OBEDIENCE: ThE PROOF OF SONSHIP
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:" (Phillipians 2:5-11)
The season before us brings to bear a unique consciousness of an ageless story of sacrifice that brought immortality to life and life to immortality. A reality that shaped existence and changed the paradigm for eternity to come. With humanity at the centre of this exchange, adequate perspective is brought to bear as we seek to forge a partnership to bring to pass an eternal plan hidden from the begining of times.
In this context we see a different perspective of the route Jesus had to take to fulfil his sonship ministry on this part of the divide and arrive at Lordship. That in fulfilling the will of his father for mankind, he had to go through a process.
That process was called the "HUMILITY PROCESS". Humility not in the context of man's definition, but that of the father. He had to be subjected to 4 different levels of submission (see verses 6-7).
4 LEVELS OF SUBMISSION OF JESUS (In order to fulfil Divine mandate)
1. "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:"
(Another version states...He forfeited his form as God. He didn't equate it as robbery). Never felt cheated or short changed by his father.
**and was made in the likeness of men:.....
There were other possibilities and realms of glory that will befit a king but God chose that of man
**which was the form of a servant ("Slave" MSG version).and the implication of that nature was that it's a "servant nature". Here we find one of the essential components of the make up of man, he was designed to be a dependent spirit and service driven creature. (Gen 2:6)
In Genesis chapters 1 & 2, we saw the dual dimension of man's priesthood as ordained by God for Adam by which an extension of the heavens can be revealed on this part of existence.
Gen 1:26 revealed a priesthood whose sphere was over all the creation and the earth he was to rule. No spirit being was mentioned in this scope. Meaning the devil excluded.
While Gen 2:15 revealed another Priesthood but this one of guardianship (to keep) and service (to dress), hence to God he was a dresser & keeper.
2. "he humbled himself",......
The standard humility is not the one we expect to be remote controlled to do, God is not a tyrant. He didn't bully his son into submission. We chose who we obey freely and just as Adam chose rebellion, Jesus chose obedience. Hence, Humility in the context of kingdom, is the one we impose on ourselves by an act of our choice in exercising our will to participate in Divine agenda. He had every opportunity & capacity so to do but he chose not. Don't let God humble you!!!
3. "and became obedient unto death",.....
Our obedience is to some certain degree but how many has death in our obedience agenda. To Jesus obedience to God was total. If he avoided this process, he will never have been able to deliver those who were bound by the fear of death, hence salvation will be incomplete. Death is the cessation of life, no reasonable God will request that from his subjects but that is the ultimate price required. Because in the eyes of the immortals it's in death that one actually begins to live. It is he that keeps his life that loses it. You have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin.
4. "even the death of the cross"....
A demeaning kind of death. An insult to mere mortal talkless of royalty. Death reserved for criminals. A shameful & mentally irreversible way of exiting the earth. The devil thought the manner of death was intended to erase to ensure that his exit will erase any memory of any previous glory he exhibited. But the king chose this route because it was needful he died in a certain way, howbeit, the way of the cross so as to bring to bear all that heaven intended. A son of God dying shamefully so that sons of men can rise above shame and have stature before the father.
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:9-11)
If there was any doubt before now, it became clear that The "CROSS" is a technology that promotes. This is how men rise in the kingdom. This is where stature is formed. By this act of selflessness, Jesus secured a name that has the capacity of a widened jurisdiction.
What is our responsibility to this depth of sacrifice. It is expected of us to cooperate to ensure this sacrifice was not in vain. So beyond just confessing Christ as Lord, we must go beyond salvation to ensure that his lordship is entrenched in the economy of our spirit. It will be the height of irresponsibility for us to respond in any wise lower than this. This would be our reasonable response as sons as we seek to bring divine pleaser to a merciful God that sacrificed all for mankind.
Let's make him both LORD & KING!
