Episode 2644 - Lesson 4 - Sabbath January 17 - Unity through humility

Read for This Week's Study: Philippians 2:1-11, Jer. 17:9, Phil. 4:8, 1 Cor. 8:2, Rom. 8:3, Heb. 2:14-18Memory Text: "Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind" (Philippians 2:2, NKJV).Unity is strength. But knowing what is true is not the same as doing it. We all fail sometimes, despite our best efforts at unity. But that's not the same as deliberately undermining unity. No wonder, then, that as Paul continues writing to the Philippians, he wants them to be "of one accord, of one mind."Paul bases the necessity of unity on the teaching and example of Jesus. It's a theme that we find throughout the New Testament and especially in the epistles. The origin of disunity in the universe stemmed from the pride and thirst for position and power of a single angel in heaven, a sentiment that spread quickly, even within a perfect environment (see Isa. 14:12-14). It then gained a foothold in Eden through a similar discontent with the rules God had put in place and the desire for rising to a higher sphere than that which God had designed (Gen. 3:1-6).This week we'll look at the biblical basis for unity in the church, focusing especially on the amazing condescension of Jesus, the lessons we can gain from beholding Him, and how we can grow to be more like Him.* Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, January 24.