Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 90, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 February 1916 — THE HUMBLE TO BE EXALTED [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE HUMBLE TO BE EXALTED

Pkilippians 3:1-11 —February IS. Humility the Great Lesson For All. The Only Begotten an Illustration. How He Was Rich—How Ho Became Poor Why He Was Exalted and How—Church Walks In His Steps. “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesut Christ, that though He teas rich, yet for yout sakes Be became poor, that ye through Bit poverty might become rich.”—t Cor. 8:9. CHE Epistle to the Philippian* has been styled an epistle of joy—so richly did the Apostle’s heart respond to the faithfulness of the brethren at rhillppi. He would have them know that he appreciated their love, and that such love should abound toward all. Ills Joy would be filled full in proportion as he could realize that the brethren had the mind of Christ. He exhorted, therefore, that they remember the conditions on which such character could be developed. Nothing should be dome through strife or vaiu-glory. All their conduct should be marked by lowliness, humility and willingness to discern the good qualities of others—noting wherein

others were superior to themselves. They should be ever on the alert to appreciate true quality and character wherever foundlooking for noble qualities in others. and generously hoping that these existed even when not discern-

ed. considering the Interests of the Lord’s cause, and ignoring self-will and pride. They should not look mere ly at their own interests, hut also upon those of others—the rights of others, their ability. This, the Apostle assures us. is a mark of the llolv Spirit. This mind, t Itis disposition, was fully exemplified in Jesus, declares St. Paul. In [lis prehuman condition, when in a form of God. a spirit being, Jesus was humble. lie did not meditate a usurps • lion of Divine authority to exalt Him self, as did Satan, lie had no thought of robbing the Divine glory anil honor

by putting Himself upon an equality with God the Father. On the contra ry, He had the same spirit then as afterwards, when He said. “Not My will, hut Thine. l»e done”; and again. “My Father is greater than ail.”— Luke £2:12; John 10:20; 11:2S. The Master always had this disposition of reverence for the Father, and of full confidence in Him. lienee, when the time came for the Father to send a Savior into the world, first to redeem it ami later mi to become its King and Deliverer. the proposal to render this great service to God and to men was proffered to the Logos “the Only Begotten of the Father”— who promptly accepted it. This involved a great; humiliation—a leaving of the dignity of the chiefest place on the spirit plane to become a human being, “the Main Christ Jesus”—not. a sinful man. hut a perfect one. in tin* image of God, as was Adam originally. —John 1:1-1; 1 Timothy 2:.'; Hob. 7:2(5.

“The Man Christ Jesus.” After Jesus by a change. of nature found Himself a man ailumgst men. lie still preserved the same loyalty to the Fat her. In all His cavi lily ex petiem es the Master was fail 11 ful, loyal to God. loyal to His Covenant, loyal to the principles of righteousness. O; Him it is ■written, “Thou Inst loved righteousness and hated iniquity; there fore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows,” (Psalm 45:7.) The oil of gladness represented our Lord’s holyjoy which sustained Him during this period when lie made Himself of no reputation and became poor indeed—finally losing even His life—all in loyalty to the Father’s will and the Program marked out in the Bible. His final cry on Calvary was, “It i* finished!” All that the Father had given Ilim to do in the way of sacrifice had been accomplished. Then it was the Father's turn to act, to fulfil Ills good promises to Ills faithful Son. The Apostle tells us of this. Raying, “Him hath God highly exalted, and given a name which is above every name”— a title, a distinction, a place.

above all others. He was received into glory; and all the angels of God worshiped Him whom the Father had thus exalted to His own right hand, giving Him, in addition to what He had resigned, glory and Immortality—the Divine nature. But still more

glory is yet to come to the great Redeemer. Those who crucifted Him, yea, nil mankind, for whom He tasted death, are yet to be made aware of His great sacrifice on their behalf and of the high exaltation which came to Him as a result. He Is to be the world’s King of Glory, and is to reign for a thousand years. As Verse 10 declares, eventually every knee shall bow and every tongue acknowledge Him. All others not willing thus to recognize and obey. are to be destroyed from amongst the people as “natural brute beasts,” <2 Peter 2:12; Jude 10; Acts 3:23.) All this will be directly to the Father’s glory; for the entire Plan of Salvation Is of the. Father and through the Son. —1 Corinthians S:(J.

Every Knee Shall Bow.

Meek and Lowly-