Our Humble God

God Became One of Us

Philippians 2:5-11 (part 2)

Good morning.

This morning, I am going to start, by reading the Bible passage where Jesus was transfigured right before the eyes of three of His Disciples.

Matthew 17:1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;

Matthew 17:2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

Matthew 17:3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.

Matthew 17:4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

Matthew 17:5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" NKJV

Transfigured is the Greek word “metamorphoo” and it is where we get the English word metamorphosis.

Transfigured means to be changed in structure or composition, in a manner that is visible to others. It is the same word used when we see the change of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

When Jesus left heaven and came to Earth, God placed Himself into a tent of humanity, but He never ceased to be God. Here, Jesus revealed His Divine Nature to Peter, James, and John.

Wiersbe said, “It is only in Jesus Christ that the invisible God is revealed perfectly. Since no mere creature can perfectly reveal God, Jesus Christ must be God.”

Please open your Bibles to Philippians 2, as we continue in our verse-by-verse study of Paul’s Epistle to the Church at Philippi.

Last week was part one of a series, on Philippians 2:5-11, the Apostle Paul wrote, as he was inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Some commentators refer to these seven verses as a hymn or a poem, written by the Apostle Paul.

This hymn tells us to have the Mind of Christ, and there is also a specific breakdown of the character of Jesus.

Having the Mind of Christ means we agree with Christ’s perspective, His will, and we have the same goals, as well.

We all struggle at times, but according to Galatians 5:16, if we walk in the Spirit, we shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

For someone to have the Mind of Christ, they must first have Saving Faith in Christ, and then receive the Holy Spirit.

Today, the portion of scripture we will look at leaves no room for doubt that Jesus is God in the flesh, who humbly became a man, to visit Earth, take the Cross, and save lost sinners.

Read Philippians 2:5-11

I. God took on a new form.

Read Philippians 2:5-6

We spent all of last week on vs. 5 and now today, vs. 6 has a lot of theology, as well. When these verses are studied correctly, it disproves the cults teaching, against the Deity of Christ.

Let’s break down the words, “Who being”. The word being means, to previously exist.

Kenneth Wuest said, “By using ‘being,’ Paul informs us that our Lord’s possession of the divine essence did not cease to be a fact when He came to earth to assume human form.

“This word alone is enough to refute the claim of Modernism that our Lord emptied Himself of His Deity when He became Man.”

The word “being” in Philippians 2:6 tells us that Jesus, “being in the form of God”, happened before Bethlehem and Jesus remained God throughout His incarnation.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. NKJV

Let’s discuss the words “form of God”, from the NKJV. In the NIV this is translated as, “Who, being in very nature God.”

Colossians 1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn (preeminence or position) over all creation. NKJV

The word “form” has nothing to do with a shape because God is not a shape, He is Spirit.

John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." NKJV

Warren Wiersbe said, “The word form means “the outward expression of the inward nature.”

This means that in eternity past, Jesus Christ was God. In fact, Paul stated, that Jesus was “equal with God.”

Hebrews 1:1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,

Hebrews 1:2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. NKJV