Category Archives: Empty

Bible, Empty, Power, Powerless, Righteousness, Scripture, Useless

EMPTIED

ROMANS 4:14

“For if those who are of the Law are heirs, then faith is made void and the promise is nullified;”

As I read this verse today, a picture came into my mind of a car. I just got back yesterday from a day of driving to and from another city. It was about a two hour drive each way. Did you know that the speed of my truck had nothing to do with how hard I pressed the gas pedal? That’s right. How fast I went was determined by the fuel that was in the tank. If my truck did not have any fuel, I could press that pedal through the floorboard and it would not go anywhere. But when the source of the power is present, the engine fires, the transmission kicks in and the tires turn. Fuel is the key, not the pedal.

That is a very rough analogy for today’s verse. Our justification goes nowhere without faith in Jesus. All the works we accomplish (pressing the pedal) will get us nowhere. But when the power source (faith in Jesus) is present, we have the righteousness of God upon us. We reach our destination (heaven) because of the source that is in us.

APPLICATION

“Paul warns that reliance on Torah observance would kekenotai (“render empty”) both faith and promise. The term stresses how human works cannot coexist as instrumental causes of justification; introducing law-keeping would drain the gospel of its power and make God’s covenantal word ineffective. This verse undergirds the Reformation emphasis on sola fide, demonstrating that grace and law-merit are mutually exclusive avenues to inheritance.” (Topical Lexicon) Pretty clear explanation of the word “void” in today’s verse.

This word for “void” is found in four other locations in the New Testament (all by Paul). In 1 Corinthians 1:17 we read, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect.” There’s the word again, this time translated as “no effect.”

My favorite use of the word, however, is found in Philippians 2:7. Look at the verse in context in verses 5-7. “5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.”  He “emptied” Himself. He gave up His glory to become man for us. Wow! What can you empty yourself of today?

More of You and less of me, dear Lord. Help me empty myself of my own power and allow Your power to flow through me.

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Bible, Empty, Humility, Pride, Sacrifice, Scripture, Self-righteousness

EMPTY YOURSELF

PHILIPPIANS 2:7

“but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.”

Emptying ourselves of our pride and arrogance can be a challenge. When you think you are something, you are really nothing. Selfish conceit is just as bad as seeing yourself as unworthy. We are supposed to love ourselves, just not enough to place ourselves above others. Paul continues his theme of humility and the example of Christ in today’s verse.

The Greek word used by Paul here which is translated “emptied” is kenoo which “primarily means ‘to empty’ or ‘to make void.’ In the New Testament, it is often used metaphorically to describe the act of making something of no effect or rendering it powerless. It can also imply the act of divesting oneself of status or privilege.” (Strong’s Lexicon) Christ divested Himself of His status and privilege to serve mankind.

APPLICATION

Let me ask you this – what do you need to empty yourself of? Hmmm? Nothing? Come on! Really? We all have things of which we need to empty ourselves. Kenoo is one of those Greek words ending in -oo which means the emphasis is not on the action of the verb but rather the result of the action of the verb. The result of Christ’s emptying Himself was to die for our sins. Wow!

So, what would be the result of us emptying ourselves? Better relationships? Better marriages? Better workplaces? The list could go on and on. Maybe your relationship kryptonite (for all you Superman fans out there) is pride or selfishness. Maybe it’s vanity or greed. Ask yourself if there is anything about you that is raised above Christ. Then die to it.

Paul says Christ emptied Himself and became a bondservant. That is a willing servant, someone who attaches themselves to a master knowingly. Christ served mankind willingly by making the ultimate sacrifice. How about you?

Lord, help me identify and stomp out anything in me that I have put in a position above You.

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