One love, one spirit and one mind (Phil 2a)

Being of one love, one spirit, and one mind       

Philippians 2:1-11*

Key Verse: 2

The last message was concluded with Paul’s word:

“Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel  without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you” (Philippians 1:27-18).

This command was given to the Philippians, so that they might be able to do two things; first, they needed to stand firm against all oppositions. The force of opposition was strong. Paul was in prison and the Philippians were going through the same persecutions that Paul was. Second, they could best give the message of the Gospel to the world by living a life worthy of the gospel.

Whether they did or not follow Paul’s directions would depend on whether they could stand firm in  one Spirit against opposition. So today’s passage gives answers on how they, as part of the body of Christ, could stand firm in one spirit. So we will look at two things simultaneously; the ability to stand united and the ability to fight off  opposition.

We all have different desires and different strengths. We think differently from each other, so it is a great challenge for us to be one. At the same time, the opposition that comes upon believers adds more stress as we strive to uphold the truth of the gospel.

As we begin to recognize these challenges, what would be the best way to handle or  cope with them?

1.      Be like-minded

In Philippians 2:1, Paul listed four conditional clauses. In these clauses, he mentioned four possible benefits that the Philippians had received through being united with Christ. He was not making a question of whether or not they had received them; instead, Paul was saying this so that the Philippians might count the moments of such blessing that they had received and were still enjoying. Surely the Philippians had received all of them. They received encouragement from Christ, comfort,  fellowship with the Holy Spirit, and  tenderness and compassion from our Lord Jesus. Those were the moments of true joy that resulted from having fellowship with Christ. What was the nature of the newly established relationship and what did it entail?

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved.  And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,  in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:4-7).

As we noted here, the believers’ experience is heavily involved with Christ’s death-to-resurrection event. Out of that experience come the tremendous joy of new life and the dawning hope of God’s kingdom. Based on this blessing in God’s grace, Paul plead with them to do one thing:

 “then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (Philippians 2:2).

Here Paul uses an imperative command - make my joy complete by being like-minded; this was a demand, as well as a command and persuasion.

What does  ‘being like-minded’ mean? We have some idea of what it means; it is about living harmoniously with other believers. This word is used ten times in the book of Philippians, so we can see the importance of this word in  Paul’s mind. He used this word in order to convey a particular thought exactly;  he described  being like-minded  by using three participles.

Having the same love; our primary attitude toward other believers must be love. This should be the same kind of love that the Philippians had received from Christ. When we connect with other believers, there should not be a spirit of demand, arrogance,  exploitation,  contempt, or competition; when our minds are focused on these, we will fail to love other people. This reminds us that the love  we received from Jesus is the love that must be the barometer for all of our relationships with other believers.

Being one in spirit: the ESV translates this as ‘being in full accord’ (Philippians 2:2 ESV). When we learned that there was an earthquake in Nepal,   there were many who died and many who needed  great help to meet  their basic needs. When this was announced, all of our church members joined in supporting them. This is what it means to be in one spirit; our members demonstrated the spirit to serve the people of Nepal. No one argued about it or objected giving this help. The spirit of love and compassion that I had was also in the heart of D, B, and S.  

Of one mind: This is the third component of being like-minded. This is more like thinking of the same thing. There are many organizations that provide help for the earthquake victims in Nepal. Each of us could use any one of those organization to help them, but none of us raised the question of how,  when, or how much  we should do to support them. Though none of these options were discussed, we all knew that the support money would be delivered safely on time and to the right location. This is what it means to be of one mind.

In these three ways, Paul described what it means to be like-minded. So, being like-minded is  one congregation  acting as if they are one person. It is not just an outward appearance, but when their hearts,  minds, and thoughts are the same. We are small, yet our church would carry powerful messages to a foreign country, messages of love,  truth, and hope. When one hundred believers do the same thing,  their actions carry the message of the Gospel  more powerfully. What would  one thousand or one million believers accomplish in such unity?

Through such power and  unity, the Philippians could not only survive the threats and hardships of the world, but they also could more decisively and powerfully deliver  the Gospel message. In the 1998 Olympic opening ceremony, thousands of men, each man with their own light, made a countdown signal by lighting the count-down time in seconds on the Olympic square. Millions of people  attended and saw the message so clearly and spectacularly presented, though it was just ceremony to begin the Olympics. Those who created this and those who participated in performing this ceremony surely shared pride in what they did and  in their strength and  unity. What if the message of the gospel is delivered by such a unified and concerted efforts? When I visited Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), I had a chance to hear  stories about the early church. So many of Jesus’ disciples  suffered martyrdom; their suffering and death spoke in one voice of the power of the cross of Jesus. It would be not only a great strength for those who carry that message, but also  a powerful witness of truth for those who see and hear that message.

Many of us are eager to show our ‘individual selfies’ as godly children. It is very weak and often confusing to many, though we want to deliver the same gospel message. But the message is that unity is more pure,  Christ-focused, and  powerful. Paul pleaded with the Philippians to be like-minded; this is the message for all believers, but there are opposing forces within us. What are they?

2.      Selfish ambition, the greatest obstacle within us.

What is the thing that is in our heart that opposes such unity?

“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” (Philippians 2:3-4).

Paul mentioned two things that can surely break  unity among believers; these are selfish ambition and vain conceit. We all have ambitions, ones of great vision and hope;  however, if these ambitions are driven by selfish gain or greedy motives, then it irks many minds because it only seeks one’s personal benefit, while sacrificing others’ time and money. This will surely destroy  unity. Another thing that disrupts  unity is vain glory. This is also rooted in selfish gain and  extremely  selfish ambition.

The best example of such a flawed mind is seen in those who preached the Gospel out of envy or rivalry (Philippians 1:15 – “It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry”) in order to stir up trouble for Paul.

Selfishness blinds our eyes and, even with godly intent, any ambition to promote ourselves hurts others and breaks unity. Once I had an ambition to do great work for God out of my own knowledge and power; this ambition still  lingers in and around me. But anything that is grounded in selfishness, even if it was filled with godly purpose, hinders God’s works. He opposes the proud. The desire to be great like God was the cause of man’s fall  in the beginning. After the Fall, we still breathe that spirit and  handle it with godly power. Jesus dealt with this issue heavily as he was heading to Jerusalem. This actually was the ultimate reason why Jesus had to die. In all our efforts, we must not give in to these desires.

Instead, Paul commands that the Philippian believers must be humble and  consider the interests of others. I am not one of those who are born with a humble mind; when I think I know, I will not give in to others’ opinions or understandings. More often than not, such a mindset derives from the lack of a humble mind. How much should we curve our rights,  authority, and power, in order to be humble?

While considering Paul’s command to consider the interest of others, I realized that we are living in a world in which individualism runs deep and wide. Out of that individualism, we think, reason, and measure all our relationships with others. How much should we consider the interests of others? Here, Jesus provides the best example and offers the best power for us.

3.      Follow Jesus.

“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).

So far, Paul has talked about three things: being like-minded, being humble, and serving others. All these are captured in the mindset of Jesus. Paul encouraged the Philippians to have this same mindset. What was Jesus’ mindset?

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage” (Philippians 2:6).

Jesus was in the beginning with God and he was God. All things were created by him. He has all of God’s authority and power, but when he came to know the mind of God the Father and became aware of the hopeless situation of his chosen people, Jesus said this:

“But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, my God”(Hebrews 10:3-7).

Jesus knew his Father was unhappy with the sacrifices that Israel offered; he came to know that God wanted him to offer his body as a living sacrifice in order to redeem the sins of His people. When he realized this, he finally set his mind in this way:

“Then I said, “Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll-- I have come to do your will, my God”” (Hebrews 10:7).

He decided to leave behind all of his power, glory, and authority as the Son of God,  deciding to do His Father’s will. Behind this, lies an important understanding of Jesus, that is that he did not consider himself equal with God.

I have met quite a few students who thought that they had the right to be the king of their own lives. This defies God’s authority in their lives. Practically, they consider themselves to be equal with God, as far as their lives are concerned. From psychology, we  know that people of the same understanding often get together as buddies; they feel comfortable and safe as they share equal authority and power.  The moment when this equality is compromised, the fellowship or friendship becomes seriously jeopardized. As much as I value my power,  pride, and  understanding, so is the understanding of my friends and fellow believers. Equality needs a fine balance and is difficult to maintain, but when one does not consider himself equal with his fellow members or friends, he begins to breed the unity within that fellowship or friendship. In essence, this is humility in wisdom; this wisdom is to recognize God’s authority  in others, which is surely greater than one’s own authority and power.

This is  fundamental in all relationships, but Jesus was the first one who revealed that truth, which  we can learn from him.

Jesus was born in a manger as a helpless baby; here, we can see Jesus’ humility and his decision not to consider himself equal with God. Jesus carried this throughout his earthly ministry.

John 14:10 – “Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”

Also, in this decision, we see his humbleness and life-giving love for sinners. So Jesus is the best example of being like-minded. Thus, Paul commands the Philippians to have the mindset of Jesus! Whatever we do, we must have the mind of Jesus in our relationships with other believers.

What did Jesus achieve with this mindset?

“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!” (Philippians 2:7-8).

This is what Jesus did. Is it possible that the Son of God became a man? Can God serve men? But beyond all impossibility, Jesus, the Son of God, did it. This is remarkable and  beyond our comprehension. All these could occur when Jesus set his mind  not to consider himself to be equal with God.

Likewise, we ought to set our minds on these three things; first, we are to be like-minded in our love, in our minds, and in our spirits. Second, we must set our minds to be humble, not using all our power, knowledge, authority, and rights, in order to be one with others. Third, we have to set our minds on the interests of others, instead of only our own.

We all know that we are born into selfishness; one of the natural expressions of this is the ‘selfie’. These are used to promote ourselves - our ideas,  purposes,  goals,  pride,  beauty, and so on. Whatever is ours, let the world know and acknowledge and appreciate it. We must change our thinking from being focused only on ‘I’ or ‘me’, and become more  ‘other’-focused.

The focus of Jesus’ life was not  himself but us, sinners from  beginning to  end; even while he was hanging on the cross, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

In this way, we can appreciate three things from Jesus’ life: his like-mindedness, humbleness, and serving the needs of others.

But one may question - what is left for me? Where can I get my portion? What is the meaning or value of my life? If we have  meaning and value within in us, then, yes, we are to keep it by all means; however, we know that, in ourselves, we are sinners and have no lasting value! Howe much of a pity this might be! Thankfully, he true meaning and value of our lives is not in us, but in God. What would God think of these? This is so important.

4.      God was very happy with what Jesus did.

But He is the One who gives ultimate meaning and value. Let’s see what God did to Jesus, who lived in complete humbleness and obedience to the Lord.

“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” (Philippians 2:9-11).

God values Jesus’  humility, obedience, and mind that unified both God and sinful men in like-mindedness, sharing his Father’s will and  men’s utter need for salvation.

In His true appreciation of His Son Jesus’ work, God was  happy and did two things for him:

First, He exalted Jesus to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name. God made Jesus the highest authority on earth, in heaven, and under the earth, i.e. the dead. Among all beings,  no being is greater than Jesus, and no one  has greater authority than Jesus. All must bow down before him; He is the Lord of all, the authority of all beings.

Second, every tongue acknowledges that Jesus is the Lord. Confession is not about one’s attitude toward a certain power and authority, but rather  an utterance of one’s conformity to the truth exhibited in Jesus’ life. The truth that Jesus lived should be the essential truth for those who honor him as the Lord; so when one honors Jesus as  Lord and  glorifies him, he or she is confessing that she and he uphold three distinctive lifestyles as their own. God wants all human beings to conform to Jesus’ way of life by living according to not only  his consideration, but also the life that flowed  from that consideration.

We’ve discussed this in terms of being like-minded, humble, and considering the interests of others. We know that all these commands were given so that the Philippian believers may be united as one. So I want to reiterate the importance of being one; this unity is the way to stand tall together in God, against all oppositions.

“I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:11).

“I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:22).

The pattern of this world is pride and arrogance. We lived in such a pattern and  valued such a lifestyle. We also adored and cherished those who display pride and arrogance. That blood is still flowing through our bodies.

Yet Jesus our Lord is with us, who did wonderful work for us. He is cheering us on in our efforts to follow him. Now, as believers, we must set out our minds as Jesus had set his mind at the beginning of his salvation work. We must set our minds to being like-minded,  humble, and attending to others’ interests and needs.

May God be upon our minds as we seek to follow the mindset of Jesus our Lord!