Christians should live in the way that Christ lived
1 You belong to Christ and he helps you to be strong. His love comforts you. You are able to help one another because his Spirit is in you. You can be kind to each other, and you can forgive each other. 2 Because of that, this is how you can make me completely happy: In your mind, think about things in the same way as each other. Love one another completely. In your spirit, agree with one another. Work together for the same purpose. 3 In the way that you live, do not just try to help yourself. Do not be proud. Instead, respect other people. Think about other people as more important than yourself. 4 Do not think only about the things that you want to do for yourself. Each of you should think also about how you can help other people.
5 Think about things in the same way that Christ Jesus thought:
6 He had the same nature as God.
He was completely equal with God.
But he did not try to keep hold of that.
7 Instead, he chose to leave heaven.
He took for himself the nature of a slave.
He was born as a human.
8 And when he lived as a man,
he made himself even more humble.
He obeyed God completely, so that he died.
He even died on a cross!
2:8The Romans fixed someone to a cross to die when they were guilty of something very bad. Christ agreed to die like that, but he had not done any wrong thing.
9 Because of that, God raised Jesus Christ to the most important place.
God gave him the name that is greater than every other name.
10 As a result, when people hear Jesus' name,
they must worship him.
Everyone will have to go down on their knees in front of him.
That includes everything that is in heaven,
everything on the earth and everything under the earth.
11 Everyone will say that Jesus Christ is Lord.
This will give great honour to God the Father.
2:11Verses 6-11 may have been a song that Paul knew.
Christians should be like lights in the world
12 So, my friends, you must continue to obey. When I was with you, you always obeyed. Now that I am not with you, that is even more important. God has saved you. You must always live in a way which shows that this is true. Respect God and remember his great power. 13 It is God himself who is working in you. Now you want to obey him, and he makes you able to do that. You do the things that make God very happy.
