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OCTOBER 8
Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sor-
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25 Yet I considered it necessary to send to you row. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly,
Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and that when you see him again you may rejoice,
fellow soldier, but your messenger and the and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him
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one who ministered to my need; since he was therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and
longing for you all, and was distressed hold such men in esteem; because for the
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because you had heard that he was sick. For work of Christ he came close to death, not
indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God regarding his life, to supply what was lacking
had mercy on him, and not only on him but on in your service toward me.
DAY 7: How did Christ humble Himself for our salvation?
In Philippians 2:7, Paul writes that Christ “made Himself of no reputation.”This is more clearly
translated “emptied Himself.”This was a self-renunciation, not an emptying Himself of Deity nor an
exchange of Deity for humanity. Jesus did, however, renounce or set aside His privileges in several
areas: 1) heavenly glory—while on earth He gave up the glory of a face-to-face relationship with
God (John 17:5); 2) independent authority—during His Incarnation Christ completely submitted
Himself to the will of His Father (Matt.26:39;John 5:30);3) divine prerogatives—He set aside the vol-
untary display of His divine attributes and submitted Himself to the Spirit’s direction (Matt. 24:36;
John 1:45–49); 4) eternal riches—while on earth Christ was poor and owned very little (2 Cor. 8:9);
and 5) a favorable relationship with God—He felt the Father’s wrath for human sin while on the
cross (Matt. 27:46; 2 Cor. 5:21).
“Taking the form of a bondservant” (v. 7). Again, Paul uses the Greek word “form,” which indi-
cates exact essence. As a true servant, Jesus submissively did the will of His Father (Is. 52:13,14).
“Coming in the likeness of men.” Christ became more than God in a human body, but He took on
all the essential attributes of humanity (Luke 2:52; Gal.4:4; Col.1:22).He became the God-Man:fully
God and fully man.
“And being found in appearance as a man”(v.8).Christ’s humanity is described from the view-
point of those who saw Him. Paul is implying that, although He outwardly looked like a man, there
was much more to Him (His deity) than many people recognized naturally (John 6:42; 8:48).“He
humbled Himself.”After the humbling of incarnation,Jesus further humbled Himself in that He sub-
jected Himself to persecution and suffering (Is. 53:7; Matt. 26:62–64; Mark 14:60,61; 1 Pet. 2:23).
“Obedient…death.”Beyond even persecution, Jesus went to the lowest point or furthest extent in
His humiliation in dying as a criminal, following God’s plan for Him.“The cross.”Even further humil-
iation was His because Jesus’ death was not by ordinary means, but was accomplished by crucifix-
ion—the cruelest, most excruciating, most degrading form of death ever devised.

October 8

Jeremiah 1:1–2:37 1:5 Before I formed you… This is not reincar-
The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of nation; it is God’s all-knowing cognizance of
1 the priests who were in Anathoth in the land Jeremiah and sovereign plan for him before
2
of Benjamin, to whom the word of the LORD he was conceived (Paul’s similar realization,
came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, Gal. 1:15).
king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of
Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the I ordained you a prophet to the
eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, nations.”
king of Judah, until the carrying away of Jeru- 6 Then said I:
salem captive in the fifth month.
“Ah, Lord GOD!
4
Then the word of the LORD came to me, Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a
saying:
youth.”
5
“Before I formed you in the womb I 7 But the LORD said to me:
knew you;
Before you were born I sanctified you; “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’
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