Exaltation through humiliation.
I. 1. Our Lord's teaching. He is continually urging, under different forms of expression, the elementary gospel truth, that to humble ourselves is the true way of exaltation. "Except a man be born again;" "Blessed are the poor in spirit;" "He that humbleth himself;" "Except ye be converted,'' etc.
2. Our Lord's example. He is himself the great example of that which he teaches. He bumbled himself as none other can humble himself, and he is exalted as none other is exalted.
II. OUR EXALTATION CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED AS HIS WAS.
1. We must humble ourselves. Being humiliated is not the same thing as humbling ourselves. Unless we accept it as from God, and for our benefit, humiliation may rouse anger and pride, and thus hinder our exaltation.
2. We must humble ourselves in the way of obedience. We shall not find grace in any self-chosen methods of self-humiliation not imposed upon us by God.
III. 1. It is a matter of spiritual experience that self-exaltation always leaves us humiliated, whereas the cheerful acceptance of the cross which God lays upon us, making us to share in the humiliation of our Lord, gives us some share also in his exaltation.
2. It is a matter of historical proof. The builders of Babel proposed to "make themselves a name," and were confounded; Abraham left himself in God's hands, who undertook to make his name great (Genesis 11:4, Genesis 11:8; Genesis 12:2).—V.W.H.
The exaltation of the Son of man.
I. CONTRAST THE GLORY WHICH THE SON OF GOD RENOUNCED WITH THE GLORY WHICH HAS BEEN BESTOWED UPON HIM BECAUSE OF THAT RENUNCIATION. Contrast also the position of a servant which he voluntarily took, with the position of Lord which he thereby won. Although exalted to be Lord, he still remains in the likeness of men; for it is as Man that he won his kingship, and as Man that he draws all men to himself.
II. THE FEELINGS EXCITED IN US BY THIS REVELATION OF THE EXALTATION OF THE SON OF MAN.
1. Wonder and adoration. Wonder that One in our own nature should be thus exalted, and that prayer may now be addressed to One who is still our fellowman! All creation worships him in whom creation is united to its Creator.
2. Faith. Every tongue is to confess that Jesus is the Lord. This is the essential Christian creed. In it is contained all Christian doctrine and practice. It is Jesus, the loving Son of man, who is exalted to be our Lord. The change in his condition does not change his disposition, which is that revealed to us in the gospel story. All power is now given to him who is all loving. What further revelation of God can we need?
III. THE FINAL PURPOSE OF HIS WORK AND OF OUR CONFESSION OF FAITH IN HIM. "The glory of God the Father:" The humiliation and exaltation of the Son, the loving adoration of mankind, have this as their final object.—V.W.H.
"Our own salvation."
The command that we should "work out our own salvation" is not in opposition to the truth that all salvation is the gift and the work of God. It has no reference to this, but is an exhortation to rely upon ourselves and upon God in us rather than upon any human guide or teacher.
I. THIS SALVATION IS AN INDIVIDUAL THING. It is "our own." To trust to human guides is to doubt the guidance of God. It was expedient for the disciples that the Lord Jesus should go away. While they were in his visible presence they trusted to that rather than to his Spirit within them. The presence of the teacher hinders the spiritual life if it tends to lead the disciples to trust to it rather than to God. A lesson useful both for our own spiritual training and for the work which we would do for the souls of others.
II. IT IS TO BE WORKED OUT WITH FEAR AND TREMBLING. This fear is not a servile fear, but it is the consciousness of the presence of God and of our relationship to him. Note that among these Philippians bidden to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling, there must have been that jailor to whom St. Paul had said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." That first act of faith placed him in a state of salvation, and in this sense "saved" him, and now, being saved, he has to work out a full salvation.
III. THIS SALVATION IS OF GOD. From him comes firstly the desire by which we long for it and the power by which we can attain to it. All is of his grace. He gives grace for grace, not grace for good works. Consider the strength which this truth bestows. The One to whom we trust is not a guide outside us, but a God within us. He is not only One who can teach us when we are willing to be taught, but One who can give us the will to be taught. He is not One whom we have to persuade to help us against his will, but the whole that we need is already of "his good pleasure."—V.W.H.