Let It Go

“who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (Philippians 2:6)

A couple of thousand years before Elsa sang “Let It Go,” Paul wrote about how Jesus loosened His divine grip on what it means to be God and came to our rescue. From his prison cell in Rome, the apostle makes it absolutely clear to his friends back in Philippi that the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth is 100% God. But he goes on to write how Christ dropped it like it was hot in submission to His heavenly Dad in order to serve you and me. Was Jesus God? You betcha. But He let it go.

Paul is in the middle of one of the most beautiful and powerful passages in the entire Bible. He’s encouraging the followers of Jesus to step back and think of all that our Savior has done for us. There’s no doubt about our “encouragement in Christ…comfort from love…participation in the Spirit…affection and sympathy” (Phil 2:1). Remember all He’s done for us. Remember all He’s doing for us. Got it? Got it! Since all of that is a stone cold, lead pipe lock, we must get over ourselves (Phil 2:2). Nothing would make the apostle happier. Stop selfishly fighting to be number one and work your tail off for those around you. We can do this because God has pulled off a miraculous mind swap between Jesus and us (Phil 2:3). And a sure sign that we now possess Christ’s purpose and attitude is when we release our kung fu grip on our so-called rights. Let it go.

But let’s back up just a bit. Before Jesus empties His hands of His very godliness, Paul leaves no wiggle room about who He is and what He is. “He was in the form of God” (v6). The ESV translators gives us “form” when the apostle uses the Greek term  morphe. This word only appears three times in the entire New Testament. It can certainly mean shape, figure, and external appearance. That’s exactly what Mark describes when those boys ran into the risen Jesus on their long walk back to Emmaus. “He appeared in another form (Gr. morphe) to two of them as they were walking in the country” (Mk 16:12). But a better understanding of morphe deals with character or the intrinsic nature of something or someone. That’s the idea behind uses number two and three that we find here in Philippians 2:6-7. This is a picture of Christ BEFORE He left His heavenly paradise to dive into the big steaming pile of sin we made of His creation. According to Robertson, “In His reincarnate state Christ possessed the attributes of God and so appeared to those in heaven who saw Him. Here is a clear statement by Paul of the deity of Christ.” 

“He was in the form of God” (v6). It’s a powerful reminder that from square one the big story of Scripture is that Jesus is God. The Second Member of the Trinity didn’t just magically appear for the first time in a Bethlehem feed trough. He’s been around a long time. I mean a REALLY long time. Like forever. Jesus’ best buddy John pulls back the curtain of heaven for a glimpse of the eternal Christ whom he calls by the nickname the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” (Jn 1:1-2). Christ was there before the beginning. He was right there with His Dad. He was and is God. If there was a mic for John to drop back in the first century, I’m sure he would have. 

Just in case you think John had an inflated opinion of his best Friend’s eternal divinity, there’s plenty of other evidence to support the idea. Jesus Himself said, “Before Abraham was, I am” (Jn 8:58). Horrible grammar. AWESOME theology! If you want a jaw dropping description of Jesus as God, check out Paul’s description over in Colossians. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…For in Him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell” (Col 1:15, 19). If we want to know what God looks like, just take a gander at Jesus. The Father was stoked to make sure every bit of what it means to be God is in His Son. And in one of his notes to the Corinthian church, Paul simply and bluntly states “Christ, who is the image of God” (2Cor 4:4). Jesus had a firm grasp on His Godness.

If that’s not enough proof for you, check out why Christ’s enemies put a contract on Him.  “This is why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because not only was He breaking the Sabbath, but He was even calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God” (Jn 5:18). They were certainly mad that Jesus was breaking their rules about what you could or could not do on Saturday. But they ordered their hit on Him because He saw Himself as God. “The Jews answered Him, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone You but for blasphemy, because You, being a man, make Yourself God’” (Jn 10:33). Jewish leaders didn’t want Jesus out of the way because He was such an awesome teacher. It wasn’t because He ran miraculous MASH units and healed hundreds. They got their undies in a bundle because this uneducated Preacher from the boondocks had the audacity to claim He was God Eternal in the flesh. 

But something amazing happened back at the heavenly palace. The Son of God “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped” (v6). Just because He was and is God, Jesus didn’t put His divinity in a death grip. The phrase “a thing to be grasped” is actually one Greek word, harpagmos. It paints a picture of that which is held onto by force. Something seized and held. An object of held and gripped tightly. An item forcefully taken and retained. Think of a football player covering the ball with two hands as the defense tries to rip it from him. While coaches are all about ball security, Jesus didn’t give a hot hoot about God security. He held it loosely. Christ was in willing submission to His Dad. “The Father is greater than I” (Jn 14:28). That’s just one of many statements Jesus made describing His willingness to do whatever His Father asked Him to do. And if that means loosening His holy hold on His divine attributes, so be it. He let it go.

Paul’s point here is that once God executes our mind swap with His Son, we need to let it go as well. If Jesus is God and didn’t put the death grip on His divinity, what right do we have to hang onto our place or privilege? Who are we to play God and demand our way? Whenever I get cocky and think I’m God’s gift, I need to slow my roll and take a look at how the One who truly was God’s Gift saw Himself. He let it go. And I should to. Stop trying to weasel my way to places of influence. Quit leveraging relationships to work the system to my advantage. Stand down from using people to get what I want. Since He was God, Jesus had every right to do anything and everything He wanted. Instead, He let it go. If it’s good enough for Elsa, it’s good enough for me.

God's Good Grip

A good grip can make all the difference. The grip on a golf club. On a tennis racket. On a baseball. The placement of your hands has everything to do with your performance. Nehemiah would agree. You wouldn’t think that grip would have much to do with being the royal cupbearer. Well, I guess you don’t want to drop the Cabernet in the king’s lap. On the other hand, we see the importance of a great grip on what goes down. A great grip puts Nehemiah in the presence of the most powerful man on the planet. A great grip opens the door for Nehemiah to make a ridiculous request. A great grip shoves a pagan king to sign off on rebuilding the Jewish capital. But let’s be sure of one thing. This has nothing to do with Nehemiah’s hand placement. This is because God has a firm grip on Nehemiah. The placement of His hands has everything to do with Nehemiah’s performance. God’s good grip makes all the difference.

It’s been four months since Nehemiah’s brother Hanani stopped by to break the bad news about the ongoing crisis in Jerusalem (Neh 1:1-3). That was back in Kislev during the winter, about the same time of the year as November and December on our calendar. It’s now Nisan (v1), roughly March or April. The breaking news about the city’s broken walls breaks Nehemiah’s heart. He spends day after day pleading with God to do something about it (Neh 1:5-11). He confesses not just his own sin but the repeated rebellion of the Israelites throughout the centuries. He calls upon God to act now on the covenant promises return His people to the Promised Land and restore His glory in Jerusalem. 

We read that it’s still during “the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes” (v1). He’s the ruler of the Persian superpower, the most dominant nation in the world at the time. In contrast, Nehemiah is a humble Hebrew slave in captivity. But the LORD has placed this lowly Israelite in a position that allows him access to the powerful person on the planet. He’s the “cupbearer to the king” (Neh 1:11). He’s not only the royal wine steward but he’s responsible for checking for poison. The good news is you get to drink the best wine. The bad news is the next sip could kill you. Yahweh’s hand is firmly on Nehemiah and His fingerprints are all over this situation. God’s good grip makes all the difference.

Despite receiving the heartbreaking news from his brother, Nehemiah makes a point of never wearing his emotions on his sleeve in front of the king. That could be dangerous. VERY dangerous. You see, kings like to know that you love living in their kingdom. A frown could get you killed. But one day, the burden of the Jerusalem crisis was just too much for the cupbearer and king noticed (v2). When Artaxerxes asks his royal sommelier what was going on, Nehemiah freaked out. He takes a deep breath and says, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” (v3). Well, it’s out there. The LORD presents Nehemiah with the opportunity and he leverages it for the glory of God’s kingdom.

You can feel the tension in the room. What will the king say? How will he respond? Will he “downsize” his cupbearer for having the gall and stupidity to say something like this? Is this his last day working in the palace? Is this is last day alive?!? But something crazy happens. “Then the king said to me, ‘What are you requesting?’” (v4). WHAT?!? Artaxerxes asks his cupbearer for how he can help! No pink slip. No head without a body. Instead, the most powerful person in the world wants to know what he can do to help a palace slave. This only happens when God has His hand on the situation. God’s good grip makes all the difference.

If we were standing in the room during this amazing conversation, we probably would notice a moment of silence. A pregnant pause. In my mind, I would be screaming, “Dude! Say something! The king wants to help! Jump on it!!” But there’s a reason for the quiet. That’s because Nehemiah is firing off a quick prayer to the LORD. “So I prayed to the God of heaven” (v4). Before he says anything else to Artaxerxes, he seeks God’s blessing on what’s about to happen. The future of Jerusalem hangs in the balance. We see hear that we don’t always have to drop to our knees and close our eyes for significant times of prayer. Sure, it’s important that both are part of the rhythm of our relationship with Jesus. Nehemiah gives us both here in the very first chapter. He prays for days (Neh 1:4). He prays in the blink of an eye (v4). It’s what the Apostle Paul describes as “pray without ceasing” (1Th 5:17). When you’re in a state of constant prayer and dependance on God, quick requests are easy. We can be in an ongoing attitude of prayer because Jesus is with His Dad right now pleading on our behalf (Rom 8:34). Nehemiah pauses. Nehemiah prays.

With the door flung open, our man walks boldly through. He asks that the king sign off on a massive rebuilding project for the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah asks his royal highness for the permission to return to the Hebrew capital “that I may rebuild it” (v5). The walls are a pile of bricks. The gates are charred. But chances are, he’s not just talking about reconstructing the walls and gates. The city wall is simply a symbol and symptom of a deeper sickness. The entire situation in Jerusalem needs rebuilding. The city needs an overhaul of political, administrative, and social structures. 

At this point, Artaxerxes wants to know details. “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” (v6). In other words, have you thought this through? Do you have a plan? Do you have something more than a pipe dream to make this happen? Nehemiah wasn’t just spitballing. He had a plan. Well, at least as specific a plan as he could considering that he’d never been to Jerusalem before. This was a little more than a vacation request. He was going to ask for a significant amount of time off. This was going to be a sabbatical. The trip itself is three months one way. While we don’t read it here, Nehemiah is asking for years, not days, weeks, or months. This is a big job. A very big job.

Nehemiah has sought God’s good guidance and come up with a very specific plan. He knows exactly what he needs to get the job done. “Let letters be given to me” (v7). He knows that he needs legal docs from the king that gave Nehemiah and his crew the royal stamp of approval for travel through the region. And he asks for the authority to get the lumber needed for the project (v8). Remember, this is the Middle East. Lots of sand. Very few trees. Timber is a hot commodity. Kings in the region would place armed guards around their royal forests. Nehemiah asks for a signed document from Artaxerxes to show to “Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest that he may give me timber” (v8). So just where did Nehemiah get this very detailed plan? If you look closely, you’ll see God’s fingerprints all over it.

If this conversation isn’t bizarre enough already, this pagan Persian dictator says “yes.” “And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me” (v8). Nehemiah may have made a compelling argument but in the end that didn’t matter. The only reason the king signs off on this crazy request is because God made it happen. His fingerprints are all over this project and this book. Many commentators like to point out that there aren’t any miracles recorded in the book of Nehemiah. Tell me this isn’t miraculous? A lowly Hebrew slave gets access to the pagan king. Miracle one. The slave makes an over-the-top request to rebuild a city almost 1,000 miles away. Miracle two. The slave actually has a very detailed and specific plan for the reconstruction. Miracle three. And the king says “go for it!” Miracle four. 

Many smart dudes believe that Ezra and Nehemiah are actually one book written by the same author (probably Ezra, he was a scribe after all). Seven other times in these two books, we read about how God has His good and gracious grip on His people and the situation (Ez 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18, 22, 31; Neh 2:18). The placement of His hands has everything to do with Nehemiah’s performance. God’s good grip makes all the difference.

Get a Grip

“He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (v9).

A firm grip is so important in many sports. Hitters in baseball wear gloves and use pine tar to swing a bat. The pitcher holds the ball with various grips to throw a variety of pitches. How the golfers position their hands on the club is critical to their swing. Basketball players do everything they can to hang on to the rock. Here in his letter to Titus, the Apostle Paul lets him know that leaders in the local church need to have a firm grip as well. Elders must hold tightly and properly to God’s Word. They have to teach. They have to correct. In order to do that, they must get a grip.

Before we dig deeper, let’s make sure we’ve got a grip on what’s happening in the bigger picture. The Good News of Jesus has radically transformed people all across the Mediterranean island of Crete. After moving on to the Greek city of Nicopolis (Titus 3:12), Paul has put Titus in charge of the next phase of the project. There are three critical items on the to-do list. Now that there are tons of new believers, they desperately need leaders (Titus 1:5). False teachers are distracting folks from following Jesus and must be shut down (Titus 1:10-11). Finally, set up a replicating system of teaching folks what it means to grow in a meaningful relationship with their Savior (Titus 2:1-10).

Paul lets Titus know exactly what kind of leaders God is looking for in His church (Titus 1:6-8). Men of integrity. Men who are above suspicion. Faithful husbands and fathers. Men looking out for the welfare of those in their care. Dudes who who realize they eventually report to Jesus. They must not be self-absorbed hot heads who are drunk and violent. They can’t be greedy leaders. Just the opposite, elders must be “hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined” (Titus 1:8). In other words, they must have a firm grip on their own lives. 

The apostle wraps up his list of “must haves” by telling Titus they must be teachers. They must be good teachers. An elder must have a firm grasp on who Jesus is, what He has done, and who we are. “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught” (v9). Paul uses the Greek verb antecho, which means to cling to, hold tightly, be devoted to, adhere to, or be loyal to. When Jesus taught folks that they can’t have a tie at the top of their priority list, He said we must hold tightly onto one or the other. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted (Gr. antecho) to the one and despise the other” (Mt 6:24; Lk 16:13). An elder must have a handle on what he’s been taught. He must get a grip on God’s Word.

Spiritual leaders must grab tightly onto the “trustworthy word” (v9). Before you grip it and rip it, you want to make sure you’re squeezing the right thing. Paul reminds Titus that we can put complete trust in God’s Word. It’s totally true. It’s completely faithful. It’s absolutely dependable. It’s entirely reliable. In his letter to his other protege Timothy, the apostle reminds him that God personally inspired every single word of it (2Tim 3:16). The Gospel can be trusted because Jesus can be trusted. Don’t forget that one of the nicknames for the resurrected Rabbi/Carpenter is the Word (Jn 1:1). To trust in Jesus is to trust in who He is and what He’s done. He lived the perfect life that I should have lived. He died the brutal death for my sin that I should have died. He rose to a glorious new life that I don’t deserve. But when I trust in Him, I can be absolutely sure in what He’s done that I could never do. I can take it to the bank. It’s a stone cold, lead pipe lock. It’s a sure thing. It’s a done deal. That’s the truth that each one of us much get a grip on. Hold tightly to the Gospel because the Gospel is holding tightly to you! 

Get a grip. And if you’re an elder, make that a kung fu grip.