By Staff
We all know about passing the buck, shifting blame and taking credit. These practices are rooted in the human condition and set us apart from the character of God in significant ways.
For example, we see God in the Old Testament being primarily solitary. We know the Spirit was active in hovering over the face of the waters during creation (Genesis 1:2).
And there are mentions of the "angel of the Lord," which are pre-incarnate appearances of Jesus Christ. But the glory of God was primarily singular. When God came down in power and manifest presence, it was God Himself, with no mention of the Son or the Spirit.
In the New Testament, with the advent of Christ, things changed. Now Jesus Christ is center stage.
The gospel of John, chapter 1, verse 14, declares, "And the Word [Jesus Christ the Son of God] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." The glory of God was now evidenced by the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Then, when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, we see the full Trinity as a "team." Jesus came up out of the water, and the Spirit of God descended on Him like a dove. A voice from heaven declared, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:16-17). We see God the Father exalting Jesus Christ the Son. We see the Spirit of God empowering and anointing the Son. I believe this is a critical aspect of godliness - stepping aside to exalt others, allowing others to have the main role, and openly declaring it.
As Jesus sojourned on earth, he usurped nothing. He kept Himself in subjection and obedience to God the Father. Jesus said in John, chapter 5, verse 30, "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me." This dimension of godliness is difficult for us because we want to control and do it our way.
God the Father again gave His "stamp of approval" on Jesus the Son during the transfiguration in Matthew, chapter 17. Jesus was there with the apostles: Peter, James and John. Jesus was transfigured and took on the glory of God. Moses and Elijah came and talked with Jesus. The three apostles were impressed and desired to make three tents, one each for Moses, Elijah and Jesus.
God the Father spoke and exalted Jesus over Moses and Elijah. God said, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, Hear Him!" (Matthew 17:5). Once again, God was affirming another.
Jesus submitted Himself to God the Father by going to the cross and death. The agony of this decision is shown in the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39). We see God choosing against His Son for our sake. If God the Father would have allowed the cup to pass from Jesus the Son, there would have been no crucifixion, no forgiveness of our sin and no eternal home in heaven. Jesus exalted the Father. Godliness includes being willing to give up everything for the good of another. We are never more like the devil than when we are only looking out for ourselves; we are never more like God than when we put others first.
In the final days of Jesus on earth, He promised the coming of the Holy Spirit (John 14: 16-17). The Holy Spirit never exalts Himself. He testifies of Jesus (John 14:26) and directs every child of God to God the Father (Romans 8:15). In those final days, Jesus emphasized that the ministry of the coming Spirit was to focus on another . . . Jesus. What part of godliness do we neglect? We neglect the practice of prioritizing the needs of others over ourselves. God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Spirit all modeled the right priorities. So can we!
He writes a weekly column for the Niles Daily Star.