Be a Servant; Don't Act a Servant

One of the sermons preached at the preaching conference in Wyoming came from Philippians 2:5-8, where the Apostle Paul tells us that the Lord Jesus, who is fully divine, humbled Himself and became a servant, being obedient even to the death of the cross. He didn’t act the part of a servant; He became a servant. And there is a difference!

The Bible says that Jesus “made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Phil. 2:7). That word form is the same word used in the previous verse to say that He was in the form of God (Phil. 2:6). The word speaks of the nature or character of a thing, both with the internal and external qualities. Jesus is God in His very essence and character. The same is true when He took on the form of a servant. He became a servant in His essence and character.

Nature determines conduct. Jesus was a servant in His nature. This meant that He served regardless of convenience, custom, or care. He served when it was hard, when He was tired, when culture discouraged it, and when the other party neither respected Him nor returned the service. He served everyone consistently because He desired above all to please His Father and because He loved the people. Jesus was in His nature a servant.

The same should be true of us. We must not act like servants—serving on our own terms. We must be servants—wanting to serve out of love for God and love for man. Our Lord displayed such servitude. Let’s be like Christ.