Thursday, April 28, 2011

7 Marks of a Right Heart Before God

1) A right heart is a NEW heart (Ezek. 36:26). It is not the heart with which a person is born—but another heart put in them by the Holy Spirit. It is a heart which has new tastes, new joys, new sorrows, new desires, new hopes, new fears, new likes, new dislikes. It has new views about the soul, sin, God, Christ, salvation, the Bible, prayer, heaven, hell, the world, and holiness. It is like a farm with a new and good tenant. “Old things are passed away. Behold all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17).

2) A right heart is a BROKEN and CONTRITE heart (Psalm 51:17). It is broken off from pride, self-conceit, and self-righteousness. Its former high thoughts of self are cracked, shattered, and shivered to atoms. It thinks itself guilty, unworthy, and corrupt. Its former stubbornness, heaviness, and insensibility have thawed, disappeared, and passed away. It no longer thinks lightly of offending God. It is tender, sensitive, and jealously fearful of running into sin (2 Kings 22:19). It is humble, lowly, and self-abased, and sees in itself no good thing.

3) A right heart is a heart which BELIEVES on Christ alone for salvation, and in which Christ dwells by faith (Rom. 10:10; Eph. 3:17). It rests all its hopes of pardon and eternal life on Christ’s atonement, Christ’s mediation, and Christ’s intercession. It is sprinkled in Christ’s blood from an evil conscience (Heb. 10:22). It turns to Christ as the compass-needle turns to the north. It looks to Christ for daily peace, mercy, and grace—as the sun-flower looks to the sun. It feeds on Christ for its daily sustenance, as Israel fed on the manna in the wilderness. It sees in Christ a special fitness to supply all its needs and requirements. It leans on Him, hangs on Him, builds on Him, cleaves to Him, as its physician, guardian, husband, and friend.

4) A right heart is a PURIFIED heart (Acts 15:9; Matt. 5:8). It loves holiness, and hates sin. It strives daily to cleanse itself from all filthiness of flesh and spirit (2 Cor. 7:1). It abhors that which is evil, and cleaves to that which is good. It delights in the law of God, and has that law engraved on it, that it may not forget it (Psalm 119:11). It longs to keep the law more perfectly, and takes pleasure in those who love the law. It loves God and people. Its affections are set on things above. It never feels so light and happy as when it is most holy; and it looks forward to heaven with joy, as the place where perfect holiness will at length be attained.

5) A right heart is a PRAYING heart. It has within it “the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry, Abba Father” (Rom. 8:15). Its daily feeling is, “Your face, Lord, will I seek” (Psalm 27:8). It is drawn by an habitual inclination to speak to God about spiritual things—weakly, feebly, and imperfectly perhaps—but speak it must. It finds it necessary to pour out itself before God, as before a friend, and to spread before Him all its needs and desires. It tells Him all its secrets. It keeps back nothing from Him. You might as well try to persuade a person to live without breathing, as to persuade the possessor of a right heart to live without praying.

6) A right heart is a heart that feels CONFLICT within it (Gal. 5:17). It finds within itself two opposing principles contending for the mastery—the flesh lusting against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh. It knows by experience what Paul means when he says, “I see a law in my members warring against the law of my mind” (Rom. 7:23). The wrong heart knows nothing of this strife. The strong man armed keeps the wrong heart as their palace, and their goods are at peace (Luke 11:21). But when the rightful King takes possession of the heart, a struggle begins which never ends until death. The right heart may be known by its warfare, quite as much as by its peace.

7) A right heart is HONEST, UNDIVIDED, and TRUE (Luke 8:15;1 Chron. 12:33; Heb. 10:22). There is nothing about it of falsehood, hypocrisy, or image-acting. It is not double or divided. It really is what it professes to be, feels what it professes to feel, and believes what it professes to believe. Its faith may be feeble. Its obedience may be very imperfect. But one thing will always distinguish the right heart. Its religion will be real, genuine, thorough, and sincere.

Summary:

A heart such as that which I have now described, has always been the possession of all true Christians of every name, nation, people and tongue. They have differed from one another on many subjects—but they have all been of a right heart. Some of them have fallen, for a season, like David and Peter—but their hearts have never entirely departed from the Lord. They have often proved themselves to be men and women laden with infirmities—but their hearts have been right in the sight of God. They have understood one another on earth. They have found that their experience was everywhere one and the same. They will understand each other even better in the world to come. All that have had right hearts upon earth, will find that they have one heart when they enter heaven.

~ J.C. Ryle
Old Paths, “The Heart”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1999], 348-351.

Source: http://jcrylequotes.com

Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Video excerpt by Steve Lawson on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of Mark chapter 16.



Listen, watch or download the full message here.

Friday, April 22, 2011

He Died (Paul Washer)



More from this same message here.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

He Did The Doing



Excerpt of a brief Maundy Thursday meditation John Piper gave from 2007 about what it means to bank on Christ.

Listen or download the full message at: http://www.desiringgod.org

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Behold The Lamb



...and now the rest of the story.
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise." -Luke 24:1-7

See other posts related to Easter.

Song "Behold The Lamb" performed by Christ Our Life

Monday, April 18, 2011

The One Who Rose

Before we come to the examination of what Scripture teaches as to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it will be helpful to investigate these few questions: Who is it that could rise from the dead? What kind of life was it that deserved such a distinction? What kind of death would be worthy of resurrection?

The Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

There must be something arrestingly special in the person of our Lord, seeing His death and resurrection carry with them such far-reaching results. The apostle John, in his wonderful Gospel, presents Christ as the only begotten Son of God--One eternally with the Father and the Holy Spirit in the unity of the Godhead. Scripture declares that He always was the eternal Word, and that "the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). And this divine Person became Man. We read these amazing words: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

With such a Person before us, everything relating to Him is lifted far above that which marks the greatest and wisest of men. We are then not surprised that He was characterized by actions perfectly unique to Himself, and by events quite unlike those which happen to mere men.

The Character of Our Lord's Life

Why did the eternal Son of God become man? It was because by man sin entered the world, and death by sin (Romans 5:18). Therefore the penalty of sin must be met by man in order to give a holy God a righteous basis for offering forgiveness of sins and eternal life to guilty men. What man was sufficient for this? It is evident that the one who could do this must himself be perfectly sinless, one upon whom death had no claim. And who could fulfill that condition? Look at the billions of the human race. Is there one untainted by sin? All are sinners. All need a Saviour.

Only one could come forward, and this was the sinless One, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of the Father. He alone could say, "Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God" (Hebrews 10:7). This is why our Lord became man, yet never ceased to be the eternal Son in the unity of the Godhead with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

With delight we follow the record of His blameless, spotless life as man on this earth. He was perfectly sinless in thought, word and deed. He never apologized for anything He said or did, for there was never the slightest occasion for His doing so. In fullest measure He always did His Father's will. Here was One, the likes of whom before or since the world has never seen. He was "God manifest in the flesh" (1 Timothy 3:16).

The Character of Our Lord's Death

And yet it was not His holy, blameless life that could save men from the penalty of their sins. True, if He had not been sinless, He could not have been the sinner's Saviour, yet Scripture teaches us that it is not His life that saves, but His atoning death, and that alone. Scripture lays great emphasis on our Lord's death. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7).

All the righteous judgment of God against sin was poured out on the holy Person of our Lord Jesus Christ as He hung upon the Cross of Calvary. There and only there did mercy and truth meet; there and only there did righteousness and peace kiss each other (Psalm 85:10). There only could be heard the triumphant cry, "It is finished" (John 19:30).

God can now righteously and gloriously forgive any sinner who truly puts his trust in the Saviour, who "once suffered for sins, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18). We miss the whole point of the Scriptures if we fail to realize that our Lord's death was absolutely unique, that no one has ever died a death like His, that no other person could experience such a death, for it was an atoning, sacrificial death, absolutely necessary for man's salvation. May these few thoughts as to the Person who rose from the dead lead the reader to a fuller understanding of the significance of His resurrection.

--A.J. Pollock

Sunday, April 17, 2011

He Is Risen

The Lord is risen, the stone is rolled away,
But not by human hands.
The morning breaks, night's shadows flee away,
And broken are death's bands.

The Lord is risen; and buried in His tomb,
The weight of sin He bore
Upon the cross for me.
The fear, the gloom of death haunt me no more.

The Lord is risen; blest proof that God in heaven
Accepts the sacrifice.
The work is done, my sins are all forgiven,
My Saviour paid the price.

The Lord is risen; His pierced hands and side
Now plead for me above.
The Lord is risen; He lives for me, who died
To save and win my love.

The Lord is risen, and waits for me up there
In that bright home above,
Where He has gone His mansions to prepare
For those who know His love.

Yea, He is risen, my Representative,
And pledge that He, in grace,
My debt has paid. Because He lives, I live,
And shall behold His face.

Yea, He is risen. Within the veil I've cast
My anchor, and 'ere long
I shall be home with His redeemed, at last,
To sing the new eternal song.

Since He is risen, faith cannot but avail;
And so I trust His word:
I know 'tis true. Thy promise could not fail,
My risen, living Lord.

--Helen McDowell

The Gospel for Jackasses: A Palm Sunday Reflection

by Jared Wilson

What did they expect? I'll tell you. Steeds stamping and swords swinging. A zealot's fury, blood spilling. The conquering of the enemy.

All of this happened, of course, but not according to expectation.

His entry? Triumphant.
His conquest, certain.
His zeal, for his Father's glory and his people's salvation.

The blood spilled, his own.

He came not to bring peace but a sword. I could be wrong, but those sure looked like palm branches swinging. Nevertheless they were shouting "Hosanna!" sure enough.

He was no less victorious when he was betrayed, arrested, tortured, killed. This was the great reversal -- his triumph, not theirs -- and he never lost his sovereignty, even when he lost his breath.

I find it difficult to make sense of this, but I see the glory in the lowliness (Matthew 21:5) of it quite clearly.

He could have had twelve legions of angels mark his entry, so surely a white steed was within his call. But he rode a donkey. And was no less victorious.

This is good news, because I am a jackass.
But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
-- 1 Corinthians 1:27-31

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Reliability of Christ's Resurrection



Video clip of some of the evidence for Christ's resurrection by Lee Strobel.

See other posts related to Easter.

Olivia and Ron Talk About Easter



See other posts related to Easter.

Song "John" performed by Christ Our Life

Friday, April 15, 2011

Resurrection Remedies

"Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). As deep and varied as are the necessities of the believer's soul, they are all met by the death and resurrection of Christ.

Sins Removed

If the question of sin affects the believer's soul, the resurrection is the glorious proof of the complete putting away of it. The moment I see Jesus at the right hand of God, I see an end of sin; for I know He could not be there if sin was not fully atoned for. On the cross He stood as our Representative, He took upon Him our iniquities, and went down into the grave under the weight thereof. "But God raised Him from the dead" (Acts 13:30), and by so doing, expressed His full approval of the work of redemption.

Burdens Lifted

Along the trying and often difficult path of Christian testimony, we find that Jesus risen is a sovereign remedy for all the ills of life. This is happily exemplified for us when Mary goes to the tomb early in the morning (Mark 16; John 20). Her heart was not only sad at the loss of her gracious friend, but also tried by the difficulty of removing the stone from the mouth of the cave. The resurrection removed both her sorrow and her burden.

We may, as Mary, feel like crying out, "Who shall roll ... away the stone?" Who? The risen Jesus. Apprehend resurrection, and you are raised above the influence of every burden. Our burdens will not vanish, but they will no longer sink us into the dust, because our hearts are buoyed up by the blessed truth that our Lord is risen from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of God. When we see that our place is there with Him, faith leads the soul upward, even into the holy serenity of the Divine presence, and it enables us to cast our burdens on the Lord, assured that He will sustain them for us.

Grief Carried

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25).
Have our hearts been broken and bereaved by the stern, rude hand of death? What is the remedy? Resurrection, that great restorer, heals, soothes and binds up our hearts by securing the restoration and reunion of all who have gone in faith before. It tells us to "sorrow not, even as others which have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him" (1 Thessalonians. 4:13,14). It is said that "time heals all wounds," but to the Christian time is a poor substitute for resurrection and its immortal joys.

Fears Relieved

In John 20:19 we read: "When the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and said unto them, Peace be unto you." The Lord Jesus remedied the fear of His poor disciples by coming into their midst and associating Himself with them in all their circumstances. It was not so much a question of actual deliverance from the matter that caused the fear, but rather raising their souls above it by fellowship with Himself. They forgot the Jews, they forgot their fear, they forgot everything, because their souls were occupied with their risen Lord.

The Lord's way is often to leave His people in their trials and then to be with them therein. Paul desired to get rid of his suffering, but the Lord's answer was, "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9). It is a far richer mercy to have the grace and presence of Jesus in the trials of life, than to be delivered from them. The Lord allowed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be cast into the fiery furnace, but He came down and walked with them in it (Daniel 3). This was an infinitely more powerful display of His grace and love than if He had kept them from being cast in.

May it be our heart's desire to find ourselves in company with the risen Lord as we pass through this trying scene. Then, whether it be the furnace of affliction or the storm of persecution, we shall have peace. Whether it be the bereavement of the heart, the burden of the shoulder, the difficulty of the mind, or the fear of the heart, all will be remedied by fellowship with Him who was raised from the dead.

--C.H. Mackintosh

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Words of the Lord From the Cross

When the Lord of glory was crucified--
Before He bowed His head and died--
Seven times He spoke--let us all then hear,
As these blessed words fall upon our ear.

His cross was placed on Golgotha's hill--
He was fulfilling His Father's will,
As He took our place in judgment and death,
And suffered in the sinner's stead.

As they drove the nails through His feet and hands,
Was it justice that He from His God demands?
Nay, instead He beholds them in love and grace,
And thus He prayed for His enemies:

"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."
Have these words, dear friend, ever reached you?
'Twas also for you that the Saviour prayed,
And the hand of just retribution stayed.

Two robbers were crucified there with Him,
Who were suffering justly for their sin.
But one repented before he died,
And turned to the Saviour by his side.

And said in tones of expectancy:
"Lord, when Thou comest in Thy kingdom remember me."
He saw that Christ was the true Messiah,
The Blessed, Anointed One of Jehovah.

"Verily I say unto thee," the Saviour replies,
"Today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise."
This unworthy sinner was saved that day,
And you may be too, if you come God's way.

As He lovingly looked upon Mary and John,
He said to her, "Woman, behold thy Son";
And then said to him, "Behold thy mother."
So, from that hour on they lived together.



Then for three hours darkness covered the land,
And we see God's rod in His uplifted hand.
The stroke must fall--oh, wondrous grace!--
It fell on Jesus, Who took our place.

His cry of distress as He hung on that tree:
"My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"
Was heard from that darkness when He was made sin,
That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.

And now, to fulfill the Scriptures--God's Word--
"I thirst" from His parched, burning lips was heard;
But they had no pity--no water they gave,
Instead reached Him vinegar Who died man to save.

When He knew there was now no more to fulfill,
(His joy and food was to do His Father's will)
He cried, "It is finished" with voice loud and clear,
That all, without exception, those blessed words might hear.

Atonement completed, He bowed His blessed head,
"Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit," He said.
He dismissed His spirit--the Lord of glory died--
The justice of God was completely satisfied.

But we cannot stop this sweet story here:
He was raised the third day the Scriptures declare.
A living, loving Saviour, He's in the glory now,
Oh, will you not receive Him--to Him your knee bow?

And, oh, blessed truth, He's coming again
To receive to Himself those belonging to Him!
Are you ready for this most important event?
Can you say, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus, Amen?"

From MWTB

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Importance of Christ's Resurrection

"But now is Christ risen from the dead" (1 Corinthians 15:20).

The whole of Christianity rests upon the fact that "Christ is risen from the dead"; for "if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain ... ye are yet in your sins." The divinity of Christ finds its surest proof in His resurrection, since He was "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead" (Rom. 1:4). It would not be unreasonable to doubt His deity if He had not risen. Moreover, Christ's sovereignty depends upon His resurrection, "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living" (Rom. 14:9). Again, our justification, that choice blessing of the covenant, is linked with Christ's triumphant victory over death and the grave; for "He was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification" (Rom. 4:25). Nay, more, our very regeneration is connected with His resurrection, for we are "begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3). And most certainly our ultimate resurrection rests here, for, "If the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit, that dwelleth in you" (Rom. 8:11). If Christ be not risen, then we shall not rise; but if He be risen then in the flesh we shall surely behold our God. Thus, the silver thread of resurrection runs through all the believer's blessings, from his regeneration onwards to his eternal glory and binds them together.

--Selected

From MWTB

Monday, April 11, 2011

The Main Event in Redemptive History

Video by John MacArthur
Watch or read the transcript here.

The Resurrection of Christ is the single most important event in history. His death fulfilled the sacrifice for our sins, but His resurrection proved that the was the Son of God, and the He alone had the power over sin and the grave.

For believers, its the basis of our confidence in our future with Him in heaven. It solidifies the promise that the grave is not the end for us.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Wedded To Idols And In Love With Sin

"Do you imagine that the Gospel is magnified or God glorified by going to worldlings and telling them that they “may be saved at this moment by simply accepting Christ as their personal Savior” while they are wedded to their idols and their hearts are still in love with sin? If I do so, I tell them a lie, pervert the Gospel, insult Christ, and turn the grace of God into lasciviousness."
— A.W. Pink

Saturday, April 9, 2011

The Valley of Dry Bones



Excerpt from the message "God's Sovereignty & Man's Responsibility, Reconciled" by Craig Ireland from Hope Christian Church located in Springwood, Australia.

Listen or download the full message here.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Supreme Humility, Supreme Exaltation

Philippians 2:8-9
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name
What did it mean for Jesus to humble himself? We must simply admit that this is beyond us.

The Lord of Glory Entered Creation

Of course it was humbling for the Lord of glory, who created all things,(Colossians 1:16) to become part of the creation. He became “for a little while lower than the angels”(Hebrews 2:9) and lived 30 years unrecognized by anyone except very few. We know that “not even his brothers believed in him.”(John 7:4)

More than that, he lived without sin (Hebrews 4:15) in a sin-filled world. If Lot was distressed by what he witnessed in Sodom, (1 Peter 2:7) imagine what it was like to be the pure Son of God living in a world governed by the Evil One. (1 John 5:19) No wonder he was a man of sorrows. (Isaiah 53:3)

He Was Rejected by Men

More than that, when he came out publicly, he was “despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:3) —by his own people. (John 1:11) Even his closest followers him did not really understand his mission, (Luke 9:45) and when his hour came, one betrayed him, (Luke 6:16) another denied him, (Mark 14:72) and all abandoned him. (Matthew 26:56)

But this was not the depth of his humbling.

He Became Sin for Us

The supremely humbling moment was when Jesus, who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us. (2 Corinthians 5:21) This Holy One, who had only done what was pleasing to the Father, (John 8:29) took upon himself all our unholy sin and bore the full brunt of the Father’s wrathful displeasure that should have fallen on us. (Romans 5:9)

Mercifully, we will never know by experience what it cost Jesus to humble himself in this way. But being preeminent in all things (Colossians 1:18), he showed himself supremely humble. And supremely humbling himself under his Father’s mighty hand, we will all rejoice in the righteous glory of the Father exalting his Son above all others. (1 Peter 5:6)

--Jon Bloom

From: http://www.desiringgod.org

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Suffering (Matt Chandler)



This talk was given at the Our Fathers & Our Future Conference in Orlando, FL at the beginning of 2011. Matt has been battling malignant brain cancer for the past year and a half.

Source: http://theresurgence.com

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

A Tolerance For Everything Except Christians



A short excerpt from the very sobering message "The Coming Final Persecution" by Steve Lawson. Watch the full message or download the mp3 here.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Dwelling in His People

An incarnate God is a mystery, — the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; but, here is another mystery, God dwells in every son of God. God dwelleth in us, and we in him. The mystery of the incarnation is not greater than that of the Holy Ghost’s indwelling, nor does it appear to me to involve more condescension. I marvel at Christ’s dwelling with sinners, and I marvel equally at the Holy Ghost’s dwelling in sinners. God himself, for whom the universe is not too vast a temple, the ever blessed Spirit in whose presence the heavens are not clean, yet saith, “To this man will I look even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my word.”

The indwelling of the Holy Ghost within us implies the exercise of his influences, the bestowal of his gifts, and the implantation of his graces; and, moreover, it involves the exercise of all his sacred offices, for where the Holy Ghost indwells he acts as a teacher, an illuminator, a Comforter, a Creator, a strengthener, a preserver: all that he is in all his offices he will be according to his own will to every man in whom he takes up his abode.

From a sermon by Charles Haddon Spurgeon entitled "Covenant Blessings," delivered April 14, 1872.

HT: http://www.thedailyspurgeon.com

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Walking as Active Pilgrims



Dr. Joel Beeke, President of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary (www.puritanseminary.org) and minister of Heritage Reformed Congregation, Grand Rapids, Michigan, speaking at the 2010 Metropolitan Tabernacle School of Theology on the theme "Walking as Active Pilgrims"

Saturday, April 2, 2011

A Life of Sacrifice and Prayer



A challenging message from Paul Washer.

HT: http://defendingcontending.com

Friday, April 1, 2011

Have This Mind

by: Jon Bloom
Philippians 2:5-7 —
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
What a simple command: “have this mind.” But nothing is harder for fallen human beings like you and me than to make ourselves nothing.

Our Mind

We are like Jesus’ disciples who, just hours before deserting him at Gethsemane, engaged in a debate over which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24-27). We think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think (Romans 12:3). We covet and cannot obtain, so we fight and quarrel (James 4:2). We grasp at greatness because we covet the glory of being great in the eyes of others.

Jesus' Mind

But that was not Jesus’ mind. Jesus’ mind was to seek the Father’s glory, not his own (John 7:18). The Son had one concern: to always do what was pleasing to the Father (John 8:29). His complete disposition toward the Father was “not as I will, but as you will." (Matthew 26:39) And among us, he “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45)

The Son did not grasp at glory. Instead, he humbled himself under the Father’s mighty hand, knowing that the Father would exalt him at the proper time (1 Peter 5:6). Even the glory that he knew he would receive from the Father would glorify the Father (Philippians 2:11). The Son had no desire for glory apart from the Father, for there is no glory apart from the Father. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)

The Mind Jesus Wants Us to Have

This is the mind Jesus wants us to have: to long for and live for the Father’s glory and not our own. Ironically, only those who have this mind will experience lasting exaltation (James 4:10). But this exaltation will have humility at the core, not pride. Because it will be the Father, who has given us everything, (John 3:27) exalting us. And when he does it will be His glory that shines.

From: http://www.desiringgod.org