Christian Contentment - A Study through Philippians (6)

 

                                                                    

Today's blog is written by Martin Davids

Encouragements to Spiritual Unity

 

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:1-11)

I mentioned in a previous blog that there is a movement in our world today that is seeking to cause as much division along various lines as possible.  It goes by various names and has been growing for some time through the media and our educational establishments, coming to a head in 2020.  Up until recently it has been largely political, yet its tentacles have reached into Christendom with some very well-known leaders being influenced by it.  This movement is the very opposite of what Paul (and the whole of the New Testament) would promote.       

Paul’s concern for unity.

Depending upon which Bible version you have you will notice that the above verses are placed in a different style.  It is written out in a poetic form.  This is because many commentators and scholars believe that in these verses Paul is quoting a hymn of the early church.

In the opening verses Paul’s concern for the Philippian believers is that they live peaceably with one another.  This is not natural for us.  The natural way for us to live, because we are sinners and we rub each other the wrong is to look out for our rights - we look out for what's important to us and as a result there is division and there is strife and there is difficulty. However what Paul is telling us is the key to peaceful Christian community and harmony in the body is to be found in avoiding self-promotion and having the attitude of a servant humility of mind.  The ground is level at the foot of the cross that means there are there are not those who higher than others in the sense of being more Christian than others or more loved of God. Paul makes it very clear bond or free (status), male or female, Jew or Greek (ethnicity) we're all one in Christ Jesus. The means by which we've been redeemed is the same - no one can claim a higher status in that sense. So what would humility look like in that kind of a context? Well today is a day in which people talk much about the rights that we are supposed to have and will demand their ‘rights’ be respected and if they are not…well you’ll know about it. 

For Christians, since we are all one in Christ we have certain rights and we have equality before God but humility of mind is having these rights and laying them aside in the service of others and so if that were to be the attitude of everyone in the congregation what kind of peace and harmony would exist within the congregation?

Christ as our example

If we are to act in humility of mind toward one and other serve other people, Paul sets before us the perfect example.  “Have this attitude this mindset amongst yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus.” Verse 6 takes us back to the time before the Incarnation and tells us something about who Christ was –the second person of the trinity co equal with the Father and the Spirit.  On that basis we can understand what his rights were what his privileges were and what he did with them out of service to the glory of the Father. Yet Jesus, very God from very God, did not consider that equality he had with God something to be held on to at all costs. Rather took the form of a servant and he was made in the likeness of men. He truly entered into our experience - that's John's point in John 1:14 “the word became flesh”. Yet Christ’s humbling did not end there for as we all know for our salvation he was obedient to death on a cross.  Paul's point is if Jesus was prepared to voluntarily take upon himself such humiliation and servitude you likewise should have that attitude of heart.

Summing it up.

So much could and should be said about these verses but again for the sake of brevity let us apply what we have learned. Paul has just urged Christians to take up their cross by dying to self-interest for the sake of others. He then transitions from exhortation to illustration. The perfect illustration of this is of course Christ Jesus. Christ gave himself for the sake of others. He lived so that others might be united to him, and also united to one another.

How does that lead us to Christian contentment? We cannot be content if all we focus on is ourselves and our rights.  Rather contentment is found when we look to the needs of others.  It is this others-centred focus that produces spiritual unity and contentment. When Christians model Christ’s others-centred focus they will discover a unity in the bonds of fellowship with the Lord and also with one another leading to a godly contentment. 

Prayer for the day.

Heavenly Father,

Let us this week be mindful of all the times we have put ourselves and our needs before the needs of others.  Lord, we repent of those sins and ask that you would always give us the mind of Christ who laid aside His majesty and humbled himself to death on a cross.  We ask that you will show us the needs of others that we may serve in humility.  Let us always seek the bonds of Christian unity and fight against all that would see to divide us.

We plead this through the blood of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.    

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