Spiritual growth is measured in two main ways – motivation and action. Action is a literal external behavioral change – the evidence of the motivation. This is what James calls works. It is a change that can be perceived and observed in our daily lives.
All motivation and actions are triggered by our thoughts – by our way of thinking. This brings to mind the process of God’s thinking becoming a part of our thinking which is often hampered by our failure to comprehend the huge gulf that exists between our thoughts and God’s thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9 NLT).
According to the Dictionary of Biblical Languages, the Hebrew word for “thoughts” includes four major components in the Hebrew mind:
- Thought or musing – the content of reasoning and thinking. It is not just the thought itself, but what it is made up of – its content and the ability to take in every aspect of a situation and the ability to add it all together.
- Plan – a scheme as a rational thought. This infers the ability to develop a plan and keep it within its scope based in reality – understanding what works and does not work. For God, it implies no mistakes are necessary to construct and complete a plan.
- Create a design – think and plan to create something. It is the ability to come up with original ideas. Ecclesiastes states that there is nothing new “under the sun.” This is not so with God. He can come up with new ideas and create them from nothing. We humans can only come up with new ways by using what is already created.
- Purpose – a plan implying a certain desire. This is the reason the thoughts and actions exist. It is the reason behind the thoughts, plans and the desired result that they are to achieve. It is the why. Why God creates is far above why we create.
In summary, the meaning of the Hebrew word translated “thoughts” includes the content of reasoning, a scheme or structure as a rational thought, a plan to create something and the purpose which implies a certain desire. God’s thoughts define who He is. They are His essence, His heart. And Christ was the living example of God’s thoughts while on earth (John 14:8-10). How Christ lived His life while on earth is key to understanding who God the Father is – the “why” (motivation) and the “how” (action) of Their Way of Life.
Therefore, we must ask, how did Christ live His life while on this earth? We find the primary answer in Mark 10: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Christ – who came to earth to reveal the mind of God the Father – lived His life as a servant, even to the point of death.
First, we need to understand that Christ living as a servant was not a temporary role for just the brief time that He was on earth. Christ did not live one way of life for eternity, and then became a man and lived another way on earth, and then return to heaven to live a previous or new way. What we saw emanating from Jesus Christ while He was on the earth was the same as before He existed as a human being.
Paul describes the full extent of Christ’s servanthood: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:5-7). Notice that Paul did not first point to Christ’s actions. He pointed to His thinking first, which was the basis for His actions. Paul is saying that the basis of our thinking needs to rise to a higher level. Our thoughts, the basis of our motives, must come not from ourselves, but from Christ.
To explain Philippians 2:5-7, Paul used two different Greek words translated into English as “form”. Morphe (vs 6) means the essential form or part that never alters. Schema (vs 7) is the outward form or appearance one sees that changes from time to time and from circumstance to circumstance. For example, the morphe of any man is his humanity, which never changes. He is always human. But man’s schema is continually changing. He grows from an embryo, to a baby, to a child, to adolescence, to a middle-aged man, to an old man. His outward appearance changes (schema), but his humanity never does (morphe).
The word Paul uses for Christ being in the “form” of God is morphe. The part of Christ that never changed when He became human was His divinity. He was God in the flesh. The part of Him that never changed was His thinking, His planning, His designs and His purpose. Just because the Word became a man, the part of Him that was God never changed. He was God in every way except his schema, which was a man.
This fact begs a question: If God, our Creator, casts Himself in a servant’s role that never has changed for eternity, what should we as followers of Jesus Christ be? Christ served to the end, even while drawing His last breath. Christ knew that being a servant is a continual responsibility, approach and attitude. There is never a time that it ends. And the Apostle John recorded in John 13, the tremendous lengths that Christ went to in teaching the level of service that He expected from His disciples:
“(Christ) rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. 5After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. 6Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, are You washing my feet?’ 7Jesus answered and said to him, ‘What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.’ 8Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!’ Jesus answered him, ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.’ 9Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!’ ” (John 13:4-9).
The Apostle John recorded the tremendous humility Christ possessed and demonstrated during His last Passover with His disciples. Though He was God in the flesh, and clearly their Master, Christ showed by example that He was not above doing what was considered the lowest job in their society, that of a household servant: washing the guest’s feet.
Status was still important to the disciples. Where they sat at the Passover table was more important than why they were there. Their rights and privileges were more important. Being a servant – being a slave – did not exist in their thinking. It was incomprehensible – especially to the degree that Christ was teaching them.
Interestingly, during this time in Judea, foot-washing before a meal was normal – especially while being a guest in someone’s home. At the least, it was expected that water would be supplied to the guests to wash their own feet. Special guests were shown honor by having their feet washed by slaves. In Jewish homes, Jewish servants were not required to wash guest’s feet; it was only the responsibility of slaves. On some occasions the master of the house would wash the guest’s feet. This was only done when the master wanted his guests to understand how much he honored them and was willing to serve them. Christ understood this practice.
So, Jesus intended His actions to be a strong lesson to His status-conscious disciples (and also to us). His disciples understood that their Master was performing the task of a slave for them. This is the reason Peter reacted so strongly (John 13:6-9). However, Christ explained His point to help His disciples understand that status-seekers cannot serve Him or His Father’s purpose.
“So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.”(John 13:12-16).
Clearly we are not greater than Christ, so we should be willing to go just as far as He did in serving the people in the world, as well as His disciples. We are not God, but we are to grow to have the same thoughts as God – the same love – the same purpose – the same desire – the same motivation. God’s servanthood defines Him. That is reason enough for us to do the same, whenever or wherever the opportunity presents itself.
However, being a servant can rub our human nature the wrong way. We can understand its merits and experience the “good feelings” it can give. However, when service requires strong sacrifice, that’s when it becomes difficult. The difficulty separates those whose motivations are pure and solely based in love, from those who are serving ultimately for themselves and how it makes them feel or the status they may gain. This again is how God’s thoughts differ from ours. God has no selfish motives. His motivations are all about an outgoing concern for others.
Christ’s life should convict us of our need to change into affectionate and merciful people. Our motivations must be deep ones – driven by affection and mercy (Philippians 2:1). We must become people who feel deep love for one another and for all mankind. As Christ walked to a death by crucifixion, He did not look at the people as He was walking to Golgotha carrying the stake while being kicked and spat on. He did not have any bad feelings toward them, but looked up at the goal which was ahead of Him to complete the greatest act of love He and the Father had prepared for Him.
To be servants like Christ, having strong affection from a pure heart must be our motivation for all our active service. We must be killing the old temporary man – schema – so we may serve with the heart of the new man that will never change – morphe. In other words, we must put on Christ, allowing Him to live in us.
Both the Father and the Son’s actions are filled with a deep desire to console, strengthen and serve mankind: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! (Matthew 23:37-39). They are our example of what our actions, mercy, and affection should look like.
Paul continues in Philippians to define what traits a godly servant must have: “fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:2-4).
The word “love” is agapao and refers to God’s love, not human love. The word “accord” is symphychos which means “united in spirit”. “Mind” is phroneo, which refers the higher thoughts of God. Our minds must be developing the same outgoing love, united spirit and higher level of thought as Christ’s and the Father’s. We must put on the same motivations and actions which reflect all three traits, traits which flow from Christ to those who serve Him. The same love, being united in spirit and having the higher thoughts of God.
The Greek word translated “ambition“ means rivalry that creates strife and quarreling. That someone is trying to be in charge; whether in leadership, in a competition or by simply getting in the last word. “Conceit“ in these verses means pride. Lowliness means humbleness and humility which reflects the inner motivations. “Esteeming others” is the action that comes from a humble state of mind. All service must come from the inspiration of God for a specific circumstance with one of His people. Servants cannot serve if they put themselves above those whom they serve. This humble state of mind is what Christ was expressing when He washed the disciples’ feet.
We are to look out for the interest of others. Servants do not spend most their time serving themselves. They are entrusted with the care of their master’s (Christ’s) household. It is their job to make sure all the needs are fulfilled – that the master’s family is cared for first. A healthy family is a healthy “us” as we serve according to Christ’s traits.
God is a being whose thoughts, plan, design and purpose are so very far above ours. Yet, He made Himself our servant to bring us into His eternal Family. From the beginning of Creation, to His birth in Bethlehem, to His death on the cross, to His return as King of Kings, Christ always was and is a willing servant of His Father and of His people.
Bill Hutchison