“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”  James 1:2
An incorrect understanding of this text may lead to the wrong conclusion. Lest we be thankful and joyous for the wrong things, James states in the verse following why we should be joyful; “that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” In other words, it is through these trials & testings that we actually grow. According to 1 Cor 10:13 God will not allow us to be tempted above what we can bear, so we can face our trials with confidence knowing that we can overcome them and that it is one of the ways in which God sovereignly uses to produce growth in us.

SUBMITTING TO CHRIST AS LORD

“God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name . . . that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:9, 11).

To receive Christ as Savior is to submit to His authority as Lord. Is Jesus Lord? According to the declaration of the Father, He is. We cannot know Him any other way than as Lord. That’s why the first creed in the history of the church, given in Philippians 2:11, says, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” Every Christian must acknowledge that. It is the foundation of the Christian faith, the very substance of what we believe. We don’t make Him Lord after salvation. Every time I hear someone say, “You need to make Jesus Lord,” it is as repellent to me as hearing fingernails scraped down a blackboard. We never make Jesus Lord—God has already done that. Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior, and those who would receive Him must take Him for who He really is. A.W. Tozer said, “To urge men and women to believe in a divided Christ is bad teaching, for no one can receive half of Christ, or a third of Christ, or a quarter of the Person of Christ! We are not saved by believing in an office nor in a work.” Jesus is Lord, and if you refuse Him as Lord, you cannot call Him Savior. If you have truly received Him, your life will be characterized by submission to His authority. Take time to acknowledge the lordship of Christ in your own life.

JESUS IS SAVIOR AND LORD

“God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name . . . that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (Philippians 2:9, 11).

The Jesus who is Savior cannot be separated from the Jesus who is Lord. Scripture never speaks of any human being’s making Jesus Lord. It is God who made Him Lord (Acts 2:36). Some beieve that it is possible to be saved without ever making Christ Lord of your life.” In effect that is saying Christ isn’t Lord unless we give Him permission—a completely unbiblical assertion. To be saved you must confess Jesus as Lord. Jesus is called Lord throughout the New Testament. To omit the lordship of Christ from invitations to salvation would result in the elimination of numerous passages of Scripture. Peter’s sermon in Acts 2—“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21)—would need to be modified. Paul and Silas’ method of presenting the gospel—“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved” (Acts 16:31)—would need to be corrected. The centrality of the lordship of Christ is clear in the New Testament gospel. The Jesus who is Savior cannot be separated from the Jesus who is Lord. God cannot be separated from His authority, dominion, rulership, and right to command. When we acknowledge that Jesus is God, we mean He is all that God is.

CHRIST'S CORONATION AND INTERCESSION

“God highly exalted Him” (Philippians 2:9).

Christ is the Sovereign of the universe and a faithful High Priest. Christ was exalted not only in His resurrection and ascension, but also in His coronation. Mark 16:19 says, “……the Lord Jesus…..sat down at the right hand of God.” In Scripture the right hand is a symbol of power and authority. What is the extent of Christ’s authority? Ephesians 1:20-22 says, “[God] seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church.” Christ is the Sovereign of the universe. Christ is also exalted in His intercession for believers. He stands before the Father as the High Priest of His people. His first act was to send the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:33). Our sympathetic High Priest “has been tempted in all things as we are” (Heb. 4:15), and “He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for [us]” (7:25). Christ’s intercessory work grants us faith, repentance, and forgiveness (see Heb. 4—9). Christ sits at his Father’s right hand, ever to plead for us, and to make our peace with God. Oh, how should our hearts be fired with love to Christ!” How intense is your love for Jesus Christ, our faithful Advocate? “Draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that [you] may receive mercy and may find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16).

CHRIST'S RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION

“God highly exalted Him” (Philippians 2:9).

Christ’s resurrection and ascension were the first two steps of His exaltation. The first step on Christ’s progress from humiliation to exaltation was His resurrection. In Acts 13 Paul preached on the resurrection of Christ, declaring: “[God] raised up Jesus. . . . Therefore He also says . . . ‘Thou wilt not allow Thy holy one to undergo decay.’ For David, underwent decay; but He whom God raised did not undergo decay. Through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed, and everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which the Law of Moses could not do” (vv. 33-39). Christ’s death and resurrection provided forgiveness and freedom from sin, the law, and death. Acts 1:9-11 records the second step in the exaltation of Christ. As a cloud received Christ  from His disciples’ sight, two men in white clothing stood beside them; and said, ‘Men of Galilee, why are you looking into the sky? Jesus will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’” Just before He ascended, Christ spoke these final words to His disciples: “You shall be My witnesses” (Acts 1:8).

Until He comes again, let’s be witnesses who maintain a positive testimony for the sake of the gospel. Praise God “who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (1 Peter 1:3).

GOD'S UNFATHOMABLE WAYS

“Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).

Christ’s humiliation displayed God’s wisdom. Somewhere along the path of Christ’s descent, you’d think He would have said to Himself, These people really aren’t worth redeeming. This is too degrading and humiliating! But the grace and love of God toward sinners was such that Christ stooped to die for you and me. At the end of Paul’s doctrinal survey of salvation in Romans, he said, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (11:33). He was in awe of God’s plan of salvation—a plan no man would have devised. We would not have allowed Him to be humiliated. We would have imprisoned or executed anyone who spit on Him, pulled His beard, mocked Him, or hurt Him. Our plan for the Messiah would have been very different from God’s plan, and, as a result no one could have been saved. It’s no wonder the psalmist said, “Thy judgments are like a great deep” (Ps. 36:6). God’s ways are unsearchable, His truths profound. And His plan to redeem us was accomplished by Christ’s humiliation.

Daniel prayed, “Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him” (Dan. 2:20). Like Daniel, worship the only wise God, who saved you.

THE HUMILITY OF CHRIST

“He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).

Instead of asserting His divine rights, Christ submitted Himself to the cross. Even though the people did not recognize the deity of Christ and treated Him as a criminal, He did not fight back. Instead, He “humbled Himself.” Consider His trial. He said not a word to defend Himself throughout unbelievable humiliation. They mocked Him, punched Him, pulled out His beard—yet He did not say a word. He was silent and accepted man’s abuse through each phase of His phony trial. He did not demand His rights but “humbled Himself.” In humility Christ was “obedient to the point of death” (v. 8). At no time did our Lord say, “Stop! That’s enough”—not in the middle of His trial, not when He was mocked, not when forced to walk half-naked through the city of Jerusalem with a cross on His back, not even on the cross. Christ was willing to descend into the muck and slime of death that He might bring us out of death into life. Christ suffered not just death but death on a cross—the most excruciating, embarrassing, degrading, painful, and cruel death ever devised. The Jewish people hated crucifixion because of Deuteronomy 21:23: “Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse” (NIV). The God who created the universe suffered the ultimate human degradation—hanging naked against the sky before a mocking world, with nails driven through His hands and feet.

Christ said that His disciples must take up their cross and follow Him (Matt. 16:24). In keeping with Christ’s example, have you taken up the cross, living for His honor and glory no matter what? Ask the Lord to help you follow His example of self-denial.

CHRIST' OUTWARD APPEARANCE

“. . . Being found in appearance as a man” (Philippians 2:8).

Many people view Christ only as a man, but He is God. Most people didn’t realize Christ’s full identity, for He was “found in appearance as a man” (Phil. 2:8). At first glance that phrase seems like a repetition of the end of verse 7, “being made in the likeness of men.” We could paraphrase verse 8 to read, “He was discovered to appear as a man.” The difference between that and verse 7 is a shift in focus. In verse 8 we view the humiliation of Christ from the viewpoint of those who saw Him. Christ was the God-man, but as people looked at Him, they saw the “appearance” (Greek, schema, “outward form”) of a man. Paul was implying that though Christ appeared to be a man, there was much more to Him that could not naturally be seen. For Christ to become man was humbling enough. For Him not to have been recognized must have been humiliating. He performed miracles and taught authoritatively, yet the typical responses were: “You are a Samaritan and have a demon” (John 8:48) and, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down out of heaven’?” (John 6:42). Because their minds were darkened by sin, people recognized His humanity but could not see His deity. They could not recognize who He really was. They not only treated the King of kings as a man but as the worst of men—a criminal. Unlike people who don’t recognize Christ’s true identity, let’s honor Him through a life of worship and obedience. Worship Christ for who He really is—the King of kings and Lord of lords. Praise Him for this truth in your prayer time.

CHRIST AS SERVANT

“Taking the form of a bond-servant” (Philippians 2:7).

Christ submitted Himself to the Father’s will. When Christ emptied Himself, He not only gave up His privileges but also became a servant. First, He was a servant by nature. In Philippians 2 Christ is shown as a true bond-servant, doing the will of the Father. He submitted to the Father and to the needs of men as well. Jesus was everything that Isaiah 52:13-14 depicted—a Messiah who was a servant. Second, Christ was a servant by position. As God, Christ owns everything. But when He came into this world, He borrowed everything: a place to be born, a place to lay His head, a boat to cross the Sea of Galilee and preach from, an animal to ride into the city when He was triumphantly welcomed as King of kings and Lord of lords, and a tomb to be buried in. The only Person ever to live on this earth who had the right to all its pleasures instead wound up with nothing and became a servant. Although He was the rightful heir to David’s throne and God in human flesh, He had no advantages or privileges in this world. He owned little but served everyone. Christ, the perfect servant, said to His disciples, “Whoever wishes to become first among you shall be your slave” (Matt. 20:27). What about you? Are you seeking greatness by wanting others to serve you, or are you being truly great by serving God and others? Make it your ambition to be a true servant. Lord help us to be like Christ—a true servant of God.

THE HUMILITY OF CHRIST

“[Christ] humbled Himself” (Philippians 2:7).

Christ renounced His divine privileges. Ways Christ emptied Himself……..(1)   To give up His heavenly glory. That’s why in John 17:5 Jesus prays, “Glorify Thou Me together with Thyself, Father, with the glory which I ever had with Thee before the world was.” (2) Of His independent authority. He completely submitted Himself to the will of the Father and learned to be a servant. Philippians 2:8 says He was obedient, and we see that illustrated when He said in the garden, “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39). He came to do His Father’s will, not His own (John 5:30). (3) Set aside the prerogatives of His deity—the voluntary display of His attributes. He didn’t give up His deity, but He did give up the free exercise of His attributes, limiting Himself to the point of saying that even He did not know the time of His second coming (Matt. 24:36). (4) Of His personal riches. “Though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). (5) Of a favorable relationship with His Father. God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf” (2 Cor. 5:21). As a result our Lord cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46). Though Christ renounced all those privileges, He never ceased to be God. He voluntarily emptied Himself for you and me. Christ submitted Himself completely to His Father’s will. Regularly ask for the Lord’s perfect will to be reflected in your life as well.