The Voluntary Submission of Love
Jesus' humility and self-sacrifice are essential for our understanding of His relationship with the Father and for our own relationship with God.
G.W. North emphasizes the profound humility and voluntary submission of Jesus Christ, who, despite His equality with God, chose to humble Himself and submit to the Father's will. This act of self-denial and love is portrayed as the essence of true humility, contrasting with the dangers of over-familiarity that can corrupt worship and relationships. North highlights that Jesus' willingness to lay down His life was not an act of inferiority but a demonstration of His love and obedience to the Father. The sermon calls for believers to embody this self-sacrificial love and humility in their own lives, reflecting the nature of Christ.
Text
Everything was committed into the hands of the Son. At no period of His being and life in any form or place did He count that equality with God was a thing to be grasped at. He knew it and understood all it meant, but deliberately humbled Himself from it. He was content to give all to the Father who gave all to Him. 'In Him most perfectly expressed the Father's glories shine; of the full deity possessed, eternally divine'. God's act of putting Him to grief was incorporated into man's act of putting Jesus to death. It entailed unspeakable pain and suffering, made possible only because of His complete self-denial. Total non-existence of desire or will or word or deed to obtain, attain or promote His own right to recognition or glory is as utterly natural as it is eternal in Jesus.
In God equality does not breed over-familiarity, for over-familiarity destroys sacredness. It is a noxious poison, vitiating relationships and attitudes of men; it is an evil leading to worse evils. One of its worst manifestations is the way it has tinged expressions of praise and worship of God in the churches. True sons of God must reject these repulsive expressions; they show bad taste, rising from the natural annihilism of untaught minds. Equality can only exist by the kind of self-sacrifice which is advised among us by Paul, 'love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, seeketh not her own', 'in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than himself' -- this is true humility. Jesus said, 'my Father is greater than I .... I and the Father are one'.
This always was and still is His attitude -- 'He humbled Himself'. Father, by whose will His Son was slain, did not need to slay Him Himself; Jesus Himself did it. In scripture this fact is so evident; He said of Himself, 'I lay down my life that I might take it again', and others said, 'He offered Himself without spot to God, He gave Himself a ransom for all'. It is true that He said His Father had given Him commandment to lay down His life, but that was not because He Himself was unwilling to do so, nor was it because He was inferior to and only a mere subordinate of His Father, it was the crowning glory and visible point of voluntary obedience rendered in true filial love.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Nature of Jesus' Humility
- A. He deliberately humbled Himself from equality with God
- B. He was content to give all to the Father
- C. He exemplified true humility in His actions
- II. The Importance of Humility
- A. Equality does not breed over-familiarity with God
- B. True humility is essential for a relationship with God
- C. Humility is the key to true worship and praise
- III. Jesus' Attitude Towards His Father
- A. He humbled Himself and submitted to His Father's will
- B. He voluntarily laid down His life for the Father's glory
- C. He demonstrated true filial love and obedience
Key Quotes
“In Him most perfectly expressed the Father's glories shine; of the full deity possessed, eternally divine.” — G.W. North
“He humbled Himself. Father, by whose will His Son was slain, did not need to slay Him Himself; Jesus Himself did it.” — G.W. North
“He said of Himself, 'I lay down my life that I might take it again', and others said, 'He offered Himself without spot to God, He gave Himself a ransom for all'.” — G.W. North
Application Points
- We must strive to cultivate humility in our lives, just as Jesus did, in order to have a true relationship with God.
- True worship and praise can only be offered to God when we approach Him with humility and reverence.
- Jesus' self-sacrifice is an example for us to follow in our own lives, as we seek to serve and obey God.