Unity in the church is connected to humility. This daily devotional looks at how to love others by eliminating selfish ambition and conceit.
Nuggets
- If we have encouragement, love, fellowship, affection, and mercy, then we will have love, unity, and purpose.
- Paul identified part of the cause of disunity as selfish ambition and conceit.
- A way to remedy selfish ambition and conceit is to put the needs of others first.
Devotions in the Joy in the Gospel series
Paul continued to talk about unity with the Philippians. He cautioned them to interact with others in humility.
Let's Put It into Context #1
Here is a running list of what we’ve discussed previously.
Let's Put It into Context #2
Humility is a character trait that diminishes pride and places dependence on God while holding a modest view of our importance with respect to others.
Glossary
Encouragement in Christ
“If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose” (Phil. 2: 1-2 CSB)
If we have encouragement, love, fellowship, affection, and mercy, then we will have love, unity, and purpose.
The then right after the if kind of threw me at first. That is, threw me until I read the King James Version. “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ …” (Phil. 2: 1 KJV). We know that any therefore that Paul uses ties it back to what he has just been saying.
It refers back to verses that we didn’t cover in our Sunday Morning Bible Study. “Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation — and this is from God. For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.” (Phil. 1: 27-30 CSB).
Paul was talking about being worthy of the gospel. It wasn’t just about finding the unity. It was about standing firm in the gospel.
That is how we prove our salvation to God. Yes, He knows our hearts, but we must show that it is heart knowledge, and not just head knowledge.
Paul did give us a list of if…then statements. There was nothing wishy-washy in this list. In fact, the therefore does help to show the certainty of outcome. If we do this, then that will happen.
With all this talk about unity over the past two and a half years, we’ve never come up with a definition of what we are really talking about. Meade gave us a start. He wrote, “This unity is inward and consists of harmonious spiritual feeling.”
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But it doesn’t stop there. This inward feeling must show itself in the outward actions.
This unity is based on Christ and can only be found through Christ. It encompasses disciples agreeing on doctrines and purpose — and doing that while loving each other.
Think of this nugget — “… if any consolation of love …” (Phil. 2: 1 CSB). We aren’t supposed to lead with making sure everyone follows our positions. We aren’t even supposed to run from a fight because we don’t like fights.
Our motives are supposed to come out of love. We our supposed to show Christ’s love for others through our actions.
One of the perks of being a disciple is that we have the Holy Spirit living within us. We know that this is one Spirit in all disciples. “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call” (Eph. 4: 4 ESV).
Disciples are to be known for our love. What is the song? They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love.
Related Links
Jars of Clay
All disciples must have some degree of love in our hearts. We have to love God, or we have not made a true confession. We must love others, or we are not progressing on the Sanctification Road.
Glossary
Part of the problem is we take the worldview definition and think that means doing for others’ betterment here in this world. While we should help ease the pain of others here, I don’t think that is what Paul is talking about.
God is always more concerned about our spiritual condition than He is our physical condition. This world is fleeting and temporary.
Where we spend eternity is going to be based on our spiritual condition. That is a question with only two answers: have we ABCDed or not.
We can’t think this love is just about people. We must love the doctrines the same way. We must be committed to following God’s laws and commandments the same way.
Disciples must be unified in our purpose — expanding God’s kingdom.
Glossary
I love how Johnstone described our one purpose. He wrote, “The ‘one thing’ is — (1) The advancement of the kingdom of God in ourselves through advance in the beauty and strength of godliness. (2) In the Church, through the increase of wisdom, purity, and zeal. (3) In the world, through the universal and successful proclamation of the gospel.”
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Did you catch that? Purpose #1 is to grow in godliness so we can expand His kingdom. Godliness, equated with the Old Testament term fear of the Lord, is reverence in thought, feeling, and conduct that is promoted by walking in His Spirit and obeying God’s laws and commandments and produces a moral likeness of God.
That is what God is all about — growing us so that we will tell others about the Plan of Salvation.
Too many times, though, we fail miserably in this directive. Instead of working in humility, we work in pride and self-interest.
That is the exact opposite of what God wants. He doesn’t want us looking out for #1. He wants us looking to #One.
We need unity. Unity is an inward, spiritual feeling of harmony found through Christ that manifests itself in outward actions that foster the spread of the gospel.
Operate Out of Humility
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves (Phil. 2: 3 CSB)
Paul identified part of the cause of disunity as selfish ambition and conceit.
Johnstone told us how to remove the misplaced ambition and conceit. He wrote, “These evils are only to be removed by the cultivation of the opposite virtues of humility, which is an exclusively Christian grace.
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Paul told us not to let our pride make us think we are above others.
- “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12: 10 ESV)
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” (Eph. 4: 2 NIV).
Johnstone said that the reason we act in this manner isn’t because we are ignoring our strengths or the weaknesses of others. It is to help others become their best them.
We are trying to help them grow. We are following the great commission and our job description and making disciples of them.
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
We are navigating the Sanctification Road to get God’s character. God isn’t selfish or conceited.
Paul is further stressing that disciples shouldn’t be the one who likes to stir up trouble. “A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood” (Prov. 26: 21 NLT). We can’t be the one fanning the flames.
Don’t take that to the extreme. We must stand up for the gospel. “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” (I Pet. 3: 15 ESV).
Worldview people would just love for us to keep quiet against their mistaken beliefs. They throw in our faces that we have to be unified, i.e. can’t stand up for our opinions against someone else.
They are wrong. We must stand up for God’s laws and commandments. If we don’t, there is no way they will find salvation.
The flip side of selfish ambition and conceit is humility. It fosters unity as it is more willing to listen and work through the discontent.
We act out of compassion and sympathy. We strive help others grow in grace. That ties into the spiritual graces, or morals — what some would call virtues.
Paul was really getting at Christ’s heart now. It had nothing to do with His sacrifice. It had everything to do with His character — the character we are to imitate.
Whose Interests Are Top Dog?
“Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others” (Phil. 2: 4 CSB).
A way to remedy selfish ambition and conceit is to put the needs of others first.
When we put someone else’s needs before our own, we glorify God. If we don’t — as Airay wrote — “… we look on our own graces, wit, learning, goods, and neglect or contemn those of other men, what else will follow but vain glory and contention (Luke 18:11).”
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Martin contended that we can’t take this to an extreme. We can’t be uselessly interested in the affairs of others.
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I read that as we can’t be engaged with others just to gossip about them. Our interest in them can’t be to tear them down as we build ourselves up.
Martin explained this as we are not to close our eyes and our hearts to the needs of others. When we can assist others, we should.
If we don’t put the needs of others first, we are breaking God’s laws and commandments. That not only hurts us, but it also hurts others.
No, this isn’t telling us to disregard our own lives, responsibilities, and possessions. Jay gave us a good list of what this verse is not talking about. We should not disregard
- Our relationship with God
- Our health
- Our reputation
- Our family
- Our life’s work
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This translation left out a very important word. “Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Phil. 2: 4 KJV emphasis added).
God doesn’t want us to shirk our responsibilities. He wants our helping others to be an equal responsibility.
God wants us to rock the second greatest commandment. “… You shall love your neighbor as yourself …” (Mk. 12: 30 ESV).
No, this isn’t just talking about monetary assistance. “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” (Rom. 12: 15 ESV).
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
My Ladies and I frequently talk that encouraging others is a gift, too. No, it isn’t as flashy as being a preacher or a teacher — or the gold standard, being a missionary. We don’t rank it as high as singing.
But God wants us to pray for and encourage others. He wants everyone to do that.
Worldview people may believe that God’s laws and commandments set too high of requirement. Martin disagreed, saying, “Religion is a sham if it be not practical.”
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For some, it may seem like an impossible request. But then we look around and see others doing what we say is impossible.
We forget, too, that God is right there to help us be successful in what He asks. He is not asking us to do this alone.
We have responsibilities to others whether we are rich or poor or an introvert or an extrovert. We are called to love one another.
King reminded us that helping others does not qualify us for a relationship with God. Only ABCDing does that.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
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Dixon reminded us that our salvation is our first obligation. The second is the salvation of others.
No, the second obligation isn’t just to love others. It is to introduce them to Christ.
We can’t substitute science for God’s moral power. Our intellect won’t cut it either. Politicians can’t regulate it into existence — or regulate evil out of the world.
It isn’t just about doing good. It is about doing God’s good.
Making the Connections
Statham reminded us that Paul was not saying that we must have the same opinions all the time. If we all felt the same way, living in harmony wouldn’t be an issue.
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But then we don’t grow if we don’t have others challenging what we believe. We don’t want that.
Statham argued that harmony will only be found in Heaven. When we are changed to be like Christ is, then we will find harmony.
Meade had a really interesting observation. He called the individual man’s soul it’s own little kingdom. He wrote, “In it there dwell a variety of faculties; there are fears, hopes, likes, dislikes; appetites to urge and principles to check; self-will to prompt, self-interest to restrain; passions to hurry away, conscience to control, etc. When these are in discord what a ‘troubled sea’ there is.”
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Oh, yeah. That is what makes us human — and unique.
But layering over all this the Holy Spirit. When receive Him, He gives us peace.
That “… peace of God, which surpasses all understanding …” (Phil. 4: 7 CSB) then seeps out into our family through love. Then it goes into our workplace, our city, our state, our nation, the world.
It starts with humility and faith.
How Do We Apply This?
- Imitate Christ so that unity can be achieved.
- Show love through peaceful, humble, unselfish actions.
- Grow our like-mindedness.
- React with the social graces God wants us to have.
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We are to imitate Jesus, Who was humble. We do this by loving others and not being selfish or conceited.
Father God. We praise You. We want to have Your character. To do that, we will imitate Jesus. Help us to love others and keep our opinion of ourselves in proper balance. Amen.
What do you think?
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