Dress Reform and Spirituality
By Dwayne Lemon. Audio:mp3
I’m fully convinced that God has a Word for each and every one of us. I‘m going toask you to pay very close attention to the information I’m going to share with you.The information I’m going to share with you, for some of us, it might be a very simplemessage, but I believe because of what I see in this room, the majority of us will bechallenged. But nevertheless, it’s a good thing to be challenged.
One Accord
I want to spend a few moments in the book of Philippians, chapter two. I believe thatit is imperative. I was asking the Lord from this morning and from last night, “Father,how do I start a message like this?” And the Lord led me to turn to the book of Philippians, chapter two. There are some things that the Lord wants us to consider inHis word.
Phl 2:2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, [being] of one accord, of one mind.
Here goes Paul. He’s expressing the sentiments of God. Remember that Paul wasspeaking under inspiration that’s why 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scripture cameby inspiration. God breathed information and knowledge in our minds that we mayknow the Word of God and express it to one another. So that when we hear this, it’snot just Paul’s desire, this is God’s desire. God desires for us to be likeminded. Hedesires for us to be of one accord. Paul understood that there was going to be somechallenges, because we are flesh so he began to go in a very specific manner as hewas trying to explain what this “one accord” and this “likemindedness” is like. We get
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specific instruction.
Phl 2:3 [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves.
Again Paul is trying to encourage us to have the mind of God and he’s trying to getmore specific now so he starts to talk about “when you and your brothers and your sisters get together,” he says, “Don’t let anything be done that will promote, induce,or bring up
strife
or
vainglory
.” When you and I get involved in the spirit of competition, you will notice that it typically brings up either strife or vain glory. Italways brings up strife—strife is contention, a battle, somebody trying to win, and tocause somebody else to lose so that God says, “Let nothing be done in strife.” If there’s anything that the people of God participate in that will help bring up this spiritof strife, He says, “Let nothing be done in such a manner.” But then He said, also, “invainglory.” A lot of times, because of the flesh, when individuals begin to take that ball, and theykind of shake somebody out, and then
—
boom! —
and then slam dunk, there’s atendency to rise up vainglory. When an individual runs down that thing, and heregoes somebody trying to pass them, and all of a sudden
—
boom! —
they tacklethem down and lay them down on the ground, there’s that tendency to rise upvainglory. You can pick the sport, I don’t care if you’re throwing a bowling ball downa bowling alley and at one minute it curves over here, and —
pow!
— knocks downall the pins, here comes that same spirit of vainglory. Here it is that while God istrying to cause man to die to self that he may live for Christ, we are participating inthings that build up self and remove Christ.What Paul was trying to show us; Paul understood human nature.In
Testimonies to the Church
, volume four, page sixty-seven, under the subjectCoworkers With Christ, the servant of the Lord says, that when we are doingEvangelism, that we are told that we ought to study two things: the human mind, andhuman nature. And she says on page sixty-eight, that as a result of individuals notunderstanding the human mind or human nature:
Where they only won one soul for Christ, they could have won twenty, hadthey understood the human mind and human nature
. 4T page 67.You and I have to understand the human mind. When we do certain things, it has atendency to build up self and this is why the Lord pulls us away from thesecompetitive sports.
Phl 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on thethings of others.
Do you notice that he’s trying, to consistently show us this selflessness, this removalof self. Just getting out of self, and focusing on others, and focusing on Christ. Doyou see that? He’s constantly repeating that, do you see that coming out?Paul saw these Philippians struggle and they’re still not getting it. Paul saw it, hesaid, “They’re still not getting it.” He’s trying to explain, he’s trying to give counsel,
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but they don’t get it, so Paul says, “I’ll tell you what, I’m not going to bring up strife,I’m not going to bring up vainglory,” he says, “What I’m going to do—” and Paul washaving a little flashback. Paul remembers getting into dissertations, with individualsand bringing up all sorts of stuff but then Paul remembered in 1 Corinthians 2, wherehe said, “That’s it. From now on, when I meet with these individuals, I am preachingChrist, and Him crucified.” And Paul, I can imagine him having a flashback as he’strying to reason with the brethren in the Church of Philippi, and he’s trying to explainto them and say, “Listen! Don’t let yourselves get involved with strife, vainglory, andall these empty things,” But he sees they’re not getting it, so Paul says, “Look, I’mgoing to tell it to you straight—”.
Phl 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus
Paul’s saying, “Look, I’ve got to summarise this thing, because for some reason Idon’t think you’re getting it.” Paul says, “Listen, the point I’m trying to make to yoube like Jesus, I’m trying to tell you that let the mind that Christ had, be the mind thatyou have.” So that there was no mistake, Paul says, “Now. Let me tell you aboutJesus.”
Phl 2:6 Who, being in the form of God…
He did good. Paul wanted to make sure that the brethren understood the humility of Christ. Paul says, “Let the mind that you have, be the mind that Christ has.” Let metell you about the mind that Christ has, he says, Who being in the form of
God!
andhe goes on to say:
Phl 2:6 … thought it not robbery to be equal with God.
He did not make it an issue, the fact that He and the Father were equal one toanother. There was no inferiority or superiority, as some people teach. This is one of the reasons why the doctrine of “the trinity” is one of the most dangerous doctrines.This is why the Bible doesn’t use such a term, but it uses the term “the Godhead”because, brothers and sisters, when you get focused on this trinity, you typicallythink of a triangle where one is on the top and others at the bottom. And today, youand I are hearing stories, even within our church let alone other churches, whereindividuals are making it sound as if the Father’s way up here and the Son’s over here and the Holy Spirit’s not even a person he’s just some feeling of course.We’re hearing these things because of this false concept but here it is that the Bibleclearly tells us that Jesus did not make it an issue that He was equal to the Father.
Phl 2:7 But made himself of no reputation…
Meaning that Christ emptied Himself of all of the glory, of all of the power and of allthe majesty that Jesus had within Himself and surrounded by Him. Christ said, as aresult of mankind falling into sin, I will remove and empty myself of these things that Imay become like man, that he may be saved.Christ was willing to subdue His God-ness. It does not mean that He was not God.He is Emmanuel, God with us. But He chose not to use His godly power, so that Hecould make sure not one individual in this room could ever make an excuse for sin.
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Dress Reform and Spirituality Dwayne Lemon
When God gave man the coat, it was a coat that was a full covering that no nakedness would be seen. We’re seeing a transition from the physical and the spiritual. God teaches us that He wants us to truly show forth the character Christ, the righteousness of Christ.
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