This week, in Philippians 2:1-11, we continue to see the power and necessity of unity. Paul ties the conflict that the church at Philippi has watched him engage in to their own conflict. He calls this church to engage in the conflict of the gospel, to be affected and even suffer for the kingdom of God. Then he reveals the greatest requirement for entering the conflict and for unity, humility.
Paul defines humility this way, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem (count) others better than himself. Let each of you look not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” In the next verse Paul tells us, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus . . .” The mind of Christ is humility. Humility led Jesus to leave glory, to be born a man, to live on earth, to accept suffering, to endure the cross and to conquer sin and death through His resurrection. Before He ws anything as a man, He was humble. Humility is the seed from which love, grace, mercy and redemption comes forth. The call to unity is a call to humility and I believe that this one passage shows us one crucial reality to living in humility and all that comes from it.
Paul writes to “count others more significant than himself.” Isn’t that exactly what Jesus has done for each of us? He counted us worthy when we were not worthy.” While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” “When we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled through the death of His Son.” Our hearts and minds can be revolutionized and completely redeemed by living in the reality of being counted by Jesus. Joy bursts forth when I realize that I am not worthy but have been counted worthy by Jesus. I am not righteous by have been counted righteous by Jesus. I am not saved by any of my effort, my prayers or my righteousness but only by being counted saved by Jesus. My life can be completely defined by the joy of knowing that Jesus has counted me loved when I was and sometimes still am, completely unlovely.
Living in the joy of being counted by Jesus bridges joy to the world around us because it creates a humility that counts others as they can be rather than as they are. When discussing these verses John Piper once said, “The point is not what others are but what you count them to be.” I can’t live in judgment when I realize that I have been reconciled when I deserved to be judged. Humility becomes seeing others as Jesus has seen me and that creates unity and it pours out joy. I pray that we, the Body of Christ, will choose humility, will choose joy and will choose to love one another in a manner in which the world will know that we are Jesus’ disciples and that it was the Fath