The path to unity is not waiting on everyone else to align themselves with you. Fight against personal selfishness and work toward humble servanthood.
Philippians 2:1-4
2 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
The Reason to Fight Selfishness (2:1)
- “Encouragement in Christ” – You shouldn’t need the acceptance of anyone else if you are confident that you are in Christ.
- “Comfort from love” – Through the deepest suffering of this life, I am comforted by a God who maintains a mesmerizingly amount of love for me.
- “Participation in the Spirit” – Since all believers are indwelled by the same Spirit, we should not have opposing directions.
- “Affection and sympathy” – God showers us with steadfast affection and genuine sympathy to remind us He hasn’t given up on us.
- You don’t have to fight for your best interests because Christ has already died for them.
The Goal to Oppose Selfishness (2:2)
- As a church, our joy can’t be complete if we each believe it to be contingent on different things.
- Unity is not uniformity, but it is unidirectionality.
- A church will be united with one another when all are aligned with Jesus.
The Way to Stop Selfishness (2:3-4)
- If your greatest concern is your personal agenda, you are unable to experience God’s fullest will for your life.
- If you truly know yourself, humility should not be a difficult trait to pursue.
- Following Jesus means that I should live in such a way that every other person is more important than myself.
In Christ, I received what I didn’t deserve, so I should be able to give others what they don’t deserve.