He Humbled Himself

Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

To be reborn into the life of Christ, we must humble ourselves by being obedient to the point of death to self. This is the cross we must each bear in the body of Christ. This is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit and the individual which we refer to as sanctification. This will last until our death of our mortal bodies. Adam died to God long before the death of his mortal body. We come into the presence of God when we are reborn, thus reversing the curse of Adam. For a little while we remain in these bodies of flesh until our spirits are freed to be with Him.