Philippians 2:5-7 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.
During morning devotions, the words of this beloved hymn
began to play over and over in my mind…Down
From His Glory by William Booth-Cliborn.
♪♪♪ “What CONDESCENSION, bringing us redemption,
That in the dead of night, not one faint hope in sight.
God, gracious, tender, laid aside His splendor
Stooping to woo, to win, to save my soul.” ♪♪
CONDESCENSION,
that word??? I had to think about it;
investigate it. Now many of the old
hymns have words and phrases that are particular to the era in which they were
written and no longer hold the same deep meanings for worshippers in the 21st
century.
For instance, the song, “Royal Telephone,” which contains
the line, “Central’s never busy, always on the line.” Now that everyone carries their own personal
device in their pocket and most of us do not even have land lines, who even
knows what “CENTRAL” means? If you are under 50, you probably don’t have
a clue.
Or this song written in 1911, which says, ♪♪“Sometimes
I wonder why I must suffer, go in the rain, the cold and the snow, when there
are many living in comfort, giving no heed to all I can do. Farther along, we’ll know all about it. Farther along, we’ll understand why. CHEER UP, my brother, live in the
sunshine. We’ll understand it all by and
by.”♪♪ Can you imagine a more depressing song, telling us to “CHEER UP?” Talk about singing the blues…you’ll
understand it all by and by.
We have all met “Condescending” people. People who, as defined in the dictionary, “believe
they are more intelligent and far superior than you.” Sometimes they “condescend” to offer you
advice or shake your hand or even offer a “bless you” before they ascend to
sit with their equals. So why use this
word in a timeless hymn about Jesus?
My meditation and search continued to the next and then the
next definition…
Condescension –Voluntary assumption of equality with a person
regarded inferior
NOW I WORSHIP…To
think the GREAT GOD OF HEAVEN; the ONE WHO COULD FIND NO ONE GREATER TO SWEAR
BY, SO HE SWORE BY HIMSELF; the CREATOR
OF THE WORLD would CONDESCEND to
become one with His creation. He came,
not just to give advice, shake our hand or bless “inferior” mankind before
moving on to His equal but became one of us so we could HAVE HOPE; so the RELATIONSHIP
destroyed by sin could be RESTORED;
so we could receive SALVATION.
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we
beheld His Glory, the Glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth.
Yes, He lived with mankind for a short time; became the
Sacrificial Lamb for sin and ascended back to the splendor of the Heavens but
He did not leave us alone to blindly walk this new path. You see God had a second part to His plan…HIS OWN SPIRIT!
So GOD GAVE…GAVE His Only Begotten Son to satisfy
the penalty for sin, then GAVE His
Holy Spirit to give us comfort, direction and the power to live above sin.
Tears of wonder flow
as I sing…
♪♪ “Oh how I love Him
How I adore Him
My breath, my sunshine, my all in all
The Great Creator became my Savior
And all God’s fullness dwelleth in Him.” ♪♪
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