The Third Angel's Message

THE sum and the substance, the beginning and the ending, the all in all, of the faith of Jesus is in the following statement of scripture:—

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2: 5-11).

The Revised Version of the phrase translated “made himself of no reputation,” is “emptied himself.” This is in truth the literal meaning of the Greek word eiknosen ekenosen, from ktnous keno-o “to empty out.” It is the same word which in Romans 4:14 is translated “made void,” in the words: “For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect;” and also translated “made void,” in 1 Corinthians 9:15.

“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who ... emptied himself.” This—the emptying of self—is the secret of all Christianity; for it is the exaltation of self that has made Christianity necessary.

It was through self-exaltation that sin entered the universe; for, of that “anointed cherub,” Lucifer, who sinned, and in whom iniquity was first found, it is written: “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness” (Ezek. 28:17).

Being “perfect in beauty,” he looked at himself instead of to him who gave him this perfect beauty, and began to contemplate himself, and to admire himself. Then, as the consequence, he grew proud of himself, and began to think that the place he occupied was too narrow for the proper, profitable, and full display of the ability which he now gave himself the credit of possessing. He concluded that the place he occupied was not fully worthy of the dignity, which now in his own estimation merged in him.

True, he did have the perfection of beauty, fullness of wisdom, and height of dignity. But he had received it all from God, through Jesus Christ, who had created him. He had nothing, to his very existence itself, which he had not received. And when he would boast of it as if he had not received it; when he grew proud of his beauty, and gave himself credit for it as if it were inherently of himself, —this, in itself, was but to ignore his Creator, and put himself in his place. Yea, more, when he boasted of that which he had received, as if he had not received it; when he exalted himself because of that which he was, as if it were inherently of himself,—this was only to argue for himself self-existence. And this was, in itself, only to make himself, in his own estimation EQUAL WITH GOD. And when it is in opposition to God, to claim equality with God is only to claim to be above God.

It is this mind which that self-exalted one gave to our first parents in Eden. Before the woman he set this same thought, and to her insinuated this same ambition. When she said to him, concerning the tree: “God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die,” Satan replied, as expressed in the Hebrew, the Revised Version, and the Jews’ translation: “God doth know, that, on the day ye eat thereof, your eyes will be opened and ye will be as God, knowing good and evil.”

This is not only the literal reading, but the true meaning of the original words. This gives the very thought that was put before the woman. It was not that you shall be as gods, in the common acceptation of the plural term gods. It was literally the very thought and ambition of Lucifer himself which he now put before her—ye shall be as God. He would lead her away, and inspire her with this mind, which was in him, to be equal with God.

The woman accepted his statement, yielded to his insinuation, and accepted his ambitious aim: the man went the same way; and thus sin entered into this world by the entering into our first parents of the mind which is not of God, —the mind which is not in Christ Jesus, —the mind which is enmity against God, and which is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, —the minding of self, self, and only self.

And that this is the universal mind of man as he is in the world, is shown in the exhortation of God to man, in the words: “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to humble thyself to walk with thy God?” (Micah 6:8), margin. Thus it is shown that in order for a man to walk with God, it is, of all things, essential that he humble himself to do so. This of itself shows that in his own estimation, in the mind which is the natural man, he is above God.

Such is the natural mind; such is the mind of the natural man. But such is not the mind that is in Christ Jesus; such is not the mind, which alone is becoming to the Christian. This mind, instead of being the exaltation of self, is the emptying of self; it is the mind which willingly humbles self to be obedient unto God, even though it be at the cost of death, and that even the death of the cross. This is yet further shown in the words of Jesus to all, forever, who will be his disciples: “If any man will come after me,” the first of all things is “let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” The denying of self, the emptying of self, precedes the taking up of the cross; and the taking up of the cross precedes the following of the Lord Jesus. “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:23, 24).

This is precisely the course that Christ took. He denied himself, he emptied himself, and took up the cross, holding not back himself from death, even the death of the cross.

And this is the way of the Christian. “For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:14, 15).

This is the faith of Jesus; this is the way of the faith of Jesus, who is “the Way.” “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who...emptied himself.”