Brethren, consider all that Christ gave up for you. He, being in the very form of God, being in heaven with God, humbled Himself, lowered Himself, to be clothed in flesh, taking human form, and leaving behind His glory.
We often think simply of Him coming. John’s words echo in our ears that “He became flesh and dwelt among us,” but we forget all that He left behind to do so. As Paul wrote, “for your sake He became poor” (2 Cor. 8:9).
Think about that. He traded His heavenly throne for a crown of thorns, and eternal glory for death on a cross. Why? So “that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). And that we are, we are rich with life because He gives it to us abundantly (Jn. 10:10).
Therefore, let us have this attitude which was in Christ, one of humility, of self-sacrifice, of considering others more important than ourselves (Phil. 2:3-8). Let us be obedient and humble ourselves before God (1 Pet. 5:6), emulating Jesus, following the example He set (1 Pet. 2:21), that as God highly exalted Christ (Phil. 2:9), He may one day exalt us as well (1 Pet. 5:6).
——————
Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions
Morning, December 24
"For your sakes he became poor." 2 Corinthians 8:9
The Lord Jesus Christ was eternally rich, glorious, and exalted; but "though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor." As the rich saint cannot be true in his communion with his poor brethren unless of his substance he ministers to their necessities, so (the same rule holding with the head as between the members), it is impossible that our Divine Lord could have had fellowship with us unless He had imparted to us of His own abounding wealth, and had become poor to make us rich. Had He remained upon His throne of glory, and had we continued in the ruins of the fall without receiving His salvation, communion would have been impossible on both sides. Our position by the fall, apart from the covenant of grace, made it as impossible for fallen man to communicate with God as it is for Belial to be in concord with Christ. In order, therefore, that communion might be compassed, it was necessary that the rich kinsman should bestow his estate upon his poor relatives, that the righteous Saviour should give to His sinning brethren of His own perfection, and that we, the poor and guilty, should receive of His fulness grace for grace; that thus in giving and receiving, the One might descend from the heights, and the other ascend from the depths, and so be able to embrace each other in true and hearty fellowship. Poverty must be enriched by Him in whom are infinite treasures before it can venture to commune; and guilt must lose itself in imputed and imparted righteousness ere the soul can walk in fellowship with purity. Jesus must clothe His people in His own garments, or He cannot admit them into His palace of glory; and He must wash them in His own blood, or else they will be too defiled for the embrace of His fellowship.
O believer, herein is love! For your sake the Lord Jesus "became poor" that He might lift you up into communion with Himself.
Brethren, consider all that Christ gave up for you. He, being in the very form of God, being in heaven with God, humbled Himself, lowered Himself, to be clothed in flesh, taking human form, and leaving behind His glory.
We often think simply of Him coming. John’s words echo in our ears that “He became flesh and dwelt among us,” but we forget all that He left behind to do so. As Paul wrote, “for your sake He became poor” (2 Cor. 8:9).
Think about that. He traded His heavenly throne for a crown of thorns, and eternal glory for death on a cross. Why? So “that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). And that we are, we are rich with life because He gives it to us abundantly (Jn. 10:10).
Therefore, let us have this attitude which was in Christ, one of humility, of self-sacrifice, of considering others more important than ourselves (Phil. 2:3-8). Let us be obedient and humble ourselves before God (1 Pet. 5:6), emulating Jesus, following the example He set (1 Pet. 2:21), that as God highly exalted Christ (Phil. 2:9), He may one day exalt us as well (1 Pet. 5:6).
——————
Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening Devotions
Morning, December 24
"For your sakes he became poor." 2 Corinthians 8:9
The Lord Jesus Christ was eternally rich, glorious, and exalted; but "though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor." As the rich saint cannot be true in his communion with his poor brethren unless of his substance he ministers to their necessities, so (the same rule holding with the head as between the members), it is impossible that our Divine Lord could have had fellowship with us unless He had imparted to us of His own abounding wealth, and had become poor to make us rich. Had He remained upon His throne of glory, and had we continued in the ruins of the fall without receiving His salvation, communion would have been impossible on both sides. Our position by the fall, apart from the covenant of grace, made it as impossible for fallen man to communicate with God as it is for Belial to be in concord with Christ. In order, therefore, that communion might be compassed, it was necessary that the rich kinsman should bestow his estate upon his poor relatives, that the righteous Saviour should give to His sinning brethren of His own perfection, and that we, the poor and guilty, should receive of His fulness grace for grace; that thus in giving and receiving, the One might descend from the heights, and the other ascend from the depths, and so be able to embrace each other in true and hearty fellowship. Poverty must be enriched by Him in whom are infinite treasures before it can venture to commune; and guilt must lose itself in imputed and imparted righteousness ere the soul can walk in fellowship with purity. Jesus must clothe His people in His own garments, or He cannot admit them into His palace of glory; and He must wash them in His own blood, or else they will be too defiled for the embrace of His fellowship.
O believer, herein is love! For your sake the Lord Jesus "became poor" that He might lift you up into communion with Himself.
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