Tag: Sacrifice

THE LORD OF THE SABBATH

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Shelby G. Floyd

Perhaps you have heard the humorous anecdote about governments and two cows. Socialism would have you give one of your cows to your neighbor and you could keep the other. Communism would insist that you give both cows to the state, and if you were lucky you might be fortunate enough to get some milk and butter occasionally. Nazism would shoot you and take both of your cows. In democracy you would sell one cow and by a bull. In legalism there would be so many rules and regulations concerning the keeping of cows that nobody would want them anyway!

In the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell who was religiously devout, forfeited his chances to run in the 1924 Olympic 200 meter dash held in Paris because it would be held on Sunday, which he called the Sabbath. He steadfastly refused to compromise his convictions, which is a commendable thing to do. As a result one of his teammates allowed him to run in his place in the 400-meter dash where he won a gold medal. Eric Liddell said he felt like he could honor God by competing in winning a gold medal for his country of Scotland. He said God made me fast. Like Eric Liddell we must live by our convictions and at the same time we must make sure that our convictions are founded upon truth. Continue reading “THE LORD OF THE SABBATH” →

THE MINDSET OF CHRIST

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Shelby G. Floyd

Jesus Christ is the perfect model of humbling ourselves before God Almighty: “He humbled himself” (Philippians 2:8). He took three big steps to do this.

1. He gave up his right to glory, his prerogative of equality with the Father: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (Philippians 2:6-7).

2. He became a human in the very nature of a servant: “…rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself…” (Philippians 2:7-8).

3. He the perfect man voluntarily died a heinous death as a felon on the cruel cross of Calvary: “…he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:8).

Those who have given their allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ are commanded to imitate his humble attitude: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

We will have the mind of Christ when we seek the unity of the congregation with one mind and purpose, out of a heart of love for our brothers and sisters in Christ,

“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Philippians 2:1-2).

The only way we can do this is by thinking of other people as being better than ourselves:

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4).

When we imitate Christ, God raises us up to sit with him in the heavenly places, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6). To live with Christ forever in the heavenly home, we must have the mindset of Christ while we are here in our earthly home.

Copyright © 2011 2017 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved

Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142