Courage for Life for Men - Flipbook - Page 13
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compassionate? 2 Then make me truly
happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with
each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.
3
Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress
others. Be humble, thinking of others as
better than yourselves. 4Don’t look out
only for your own interests, but take an
interest in others, too.
5
You must have the same attitude that
Christ Jesus had.
to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the
past. And I trust that my life will bring
honor to Christ, whether I live or die.
21
For to me, living means living for Christ,
and dying is even better. 22But if I live, I
can do more fruitful work for Christ. So
I really don’t know which is better. 23I’m
torn between two desires: I long to go and
be with Christ, which would be far better
for me. 24But for your sakes, it is better
that I continue to live.
25
Knowing this, I am convinced that I
will remain alive so I can continue to help
all of you grow and experience the joy of
your faith. 26And when I come to you
again, you will have even more reason to
take pride in Christ Jesus because of what
he is doing through me.
6
Though he was God,*
he did not think of equality
with God
as something to cling to.
7
Instead, he gave up his divine
privileges*;
he took the humble position
of a slave*
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,*
8
he humbled himself in obedience
to God
and died a criminal’s death on
a cross.
Live as Citizens of Heaven
Above all, you must live as citizens of
heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about
Christ. Then, whether I come and see you
again or only hear about you, I will know
that you are standing together with one
spirit and one purpose, fighting together
for the faith, which is the Good News.
28
Don’t be intimidated in any way by your
enemies. This will be a sign to them that
they are going to be destroyed, but that
you are going to be saved, even by God
himself. 29For you have been given not
only the privilege of trusting in Christ but
also the privilege of suffering for him.
30
We are in this struggle together. You
have seen my struggle in the past, and you
know that I am still in the midst of it.
27
Have the Attitude of Christ
Is there any encouragement from
belonging to Christ? Any comfort
from his love? Any fellowship together in
the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and
listen to the Word
Listen to Philippians 1–2, and
reject the worldly lie that your
circumstances in life should
bring you joy. Replace it with
the truth that real joy isn’t found
in your circumstances. Joy is
a response to Jesus’ sacrifice
for you and comes from your
relationship with him (see also
Ps 16:11; Rom 15:13; Jas 1:2).
9
Therefore, God elevated him to the
place of highest honor
and gave him the name above
all other names,
10
that at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under
the earth,
11
and every tongue declare that Jesus
Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
2
Shine Brightly for Christ
12
Dear friends, you always followed my
instructions when I was with you. And
now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of
your salvation, obeying God with deep
2:6 Or Being in the form of God. 2:7a Greek he emptied himself.
translations put this phrase in verse 8.
Jesus is our example
PhiliPPians 2
2:7b Or the form of a slave.
2:7c Some English
2:1-11
P R A Y • Father, guide me to be more like Jesus every day. Help me to adopt his attitude as I
faithfully follow you.
O B S E R V E • Paul asked four rhetorical questions that should have been answered with a
resounding “Yes!” But the church in Philippi was struggling with division among its people.
Therefore, Paul encouraged them to work together with one mind and purpose by releasing their
selfishness and pride and taking on Jesus’ attitude—humility.
I N T E R P R E T • We receive encouragement, comfort, fellowship, and tender and compassion-
ate hearts through our relationship with God. But when we don’t allow God to transform us to
be more like Jesus, we go back to our old ways, become prideful, and seek our own interests.
Therefore, we must continually follow God in obedience and allow him to change us. Jesus is
our example, and he was humbly obedient to the point of death—even a criminal’s death on
a cross (2:8).
A P P LY • Uncover your true
self: Underline the actions and
attitudes in Philippians 2:1-8.
Which ones are more difficult
for you? How will you allow God
to build them into your daily
life? • Commit to change: Do
you recognize any selfishness in
your life? Take a moment to journal your commitment to be more
like Jesus (2:4-5).
Name other COURAGE steps
these verses motivate you to
take. How will you apply them?
