:9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable:

LUK 18:10 "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

LUK 18:11 The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector.

LUK 18:12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'

LUK 18:13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'

LUK 18:14 "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

While the Pharisee was affirming himself with uplifting "self talk" the tax collector was committing Robert Schuller's cardinal sin- calling himself unworthy!

There is a great danger that has probably slipped into everyone's thinking here, because it sounds so right!

To believe in grace, one must be convinced that there is nothing in himself or herself that merits or deserves God's favor or makes a person worthy of God's care.

However there is a popular theory among Christian circles that I want to challenge you to think about. They reflect how the preoccupation with self can creep into the church. I have heard more than one pastor say these things...

1. that Christ's death for us proves our self worth.

2. " the ultimate demonstration of a person's worth to God is that He gave His son for us.”

1. that Christ's death for us proves our self worth.

This may be well meaning, but wrong. The impression is given that "it is as if Christ is saying- you are of such worth to me that I am going to die for you, even experience Hell so you might be adopted as my brothers and sisters."

2. Another puts it " the ultimate demonstration of a person's worth to God is that He gave His son for us.” That confuses the issue. That is a demonstration of God's great love, mercy, compassion, not our self worth.

Imagine a mass murderer who is caught and bail is set at 5 million dollars- does the greatness of this penalty give the murderer reason to feel good about himself? The high bail reflects ther severity of his crime, not the value of the murderer. The death of Christ , likewise is an indication of the depth of our guilt before God! It isn't that He saw something in us that was worth saving.

I have heard it said that if I were the only one on earth, Christ would have died for me. Though this is true, it would not indicate the great value of that person to God, but the fact that I alone, without the rest of you contributing your share, my sin alone would be sufficient to demand the blood of the son of God- when we see this reality, we should fall and weep in humiliation for the selfless sacrifice of our Lord.

Ray Anderson, a teacher at Fuller Seminary says-

“If our sin is viewed as causing the death of Christ on the cross, Then we ourselves become victims of a "psychological battering" produced by the cross. When I am led to feel that the pain and torment of Jesus's death is due to my sin, I inflict upon my self spiritual and psychological torment".

No doubt- that has to be a part of the process leading to repentance. Hear what Martin Luther had to say-

"The main benefit of Christ's passion is that man sees his own true self and that he is terrified and crushed by this...He who is callous and hard hearted as not to be terrified by Christ's passion and led to a knowledge of self has reason to fear."

As I said, I will say again- I am not advocating Worm Theology- it can be as preoccupied with self in a negative way as this is. This is why I say I think of REALITY when I think of humility- a right evaluation of who you are IN CHRIST- Humility of mind seeks to glorify God!

We will turn to this when we understand the meaning of the manger, found in the mind of Christ (v. 5)- let your brains be washed by this- this is true repentance- changing our thought life from the inside out by having the mind of Christ. Ditch your secular presuppositions- Romans 12:1-2

ROM 12:1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.

ROM 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

So what is the “ Mind of Christ” ??..This is in

verses 6-11, some of the most majestic in scripture...

KJV

PHI 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

PHI 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

PHI 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

PHI 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

PHI 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

PHI 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

NIV

PHI 2:6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

PHI 2:7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

PHI 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!

PHI 2:9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,

PHI 2:10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

PHI 2:11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Do you remember Isaiah coming to terms with his vision of the holiness of God in Isaiah 6? Do you remember the words of the suffering servant in Isaiah 50?

" You have given me the ear of a disciple" (referring to 50:4-5)

What happened in between these- the vision of the pre incarnate Christ exalted in holiness and the suffering servant annointed by God was the manger. Jesus had every right to claim the rights of his essential being as revealed in Isaiah 6, but what do we discover?

Being in, He existed (NASB)- speaks of a constant state of being.

form, nature- outward expression of intrinsic essence

2 Corinthians 8:9- for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ...

We want our rights, our space, but Christ did not sieze the power that was rightfully his. Instead he emptied himself, not of deity, He cannot cease being God, but of status. He set aside his prerogatives as God. He was willing to be treated beneath the level of his dignity- are we? I have said before, we really do not understand where we are in our quest to develop a servant spirit until we are treated like a servant...then it becomes clear .

Jesus rewrote the definition of submission and of authority as well.

Everything the spirit of the age knows of submission is wrong, and we are seduced by that spirit- The MIND of CHRIST- let this mind be in you... is submission and humility- He modelled for us the desire to become one of the order of the pierced ear-

Let this mind be in you - another translation says attitude- this is more than getting an attitude adjustment- this is God of all eternity who is humbling Himself- the Bible says sin alone is the cause of death- Jesus never sinned- so it was impossible for Him to die unless HE willed it! ”no man can take my life from me- I will lay it down and take it up again!”

Now he orders all things according to the counsel of his will! The time will come when all will confess him whether they want to or not!

What am I talking about? I am speaking of volunteers for the order of the pierced ear...

Turn to Exodus 21:2

Psalm 40:6

Hebrews 10 - quotes Psalm 40

Isaiah 50:4, 5 :

This is an interpretation some reject, but I side with Pink, Spurgeon, myriads of others who accept this teaching- Perhaps, as in some other types there is a double meaning, equally true...

There are actually two interpretations and either is beautiful-- to open the ear certainly means literally to hear, but the act of hearing involved allowing the mind to perceive and to act upon that which is heard - the piercing (opening) of the ear in Assyrian times was the ultimate humiliation...it forced one to heed the words of another and obey...

Turn to Exodus 21:2- the slave says- I have gained more as a slave than I ever knew in freedom- The rabbis taught that this slave lacked trust in God- that if he really trusted God, he would be bold to take his freedom in the year of jubilee and trust God for the wife and children freedom would separate him from- How twisted this interpretation is! This is a reason why the jews could not accept the notion of the suffering servant being the one and the same as messiah!

They esteemed freedom and authority over ones own fate- they could not conceive of voluntary submission out of love.

A slave could choose to remain with his master- He would go to the doorpost of the temple or tabernacle (or his master’s front door- it is not clear) and have his ear pierced (opened) with an awl. This would be a sign that he voluntarily would be a slave for life- this was incomprehensible to the jews.

Psalm 40:6 This is messianic

Hebrews 10 refers back to Psalms- Jesus is the chief slave in the order of the pierced ear- this identifies Psalm 40 as a typr- (be careful of types)

Isaiah 50:5, then -ear of a disciple...

Paul knew about this- bondservant of Christ- this word means SLAVE. I belive scriptures references to marks, brands, and piercings (openings) may also speak of the scars Christ bears into eternity- He is known by the scars., the only man made thing in heaven...

James 4:6-10- read

JAM 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

JAM 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

JAM 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

JAM 4:9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

JAM 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

We will find more in enslavement to Christ than in all the freedom the world has to offer. I want to be his slave- in Galatians he states that he bears the scars likening them to the brand of a slave.

The real characteristics of the MIND of Christ are these- humility, obedience, self renunciation-- RADICAL SUBMISSION first to CHRIST then to one another Ephesians 5:21

EPH 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

As I said before, this is not some abstract, idealistic ethic- we have an absolute example IN CHRIST. Pleasing the ruler of the universe means adhering to different values than the world's. When we proclaim the gospel , we have to challenge people's autonomy, pride, and self sufficiency-No one comes to Christ without humbling himself before Him.

HUPOTASSO- to get in order, alignment- not command, it is a voluntary act of the will. Not a question of value or worth.

How do we get humility? If we seek it or claim that we have it is a sure sign that we do not- It is true however that service is a spiritual discipline that can unconciously produce humility.

Mothers know the meaning of the manger- the restrictions, limitations- the world says- you could have honor and you choose to be the wipers of noses and other body parts, the changers of diapers...

Those who know the pain of being divorced and raising a family on your own- the pain of giving up your rights-- that is biblical significance...

The father who wants to make it big, but puts his children's needs first no matter how huniliating the circumstance- when we humble ourselves we find ourself in the exaltation of Jesus...

How do we get the mind of Christ?- beloved it is the flip side of the coin- Christ dwells in you now- stop prohibiting the mind of Christ from having functional operational capacity in you- throw yourself recklessly at it and the spirit will work through you- the only way we can be like minded is to throw our hearts open to the supernatural invasion of the mind of Christ- my expression of Jesus is revealed in my disposition- what kind of disposition are you noted for- as an encourager and comforter? Is your presence known most significantly by your absence?

I believe that God is calling out a remnant, who love God so much they will voluntarily submit their egos to service in his kingdom- the order of the pierced ear- for such a time as this...

In closing I want to refer us back to 2 Chronicles 7:14. We find again another If...then statement. There is a requirement of us and a response from God.

1. IF... the requirement is not a one time deal- “My people...Called by my name” implies a permanent identification of God with us.

humble themselves= submission

pray= talking to God and perceiving His response= hearing from God

seek God’s face= perceiving God’s mind with the intent to obey

turn- to change one’s mind to Christ’s mind

I believe this demands more than a one time humbling, praying, seeking and turning on our part- it is more a voluntary, yet perpetual commitment- much like the piercing of the slave’s ear.

2. Then... God’s part- “ I will hear, Iwill forgive, I will heal” the next two verses also say that God will remain...perpetually. If we allow out ears to be opened in humility, God promises to hear- and when God hears, He acts.

If my people who are called by name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land...