Philippians 2:5-6

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

(v5, NIV)

As Paul has just mentioned, we are to consider others better than ourselves. This attitude of putting others before us is to be the way in which we live. Are we not followers of the Lord Jesus Christ? This attitude is the same as the one of Christ Jesus. He is our model, we should look to him and model his ways, including his attitude.

Who, being in very nature God,

did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

(v6, NIV)

What was Christ's attitude? Well, Jesus is God, and yet he did not try to become equal to God. He did not even consider attaining equality with God. We as human beings can hardly compare ourselves to Jesus. Jesus is God. Since Jesus is God, equality with God is something that is in some ways possible for him. However, we finite human beings could never even come close to being God like Jesus could have. However, this one thing that Jesus could have easily and by nature even considered was not even thought to be grasped. Why would anyone want to be equal to God? Main reasons would be selfish or prideful.

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:

" 'He will command his angels concerning you,

and they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

(Matthew 4:1-11, NIV)

When Jesus was in the desert, Satan tempted him with three temptations. Jesus was hungry, to Satan tempted him to make the stone into bread, thus selfishly exercising his power over nature to satisfy his own hunger. Then Satan tempted Jesus to throw himself off the cliff in an attempt to have God send his angels to save him. By doing this, Jesus would be trying to be greater than the Father, having the Father serve him instead of him serving the Father. In the last temptation, Satan invites Jesus to bow to him in exchange for Earthly kingship. Jesus could have easily become the king that the Jews wanted him to be; however, he chose to follow the will of the Father.

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

(John 18:36, NIV)

Jesus said that this kingdom if not of this world. Jesus was following the will of the Father, striving for this kingdom that was not Earthly in any way.

Us as humans may naturally be entitled to certain respectable positions. However, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we should imitate him in his attitude. In submission to the will of the Father, we should not even consider what is contrary to his will for us. We should not sinfully attain to things that will only selfishly benefit us. Sometimes we argue that doing things a certain way is better than the plan God has for us. Our plans may be contrary to God's specific plan for us, or it may be contrary to God's general plan for us. By specific plan I mean a plan catered to you for your life. By general plan I mean general instructions God has for all his children. God may want you to go be a missionary in Africa but he may want another person to be a pastor in his hometown; this is a specific plan. However, whatever plan God has for each and every one of you, it does call you to sin in the process. We may in fact sin and God is big and powerful enough to bring good out of our evil. However, this does not justify our sin for the "greater good" that may result.

One example was brought up at CCF this past Friday. One person asked whether it was alright for a new convert to remain in a gang they were involved in to save the others in the gang. It was mentioned that remaining in the gang would mean continuing to sin in one way or another. Therefore, I generalized the question to ask whether it was okay to continue in sin for the "greater good". It is good for those asking the questions to desire for lost souls to be saved. However, no, it is not okay. We can discuss exceptions or weird circumstances all you want, but God does not call us to sin to further his kingdom.