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how can man become like God? | Philippians ii.4

how can man become like God? | Philippians ii.4

Last updated on: December 15, 2022 at 9:00 am by Rev. Jared V. Ingle

how can man become like God? | Philippians ii.4 2022-12-09T15:13:29-05:00 Rev. Jared V. Ingle

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how can man become like God? | Philippians ii.4

This is part of an ongoing Word Study on Philippians 2.5-11 CLICK

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: (Phil 2.5)

“how to be the church with the mind of Jesus” CLICK

Who, being in the form of God,
thought it not robbery to be equal with God: (Phil 2.6)

“being in the form of God” CLICK

But made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, . . . (Phil 2.7)

“the form of a servant | Philippians ii.3” CLICK

and was made in the likeness of men: (Phil 2.7)

Jesus becomes a bond slave, and Jesus becomes a man.

Adam and Eve are created in God’s image and likeness, made to reflect God. Adam and Eve fall and then bear a marred image which no longer fully reflects God.

Man can no longer fully become all he is intended to be, the complete image of God (imago Dei). So Christ takes on man’s fallen image and likeness.

Man cannot get to God, so God comes to man.

the Incarnation is about God taking on the image and likeness of fallen man

Because God takes on the image and likeness of man God is able to restore the imago Dei in man.

Because God does become man, we can once again choose to take on the imago Dei.

There is some dialogue among scholars about the imago Dei.

First of all, is the imago Dei real? The creation account bears it out and Philippians 2 confirms it can be restored.

Secondly, isn’t the imago Dei always a marred image after all? There are various opinions, usually having to do with the issue of sanctification. In answer to the second question, I would simply ask is Christ’s redeeming work incomplete or is it finished? Secondly, the Primitive Church believes in this process and they use terms we are no longer comfortable with to equate us with Christ’s work.

Jesus the Messiah becomes like us so we can once again have the free choice to become like Him.

Our Lord exchanges His Heavenly form and majesty for an earthly body

He does not stop being God.
Jesus chooses a new form, a new expression, an incarnation.
He accepts some real human limitations.

“He veiled His glory. When Jesus Christ walked among men, the average person coming face to face with Him on the street would not know He was the Son of God. There was no halo about His head to distinguish Him. There was no radiance that shone from Him to separate him from the rest of men.”[1]

The Christ Child born in Bethlehem is fully God and fully human.

What if there is an Invitation in this article?

There is a mysterious beauty in the Incarnation, even a joy in imagining the Christ Child.

However Paul commands us to do the same: Let this mind be in you . . .

How do we apply the thought of the Incarnation to our lives?

“It is only because he became like us that we can become like him. It is only because we are identified with him that we can become like him. By being transformed into his image, we are enabled to model our lives on his.”[2]

Am I truly allowing God to change my nature and transform me into His image?

We may think we are changing but the Incarnation goes one step further. In a way, we are to become kind of like incarnations of Christ to our world. The term Christian may have originally been a way of poking fun at us. It essentially means “little Christs” or “little anointed ones.” The idea, even if it was a jab, could not be closer to the truth.

It’s one thing to be self-aware of the transforming processes of God, but are others aware? The greater question is: Do others around me see the image of God in me or in my congregation?

edwin-andrade-los-angeles

Edwin Andrade | Los Angeles | 11.03.16 | unsplash

There is a mysterious beauty in the Incarnation, a visible beauty to be reflected in me and in my congregation.

notes:

[1] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Joy of Living: A Study of Philippians (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1973), 68.
[2] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Macmillan, 1959), 274.

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