Hold Fast Apologetics

“The essence of sin is man substituting himself for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for man.”

– John Stott, The Cross of Christ

The humble character of our God astonishes the human heart. To conceive of a Holy God coming low to save a rebellious creation is “a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23). Why would God leave an environment of perfect peace, joy, and love to enter into a place of hardship, betrayal, and suffering?

To be absolutely clear, Jesus remained 100% God throughout His incarnation and earthly ministry. Jesus added on humanity but never stopped being God (2nd Person of the Trinity). It’s also crucial to understand that Jesus did NOT become a sinner upon the cross but took OUR sin UPON Himself. Jesus was the sinless lamb who paid the debt we couldn’t pay (John 1:29), and gave us the righteousness we couldn’t earn. Only God could do both. That was the plan from eternity past within the Godhead. Jesus was willing to enter into humanity and was set as flint toward completing that mission all the way up to quoting the psalm of victory, Psalm 22, on the cross (Mt 26:21).

Written by the Apostle Paul while imprisoned in Ephesus, then it was sometime between 52–55 AD, Philippians 2 is an incredibly vivid demonstration of the humility of God. It contains a song or a creed sung by the early church just weeks or months after Jesus’s bodily resurrection around 30 AD called the Carmen Christi (Philippians 2:5-11). This song was one of many sung at that time, which pointed to the deity, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Acknowledging these teachings (creeds/songs) is also important because they provide evidence that the stance of the Christian Church from the very beginning was that Jesus was/is not only the promised Messiah (Christ) of the Scriptures, but was/is God as well.

The holy humility of God is a characteristic we need to be thankful for daily, friends…Especially throughout the month of June, when the word, “Pride,” is lifted high all around us. For without the humility of our God, there would be no cross.

“For without the humility of our God, there would be no cross.”

Philippians 2

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Lights in the World

¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or disputing, ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,¹⁶ holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. ¹⁷ Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸ Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

Timothy and Epaphroditus

¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. ²⁰ For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.²¹ For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.²³ I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, ²⁴ and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also.

²⁵ I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, ²⁶ for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. ²⁸ I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. ²⁹ So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, ³⁰ for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.