Below are characteristics of Christ from Philippians 2:5-10 as He journeyed to the cross for us. Note that Philippians 2:5 is a command for us to conform to these same characteristics: Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.
Jesus emptied Himself.
He chose to lay aside His divine rights and to become totally dependent on the Holy Spirit as a man. In other words, He did not rely on Himself.
God our Father is conforming us through circumstances to realize how empty our "good" self-efforts are so that we will turn to Christ to live through us.
Are you willing to grow in trusting Christ to be perfectly sufficient to empower each step of faith you take?
Jesus humbled Himself.
From His birth in a stable to His death on a cross, Jesus humbled Himself.
God is conforming us through circumstances to choose humility and to surrender pride. Always remember that pride goes before destruction (Proverbs 16:18).
Being humbled is not enough. Philippians 2:8 says that Jesus humbled Himself. We must choose to be humbled.
Are you willing to take steps of faith to humble yourself even when others treat you unfairly like Christ was treated unfairly? Do you believe the words of your Father in James 4:10 that will indeed lift you up if you humble yourself in His sight?
Jesus was rejected.
He yearned for relationships like us, and He truly suffered rejection. However, He always trusted in His Father's total acceptance of Him.
God our Father is conforming us through rejections from other people to depend and to thrive solely on His acceptance of us.
Rejections hurt a lot, but are you willing to be rejected like Christ in order to know that God's acceptance of you is all you really need?
Jesus was weakened.
Jesus was physically weakened as He was beaten mercilessly on His way to the cross. Yet, He depended on His Father's strength for each step toward the ultimate purpose of His life -- the cross for us.
God our Father is conforming us to this image of Christ by physically weakening us at times in order to prepare us to hear and to embrace Jesus' words to us: My grace is sufficient for you, for in your weakness, My strength is made perfect (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Are you willing to be physically and emotionally weakened for the glory of God?
Jesus lost all His possessions.
Jesus, who owns all the stars in the heavens and all the cattle on a 1,000 hills, lost all His possessions, including His last stitch of clothing by the time He reached the cross. He refused to depend on possessions for his security.
God our Father is conforming us through each of our unique circumstances to loosen our grip on our possessions, and to entrust all we have to Him, and to find our security in Him alone.
Have you ever intentionally and prayerfully confessed to God that all that you have belongs to Him? This not only includes material things but also your family, your fears, your hopes, your job, your lack of a job, etc.
Jesus was willing to be misunderstood.
Jesus never tried to prove He was right. He never had a need to become defensive. He simply walked in the truth He received from His Father. When He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, He simply testified of the truth that His Father told Him.
God our Father is conforming us to this image of Christ as He leads us to be free to be misunderstood but also free to testify of His truth He has revealed in our hearts.
Are you willing to live in the inerrant and living Word of God, trusting your Father to speak to you and the Spirit of God to empower you to walk with Christ in the truth?
Jesus was stripped.
Jesus was totally exposed on the cross. In the midst of that utter humiliation, He simply trusted His Father.
God our Father is conforming us to this image of Christ by using circumstances to lead us to be stripped of any "masks" we are hiding behind and depending upon to protect our self-image.
Are you willing to become vulnerable in front of others in order to manifest the genuineness of Christ?
Jesus refused to be rescued.
He knew His Father had a perfect plan through the cross. So, He refused to be rescued.
God the Father is conforming us to this image by giving us this desire to have Him walk with us through trials for His perfect purpose instead of us seeking other people to rescue us from trials just because they are uncomfortable.
Are you willing to believe your Father has a perfect plan for you and then to know Christ in the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians 3:10 above)?
Are you willing to walk through the valley of the shadow of death in order to know that Christ is with you and in you (Psalm 23:4)?
Jesus chose to forgive.
Although He was totally right and everyone else was wrong, Jesus chose to forgive those who crucified Him. He entrusted His deepest hurts to His Father. And 3 days later, He arose with total victory over sin and death.
Are you willing to choose to entrust to God your Father the unfair hurts imposed upon you so that you can know Christ in the power of His resurrection?
CLOSING
We are not called to imitate the characteristics of Christ He manifested on His journey to the cross.
