As I have been in the book of Philippians lately, to prepare for the online study our church is about to have of this book, I have been very impressed with Philippians 2:5-11, and in particular, with what this section shows us regarding genuine obedience to the Lord.

Note: Our study will begin tomorrow evening, Wednesday the 15th; you can get the information about it, and register, here: “Pursuing Christ to Know Him.”

That is, we cannot simply decide we are going to be obedient to God; rather, we must allow the Lord to bring us through the very same process Christ went through if we are to become truly obedient to Him. That is why this section begins with Paul’s exhortation to us, to

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

What was the first step Christ took in His path of obedience? He emptied Himself (v. 7). That is, He set aside the most glorious station of all, that of being “in the form of God,” taking instead the lowest station, “the form of a bond-servant” (v. 6).

In the same way, we must also empty ourselves from deep within of whatever status or attainment we may feel we have and consider ourselves as nothing more than a “bond-servant” of the Lord; otherwise, if we are still so full of ourselves, and feel we have some special position among the saints, then whatever obedience we have to the Lord will be so fragile, and something that is only outward.

But then, after He emptied Himself, the Lord went on in the pathway of His obedience, humbling Himself to the point even of allowing Himself to be put to death, and that the most disgraceful death of all, the death of a cross (v. 8). How emptied of Himself He was, how truly humble! What a pattern He gave for us to follow!

For that is where true obedience will always lead us as well. Just how it will work itself out in each of our lives will be different, but in the end, genuine obedience will cause us to humble ourselves and, ultimately, lead us to the cross, just as it did our Savior.

But thank the Lord, such genuine obedience does not end there; eventually, just as it did with Christ, it will bring us to be raised up with the Lord in resurrection glory.

Praise the Lord for that! May He lead us all in the path of genuine obedience, to the cross, and through it, into resurrection glory!

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— 14 April 2026 —