Today we continue our series, “As Jesus Is”, under the banner of the overall series for the year, “Supernatural Manifestation.” We have been looking at 1 John 4:16,17 for a couple of months now. I have been adding other passages to it. Right now we are looking at 1 John 4:16,17 and Philippians 2. Let’s get to it.
The Apostle John said:
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
(1 John 4:16, 17 KJV)
The Apostle Paul said:
“Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too.
In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought. He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form.
During his life as a man, he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross. So God raised him up to the most important place and gave him the name that is greater than any other name.”
(Philippians 2:1-9 ERV)
Today I will focus in on this statement, “Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves.”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
- The Bible teaches us to be humble, to the point where we can focus on honoring others more than ourselves. This is part of the ‘mind of Christ’. When you develop a Godly mindset, you are able to value and esteem others, while knowing that you valuing others IN NO WAY lessens your value.
- When you develop the ‘mind of Christ’, you are able to see others the way God sees them. This will help you truly honor them for whom God called them to be, without feeling dishonored in the process.
- The Kingdom of God way of honoring someone means you are able to see them the way God sees them, and honor them on that level, even though their faults, flaws and failures have not qualified them for that level of honor. In other words, when you develop ‘mind of Christ’, you are able to honor someone on the level God wants them to be honored on, without stumbling over their mistakes. Why? Because that is the way God honors with you. You know God does not just give you what you truly deserve. He honors you beyond your performance. This is the way He wants us to honor, value and esteem others.
- Many don’t truly honor others because of their own insecurities. But when you develop the ‘mind of Christ’, and you see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, you will be secure enough to value and esteem others, without feeling devalued in the process.
- When you see yourself “As Jesus is, in this world”, you know who you are, so honoring, valuing or esteeming others highly does not bother you. You are free to honor others, because you honor the anointing on your own life.
- As believers, we must be cognizant of the fact that while we were born a certain way, we were Born-Again! Once you are Born-Again, you are a Kingdom of God citizen. The Kingdom of God functions a certain way. In the Kingdom of God, the currency is faith (faith is how you make an exchange), and the culture is HONOR. The entire Kingdom of God functions on a culture of honor. When you are IN Christ and Christ is IN you, the Father expects you to be honorable in all you do.
- With all the divisive rhetoric going on in the United States right now, this is our time to shine. This is our time to show people what it is like to live IN the world, but to not be OF the world! As Kingdom of God citizens, we should honor, value and esteem ALL people, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender or even religion. Honorable people operate in honorable ways. Period.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I honor You as my Lord and King. I honor myself, by accepting all You have called me to do. I see myself as ONE with You! I honor others by seeing them the way You see them, by valuing them and esteeming them, even above myself. I am secure in who I am. I can lift someone else up, because I know it will not bring me down in the process. So I boldly declare: As Jesus is, so am I, in this world! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
