UNITY THROUGH HUMILITY

Philippians 2:1-11

King James Version (KJV)

BE LIKE CHRIST

2 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

If there is ever to be real unity among believers, there first has to one central faith. We can not follow man, and at the same time follow Christ. Christ was ever at odds with the Pharisees, and the clergy of the temple worship. Why? Because the religion clergy was identified by their ritual and “the letter of the law,” and not by the Spirit. They had no true love for the people or the Lord.

Christ took on the bodily form of mankind willingly, knowing that he would die for all the sinners of the world; that is everyone. “All have sinned and fallen short,” but God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son, that we might be saved.God, the Father, knew that his Son, Jesus, would die, still sent him for our sakes. Yes, God knew that Jesus would arise from the grave, but that does not lessen the suffering of the cross and the burden of the sins of the world, both before and after the event.

This is our comfort, our consolation in this translation. No matter what sins may have been in our past, they can be forgiven, and Christ died for all of us. No matter how great a television evangelist may appear, he is only a man, and both he, and all men have one worthy head, one leader, and that is Jesus Christ. We can only be united with Jesus Christ, through the Spirit revealed in his word.    

(2 Corinthians 13:14, Colossians 3:12)

2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Jesus told us that there is one thing that must set us apart, one thing that sets us apart from the Lost of this world, and that is our love for one another, being of one accord, and one mind. Love, not Law, will unite us with him and set us apart from the world. We just don’t have the same purposes in life, unless we learn to love as Christ loved, we will never attain that.  

(John 3:29, Romans 12:16, Philippians 4:2)

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

The UN will never solve this world’s divisions. Threats, or politics will never unite men. Laws, expressed in the Creeds of men, will never unite us. The fact is that these, merely define and create more divisions. Has the world’s sanctions brought unity? No!  

(Romans 2:8, Philippians 1:17, Galatians 5:26, Romans 12:10, Ephesians 5:21)

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

If there was ever a church which set a good example, it was the church at Philippi. It alone was named, The church of brotherly love. And it stood alone as the the one church for which there was no condemnation in the letters to the churches of Asia, in the book of Revelation.

(Romans 15:11)

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Paul went straight to the center of the problem. It is a matter of mind over matter. No matter how many times a man may be baptized, no matter how many gifts he gives, if he has not changed his mind from that of the world to that of Christ. James tells us that Faith without works is dead, but it is equally true that works without faith is also dead. “Let is mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus.”

(Matthew 11:29, Romans 15:3, Philippians 1:1)

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

(John 1:1, 2 Corinthians 4:4, John 5:18, John 10:33, John 14:28)

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

That fact that Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, was not his only act of humility. His entire earthly ministry was one of service and humility. When he  said “the birds have nests” and that he had no where that was his home was literally true. It is a humorous fact that the Evergreen apartments, which look very fancy from the outside and charge dearly to stay there, in the upper story have a problem with the birds that build their nests and roost there at night completely free. A plastic tree on the fourth floor has a nest in it.

(2 Corinthians 8:9, Matthew 20:28, John 1:14, Romans 8:3, Galatians 4:4, Hebrews 2:17)

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

When Jesus came to earth to offer salvation to man, he knew that those he loved would, most of them reject him and kill him by the most dreadful form of death they knew, crucifixion.

(2 Corinthians 8:9, Matthew 26:39, John 10:18, Romans 5:19, Hebrews 5:8, Hebrews 12:2)

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

(But, after that death, he would rise from the dead to live eternally in heaven, having completed his dreadful tash once and for all time.

(Hebrews 1:9, Matthew 28:18, Acts 2:33, Hebrews 2:9, Ephesians 1:21)

10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

The time is coming when all creation shall see and bow the knee to Him, King of King, and Lord of Lords.

(Isaiah 45:23, Romans 14:11, Ephesians 1:10)

11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Even the most evil atheist, will confess, at that time, that he is Lord of all.

(John 13:13, Romans 10:9, Romans 14:9)

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READ YOUR BIBLE THROUGH THIS YEAR

OCTOBER

6th Sunday  -  Jeremiah 11, 12, 13,    Philippians 4,    Psalm 118:1-16

7th  Monday  -  Jeremiah 14, 15, 16,    Colossians 1,    Proverbs 24:13-22

8th  Tuesday  -  Jeremiah 17, 18, 19,    Colossians 2,    Psalm 118:17-29

9th  Wednesday  -  Jeremiah 20, 21, 22,    Colossians 3,    Psalm 119:1-8

10th  Thursday  -  Jeremiah  23, 24,    Colossians 4,    Psalm 119:9-16

11th  Friday  -  Jeremiah 25, 26,    1 Thessalonians 1,   Proverbs 24:23-34  

12th  Saturday  -  Jeremiah 27, 28, 29,    1 Thessalonians 2,    Psalm 119:17-24

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MEMORY VERSE

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.”  - Colossians 1:18

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REALLY?

On an African Safari, a missionary asked the guide if it were true that a jungle animal will not attack you if you are carrying a torch.

“Well,” the guide responded thoughtfully, “It depends on how fast you are carrying the torch.”

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FROM EXPERIENCE

I know you don’t ever back up your car to get a more exciting picture of an elephant bull which has noticed you and spread his ears widely ready to charge, nor to come between a lion sleeping near his kill!