Wednesday: Christlike Servanthood
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 15th of July 2026
Read 1 Corinthians 4:1-2. What does this passage teach about the correct view one must have about human leaders?
In 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Paul hints that cliques result from a lack of spiritual maturity. However, before addressing this topic, he affirms, “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16, NKJV). This phrase likely refers to Christ’s way of thinking and acting. In other words, the believer has “the mind of Christ” when he thinks and acts like Christ. Putting this mind into practice in all matters of life is not that easy, though, is it? In the Greco-Roman world, there was much competition among political figures, philosophers, thinkers, and religious leaders. The longing for cultural approval apparently led the church of Corinth to follow secular standards. This may be a danger for the church today, too.
Read Philippians 2:5-8. How does this text help us understand the phrase “the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16)?
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
Just as in Corinth, divisions were also taking place in the church of Philippi (Philippians 2:1-4), perhaps to a lesser degree. Philippians 2:1-8 teaches us that a Christlike servanthood requires dying to self and to selfish ambitions, and seeking instead to bless others above ourselves, as did Jesus.
A Christlike servanthood is what Paul meant by the phrase “servants of Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:1, NKJV). This phrase can convey the idea that they serve Christ as assistants or subordinates. It is clear that a correct view of human leaders is based on Christ’s example of leadership. The servants are further portrayed as “stewards” (1 Corinthians 4:1-2). A steward is a person who has been entrusted with administrating the property of somebody else. And whatever we have, it all belongs to Christ anyway.
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Prayerfully dwell on the message of Philippians 2:5-8. How do we grasp what this tells us about God’s self-denying love for us? Why, too, do we need to die to self in a way so that, in our own sphere, we can emulate this love? |
In the early days of Sabbath School Net, when it was an email list, I remember getting involved in one of those divisive arguments we get into. One of the respondents told me that when I prayed about the issue and let the Holy Spirit lead me I would see that he was right. I countered with the argument that someone with a different point of view had already told me to do the same thing. My point was that I was confused and did not know which Holy Spirit I should be listening to.
And that lies as the base of the issue I have with the fact that so often in these divisive arguments we invoke the Holy Spirit to help us win the argument. (I have even been involved in nominating committee meetings where a chairman was not satisfied with a particular nomination and asked for a season of prayer for the Holy Spirit to enter our hearts as we considered the nominations for church office.)
What does the work of the Holy Spirit look like? I think we need to be clear from the outset that if we think the Holy Spirit is on our side on a church issue, we have got it very wrong!
Paul says:
I don’t think I am misinterpreting this message when I say there is nothing here about winning arguments. It is more about getting on with others, even those we disagree with.
Here is another message from Paul about the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is not some sort of mystical experience but a practical application of Christianity to support one another. There is a lot more too, but we will come to that later in this series of lessons.
A slight review from our last lessons, Paul’s call was for members to be of the same mind and judgement ( 1 Corinthians 1:10), we have different opinions, interests, desires, personalities etc, we should work differently but with/ towards the same goal( Unity in diversity )not forgetting that Christ is our Lord.
Like you have said, it’s not all about winning arguments, naturally we shall tend to disagree most time but the call 🤙 is to die to that selfishness/prioritising self decisions over others) and letting us work together for Christ.
Just my opinion….if we fail to work together for Christ, we fail.
Maurice said, “The Holy Spirit is not some type of mystical experience…” I must disagree in the strongest sense! It is exactly a mystical experience, moreover an inexplicable metaphysical experience where the Spirit of the Living God flows from the throne of grace as rivers of living water.
Jesus cried in the temple in the last day, the great day of the feast “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” John 7:3
Moreover John ch 4 verse 23,24 Jesus stated emphatically, “God is a Spirit and they that worship Him MUST worship Him in Spirit and in truth.”
This is a supernatural experience that the God of the universe wants/desires to rest in us. Without the Spirit of Christ flowing through us to all we meet, we are but dead men…
Mysticism is typically associated with the meditative practices of eastern religions. A few years ago some groups within the church espoused the ideas of “spiritual formation”. This notion muddied the water about our relationship with God. They promoted the idea of setting our minds in neutral and using mantras to reach a mystic state where God can speak to us.
The problem for me with such forms of mysticism was that they were closely aligned with some of the religious practices of Buddhism.
There is a mystery about our relationship with God, but significantly, it has a strong component of our relationship with one another. God’s relationship with us is not exclusive, but includes others as well. And that shows up in how we treat one another.
We live in a “me-first” culture that encourages us to put ourselves above everyone else. Society promotes self-image, self-actualization, and self-reliance, while serving others is often treated as secondary. There is even a magazine called Self, as if to remind us to keep our attention fixed on ourselves. This mindset has influenced many Christians, leading some to expect the church to exist primarily to meet their personal needs and to treat God as though He were a genie whose purpose is to fulfill their desires. Yet Scripture calls us to a different way of life: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves” (Philippians 2:3–4).
In The Ministry Playbook, Henry Klopp observes, “Many Christians believe the way to evaluate the health and effectiveness of the church is by finding out the degree to which the church meets their own individual needs.” Paul confronted this very attitude in the Corinthian church. He urged believers to look beyond themselves and to follow Christ, the perfect Servant-Leader. Jesus declared, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Paul longed for God to ignite within the church a passionate commitment to selfless service rather than a default setting of selfishness.
The same challenge confronts us today. Too often we serve with expectations of recognition, appreciation, or reciprocation. When no one thanks us or things do not go as we hoped, we become frustrated, discouraged, or even resolve never to serve again. But our motivation for serving should never be the approval of people; it should be our love for Christ. God does not call us to serve ourselves but to serve Him faithfully. As Colossians 3:23–24 reminds us, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters… It is the Lord Christ you are serving.” Serving God is both our duty and our delight, for He is under no obligation to reward us—we serve because He first served us.
After reading today’s lesson Holy Spirit led this song in my mind:
SDAH 574
1
O Master, let me walk with Thee
In lowly paths of service free;
Tell me Thy secret; help me bear
The strain of toil, the fret of care.
2
Help me the slow of heart to move
By some clear, winning word of love;
Teach me the wayward feet to stay,
And guide them in the homeward way.
3
Teach me Thy patience; still with Thee
In closer, dearer company,
In work that keeps faith sweet and strong,
In trust that triumphs over wrong;
4
In hope that sends a shining ray
Far down the future’s broadening way,
In peace that only Thou canst give,
With Thee, O Master, let me live.
It’s a good song of commitment and allegiance to Christlike service and it seems I can’t sing it enough.
I remembered a movie title of those days that goes like this, “What will Jesus do” the movie actually suggested that before we engage in any action we ought to ask ourselves, what will Jesus do if He was in our position? I believe this is a good idea for leaders in various aspects of the church leadership.
Apostles were called Christians because non-believers saw them act like Christ not because they worshipped on the Sabbath and held lofty positions!!!!!!
Being like a “Christ-like Servant” is one of the highest Christian ideals. How can one possibly attain this ideal?
To achieve this level of Christian maturity is not a human effort alone, but the result of a daily, transforming relationship with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a lifelong journey under the control of divine power (2 Cor. 3:18). We must abide in Christ the Vine daily. “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Even as we grow in Christ daily, we must continuously examine ourselves lest we may deceive ourselves that we are in the faith. The more we behold Christ through His Word, trust His grace, obey His commands, and serve others in love, the more His character is reflected in our lives.
“It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20).
When we consider the fragility of humans as well as their suceptibility to adversity,then self and pride diminishes and disappears. God will send the Holy Spirit to remind us of our dependence on Him if we pray and ask.
Hi Beloved Fellow Believers,
The author has stated my thoughts exactly: “The longing for cultural approval apparently led the church of Corinth to follow secular standards. This may be a danger for the church today, too.” I could say more on this, but I’ll let the author’s elegant words speak for themselves.
God’s blessings to you all!
We have to think like that phase says, that many people nowadays only use the acronym for: “What Would Jesus Do?” We have to think in Every situation, “what would Jesus do in this situation?” Jesus would be about His Father’s business.
“What would Jesus” do for the Lonely, or the Needy? Would he continue to ignore their loneliness, and desperation? Or would he intentional try to include them or reach out to them to help (or teach) them to meet their physical and spiritual needs.
No, it’s not easy to have the “Mind of Christ”, but if we don’t intentional find ways to have the mind of Christ, then we as a nation will suffer for it.
I’m not the Best problem solver; but I knew the Man that can solve all problems, Jesus. And He said that I can come to Him any time I have a problem, and He would give me “rest”; Matthew 11:28 says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. People are burdened, lonely, and struggling, we need to continual ask ourselves: “What Would Jesus Do?”
God’s blessings to you all!
‘Christlike Servanthood’ –
Being one in Christ and one in the Spirit with each other, can we do any different than extend our genuine love for each other in peace? Because God loved us first, acknowledging that we have all been saved by His Grace, why would we treat each other any different than Christ treated us when calling us to follow Him in Love and devotion to the Father’s Way? Unless – – – – -? Is it not of utmost importance that each one examines himself first to find that which possibly stands in the way for the body of Christ to remain in unity and at peace?
Rom.12:5
“For by the Grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
1 Cor.12:27
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each of you is a member of it.”
Eph.4:3-5
“…striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”
Humbleness nowadays may be a rare characteristic. It may be interpreted by “Western” culture as weakness. There is a current trend that the self is a standard to be cultivated. At the same time, all human beings are unique; happiness is found in sharing talents. No one is better than the other, and love has to stop being a utopia and become a perceived daily direction.
Can we discuss the Bible principles and theology without getting defensive? Can we give our take of what the Bible says without pressuring the point? Yes, we can listen and ask questions, some times only, which may be the best thing to do. Be humble and back off if needed. Yet follow through and research later if necessary, to double check and make sure you are correct. I don’t see Christ pushing the point except with the Pharisees of which he did it to teach the people and his disciples. We don’t always need to do that, there are enough sermons, our wise pastors, Seventh-day Adventist Review, and Adventist books available for all to be taught if willing to learn. Now, if willing to learn and be corrected by saying I will look into that, is a polite way of backing off. Also, it is good to follow through by studying the issue to fulfill your end of the discussion, then you should not bring it up again if you didn’t. If they bring the issue up next Sabbath and you did not verify your words, then you may be ashamed or red in the face. So, 2 Timothy 1:8 could be taken as shirking your duty to be knowledgeable of the gospel, or being timid of the sharing the gospel, either way you should be ashamed. For both the One and only Holy Spirit will help you overcome if you ask and present yourself a willing servant of Christ, and follow through.
1 John 5:4.
Philippians 2:13.
“It will require a sacrifice to give yourself to God; but it is a sacrifice of the lower for the higher, the earthly for the spiritual, the perishable for the eternal. God does not design that our will should be destroyed, for it is only through its exercise that we can accomplish what He would have us do. Our will is to be yielded to Him, that we may receive it again, purified and refined, and so be linked in sympathy with the Divine that He can pour through us the tides of His love and power. However bitter and painful this surrender may appear to the willful, wayward heart, yet “it is profitable for thee.”” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, page 62.2
“The will must be placed on the side of God’s will. You are not able, of yourself, to bring your purposes and desires and inclinations into submission to the will of God; but if you are “willing to be made willing,” God will accomplish the work for you.” Thoughts From the Mount of Blessings, page 142.1
Yes, indeed good advice.
In closing, faith is the victory, yes, glorious victory, that overcomes the world, not necessarily overcomes or wins a discussion.
Philippians 2:5-8 is another powerful passage for today’s Christians. I believe that the reason there is so much strife and division even today is because we try to do Christianity with a carnal mind. It never works because the nature that we feed is the nature that will lead. The apostles had this problem too. This is why they were constantly striving for supremacy.
Jesus demonstrated that the way up is down. The servant is the greatest. In our carnality we scratch and claw our way to the top, climbing the corporate ladder, or the “church steeple”. As if rank and position meant something in the eyes of God. Meanwhile the Commander of the angelic host, the Lord of all, and Creator of all laid it aside to seek and to save this one lost sheep. He didn’t just step down a little bit, he came all the way down to our level by taking on our human nature. And, he didn’t humble himself to just die, he humbled himself to die the most vile, hideous, shameful, and painful death–the death of the cross.
On the night of his betrayal the disciples still hadn’t learned the lesson of humility. Jesus knew that his time was at hand and that they weren’t ready for what lay ahead. So he gave them a lesson that they would never forget. He laid aside his outer garment and took up the basin and the towel to not just wash their feet, but to shock their sensibilities of what true greatness was all about. The Lord of all Creation one by one washed their dirty feet. (John 13:1-17) Yes, even Judas’ feet.
This is the model of true greatness, not wealth, rank, or position. Jesus put that all aside to save you, to save me. Now he sends us forth into this upside down world to emulate him, to have his mindset for both God and humanity. Day after day we are called to take up the basin and the towel. This is true leadership on a heavenly level. The way up, is down. Lord help me, help us, to at last learn this crucial lesson,to serve for your glory, and not our own. To die to self and to live to serve you by serving others.
May we think about that as we ponder the message of the lyrics of this song.
“The Basin and the Towel”, Michael Card