thoughts and ruminations while in exile (1 Pet. 2:11)

I know I'm a bit late posting this, but this is the transcript from a message I preached on June 6th. You can also listen to it here. Enjoy:

In our study of the book of Philippians thus far we have seen Paul’s great love for this church, as well as their great love him. He was their church planter/pastor, he loved them, he prayed for them, and taught them the Word of God, and we know that he wanted them to grow in their relationship with God, as any pastor would want for his people.

But yet, in the providence of God, as Paul is in Jerusalem he is falsely accused of defiling the temple by bringing a non-Jewish person past the court of the Gentiles into the inner sanctuary. From there Paul awaits trial for two years in Caesarea, only to appeal to Caesar, at which time he is sent to Rome, and that’s where the book of Acts ends. And it’s during that Roman imprisonment that Paul writes this letter to the Philippians.

In chapter 1, verses 12-26, Paul tells us that we are called to advance the gospel in the midst of adversity. As we noted in our last time together, beginning in verse 27 through 2:18, Paul issues a series of commands. And in our last study, looking at verses 27-30, Paul tells us that we are to conduct ourselves as citizens of heaven, which is to say, if we claim to be Christians, our lives should be consistent with that profession.

The verses we are going to look at today continue that thought. He is calling us again to live like Christians; to live like those who have been united to Christ, and are members of the Christ confessing covenant community. He is doing that in this passage, and in particular Paul deals with the issues of unity and humility.

Living in harmony requires an attitude of humility.This truth is seen in the fact that without an attitude of humility, unity will be very difficult to achieve. So let’s study this text together. Paul begins first of all by telling us about:

1. The Benefits of Our Union with Christ Are Incentives to Unity, Humility, and Selflessness (V. 1).

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit (v. 1).

Now, get what Paul is doing: Even in the midst of a series of commands, he is once again, reminding us of what we have in Christ before he continues with his exhortations. We might find this verse a little confusing because a lot of our translations begin this verse with the word “If.” But we would be wrong to think that Paul is questioning the validity of the philippians’ salvation.

No, what he is telling them is that because of what they have in Christ, their lives should be characterized by a certain kind of behavior. So we can see how Paul is continuing with what he had said in verses 27-30. Remember v. 27: “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.” This means if you say you are a Christian, then act like a Christian. This is exactly what Paul is telling us here.

And what he is telling us is that as believers we have received encouragement in Christ; we have received consolation (comfort) in Christ; we have fellowship with the Holy Spirit individually, and we have a sense of family belonging amongst us which is created by the Holy Spirit; and we have received love and compassion from God. Because of this, Paul says, we are exhorted to live a certain way; we are to live in light of those truths.

Now, why does Paul mention this? Evidently, despite all of the Paul’s love and affection for this congregation (1:8), he is concerned about divisions in the church. He mentions this specifically in 4:2, when he says, I urge Euodia and Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. This is just one example; there may have been more. But Paul is certainly concerned about this, and he wants to deal with the root cause of these divisions, which is pride.

And so before Paul resumes his exhortations, he says, in essence, “Since you have received encouragement and comfort in Christ, rather than being torn apart by non-essential secondary issues, ought you not be concerned with encouraging your brothers and sisters in Christ, and with comforting one another?”

And he is reminding them that because of the work of Christ, because he lived and died for you, and was buried, and was raised on the third day, and ascended back to his Father, and because he sent his Holy Spirit to live inside us, and to guide and comfort us in his place; and now that we have fellowship with the Holy Spirit both individually and corporately; shouldn’t you be promoting that kind of fellowship, rather than stubbornly persisting on always having things your way?

And lastly, once again to put it in the form of a question, Paul is asking them, “Haven’t you received mercy and compassion from God?” Then why not deal with others the same way God has dealt with you? Forgive one another; love others even if they don’t show you love; serve others even if they don’t serve you, and do it even if you never get a thank you. Respond with kindness even if someone is rude to you. Respond with mercy even if others fail to show mercy to you.

You see, Paul is telling us to take a step back, think with the proper perspective, and remember what God has done for you. And let that be an incentive or motivation for what I’m about to tell you.

A. Unity
Which is what? Paul says, (V. 2) complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. This is a lot like what Paul had said in 1:27 where he says “I [want to] hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

In chapter 1 Paul was concerned about pressures outside the church like persecutions and false doctrine, that would cause divisions; but now his concern is that divisions inside the body will disrupt the unity.

And so what does Paul want us to do? He begins by telling us to be of the “same mind,” which does not mean that we have to think the same about everything. But when Paul tells us to be of the “same mind,” he’s using the same word he uses in verse 5 when he tells us that we should have the same “mind” or “attitude” that is in Christ Jesus. And in verse 5 and following Paul will develop that thought in a most spectacular way.

But here he is telling us to have the same disposition or outlook on unity that Christ had. Where do we find Christ’s heart on that issue? Well, we find it in the prayer that Jesus prayed for us in John 17:

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me (V. 20-23).

So Jesus wants us to have a deep sense of unity because of our love for him; because of our mutual trust in him; because we cherish him, and we cherish his truth; and because we are united in the goal he has given us for our lives. (Pause).

Next Paul tells us to have the “same love.” In other words, we are to love one another the way Christ has loved us. Once again, Paul will go into detail about this in verse 5 and following. He says, 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 made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant.

Christ loved us in a sacrificial way. Mark 10:45 sums it up: The son of man came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Though not to the same degree or extent as Christ, we can love one another in a sacrificial way. This is important because, as Jesus said, this is how the world will know we are his disciples. In John 13: 34-35 Jesus said, 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The love of Christ is displayed in our midst by our love for one another.



So we’re to have the same attitude and disposition of Christ, we’re to love one another, and we’re to be unified in our purpose. The NIV says, “being one in spirit and purpose.” That is, God wants us to be united as to our ultimate goal and aim in life; that our hearts individually and corporately would beat for the same things for which God’s heart beats, namely, that God’s name would be glorified among the nations as people confess Christ as Lord and Savior.

That we all live to see, as the hymn says, “when peoples from oceans farthest coasts. . . stream in like a countless host, singing to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” That’s our purpose.

While each of us individually must repent, Christianity is not an individualistic faith. People talk about having a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” Maybe it would be better to say that we are a part of the Body of Christ. And Paul is telling us here that we must care about the whole body, which is going to cause us to exercise self-denial and realize that the world does not revolve around us. We’re going to have to care about others, and have concern that the church is fulfilling its God intended purpose.

So we’re to have unity in these three areas: a common sharing of the mind of Christ, loving one another, and intent on one purpose. But of course there are a variety of obstacles to this; and Satan will do all he can to get us focused on other things. He wants there to be fighting and bickering in a congregation; he would love there to be a church split over the color of the pews, or people arguing over whether or not to sing hymns or contemporary music. Anything.

This is why Paul is telling us that we must be intent on one purpose. We may each have our own preferences when it comes to music; we may not all agree on every minute detail on secondary doctrinal issues, but that’s when we must remember that it’s not our church. What goes on in this church is bigger than any one of us. And if we’re not intent on one purpose then we will allow those issues to divide us.

We must be united in the gospel and make sure that we are bearing the marks of a true church. We must faithfully proclaim the gospel, we must baptize and celebrate the Lord’s Supper frequently, and we must be exercising church discipline when necessary.

B. Humility

3Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves

Paul tells us here to not be selfish, self-centered, or self-focused, but to be humble. And what I love about this verse is that Paul doesn't leave the idea of humility as something abstract; rather, he defines what he means. He says humility is counting “others more significant than [ourselves].” And I cannot tell you how much I appreciate this because I truly believe that many sincere Christians do not know what humility means.

And I thank God for using C. S. Lewis to help me with this. So I want to pass along to you what I learned from him about humility. In his book The Screwtape Letters, through the character Screwtape Lewis explains what many people wrongly think humility is. And there Lewis points out that humility is not a pretty girl trying to convince everyone she's ugly, and it's not a smart guy trying to convince everyone how stupid he is.

No, because you can walk around with an attitude like that and be completely self-absorbed. True humility is when our minds are not preoccupied with ourselves, but when they are preoccupied with serving Christ and others. It is not false modesty. Gordon Fee says, “[I]t has to do with a proper estimation of oneself . . .” It's about being aware of both our strengths and weaknesses. And in areas where we fall short, we have to be honest with God. We have to repent and ask for grace.

But it's also about being honest with ourselves and with others about where we believe God has given us gifts. And if God has gifted you in a particular area, and you really enjoy doing it, then you don't have to try to convince everyone how terrible you are at it. Simply submit it to the Lord and ask God to bless your efforts.

So if anyone here has had an improper understanding of humility, I hope this has helped you. Let's think about humility the way God wants us to think about it. And here Paul helps us do that. How can we express humility? We've established that it's not walking around feeling dejected and depressed. No, Paul says, “Do you want to practice humility?” Here's how you can tell if you are: Are you practically and deliberately treating others more significant than yourself?

It is part of our sinful nature to expect the world to revolve around us. And so rather than humbling ourself and seeing how we can help others, we are prone to take care of number one. Rather than thinking about others, we think about ourself first. And Paul says, “No, that's not how it should be.” That's not how it should be in this congregation, that's not how it should be in our marriages, with our children, at work; you name it.

And though we're not going to look at it today, once again we can see what Paul shows us in the following verses. He says, “You want to see humility, behold Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior. He counted others more significant than himself! He is God in human flesh, the One to whom all obedience is owed, and yet he was scorned by the ones he came to save.

They mocked him on the cross, and spit on him, and Christ said in Matthew 26:53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But he stayed on the cross, and he stayed there for you and me. Why? Because he counted others more significant than himself. And this is so radical because it's so foreign to who we are by nature, and it's so foreign to us as a culture.

We want others to serve us, we want others to wait on us hand and foot. Or, if we give ourselves to serving others and we are not recognized for it, we are upset, or we think, “How about letting somebody else do this? I've been doing it for so long, and no one as even said thank you!” O, so you see it's possible to expend all our energy serving others and still do it with the improper attitude.

This is why what Kevin DeYoung says it absolutely true: “Until we are content with being one of the million nameless, faceless church members and not the next globe-trotting rock star, we aren't ready to be a part of the church.”

We desperately need humility. We're proud people who really have nothing to be proud about. But aren't you glad that God doesn't just come to us and say, “Okay church, you ready? Be humble” No, he tells us about what He's done for us in Christ, and then he says, “Look to the cross; look to Christ.” You have no power to do this yourself so look to Christ.

I was so convicted and encouraged by this I have to read you what Spurgeon said about this. It comes from his evening meditation on Phil. 2:8, “He humbled Himself.” Listen:

This sentence sums up His life: “He humbled Himself.” Isn't it true to say that on earth he was always stripping off first one robe of honor and then another until, naked, He was fastened to the cross and emptied Himself, pouring out His lifeblood, giving it up for all of us, until they laid Him penniless in a borrowed grave? Our dear Redeemer was brought low! How then can we be proud? Stand at the foot of the cross and count the purple drops by which you have been cleansed; see the crown of thorns; mark His scourged shoulders; see hands and feet given up to the rough iron, and His whole self to mockery and scorn; see the bitterness and the pains of inward grief, showing themselves in His outward frame; hear the beleaguered cry, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And if you do not lie prostrate on the ground before that cross, you have never seen it: If you are not humbled in the presence of Jesus, you do not know Him. You were so lost that nothing could save you but the sacrifice of God's only Son. Think of that, and as Jesus stooped for you, bow yourself in lowliness at His feet. A sense of Christ's amazing love for us has a greater tendency to humble us than even an awareness of our own guilt. May the Lord bring our thoughts to Calvary; then our position will no longer be that of the pompous man of pride, but we will take the humble place of one who loves much because he has been forgiven much. Pride cannot live beneath the cross. Let us sit there and learn our lesson, and then rise and carry it into practice.

C. Selflessness

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others (V. 4).

We can see how this goes hand in hand with what Paul just said in verse 3. When the gospel grips us, we will be a people who rejoice in our unity, who love one another like family, we will demonstrate our humility by showing preference to others over ourselves. And by doing that, we show that we are not only looking out for ourselves, but also considering the needs of others.

God wants us to be unified in truth, have the same goals in life, and to serve God by serving others. And the biggest obstacle to that kind of unity is not doctrine, which is what people tend to think it is.

As Paul writes to this congregation, and addresses the issues that are troubling this church he says the obstacle to their unity is selfishness; some people have a “me first” kind of attitude. And Paul has to correct them, and us, right at the outset. Paul has to do this because one of the basic truths of the Christian life is that we are on this planet to serve one another; to help one another. Obviously, if we are to do this we can’t only be looking at our own interests. God saves us and unites us to his people to show us that the world doesn’t revolve around us.

Sometimes we have to set aside our desires, our agendas, and our priorities in order to serve other people. Do you do that? Do you put other people’s interests, and needs over yours? Preachers are supposed to preach their messages to themselves before we preach them to the church, so let me just confess to you that I don’t do this as much as I need to.

And this is why, as I said before, the Christian faith is not individualistic. God has made us in such a way that we were meant to live our lives in community. And this is why we have the church. Because all the things Paul lists in this passage cannot be done alone! We can’t have unity if it’s just us. Based on the definition Paul gives of humility, we can’t do humility alone. If it’s just us, there’s no one to serve. This teaches us an important truth: God doesn’t deal with us merely as individuals.

Praise God for that. God wants us to be unified, to love one another, to practice humility, and to selflessly serve one another. But because of who God is, and because he is so gracious and loving, he has given us what he commands us to do as verse 1 demonstrates.

Admittedly, none of us do this perfectly. And so loved ones, I implore you, look to Christ, trust in him, look outside of yourself, and hear the announcement and the good news, that Christ has fulfilled the law and died in your place on the cross taking the punishment that you deserved. Trust in him. Believer, if you have listened to this message and feel weighed down because of your sins. Look to Christ. Confess your sins, for he is faithful and just to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.