Connections that Humble Us

Philippians 2:3 KJV 1900

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Introduction

Gather

• Resource 37-RIO

Steps

1 . Give each student a copy of resource 37-RIO and instruct them to mark their preferences on the questionnaire.

2. Students compare preferences and try to find classmates with answers closest to theirs.

ASK: Did anyone have exact preference matches?

ASK: Did anyone find someone with whom you had no preferences in common?

ASK: What happens when people's preferences collide? It often causes tension and disagreement.

ASK: How have you seen different preferences cause tension among church members?

3. Transition to Bible lesson.

Differences of preference have caused a lot of problems for Christ's church through the ages. Because of our differences in personality, believers are bound to disagree. These disagreements don't have to cause disunity. God wants believers to move forward in harmony and peace despite different preferences. In today's lesson, we'll learn Paul's solution for our preference problems.

It has been jokingly said that where two or three believers are gathered, there are five different opinions. Unity in church life is often difficult because the body of Christ contains so many different personalities, life stages, and preferences. Is real unity even possible? Think about your

own church and the last time there were differing opinions or conflicts over an issue. What kinds of responses did you witness? Ideally, church members exemplify Christlike humility as they work through problems and make decisions. But believers are human and often exhibit less than humble behavior in such situations.

Philippians 2:1–11 KJV 1900

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

As Paul continued to urge the Philippians toward unity, he described the spiritual characteristics of unified believers. He pointed to Christ as their example for humility and as the source of true unity. Rejoice that God doesn't ask of us anything that He won't equip us to do!

Christ, Our Enabler

The resources for unity

As Paul continued to encourage the church in Philippi, he presented Christ as the key to greater unity among the believers. Paul gave four reasons Christians should be unified.

The word "if" in Philippians 2:1 means 'I since" or "in view of the fact that." Since there is encouragement in Christ, since there is comfort in His love, since the Holy Spirit indwells all true believers, and since knowing Jesus Christ should increase our capacity for tenderness and compassion, believers have all the resources they need for working together. Christ is the motivation as well as the source for unity.

Friction is certain in any working relationship. But because of unity in Christ, believers should be able to deal with conflicts in godly ways. Believers can take any perceived slights to Christ and receive encouragement and comfort from His unending love.

Believers can share deeply with each other because we all have the Spirit's presence in us. Believers can love each other with the love of Christ. These benefits that the Philippians experienced in Christ would help them develop like-mindedness, an important characteristic of unity.

The requests for unity

Because of the resources available to the Philippians, Paul expected the Philippians to put them to use.

Philippians 2:2 KJV 1900

Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Paul asked the Philippians to bring him more joy by becoming likeminded. His joy in Christ was complete, but his joy in his fellow believers would be fulfilled when they reached their goal of unity. To be like-minded and fully united, Paul explained, they needed first to have the same love—for Christ and for each other. They also needed to act in one accord, with a unity of heart and soul. Finally, to be of one mind meant thinking alike according to belief and doctrine.

Paul wanted the believers to set aside their differences and to cooperate with each other, using their different gifts to focus on the common goal of spreading the gospel. Although they might have had different opinions, the Philippians could still unite in their common love for Christ and for each other and in their common purpose.

ASK: Why do we not have power in ourselves to be unified the way Paul described? Because we naturally want to have our own way. Our default setting is to be selfish, jealous, and uncooperative.

From a practical standpoint, like-mindedness might seem unattainable. How can we give up our own ideas and preferences for the sake of unity and still maintain our individuality?

The results of unity

Paul explained what unity looks like in a believer's life.

Philippians 2:3 KJV 1900

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

The biggest hindrances to like-mindedness are strife or selfish ambition, meaning a desire to please self above all others, and vain glory or conceit, meaning a desire to be recognized and exalted by others.

ASK: What have you noticed about your relationships when you become selfish and desire others to praise you? Are you a likable person?

Serving selfish desires and desiring personal prestige destroy unity among believers. So Paul urged the Philippians never to let selfishness motivate their actions. Instead, they were to do all things with humility, holding others in high esteem and honoring others’ preferences above their own. That’s what unity look like in a church.

ASK: How might we know if we honor others as better than ourselves? We don't talk negatively about them behind their backs or say things to make them feel bad. We encourage them and talk highly of them, We are patient with them.

Unity also drives us to look out for the interests of others. Conflicts explode when Christians are busy pursuing their own agendas, seeking attention for themselves, and neglecting others' needs. When believers are more concerned about others' interest than they are about their own, they tend to get along.

Romans 12:10 echoes the results of unity found in Philippians 2:4.

Romans 12:10 KJV 1900

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;

ASK: How might a church following this command impact unbelievers? Unbelievers could see the work of Christ in their humility and love toward each other. They would want to be part of a group of people who interacted so peacefully.

We should prefer others, giving them recognition and encouragement. This attitude results in harmony of mind and purpose. The believers in Philippi had the necessary resources to be like-minded, and Paul described for them what like-mindedness looks like. But true humility was impossible to manufacture in their own strength. They needed Someone bigger than themselves to help them understand and practice humility.

Christ, Our Example

Christ's humble submission

To help the believers grasp what humility looks like, Paul presented the humble nature of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:5–6 KJV 1900

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Paul urged the Philippians to emulate the Lord's mindset of self-denial for the benefit of others. By becoming a man, Jesus demonstrated His humble submission to the Father. Jesus is "in the form of God," which means He is God. “Form" speaks of the distinctive character, the outward expression, of Christ's inner, divine nature. He has all the attributes of God. “Being" emphasizes that He existed as the person of God prior to becoming the Son of Man.

Jesus is fully divine, yet in the miracle of incarnation, He became as fully human as we are. But unlike all other humans, Jesus has no sin nature. All people are sinners by nature (Rom. 2), but Christ lived a perfect, sinless life (2 Cor. 5:21).

ASK: To what might you compare the Son's submission in becoming a man? There are no comparisons that adequately capture how low Jesus brought Himself in order to become a man.

The Father asked the Son to humble Himself because we had a dire spiritual need we could not meet on our own.

Christ's humble service

Philippians 2:7 KJV 1900

But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Jesus' choice to live not only as a man but also as a servant further reveals His humility. Jesus Christ is God, yet He did not regard the outward display of His divine nature as something He had to hold on to (Phil. 2:6). He set aside His rights as sovereign Lord to become humanity's servant. This passage is commonly called the kenosis passage. The Greek word kenosis in verse 7 means "to empty. " When Christ left Heaven, He remained God, but He temporarily laid aside some of His attributes, or emptied Himself, to live as a man. He chose to lay aside His majesty to become a servant.

ASK: What are some examples of Christ's servant mindset? He washed the disciples' feet; He touched lepers; He taught the crowds even when He was tired and hungry.

A servant does not give up his person when he assumes responsibility under a master, but he gives up his will to another. Christ voluntarily submitted Himself to His Father's will while He was on earth. The eternal God, Who had created flesh and blood, became a flesh and blood person.

Christ's humble sacrifice

Philippians 2:8 KJV 1900

And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus humbled Himself to the point of agreeing to be the sacrifice for sin. So He didn't just accept the limitations of a human body; He sacrificed Himself for the sake of others. Christ's obedience to the point of death shows that He did not hold back anything. He carried humility to its limit by suffering death on the cross. Being nailed to a cross was the lowest, most shameful of all execution methods. Usually, crucifixion was reserved for slaves and the worst criminals. Jesus stooped low and submitted to the most disgraceful means of death to become the final sacrifice for sin.

ASK: What is the world's message in relation to pride and humility? The world preaches taking pride in yourself, defending your rights, and humiliating or destroying all who oppose you.

ASK: How would you summarize Christ's message concerning humility?

Living with Christlike humility isn't just a good idea or something serious believers can aspire to. It is what God requires of all believers all the time. And as we will see with Christ, living humbly will in the end bring reward.

Christ, the Exalted

By the Father

Philippians 2:9 KJV 1900

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

Because of Jesus' voluntary humility, God the Father has highly exalted Him, giving Him a name above all others. When someone is exalted, he or she is raised high in rank and power. The verb "highly exalted" is used only here in the New Testament. The Holy Spirit reserved this word for use only in connection with Christ. No one else will ever be exalted to the same level of honor.

ASK: What would Christ say about His decision to humble Himself?

Hebrews 12:1–2 KJV 1900

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

By the world

Philippians 2:10–11 KJV 1900

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The exaltation of Christ involves all the glory He has received and will yet receive. God the Father has given Him dignity and majesty beyond all human comprehension. The day is coming when the supreme Lord and Savior of sinners will receive the worship that is due Him. Every person who has ever lived will bow before Jesus and recognize He is Lord of all. This glorious exaltation is the direct result of Jesus' humility.

ASK: How should we respond now to Jesus' humiliation and exaltation? We ought to live with His humility and praise Him every day, thanking Him for being the sacrifice for our sins.

Becoming like-minded, developing a concern for others' needs, serving others, and sacrificing for others goes against our fleshly desires. But the more we understand and appreciate what Jesus Christ has done for us, the better we will be able to follow His example of serving others rather than serving ourselves.

Conclusion

Both our actions and the motivations behind our actions can destroy unity in the church. Personal agendas and a desire to always have our way are sure to cause much contention and to thwart our gospel witness. When we practice humility, on the other hand, we promote harmony among believers. With true humility, we can count others' needs and preferences as more important than our own.

Paul set out a humanly impossible task for the Philippian believers: to be completely like-minded. He didn't, however, leave them clueless about how to work toward this goal. First, he reminded them that all believers have a wealth of strength at their disposal. They have encouragement and comfort in Christ. They have the indwelling Holy Spirit that binds them together. And they have supernatural compassion and tenderness. Second, he called them to change their thinking and trade selfish motives for humble ones.

Last, he gave the ultimate example of Christ's humility in leaving Heaven to live as a man and die for all humanity. Churches today still struggle for unity, but we can gain strength and encouragement as we apply Paul's words to our lives too.