Humility Like Jesus Series

In the summer of 1986, two ships collided in the Black Sea off the coast of Russia. Hundreds of passengers died as they were hurled into the icy waters below. News of the disaster was further darkened when an investigation revealed the cause of the accident. It wasn’t a technology problem like radar malfunction—or even thick fog. The cause was human stubbornness. Each captain was aware of the other ship’s presence nearby. Both could have steered clear, but according to news reports, neither captain wanted to give way to the other. Each was too proud to yield first. By the time they came to their senses, it was too late.

We are on week four of studying the letter to the Philippians, and last week I ended by saying not to forget what we learned about that week, because our passage today is contingent on what we studied last week. Now if any of you had a crazy week like I did, I think it would be worth a quick 30 second review of what we studied last week. What we learned last week is that our conduct matters as Christians. It matters because it testifies to the world around us, it matters because it verifies that the Holy Spirit is indeed at work in our lives, and it matters because our conduct can create unity in the church. Paul says to conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is what we studied last week. But while last week’s passage and these weeks are split up into different chapters, it is all part of the same thought process. And so it is important to remember that our conduct matters, and WHY it matters, as we go into this new passage today, as Paul reveals the key to all of this, the real heart of what he is trying to get at. And the heart of the matter was that the Philippians had a humility problem. So as we come into this new passage, he says, Therefore, BECAUSE your conduct matters, BECAUSE it testifies to the world around you, BECAUSE it verifies the holy spirits work in you, and BECAUSE it can unify or divide the church, be humble like Jesus. And that is really the heart of what we are going to look at today, is humility. Humility can be a bitter pill to swallow, but pride and selfishness are at the root of most of the problems we face as a church. So Paul calls us to follow the highest example, to be humble like Jesus. Because if the Son of God can embrace humility, so can we.

If you have your bible, I’m going to go ahead and read Philippians chapter 2, verses 1-11: “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in 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 of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Let’s go back to that first verse, “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion”. This is something called first-class conditions in Greek, which means that even though they all start with the word If, they are actually speaking of certainties.

It would be better translated as “since” instead of “if. Paul isn’t suggesting that these things are not true, he is saying that they ARE true. BECAUSE they are true, BECAUSE they have encouragement from unity with Christ, BECAUSE they have comfort from his love, BECAUSE they have common sharing in the spirit, BECAUSE they have tenderness and compassion, then make his joy complete. These things are true, this is indeed the case, and there is no room for dispute. He is appealing on the basis of that which they have received from the holy spirit. They have all been united with Christ in his death in baptism, and are now filled with his love as a result. This love SHOULD result in spiritual unity. One of the spirit’s ministries is to produce within each believer a concern and love for other members of God’s family. This is all meant to be a motivation or a basis for what he is calling them to in verse two: “then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”. Make my joy complete. Whole, unwanting. His joy will be complete ONLY IF these appeals are responded too, and adjustments made in the church’s domestic life as God’s family. And you will notice in this verse that there is sort of a piling up of expressions that all relate to church unity, and that is intentional. The repetition leaves no room for doubt as to what Paul’s desire is for the Philippians. These first four verses are written in a Greek style called Homonoia, and it was a Greek type of speech which advocated harmony and unity among the hearers. And that is the goal of this entire section, is that they would find unity through humility, and putting others first in all matters of life. There is probably nothing that is more important and insisted on in the new testament as the importance of harmony among Christians.