Philippians 2:1-4 says,...

Today's verses are Philippians 2:1-4, which read, 

v.1, 2 - Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

Paul gives us another list.  Paul has been speaking of the Christians' faith who are the Philippian Church.  They heard the gospel and then accepted the gospel and then started to immediately do the gospel.  They were supportive of Paul's efforts and even sent resources to the Jerusalem saints who were being persecuted.  They were receiving opposition to their faith but Paul has instructed them that they are not only saved by Christ but also to suffer with Him.  In the face of all of that Paul gives them a list.

If there is any...
  • "encouragement in Christ" - Christ coming alongside with help, counsel and encouragement.
  • "consolation of love" - Christ whispering in your ear gentle and tender instruction.
  • "fellowship of the Spirit" - The Holy Spirit as our guarantee of a gathering of the saints for eternity.
  • "affection and compassion" - Coming from God is His deep affection and "from the gut" compassion to His sheep to send His one and only Son, Jesus.
Because of these things, Paul is looking for his joy to be complete as they live out their lives in the face of these facts.  What should result is unity in the body of church in Philippi to be of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, and intent on one purpose.  You get a picture here of a church that has a clear vision of who they are and what they are doing and where they are going.

They think the same way according to their high view of the Scriptures.  They love the same way according to the example given to them by their Savior, Jesus Christ.  They are united well beyond the name on the sign but to a deeper sense of being truly brothers and sisters in God's family for eternity.  They are all having one purpose to elevate Jesus Christ to their world.  The church exists because of Jesus Christ and therefore they live and die for Him. 

v.3, 4 - Do nothing from selfish or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Paul then gives them the opposite of the church he just explained.  A church that is not of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, and intent on one purpose will be characterized by conceit, selfishness and the elevation of self.  Paul instructs the Philippian Christians to have nothing to do with these actions.
To combat against conceit, selfishness and the elevation of self which are all associated with pride is to...
  • Start with the mind to have humility when you think about others.  We start in our thinking about how we look and think about others.  We take those thoughts captive before Christ to be transformed so that we think of them more important than ourselves.  It has to start in the mind if it is going to be played out in action.
  • Move into physical, outward action by putting aside your personal interests to focus on theirs.  It is not that you do not attend to your personal interests but you don't "just" attend to your personal interests.  You see that others and their needs and act upon them.  A selfish church will have a hard time seeing needs beyond its four walls.
We will stop here for today because the next section is the biggie for the book of Philippians.  Lets just look at ourselves and our church and ask the question if we mirror verses 1 and 2 or do we look more like the first part of verse 3.  It starts in our thinking to be humble and then it will come out in our actions of a Christian and a church who mimic the encouragement in Christ, the consolation of love, the fellowship of the Spirit, and the affection and compassion of God.  A prideful Christian and a prideful church can not accomplish those things.  What kind of church are we?  Let's pray.

"Lord, I know that when I think of myself better than others that I don't serve them as I should.  I don't show compassion to them as I should.  I don't stop for them as I should.  When I think of myself as someone more than them I am acting on pride that You detest and it is sin and sinful.  Renew my mind today to see others Your way so they can see Your encouragement, consolation, fellowship, affection and compassion through me.  Amen."

Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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