Philippians 2:1-5

August 20, 2006

Christian Unity and Christ’s Humility

2:1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any affection or mercy, 2:2 complete my joy and be of the same mind, by having the same love, being united in spirit, and having one purpose. 2:3 Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. 2:4 Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. 2:5 You should have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had,

It all sounds so simple. I want to live a righteous life and God has provided a perfect example in the life of his Son. So just emulate Him, right? Wrong! This sin-stained soul will never be able to hack it. In the next poetic passage, Paul talks about the perfect example Himself.

The unhappy reality of my struggle against selfishness is more than counter-balanced by the hope I have in Jesus Christ. I know from Scripture that the tension between who I naturally am and who I spiritually will be is a normal part of the life hid with Christ in God and will not go away this side of the grave. -sdg-

Posted by Dave | Filed Under Bible