September 28, 2007

LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU

Philippians 2:1-11

There was a problem in the church at Philippi! As they all gathered together to listen to the reading of Paul’s letter, there was an underlying tension. We don’t know its source. We don’t know what it was about. We don’t know how wide-spread it was. But there were factions in the church. There were divisions. There was disharmony.

Last week, from Philippians 1:27-30, we learned that believers are called to unity in the midst of spiritual conflict. Conflict will come. We face powerful adversaries. The battle will be difficult. But as we face our enemies, we are to do it in a spirit of team work and partnership and true fellowship.

But where does true unity come from and what does it look like? If you are like me, you have a pretty good idea what unity looks like. Unity is when everyone agrees with me! Be honest now! Isn’t that how we think? We are right. So the unity we desire is for everyone else to agree with us. And those who don’t agree with us – they are the problem and the source of disunity.

But as Paul continues to write about the theme of unity in his letter, we get a very different picture. (Read Philippians 2:1-11)

I want to share three P’s with you this morning: a Plea, a Path and a Picture.

A Plea

Paul has heard about the tension and the strife in Philippi. No doubt Epaphroditus was the one who related all the news from Philippi when he visited Paul in Rome. Paul is troubled by the report. So to the call to unity in the face of spiritual conflict he has just given, he adds a very urgent and personal appeal.

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Paul started his letter by referring to the great joy he had in his heart every time he thought about and prayed for the Christians in Philippi. But there is one fly in the ointment. There is this one nagging concern for them. “It would make my joy complete,” he says, “if I could hear that the tension and the disharmony among you had been resolved and you were truly united again.”

So Paul’s appeal here is very personal. “Do it for me!” he is saying. But this isn’t just a personal appeal. I think Paul’s appeal here can also be traced back to something he said in Philippians 1:27. In that verse he called on them to “conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” As I pointed out last week, this is the word for a citizen carrying out his civil responsibilities. As citizens of a heavenly kingdom, we have inherited certain blessings and responsibilities. That is what Paul is referring to in verse 1: encouragement from being united with Christ, comfort from his love, fellowship with the Spirit, tenderness and compassion for our fellow citizens. “If you have these things, and I know you do, reflect that in your relationships with each other by being united in mind, love, spirit and purpose.”

So, these first two verses of the chapter express Paul’s Plea for unity. But he doesn’t stop there. He then goes on to describe the Path to unity in verses 3-4. It is here that his words and his teaching begin to make us squirm.

A Path

Do nothing out of selfish ambition. The King James Version translates “strife”. The essence of the original word is something that is done for personal gain or for a profit motive. We have met this word once before in the letter, back in Philippians 1:17, where Paul refers to believers who were preaching for wrong motives, as some kind of competition which fed their ambition for personal advancement. The word is used of corrupt politicians who used their positions for personal gain. Such ambition does not lead to unity. It leads to competition and rivalry and conflict.

Paul then adds another word: or vain conceit: pride, personal glory, man’s applause. This is an unworthy motive for citizens of heaven. This kind of thirst for recognition and acclaim is contrary to kingdom values. It too, leads not to unity but to discord and strife.

We must ruthlessly examine our motives for ministry. Look at how strong Paul’s words are: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Weed these unworthy motives out entirely!

In place of these two negative traits, Paul puts forth a different characteristic entirely. “In humility,” or as the King James Version states, “in lowliness of mind.”  The Holy Spirit is cutting right to the very heart of the matter here. The path to unity is the path of humility. Without true humility, there will never be true unity.

But what exactly is humility? What does it look like? Paul doesn’t leave us in the dark for long. In humility consider others better than yourselves. Is Paul’s teaching starting to pinch you just a bit? It is me! Whatever happened to “I am right, so unity means everyone agreeing with me?”

What does “consider others better than yourselves” mean? The original word is based on the Greek preposition for being over or above. All societies on earth have a ranking system. For some it is a very rigid and codified system; for others it is less defined. But even the most egalitarian societies still have some way of assigning value and rank. It may be based on family of birth. It may be based on education, or vocation, or economics, or passport or how someone dresses. We have a host of ways of assigning rank and status. Now here is another reality. We all have a way of treating other people and relating to them, and that standard of treatment tends to differ, depending on whether we perceive someone to be equal or above us in rank, or whether we perceive him to be beneath us. I believe that is the heart of what Paul is saying here. “Regard, and therefore treat everyone as being above you in rank and importance.” Now are Paul’s words starting to pinch? Yet this is true humility and this is the path to true unity. It is the opposite of pride and selfish ambition. This truth is expressed elsewhere in Scripture in Romans 12:10 where Paul writes, “Honor one another above yourselves,” or as the New American Standard Bible translates, “give preference to one another in honor.”

Paul isn’t done yet, however, as he marks out for us the path to true unity. Look at verse 4: Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. This is another mark of humility, isn’t it? We all tend to see things from within our own egocentric point of view. How will this affect me, or my family, or my agenda, or even my ministry?

It has been an interesting exercise over the years I have been involved with the management of this worship center, with 18 different churches sharing a common facility. On the whole, it has worked remarkably well. But whenever we have had problems, it always boils down to this simple issue. Each group tends to see things from within the context of their own interests. When one group over-runs their time allotment, they do so “because the Spirit of God is really working in our midst.” Meanwhile the next group has to wait, and they have their time squeezed. The time and opportunity for God to work in their congregation is hampered. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. This is the path of humility and it is the path to true unity.

These two verses define a truly radical way of thinking and living. They go directly against the values and world view of “the world, the flesh and the devil.” Some very fierce spiritual battles will be fought in this very arena. As a means of equipping yourself for battle, I would challenge all of you to memorize these two verses (Philippians 2:3-4) and seek to apply them in your daily life and relationships.

A Picture

Well, so far we have looked at a plea for unity, and we have seen that the path to unity is the path of humility. There is an old saying that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” That is exactly what Paul does now.  He paints for us a picture of what he has just been telling us. It is a picture of Christ, who perfectly epitomized the value system that Paul has just been describing. He starts with an exhortation: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” or “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

He then describes in sweeping language the essential truths of the Christian Gospel, including Christ’s incarnation, his death and ultimately his resurrection and ascension. But he does it all with this application in mind: “Let this mind be in you…”

Let me walk through these verses by way of a running commentary, using the King James Version as my starting point.

Who, being in the form of God

The form of God expresses an outward form that is consistent with inner reality or nature. Hence the NIV translation; “being in very nature God.” He was truly God.

Thought it not robbery to be equal with God.

The word translated “robbery” has two distinct meanings: “a thing unlawfully seized” or “a treasure to be clutched and retained at all cost.” It is the second meaning that is in view here. He did “not regard his position of equality with God as a treasure to be clung to”.

But made himself of no reputation.

The original literally says, “he emptied himself.” Endless theological debates have been carried on over just what it was that Christ “emptied himself of.” We do know this from other Scriptures. He never ceased to be God. He did not empty himself of his deity. But he did divest himself of the outward forms and expression of deity and he did lay aside the independent exercise of the powers and capacities of deity. He did so in order to take the next step.

And took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men..

The word for servant is the word for “bond slave” the lowest kind of slave. He became a man, but not just a man: a slave. But the path of his humiliation was not yet finished.

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

It is truly a descent of unbelievable proportions: From heaven to earth, from deity to humanity, from ruler of the universe to humble slave. Then he became obedient to death, and not just any kind of death, but the most humiliating and painful death known to man, death on a cross.

These are the essential facts of our Gospel. God became a man. He lived among us. He revealed the very nature of God to us. And then he died on a cross to pay the penalty for our sins. This is our Gospel, our good news of salvation.

But Paul is not preaching a Gospel message here. He is making an application to people who are already followers of Christ. Here is his message: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Have this attitude, think this way, act this way. This is the path of humility. Lay aside your status. Lay aside your privilege. Become a servant. If need be, suffer for the sake of those you serve. This is the picture Paul paints to drive his message home. It is the picture of Jesus, the Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, dying on a cross for the sins of the world. “Think like that,” Paul urges. This is the path that will lead to true unity.

A Plea, a Path and a Picture. This is the kind of kingdom we have become a part of. These are the values that govern our kingdom. This is how kingdom citizens are to conduct themselves. We are called to unity in the midst of spiritual conflict. And it is the kind of unity that comes only through true humility, the kind of humility that was ultimately demonstrated by Christ himself.

But Paul does not close his paragraph in verse 8. As an apostle of the risen Christ, he cannot close, leaving Christ on the cross. He continues in almost lyrical language.

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.

From the resurrection through the ascension and the exaltation of Christ; Paul doesn’t stop until he has painted a picture of the final culmination when all creation will one day bow and acknowledge that Christ is Lord.

What should our response be to these glorious words? I believe our first response is an instinctive one. We should join in worship. We should seek to be among the first to bow our knees in worship and open our tongues in confession. Because in one sense, what Paul is describing here is absolutely unique. There is only one Christ. His place in the universe and in history is unparalleled. He has been given a “name which is above every name.” And so we join in the great congregation of worshippers.

But let me suggest that while we can and should worship, we may also learn. To the plea, the path and the picture, I would add a Principle. It is a kingdom principle. We have already seen that humility is the path to true unity. Here is an additional principle. Humility is the hallmark of true greatness. Jesus Christ, the Lord of all, is the ultimate example of this principle, but it is a principle that applies throughout the kingdom of God. It is part of the kingdom’s value system.

On one occasion, two of Jesus’ disciples, James and John, came to him with a request. They wanted to sit, one on his right hand and one on his left in his kingdom. They wanted to be great in the kingdom. They wanted the places of privilege and position. The outcome of their request was predictable. When the other disciples heard about it, they became angry. Such a pursuit of greatness does not lead to unity. It leads to strife and discord. What did Jesus say to them?

You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and their high officials exercise authority over them. (That’s the world system. That’s the way the world works. But the kingdom of God is different.) Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:42-45)

On the night before Jesus died, he and his disciples gathered for their last meal together. As they arrived in that upper room, there was no servant on duty. Someone had laid out a basin, a pitcher of water and a towel for the customary foot washing. But there was no servant to actually provide the service. The men avoided one another’s eyes and shuffled around a bit awkwardly. Eventually they found their places around the low table and reclined for the meal with unwashed feet. It was Jesus who rose from the table. He took off his outer robe, appearing before them in the shorter, inner tunic typically worn by a house-hold slave. He took the towel and wrapped it around his waist. He poured water into the basin. Then he walked over to the nearest disciple. The One before whom “every knee shall bow” got down on his knees in front of that disciple and gently bathed his feet, rinsing the dust and grime away and then drying them with the towel around his waist. And so he went, disciple by disciple, around the room. That, my friends, is the path to true unity. And that is the hallmark of true greatness. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.