Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. - Philippians 2:3-4
What then does that entail, what does it look like? “Others, yes, others, let this my motto be.”
To achieve this, something else must take place. One has to be born from above. There’s no way under Heaven that a natural man can choose to do something for others with no hidden agendas (even seeking recognition or wanting to be seen as a good person because that boosts their ego/self esteem knowingly or unbeknownst to the individual)
To do something entirely for someone, without needing/wanting others to know you did, and wanting nothing in return and even if that same person offends you, you wouldn’t count the good thing you did towards him/her against him, this only comes from GOD. Look at the CROSS. “While we were yet sinners, CHRIST died for the ungodly” - Rom 5:8 (for you and me)
Now, to live for others goes beyond doing acts of kindness towards others. To live for others transcends into choosing to give up personal opinions, pride, presumption, giving up sin (that one may look at as if it’s personal and doesn’t affect the neighbor rather affects GOD- meaning i’d rather offend GOD than a fellow human being) however, the issue is offense. In hurting the heart of GOD, we hurt ourselves (we numb the senses) and in affecting my relationship with GOD, affects how I’m convinced or not convinced towards sin/righteousness. In fact, if I’m comfortable to offend GOD (in light of the fact that HE easily forgives, than man who may take forever) should check what my priorities are in life. To offend GOD is worse yet, because GOD is the root of righteousness. There’s nothing really like private sin. Any kind of sin results to death. Death to a mind that was meant to be alive, will impart that death knowingly or unbeknownst to the individual to others. We are either dead to self and thus CHRIST being a fountain of living water for others to benefit, or be a pond of still water full of death. Everyone is surrounded by an atmosphere. What does my presence entail to others. If i’m not surrendered, I will not invoke their CHRISTlike self to come out, instead I will prompt for the old man in others because “from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” “where death is, there the eagles will be” (if mind is not surrendered). So, what am I attracted to, and what do I attract others with towards me? What does my presence suggest to others?
Living for others, is possible only by consecrating self to GOD. “To die daily” (1 Cor 15:31) to die every moment. To live out the scriptures, hence becoming a living epistle easily read and understood by all men. What is my purpose, motive, narrative in life. What matters to me? “Never spake man like this, because, never lived man like this”
Correct. Don’t spill out head knowledge, and not live the reality. Actually people know. The Pharisees had knowledge but why did the people make such a comment towards JESUS? He elevated the law, and lived it. They saw and heard. People today are hearing something, but it’s not exemplified. Today, you and I have an opportunity to truly live for others. To truly surrender and let GOD live out HIS life within me, within you. Don’t we know? That we are the temple of GOD? This is the only way we can live for others. “There is nothing good in man” only GOD is good - Luke 18:19. To do good to others, hence live for others, we need One who is good to do it in us, and through us. “Live out thy life within me, oh JESUS King of Kings”
You know what? Once you taste and see that the LORD is good, you will truly love Him- to know HIM is to love HIM. “We love HIM because HE first loved us” As a result of loving HIM, we are inclined to follow HIS precepts, and as a result we will love ourselves, and thus loving my neighbor as myself- will be done rightfully so. It will be a true love. I can only love myself truly and correctly, as a result of loving my LORD, truly and correctly because then i’d become willing to be shown and follow through on how to, and how it looks like to love myself and thus what it is and how to do it in action to love my neighbor as myself.
“In dying, we live”
In being taught how to live for others, changes happen in us, we learn and unlearn. In doing so, this verse comes alive- 2 Cor 10:5, “Casting down arguments and all high things that exalt themselves against GOD, bringing into captivity, every thought that exalts itself against the knowledge of GOD”
“Woe upon the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his stronghold” we cannot trust ourselves to be able to do good to others, and impart life- only an immortal GOD can do such, ONE who has life. So I need HIS life in me, for that life to be imparted to others. I need GOD for others to experience GOD when they are around me. In that case, I have to know HIM dearly and abide in HIM every moment because John 15:5 has proven to be true over and over again in my life “without HIM, I can do NOTHING”
There is no time out. To go on time out because the warfare is intense will result in living a double life. When we unplug from life, to let the lusts of the flesh have its way because it’s intense to subdue it every moment (because it is) opens the door for the flesh. What is in the flesh? Sin (“CHRIST condemned sin in the flesh”) so this moment of not being consecrated to GOD will cause peril to self and thus affect others. It is a moment of basically saying i’m not going to love myself here by allowing sin to bind me a little( that’s not necessarily how the conversation will go with self) rather one would have wandered and be drawn to selfish desires. In doing this as stated in James 1:13-14 we choose to hate ourselves, and in response we hate our neighbors. It is just as it is matter fact. This is why, there’s truly no release in this battle. It is serious. Take it seriously. “Every moment is fraught, with eternal consequences”
“Few believe (take action) that there is a hell to shun and a Heaven to gain” point is- many know such knowledge but few take action because they truly believe that to be the case. Believe is an action verb.
To live for others is to surrender. To be considerate of others in realizing by living a life of sin, will not only gratify unruled passions but with doing so, comes with an expense of hurting others, but if we’re not hidden in CHRIST, we wouldn’t care. Infact, the world advocates for “put yourself first,” granted some people who advocate for such have gotten hurt in the process of putting others first. Which is why, this whole matter can only be done with disinterested love, only through CHRIST, because the natural/carnal mind works in a mode of condiotional love, and can easily quit. It will always be about “me” apart from CHRIST, instead of a world that’s perishing, and the body of CHRIST. Remember, “the chain is as strong, as its weakest link”🙏
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