Looking Out For Number 1 Pt . 1 - Phil. 2:1-4
What is the purpose of the USA? Is everyone who lives, works in or works for the country on board with that purpose? Even for those who agree on the purpose are they unified in pursuing it?
What about the city of Philadelphia?
Is everyone who lives, works in or works for the city on board with that purpose? Even for those who agree with the purpose are they unified in pursuing that purpose?
What about your place of work? Does everyone who works among you agree on what your purpose is and are they unified in pursuing that purpose?
How about your family? What is the purpose of your family? Is everyone in your family pulling in that direction?
What about the church? What is the purpose of the church of the living God? Are all who consider themselves members of God’s church in agreement with that purpose? And for those who do agree with the purpose are they unified in pursuing that purpose?
What hinders unity whether in a country, city, place of work, church or even family? Since most of us probably believe that unity is both desirable and necessary what are the steps we can take to promote, cultivate and enjoy unity? And if we do so what might be some of the benefits of unity?
The Philippian church had these challenges. And it can happen to any fellowship because each and every church that you’ve been apart of or know of consists of people just like us who have issues. But that doesn’t mean that we cannot promote, cultivate and enjoy unity.
Paul believed that this church could enjoy Christ centered unity and charted a path for them to get there.
What is the path toward promoting, cultivating and enjoying genuine biblical unity?
Accept who we are.
Adjust our attitude
Adopt the virtue of humility.
Accept who we are. Paul starts out by declaring what’s true of all of us. In doing so he deals with the insecurities that plague all of us. Most all of us at one time or another question if we really belong, if we’re really important, if we’re really accepted despite our issues and if we’re really wanted.
All of us can have comfort that in Christ we are accepted, loved, valued and secure. Whenever Paul uses the phrase ‘in Christ’ he’s describing certain truths concerning our relationship to the living God. From God the Father’s point of view those who are in union with Christ through faith in Jesus for forgiveness of sin and new life enjoy the same privilege before Him that Christ earned. Among other things that means that we now and will forever occupy a place of love, honor and delight before the Father. Thus you do belong, you are important, you are accepted and you are wanted. You are loved. While others might seek to marginalize and minimize us the triune God out of love draws us to Himself.
All of us benefit from the work and ministry of the Spirit. The Spirit has given all of God’s people new life, placed all of us into the body of Christ and is at work in all of us to bring about God’s holiness and empower us to serve Him. The Spirit isn’t given to just a special select few among God’s people, nor is He given to those who achieve some special spiritual place.
To sum this point up all of God’s people enjoy the same special, prized place of honor, delight and acceptance before God. All of us enjoy the fullness of God’s infinite redemptive love. All of us equally enjoy the transformation power and ministry of the Holy Spirit.
God does not have an inner court of first string saints who exist on a higher plane of spirituality than the rest of us. In fact one of the marks of those who’ve come to understand the position we have in Christ is humility because we know how much of a mess we really are. We know that by our own lives we have no business being the object of God’s honor and delight. We know that if it were possible we’d forfeit the privilege of God’s love and actually return to being one of the objects of His fierce anger. We know that apart from the Spirit’s work within us we’d fall flat on our face in our attempts to live like and serve Him. Far from breeding human arrogance genuine spirituality bears the fruit of authentic humility.
This leads then to an attitude of humility in which we regard our other brothers and sisters not as the competition to our quest for attention and affirmation but as those who by God’s providence are absolutely necessary for our own growth, progress of the gospel in our community and our joy in the Lord. This attitude leads us to regard and treat each other with affection and sympathy.
Adjust our attitude. We move from accepting who we are and what is ours in Christ to changing the way we think. We take on the mindset of a follower of Jesus Christ who realizes that our goal, mission and purpose is to promote the gospel of Jesus Christ into our community, region and culture. Paul already mentioned this in the previous chapter when he encouraged them to have the same mind.
The phrase translated have the same mind means to set one’s focus or to adopt a particular attitude on something. Paul uses it here to tell the saints to set their focus on the promotion of the gospel. We do that by recognizing that the purpose of this fellowship is to promote the gospel and make disciples.
From there Paul commands the saints to maintain the same kind of love for each other that has already been shown to us in Jesus Christ. That is we are to show any kind of prejudice in our love to those within God’s church. That doesn’t mean that we’re going to be the closest of friends with everyone in the fellowship. It does mean that we will think of, speak to, speak about and treat everyone with the kindness, gentleness, grace and compassion that our Lord has for us.
The next phrase Paul uses speaks of being on one accord or agreeing with the ways and the methods that the church has decided to proclaim the gospel. The first phrase spoke of having the church focus their minds on proclaiming the gospel. This phrase calls us to agree on the way we’re to promote the gospel. That’s why I do exhort everyone to look for ways to connect with our community by doing good so that together we can show Christ’s love to our community and then watch Him open up opportunities to declare the gospel. Because that’s how I believe God has called the church to promote the gospel.
Adopt the virtue of humility. In dealing with this challenge to the unity and mission of the church Paul calls on God’s people to cultivate the virtue of humility. One way of looking at it is to view humility as the oil that lubricates the fellowship of God’s people so that we can remain unified and stay on track in our pursuit and promotion of the gospel.
What is humility? This virtue has at least two main components. First of all humility is a way of thinking, that is it’s the constant attitude or state of mind the saints. Humility is the state of mind in which refuse to think we’re more important than we really are, along with thinking and believing that our brothers and sisters are just as important and valuable as we.
Secondly, humility translates into action by which we actually pay attention and highlight the needs, interest, issues and contributions of others just the way we want others to pay attention to our needs, interest, issues and contributions.
Humility keeps us from doing things simply to get attention, or to push an agenda that’s not in line with the church’s purpose or to show how much better we are than others. Humility causes us to look toward the interest, issues and needs of others and view them as just as important and necessary as our own.
Questions For Reflection
Are you in union with Jesus Christ through faith in Him? And if so do you believe that the blessings of being in Christ belong to you?
Are you still stuck in the kind of thinking that believes that there are things you have to do just to get the Father’s notice and attention?
Do you accept and view yourself as the object of God’s unconditional, redemptive, sacrificial, persistent and affectionate love?
Do you know the mission of Christ Liberation Fellowship? Are you on board with that purpose?
Do you agree with the method we’ve chosen to pursue our mission?
Can you begin to walk in humility and contribute to the unity of our fellowship by praying for our worship, unity and ministries?
Is there a ministry that you can begin to participate in?
Are you carrying attitudes that contribute to the disunity of the fellowship?
