We are in Philippians chapter 2, and the first several verses connect directly to the last verses of chapter 1. Last week, we talked about Paul’s transition from himself — from the things happening around him — to the Philippian church. In that transition is a command to live in a manner worthy of the gospel: stay firm, be unified, and do not be frightened by the pressure coming from the outside. The persecution and suffering the Philippians faced is a sign that God is at work, and God is faithful to complete that work.
Paul connects what we read today to what we read last week with the word “therefore” — or “so,” depending on the translation. It is like saying you are going to go for a hike and you don’t have the address, but if someone follows along, they will get there. It is connected. Or think of it this way: watching a series of videos to learn how to change the brakes on a truck. Therefore, there is no need to take it to the mechanic. The word connects the sentences and the ideas.
Philippians 2:1–4 (ESV)
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.
The Internal Problem
If the first section we looked at last week focused on the external pressure the Philippian church was facing, then this set of verses addresses the internal pressure — the disunity, the potential for disunity, that might be undermining the church’s effectiveness.
It is so often in the church world that we are our own worst enemies. From a pastoral perspective, there have been quite a few moments when church leadership created the very problem they were stressed out about or complaining about behind closed doors. How many drama-filled moments have been the product of one single person — and that one person also happens to be the person complaining about the drama the most?
When the church I grew up in moved buildings, the person who had controlled the old church kitchen was not given that same responsibility in the new one. There was a lot of back-and-forth, bickering, and silliness. It did not harm the church, but it certainly was not productive.
Unity is a struggle. It seems that everybody sometimes has their own agenda, pulling this way and that way. And it can be absolutely discouraging to live through. It can be discouraging to look back at a situation and realize — wait, was I part of that dysfunction?
In a world that has plenty of people working against us, we ought not to aid the enemy by standing against one another.
Paul’s Direct Instruction
Here is the good news: the modern church is not new in dealing with issues of selfishness, drama, and disunity. From the very start, people’s selfishness and attitudes created division. And regarding the problem of disunity in the Philippian church, Paul uses highly prescriptive language to address it. He gives clear instructions — do this, do that, don’t do this. This is the right way; there is no in-between.
Paul says — if what he has been talking about is true, and again, this is connected to everything he has said in the preceding weeks — if any of that is true, if there is any encouragement to be had in the Savior (there is), if there is any comfort in God’s love and in love for one another (there is), if there is this shared connection in the Spirit, then finish Paul’s joy by being united.
The easiest way to make sense of what Paul is saying is to put an “if” in front of every one of those clauses. It becomes rhetorical, because we know there is encouragement in the Savior. We know there is comfort in God’s love. When you put “if” in front of those clauses, Paul is pointing toward something: if all of those things are true, and you believe them, then keep going. Walk in unity. Complete my joy. Don’t make me waste my words.
Selfish Ambition, Conceit, and Humility
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
Selfish ambition: people have desires, and sometimes they will do anything to achieve them, no matter the cost to those around them. Conceit: being arrogant, being fixated on self. Those two things have no place in Christianity. They stand in direct contrast to the humility required to give proper significance to others.
This word, humility, will gain deeper meaning as we continue reading Philippians. But humility is simply thinking less of yourself in any given context.
Significance is priority. It signifies a place in your mind and in your heart. Family is significant, so time goes toward thinking about them and doing things for them. The church is significant, so time goes toward preaching, teaching, and studying. In every relationship — as family members, as husbands, as wives, as parents — there is a battle for humility. If we can be humble, it paves the way to avoiding unnecessary conflict in the church. And if we can make someone else significant rather than ourselves, it will radically change how this church functions.
Who Takes Care of Me?
Someone might ask — if the focus is on other people, who is going to take care of me? That is a fair question.
First, in a very spiritual and practical sense, God is faithful to take care of those who serve others. He is looking out for us even when no one else is.
But also, this passage does not say we ought to have no eye on our own interests. Only that we ought to have an eye on others as well. There is nothing wrong with knowing what you want and what you like. There is nothing wrong with having a goal, a preference, or a vision for your life. But we have to balance that with keeping a space open for others.
Over time, as we develop as Christians and continue to mature in discipleship, what we desire as individual believers united together as a church will overlap. It becomes easy to pursue what someone else wants because it is what we want as well. That is the beautiful thing about the fruit of the Spirit. That is the beautiful thing about having a set goal from God and the Great Commission. Over time, those things become what matters, and it becomes easy to pursue them together.
The Math of Service
Think about it this way. If I walk into a church seeking to be served and to get what I want, I am a consumer at your expense. And if you walk in seeking to be served and to get what you want, you are a consumer at my expense. That math does not work.
But if I walk in with my preferences and also with a heart for yours, and you do the same, there will be a level of service to one another that is both enjoyable and sustainable. Instead of two pumps drawing from the same well at the same time, we can develop a rhythm where the well does not run dry. You pour into me; I pour into you. It goes on and on.
And more importantly, this unity serves an eternal purpose. We are doing church together as service and worship to God. We are doing this for the Kingdom. And it is only through God — through the work of the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit — that we are truly enabled to do it.
Put away selfish ambition and conceit. Kill it in your life. Ask God for humility, because only He can give it. Ask Him to change your mindset, because only He can. Arrive at a powerful unity that grows the church, spreads the gospel, and shines a light on darkness.
The Holy Spirit in your life is telling you there is a better way. And through the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, He also enables you to walk in it — to truly put on humility, and to truly start thinking of others the way you would think of your own kids, your own spouse.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we love You. You are awesome and mighty. I pray that You would birth inside our lives a desire for humility and service. Break down selfishness and conceit, and replace it with Your love — Your love for us, which inspires us to love others. Lord, make us a unified church. A church that loves to serve one another. A church that does not cause problems for itself. We do not need any extra help causing problems. We simply ask that Your Holy Spirit — right now, right where we are — give us humility and a heart for others. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Zachary Peters 
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