Today we continue our new series entitled, “Press through it!”
We have been looking at the Apostle Paul’s account of his trip to heaven and the tremendous opposition he received because of it. As we have studied the passage we have been learning to press through the challenges that will come our way on the road to our destiny. I am not done with Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth. We will go back to it tomorrow. For today I feel led to take a quick detour and read something Paul said about the mindset of Jesus.
In his letter to the church at Philippi, the Apostle Paul said:
“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: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Phil 2:5-7 KJV).
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Jesus took no credit for what He did.
a) The fame concerning Jesus’ ministry spread quickly, the power flowing through His hands was undeniable, and the charisma exuding from his person drew crowds that quickly outnumbered anything anyone had ever seen at the time. But whenever the spotlight was on Jesus, He quickly deflected the glory back to the Father. This is how we are supposed to live.
b) Jesus never took an inkling of credit for what He was able to accomplish in the earth. He claimed that He could do NOTHING without the Father, that He was only on this planet to perform the Father’s will, and that it was actually the Father who was living in Him, giving Him the words and performing the work.
2. Paul took no credit for what He did.
a) The Apostle Paul did more than any other first century Christian leader. He was used of God in a mighty way. But in the passage we have been studying for a while (2 Cor 12:2-10), we see that instead of ‘tooting his own horn’, the Apostle Paul chose to boast in his weakness. He claimed that it was Christ and Christ alone who was doing what was getting done through his life.
b) Paul claimed that he only was who he was by the grace of God. This is the proper mindset to have. Because when we put the emphasis on God and His grace, we become conduits of God’s power in the earth, and once God’s power is flowing through us, we can press our way through anything.
3. Human submission is the key to supernatural power.
a) The example Jesus provided for us is one of divinity flowing through humanity. This is only possible through human submission.
b) Jesus only said what He heard the Father say and He only did what He saw the Father do. Jesus was the only perfect human, and He therefore was the only human qualified to rely on his humanity, but He did not, because He lived His life as an example for us. If Jesus did not rely on His humanity (and He was perfect), then how can we (who are flawed), rely on our humanity?
c) The message of grace teaches us that a holy God chooses to use flawed people. But in order for the process to work, the flawed human must be submitted to the holy God.
d) You will gain access to the supernatural power of God when you get to the point where you realize you cannot do it on your own, and you totally submit to God in all things! Once you get to this point, there is nothing you can’t do and no challenge you can’t press through, because you won’t be the one doing it. It will be the Father, living in you, doing what you could never do without Him!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I boast in my weakness. I take no credit for what You choose to do through me. Like Jesus, I am quick to deflect the glory of my accomplishments right back to You! I am who I am by Your grace. Without You and Your grace I would be nothing and I would not be able to accomplish anything of significance in this world. So I submit to You in all my ways. I say what You tell me to say. I go where You lead me to go. I do what You equip me to do. I am Your child. I am carrying You around inside of me in the earth. As I enter into this day, I carry You into every meeting, conversation and activity that I engage in and I am open to be used of You to change the world. I am a God-carrier and I am ready to allow my God to use me for His glory! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
