BE SELFLESS LIKE CHRIST!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY DECEMBER 3, 2020.

SUBJECT: BE SELFLESS LIKE CHRIST!

Memory verse: "Let this mind be in you which was in Christ.” (Philippians 2 vs 5.)

READ: Luke 9 vs 23 - 25: 

9:23: Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

9:24: For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but who whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

9:25: For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?

INTIMATION:

Having the mind of Christ is being selfless. Jesus Christ is selfless; He voluntarily set aside His divine rights and privileges, and the right to His glory and power, as equal to God, and became a human being for the sake of submission to the Father’s Will out of love for Him. Selflessness is the mark of a true Christian. A Christian should have the attitude that enables him or her to set aside rights in order to serve others. If we say we follow Christ, we must also say we want to live as He lived. We should develop His attitude of humility, and selflessness as we serve, even when we are not likely to get recognition for our efforts.

It was for this reason that the apostle Paul, in his letter to the believers in Philippi, said, "Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus." The entire Christian experience should be one of continued acts of selflessness. This attribute took our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to the cross to die for our sins, and we also are enjoined to 'deny self daily’ while following the Lord. As human beings born into this world, we’re all selfish by nature. We’re born with a sinful nature that daily bows before the deity called self and until we acknowledge the need for the crucifixion of the Adamic nature, we’ll continue to struggle with selfishness.  

With the word picture in the passage we read today, Jesus presented a clear and challenging description of the Christian life. Being His followeR means putting aside selfish desires, shouldering one’s cross every day, and following Him. It is simple and yet so demanding. For believers today, it means understanding that we belong to Him and that we live to serve His purposes. Consider this: Do you think of your relationship with God primarily in terms of what’s in it for you (which is considerable) or in terms of what you can do for Him? Are you willing to deny yourself, take up your cross daily, and follow Him? Anything less is not discipleship; it is merely superficial lip service. When one denies himself, all things of this world are put into their correct perspective in reference to the kingdom. 

A selfless Christian does not seek to be known, praised or rewarded for the good he does because he doesn’t glory in the flesh. All he or she seeks is for Christ to be seen and glorified in his or her attitude and actions which when faithfully executed, will draw all people to Christ. The natural consequence of the truly surrendered, spirit-led life is selflessness. And this must be seen in our attitude and actions if we are to proclaim the testimony of the finished work of the cross. Since the mind of Christ is selfless, can we claim we have Christ if this attribute is not in us? We’ll surely be found out as pretenders, no matter how much we feign our allegiance to Christ, if this attribute is lost in our day to day activities. 

We should do well to take heed to Peter’s advice in First Peter 2 vs 12 that says, "Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation." The Christians’ conduct must be honorable among other people in the world; being a mirror reflecting Christ to the world, so that we may actually show ourselves as children of the heavenly kingdom. Let it be such that when they even speak against your faith as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God, and turn to Christ.  Selflessness must be the watchword in our dealings with everybody—Christians and non Christians alike. 

Selflessness will make us willingly give up comforts so our neighbor can have little of what God has blessed us with. It will make us think twice before abusing a position of responsibility entrusted to us in the Church of God, public service, or business. Selflessness will make Church leaders promote the gospel more than they promote themselves and their denominations. It will make us allocate Church resources more to places where it will benefit the Church rather than projects which massage our ego and buttress our vanity. Let us not be moved by the promise of instant gratification of the self to destroy the good work God has called us to do. We’ll be more effective carriers of the good news of the gospel if our individual lives become examples of selflessness. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the mind excellent spirit of selflessness. that I may have mind of Christ, to serve You, and others in love, and with total obedience to You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!