上帝的形像

使徒以基督為生活的榜樣，說到：
「你們當以基督耶穌的心為心：
他本有上帝的形像，
不以自己與上帝同等為強奪的；
反倒虛己，
取了奴僕的形像，
成為人的樣式；
既有人的樣子，就自己卑微，
存心順服，以至於死，
且死在十字架上。（腓立比書2:5–8）」

上帝的形像就是沒有上帝的形像
使徒保羅不是讨论基督的神性人性，像一些不懂这话的人所解释的那样。
使徒的意思是：
雖然基督有著十足的上帝形像：祂早已永久地、豐富地擁有一切美善，祂不需善行、受難，使自己稱義得救。但是，祂並不因此自吹自擂，盛氣凌人，作威作福，相反，祂儘可能地如同人一樣的生活、辛苦、勞作、受難、死亡。祂行為風範，無異於常人。似乎祂必需做這一切善行，似乎祂根本沒有上帝的形像。其實，祂一切的作為都是為了我們。祂服事我們。祂以奴僕的形像成就的一切，也都歸於我們。

雖然，基督徒擁有上帝的形像
基督徒因著信心，而得蒙賜予基督所有的一切，包括因信心取得的上帝的形像。

但是，我們取了奴僕的形像，也貌似沒有上帝的形像。
雖然，基督徒因此不需要什麼善行，但是他們卻自願虛己，取了奴僕的形像，成為人的樣式，既有人的樣子，就自己卑微，服事、幫助鄰捨。他們凡事都如同上帝借著基督顯出的樣式，如同上帝服事他們一樣，他們去服事他人。
他們不計報酬，自願如此。
他們不求什麼，只求上帝歡喜。
他們想：「我雖然是一個無用的罪人，但是上帝在基督里給我義、拯救、和一切的富足。這並非因我的功德，而完全因為上帝白白的憐憫。既然天父如此待我，使我無比富足，我為什麼不白白地、歡喜地作一切的善行，討祂歡喜呢？所以，我要像基督把祂自己獻於我那樣，將自己獻於鄰舍。我此生別無所為，只做那對鄰舍有必要、有益處、有利之事。」——馬丁路德《基督徒的自由》
摘錄自《路德文集1》（路德文集中文版編輯委員會，上海三聯書店出版，2005年出版，p. 419-420）為便於理解，有修改。

Form Of God

As an example of such life the Apostle cites Christ, saying, “Have this mind among yourselves, which you have in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death” [Phil. 2:5–8]. This salutary word of the Apostle has been obscured for us by those who have not at all understood his words, “form of God,” “form of a servant,” “human form,” “likeness of men,” and have applied them to the divine and the human nature. Paul means this: Although Christ was filled with the form of God and rich in all good things, so that he needed no work and no suffering to make him righteous and saved (for he had all this eternally), yet he was not puffed up by them and did not exalt himself above us and assume power over us, although he could rightly have done so; but, on the contrary, he so lived, labored, worked, suffered, and died that he might be like other men and in fashion and in actions be nothing else than a man, just as if he had need of all these things and had nothing of the form of God. But he did all this for our sake, that he might serve us and that all things which he accomplished in this form of a servant might become ours.

So a Christian, like Christ his head, is filled and made rich by faith and should be content with this form of God which he has obtained by faith; only, as I have said, he should increase this faith until it is made perfect. For this faith is his life, his righteousness, and his salvation: it saves him and makes him acceptable, and bestows upon him all things that are Christ’s, as has been said above, and as Paul asserts in Gal. 2[:20] when he says, “And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.” Although the Christian is thus free from all works, he ought in this liberty to empty himself, take upon himself the form of a servant, be made in the likeness of men, be found in human form, and to serve, help, and in every way deal with his neighbor as he sees that God through Christ has dealt and still deals with him. This he should do freely, having regard for nothing but divine approval.

He ought to think: “Although I am an unworthy and condemned man, my God has given me in Christ all the riches of righteousness and salvation without any merit on my part, out of pure, free mercy, so that from now on I need nothing except faith which believes that this is true. Why should I not therefore freely, joyfully, with all my heart, and with an eager will do all things which I know are pleasing and acceptable to such a Father who has overwhelmed me with his inestimable riches? I will therefore give myself as a Christ to my neighbor, just as Christ offered himself to me; I will do nothing in this life except what I see is necessary, profitable, and salutary to my neighbor, since through faith I have an abundance of all good things in Christ.” (AE 31:366–367)