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CELEBRATING OUR IDENTITY:
TRANSFORMED INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST

Philippians 2:1-11

Introduction

Several weeks back, I received in the mail one of those famous "Occupant" mailings. Oftentimes I'll simply toss that mail into the trash; however, this one looked intriguing. It was advertising a church in my community and inviting persons in the neighborhood to join them in worship. The mailing was bright, colorful, and on slick paper. It was a first-class piece. Pictures of the church building, the pastor, and several ministry groups were scattered throughout. Mixed between the pictures were short, simple blurbs about the church. I became fascinated by what each of these blurbs said, for I could tell that the very identity of this community was being expressed through these statements, such as, "We're not religious, just caring"; "Focusing on what you want out of life"; "When it comes to our church, it's all about you"; and "We'll make everything comfortable for you and do it the way you want it done!" At first, I wasn't quite sure if I was reading ads of a restaurant, a healthcare center, or a department store. One thing that was certain, this community had a clear understanding of what was of value and importance to them.
As I sat down, I began to reflect on what all I had just read in this bright, slick advertisement. Once again, I began to ask the question with which I have been dealing for years: "What does the people of God look like?" Not so much "What do our buildings look like?" or "What do our sanctuaries look like?" or even "What do we individually look like?" Rather, as we live life together in community, what do we look like? What is our "corporate personality"? Much like this church, we often define that corporate personality by what we offer people: a good education program, exciting age-group ministries, a dynamic music ministry, or well-developed facilities. Other times, we define that corporate personality by central doctrinal positions or ethical ways of living. To define who we are, we will describe a unique or central belief or some practice that we avoid or in which we particularly participate. Sometimes, we will establish well-written and clearly articulated mission statements, complete with purpose statements, objectives, and goals. What does the people of God look like?

In response to that very question, Paul paints the most amazing portrait of the people of God, not how they individually appear when they scatter but rather how they appear as they live life together. This life together might best be described as life lived for others. Listen to Paul's description of the community's corporate personality: "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others" (Philippians 2:3-4).* The vivid portrait that Paul paints is a community in which self-serving motivations are disregarded and are replaced by the desire to serve the interests of the other person.

Move One--The Dilemma of the Text: Life Lived for Others?

While this portrait is certainly a beautiful one, we really do face a dilemma--in the same way the church at Philippi and every church since then has faced the dilemma. All we have ever known is living life for ourselves. From the moment we drew our first breath, life has been about our own survival. What do I need? What do I want? What will get me further ahead? How can I protect myself from harm, hurt, and brokenness? We learn quickly how to speak, how to act, and how to respond in order to get what is necessary out of life for ourselves. We learn that in order to get the "goodies of life," we must put the coin into the correct machine and pull the knob just right. We learn how to avoid vulnerability and any relationship that might cause pain. Therefore, we live in communities where the rule of life is "Every man and woman for himself and herself." We attend schools and workplaces where the standard is "Watch out for yourself." We live in nations where the motto is "Protect what's yours." If we're not careful, we even worship in churches where the highest priority is "I am ultimately responsible only for myself."

Suddenly for us to see this strange portrait of a community comprised of persons who look not to their own interests but to the interests of the other, who do nothing out of selfish ambition, who consider the other as better than themselves raises a most significant question: How can we as the people of God ever live out this type of life? How can this type of corporate personality ever occur? How can this type of community be formed?

Move Two--The Answer in the Text: The Imitation of Christ

In attempting to discover the answer to that all-important question, we struggle. Perhaps if we can develop a simple five-step program, provide a set of seminars, or even read a good book that can give us a handle on how to develop such a community, we can work our way into this corporate personality. However, when the programs end, the seminars are over, and the book has been marked up, it seems we still find ourselves empty, struggling with the age-old dilemma of putting our own interests at the center and then looking to others with what little time and energy we might have left. We continue to wrestle with our own selfish ambitions. We continue to be at the center of our universe.
Perhaps if we could incorporate church ministries that would challenge us to give to others, to carry out physical labor for others, to relieve the suffering of others, then we could eventually have developed a habit of considering others before we consider ourselves. Our actions would then be so others-minded that eventually we wouldn't even have to think about our own interests. However, no matter how many good deeds we carry out, no matter how many people we serve, we continue to face the ever-present dilemma of self-preservation and selfish ambition.

Perhaps if we could look to biblical texts and to church history for examples of men and women who served others and discover what they did and what it was that motivated them to do what they did, then we could pattern our actions after theirs and utilize their motivation as our own. However, once again, we come to experience that haunting reality that while self-motivation and exemplary models might change what we do from time to time, they just don't change the way we think.

So is there any hope? Is there an answer? Can a community comprised of persons who look not to their own interests but to the interests of others ever exist? Can a corporate personality comprised of men and women and young people who do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit ever be a reality? Or is this portrait of the people of God nothing more than a hopeful wish, a fanciful ideal, a naive dream?

Into the midst of this almost-hopeless question, Paul paints the most vivid portrait through an ancient hymn about Jesus. In the person of Jesus Christ we have come to see that life lived for others and not out of selfish ambition or vain conceit is indeed a reality. It was no hopeful wish; no fanciful ideal; no naive dream. We have seen the reality in Jesus, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8).

In this ancient hymn of the self-emptying of Jesus Christ, we have the most vivid image of what we are called to be as the people of God. The life we live together in Christian community is to be one that reflects the Christ who did not strive for greatness or equality with God. Like Christ, we are to be humbly emptied and to serve one another, even to the point of death itself. As Christ was, so are we to be.
In no way is the call to a corporate personality of life lived not for ourselves but for others an unattainable ideal, a wishful dream, or a false hope. The life to which we are called is indeed a reality that can be known by the people of God. We have seen it; we have heard it; we have touched it. It is a reality embodied in the self-emptying life of Jesus Christ himself.

Move Three--The Challenge of the Text: The Mind of Christ

So are we then called simply to imitate the life of Christ? to pattern the way we live with one another after the way of Christ? to do what Jesus would do, go where Jesus would go, and say what Jesus would say? Indeed, the call that comes to us as the people of God is a call to selfless Christlikeness. But this call is to something more than simply acting like Jesus. This call is to something deeper, to something much more profound than getting up the willpower to do what Jesus would do.

This call to the people of God is first and foremost to think the way Jesus would think. It is a call to the very mind of Christ. A corporate personality that lives life for others and not for itself is not grounded in its Christlike deeds. Rather, it is grounded in its Christlike mind. Paul would say, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus" (v. 5, KJV). Be like-minded. What is that like-mindedness? It is the mind of Christ. Have the same love. What is that love? It is the love of Christ. Be one in spirit and purpose. What is that spirit and purpose? It is the spirit and purpose of Christ. What does that mind, that love, that spirit, that purpose of Christ look like?

The call to the people of God is not simply for reformation or even for imitation. To reform our ways and to pattern our lives after another can simply become a human endeavor. The call to the people of God is for a divine endeavor: transformation--a transformed way of thinking, a renewal of our minds. Being united with Christ, knowing His love, and sharing in fellowship with His Spirit (v. 1), the people of God are indeed transformed into the image of Jesus Christ himself--into the very mind of Christ. The good news this day is that the One who calls us to this mind transformation is faithful, and He will do it. Trusting fully in His grace to carry out His work in us, we are called this day by His grace to place ourselves in such a posture that the grace of God can continue to transform our very minds "from glory into glory" into the image of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

And so today, if we were to send out the bright, colorful, slick announcing to our community what they would find when they arrive here, what would we say? What phrase, what language best describes who we are? Is it our programs? our buildings? our music? As we once again are reminded of our identity--what it means for us to be the people of God in this place at this time in history--may we be seen, heard, and known in the same way that our Lord Jesus Christ was known, Jesus: "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!"

May the same mind be in us that was also in Christ. If we have any encouragement from being united with Christ, any comfort from His love that we have known, any fellowship with His Spirit, may we be like-minded with the Christ with whom we are united, may we have that same love that we have known, may we be one in the very Spirit with whom we share fellowship. And abiding in Him, knowing His love, and fellowshipping with His Spirit, may we, as the people of God, likewise do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility may we consider others as better than ourselves. May we look not only to our own interests, but to the interests of others!
Perhaps Thomas Chisholm at the turn of the last century articulated our prayer today most clearly:

O to be like Thee, blessed Redeemer--
This is my constant longing and prayer.
Gladly I'll forfeit all of earth's treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

O to be like Thee, full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wand'ring sinner to find.

O to be like Thee, lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave,
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer--others to save.

O to be like Thee! O to be like Thee,
Blessed Redeemer, pure as Thou art!
Come in Thy sweetness; come in Thy fullness.
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

(Sing to the Lord, 490)

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*Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.