Wanted: A Church of 'No Reputation'

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (Phil. 2:5-8)

Bible verses frequently pop into my head, sometimes out of nowhere.

Yesterday, the Phil. 2 passage above was what popped into my head, and I’m so glad it did. After I re-read it in context and meditated on it, I had two thoughts: 1) What a great passage to read in the run-up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday; and 2) What a devastatingly convicting passage, especially for American Christians in our day.

Here was the fruit of the mind which was in Christ Jesus, as outlined in that section of Scripture:

• He was God Incarnate, yet made Himself of no reputation

• He took the form of a bondservant

• He humbled Himself

• He became obedient to the point of death, even a heinous death by crucifixion

Consider the implications for us. If God’s only begotten Son made himself of no reputation (elsewhere described as “emptying Himself” of the rights and privileges of His deity), then how much more should we, as sinners, be humble? If Jesus came to be a servant (see also Mark 10:45), then we should be servants. If Jesus humbled himself, so should we. And if Jesus was obedient to the point of death, then we must be obedient to the point of death – assuming that death for the sake of Christ would, in fact, be required of us.

As Bible commentator Matthew Henry observed:

“If we were lowly-minded, we should be like-minded; and, if we were like Christ, we should be lowly-minded. We must walk in the same spirit and in the same steps with the Lord Jesus, who humbled himself to sufferings and death for us; not only to satisfy God’s justice, and pay the price of our redemption, but to set us an example, and that we might follow his steps.”

But think about the contrast between Jesus’ humility and service and the lack of such traits among many of His people in today’s churches.

No reputation? Look at all the Christians on social media who are only about their reputations, seeking constant clicks and likes, promoting themselves, their interests and their opinions. This behavior doesn’t enhance their reputations, so much as show that narcissism in Jesus’ name is a rampant problem.

Not all, but certainly many churches are the same way, declaring via professionally created and graphics-heavy websites or social-media posts: “Come to our fun and exciting services, where you can ‘connect’ and ‘plug in’ and ‘be part of a community!’” It sounds a lot more like an HOA announcement for an upcoming block party than an invitation to sinners to repent and believe the gospel of Jesus. Meanwhile, the name of Jesus is lightly referenced at best or, at worst, not even mentioned. And don’t forget all those shameful fiascos that pose as “Easter services” and inevitably show up each year on YouTube. God help us.

But just ask yourself: How would true, humble bondservants even feel at home in much of what passes for “Christianity” in America today? Answer: They wouldn’t!

Don’t even focus on the three-ring “Easter circuses” for a moment. Just think of what would happen in your average, heavily promoted megachurch if a church member actually wanted to serve someone, in a spirit of humility, off-camera. There’d be three other church staffers racing to stick iPhones in his face so they could livestream the church’s “awesome humility” on Facebook or post a video of the member’s “quiet service” on Instagram and X, followed by a “so come to our super-humble church!” promo. After all, think how many potential customers – er, visitors – that might bring in to their hoppin’-house-a-God next weekend! And the irony would be completely lost on them. I wish I were kidding, but there’s nothing either funny or even far-fetched about that scenario.

And what of Jesus’ “obedience unto death?” That’s not something we even like to think about, much less discuss. We enjoy the part where we can yell Jesus’ name as the onstage pyrotechnics go off, or the $200 fees to the big Christian conferences are rolling in, or the White House is asking a Christian Name to come and pray in the Oval Office (ED. NOTE: And so what if its faith adviser is a heretic?), but we don’t actually want to die for Him. And that would never, ever be required of us, right? We’re Americans. Come on.

That attitude is the whole distorted crux of Woke Right Christian Nationalism, by the way. These Christian Nationalists have a delusional view, in which the sun is always rising in America and enveloping them in the sweet glow of imminent political victory, all while they maintain no true grasp of where we really are as a nation. This happens while they display no interest in evangelism and no true burden for lost souls, whom they merely regard as “enemies” to be defeated.

“We want a Protestant Hitler/Franco/Prince,” they crow, “so we can force America to be as righteous as we are, all while pounding our chests in pride, throwing a proverbial pie in the faces of our adversaries and laughing in derision all the way to our permanent, glorious rule!” Is this really what Jesus taught His church to do? If so, please send me chapter and verse, because my Bible doesn’t teach it anywhere.

Some of the questions we CN critics have asked this crowd, with little impact, has been this: What if God’s plan for His church isn’t that we will become ever-more rich, famous, adored and politically powerful? What if things get worse — exponentially so — for Christians in America during our lifetime? What then? What’s your plan? How should pastors prepare Christians for that possibility? They have no answer.

We also should ask: What if American Christians end up having to suffer or die for Jesus in order to obey Him, as so many of our non-American brothers and sisters before us have had to do?

You think that’s impossible? If you do, then I recommend you pick up a copy of “The Hiding Place.”

I pray we will never have to face persecution or death for our faith here in America. But Scripture still calls for Christians to be “obedient unto death” as part of having the mind which was in Christ Jesus; that is, displaying the fruit of His character, which showed itself in radical, sacrificial obedience to God. It’s why we have to purpose in our hearts to be similarly obedient to God, even unto the (hopefully unlikely possibility of) death. After all, were it not for Jesus’ obedience to God, none of us would have been saved from our sins!

And because we are to be sober in spirit in these last days, we have to stop the church circus. All of it. Enough with the worldliness, pride, greed and narcissism that poses as “Christian,” yet is anything but. We’re way, way off course, and a lot of us know it. We project strength and victory, even as we more closely resemble the Laodiceans of Revelation 3:16-17, the ones whom Jesus told: “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’— and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Christians in America today should be ashamed that we are largely known among the pagans not for our humility, service and love, but for trading gospel proclamation for worldly political goals, for the near-constant stream of clergy sex and money scandals that are splashed across the media almost daily, for immorality and hypocrisy and worldliness and for an often-lukewarm commitment to the very One whom we claim to love and serve.

And might I say: I’m speaking to myself as much as to anyone else. I fall terribly short in living out Philippians 2. It’s hard to be like Jesus, and it’s painful when I fail Him, which I do a lot. But thankfully, our sanctification is not accomplished by human effort alone. The Holy Spirit is daily at work within us to make us more like Christ, so we need not despair. He is only a prayer away!

Moreover, what better time than Easter week to reverse course on all the sins that weigh us down? What better time than now to repent in all the areas where each of us needs to repent, and to truly ask God to let the mind that is in us be the one which was in Christ Jesus?

We desperately need to let His mind be in us. Because we are His.

“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.” (Romans 13:10-12)