Unity in Humility

Learning from Philippians 2...(Message by Pastor Philip Joseph on 02.05.2010. Happy doing!)

Today, my message is almost entirely from Philippians 2. This is a wonderful chapter in the Bible calling Christians to unity in the local church – a teaching much needed now in our times. Paul writes to the church at Philippi, the causes for disunity among ‘believers’ and the cure for disunity...

But Paul first calls the Philippians to unity. Look at verse 2: “…fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, and of one mind” (Phil 2:2). Yes, the SAME love, ONE spirit and ONE mind. We are called to be bound together with cords of love, united in spirit and united in purpose. This is a superior and new standard of the Christian Unity in the New Covenant, where, as believers, we are to be united and harmonious with our fellow believers.

Causes for disunity

Paul finds two common causes for disunity in the church – Look at verse 3: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit…” The causes for disunity in churches even today are these (i) Selfish ambition and (ii) Conceit. And some do have both these qualities – selfishness and conceit, in ‘good’ measure

Selfish ambition is, always having a hidden agenda, and that is to promote oneself. These are the people who are the self-loving, self-seeking and self-serving kind - always seeking their own good and at the same time being wary and suspicious of those talented ‘others’!

Conceit is having that excessive amount of pride; in behavior displaying oneself as superior to others…these are the ‘important’ people who consider themselves better than others, because of what they have, what they do and how they do. They always tend to find fault and look down on others. {The word of God says that we are, in fact, actually nothing.}

Cure for disunity

How can we, then, find harmony in the church? Paul writes, not only the CAUSES of disunity but also the CURE for disunity. Philippians 2:3 and 4 continues, “…but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

The cure for disunity is (i) Selflessness – to look out ALSO for the interests of others; and (ii) Humility – in lowliness of mind, considering others better than oneself.

Beloved, these 2 qualities are not an outward show, but matters of the heart…where we genuinely / sincerely believe that our fellow believers are more important than ourselves. And in our home, we esteem our spouse to be better than us… then we can expect harmony in that place; whether our home or church.

Examples to Emulate

In further verses of Chapter 2, Paul writes to Philippians, about four persons, who serve as examples, for these desirable qualities of selflessness and humility. Let us see them one by one...

(1) Jesus Christ

V5-8: “…let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”

Remember our Savior! He was equal with God, but left the glories of heaven, took the form of a man, came down as a bondservant – a slave, and became obedient humbling Himself…to His death on the cross, for you and for me. What a wonderful God we serve! But more than that, what a wonderful example {here} to follow!

We see people around us in this world looking for exaltation and honor, by climbing up and up and higher and higher…being visible, pushing forward, standing on the pedestal, living the high life, standing in the limelight…and talk; just talk about themselves. You see, even sin entered this universe because an angel wanted to go higher and higher and be equal with God, aspired to be God himself! We know how the angel-Lucifer, was cast down to become Satan…

What a contrast we find in our Savior! Look at Jesus – who loved us and came down and down and down…to serve and die for us – while we were yet sinners, humbling Himself to the death of the cross…Is there a greater example of selflessness and humility?

Selfless - because crucified, laid behind a tomb, He lived to die, rejected and alone… He took the fall and thought of me {and you, too!} – Above all…We need to walk in this selfless love that Christ displayed and poured into our hearts – a selfless love.

Humility because he obeyed to fulfill ALL of God’s will; from the waters of baptism at Jordan, when John exclaimed ‘I need to be baptized by you…’ to the garden at Gethsemane when Jesus submitted to the Father, ‘…Not My will, but Yours be done’. Yes, there you see Him, our Lord Jesus, in agony and earnest prayer (Luke 22:41-43)…sweating great drops of blood…yet in submission to God’s will, found strength after prayer to say, ‘… Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?’ (John 18:11). He died amongst criminals-a shameful death, hanging on the cross!

Jesus faced mocking, scourging and spitting…Yes, when we do the will of God, we too may face ridicule and loss of face. But have this mind in you – Come what may, God’s will be done!

(2) Apostle Paul

The next example, Paul sets before us is his own life in following Christ…Phil 2:17 says, “…and if I am being poured out as a drink offering…”. Paul describes his life as being poured out for Christ. In Phil. 1:21, Paul says, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Live for Christ – that is one aspect of the selfless life Paul lived here on earth…only the interests of Jesus matters! The Acts of the Apostles describes how Paul made personal sacrifices for the sake of Christ and the gospel to which he was called; even in the midst of persecution, troubles, beatings, loss, ship-wreck, imprisonment (Phil. 3:7, 8)…And sitting in the prison cell, Paul remembers to put the interests of the church in Philippi…for the church to grow in unity; he not only writes this letter, but also sends his own companion, Timothy-who shares Paul’s concern.

Philippians 2: 19, 20 says, “I trust in the Lord to send Timothy to you shortly…for I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.” That is genuine concern of Paul – to send the one person who was a help to Paul himself in the prison cell.

Paul had received another person, who was a messenger from the church at Philippi-by name Epaphroditus, who brought a gift for Paul from the church at Philippi. But, Epaphroditus fell sick, and then slowly recovered. Paul promises here in the letter to the church at Philippi, that he will send Epaphroditus, too-their own messenger, immediately (v25 onwards).

These actions show Paul concerned and interested, more in the church in Philippi than his own interests. We can all learn to leave this ‘I, me and myself’ attitude of selfishness from the example of Paul’s life…

(3) Timothy

The third example of a selfless and humble person is Timothy. Look at v20 again: ‘…for I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state’. Paul continues in v21, “For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.” We see from these verses, that even among the believers Paul was ministering, Timothy stood out as a selfless man, seeking the things which are of Christ Jesus; Timothy chose to be selfless in the situations they were facing together.

We too have a choice – to follow our own interests, as many do; or to follow the interests of Christ Jesus. We too find circumstances and situations in our life, where we are confronted with a choice; a choice to be selfish or to be selfless. How do we respond? If we sit back and allow God to search our hearts, we will know ourselves…sincerely. It happens to all men, all the time…a choice to show our self humble and selfless. It happened with the Israelites in 40 years of wilderness walk…Deut. 8:2 says, “…the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart…”

Timothy was a young boy – a youth, when he made a decision to be with Paul in the ministry; not choosing his own interests but the interests of Christ Jesus and of Paul…and humbly followed Paul and went wherever Paul went, sharing in his cup of sufferings…Paul writes about Timothy in v22, “But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel”. What a mark of humility!

Do you want to follow Timothy’s example? Putting Jesus first, Others next and Yourself last!

(4) Epaphroditus

The last example I want to share from this chapter of Philippians 2 is that of the person Epaphroditus.

Imagine this situation: Paul had this ministry in Philippi. Then Paul was imprisoned in Rome. The believers in Philippi were troubled…but in their midst stood out this messenger who volunteered to go and give a gift to Paul. In those days, it was not so easy to travel from Philippi to Rome. Leave aside the geographical distance, you also had to cross territories and borders of different rulers, which can be dangerous to your own life…and now imagine too that you are carrying something to be given to a prisoner in Rome… ah! That can put you in prison, too!

But Epaphroditus was determined to look to the interests of the gospel and that of Paul and made the journey to Rome from Philippi, gave the present to Paul and shared in the ministry work of Paul there. Paul has this testimony about Epaphroditus: ‘…my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier,…and the one who ministered to my need’ (v25); and the exhortation, ‘hold such men in esteem because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.’ (v29, 30). It also says about Epaphroditus, that he was longing for the church at Philippi and was distressed because they had heard he was sick! (v27). Now that is a mark of selfless man – worried about other’s worries!

Nothing else much is written about Epaphroditus in the Bible…He was just a messenger bearing gifts, but whatever little is written about him speak volumes of his character-a priest with a sacrifice well pleasing to God; Paul talks in Phil 4:18, “…I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.”

I am leaving this Philippians Chapter 2 with you…YOU can go over it again and see what God speaks to you…Is there anything in your life that you have to GIVE-UP and demonstrate selflessness OR Is there anything in your life that you have to GIVE-IN to demonstrate humility?

Almost all that I have spoken today is found written here in Chapter 2-how we can have unity in humility and harmony in selflessness; the causes and the cure for disunity, and the examples of people who strived for unity and harmony. We have a choice before us – to be selfish and conceited OR to be selfless and humble. Unity and harmony is possible only with humility and selflessness.

We can learn from Jesus, who did not grasp and grab what was His; from Paul whose life was poured out as an offering for Christ’s sake; from Timothy to have a proven character and sincerely care for others; from Epaphroditus, offering a sacrifice well-pleasing to God. Our devotion to God is always evaluated by our demonstration in action of humility and selflessness…

May God open our eyes that we may see the word spoken to us…Let us go ahead and demonstrate Christ’s love in action and May His name be glorified. God Bless You. Amen.