Philippians 2:1-4 - The Submissive Mind

Let nothing be done through selfish ambitionor conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better thanthemselves. Let each one of you look not only for his own interests, but alsofor the interests of others.” Now,if you have been with us through chapter 1, you know that the Apostle Paul iswriting from a Roman prison. Yet his letter is saturated with joy. The wholebook teaches that if you want real joy, you must have the right mindset. Youneed a mindset that is fixed on Jesus Christ. Chapter 1 tells us you need asingle mind: “For me to live is Christ.” Paul wrote that this mindsetkeeps our joy steady, no matter what our circumstances might be. Now,as we come to chapter 2, Paul introduces the next great secret of Christianjoy. It is the submissive mind—a mind that is submitted to the Lordshipand the will of God. The church at Philippi was a wonderful congregation. Theywere generous, loving, and courageous in their faith. But they were not withoutproblems. My friend, that reminds us there is no perfect church. If you everfind the perfect church, I have heard it said many times, that once you joinit, it will not be perfect anymore. Yousee, the church is not a congregation of people trying to display theirspiritual trophies. It is a place where lost sinners, broken sinners, andbroken people can find hope in Jesus Christ. And it is a place where savedsinners can learn to live for Christ and display His glory. Thechurch is a wonderful place. But the Apostle Paul had heard, while in prison,through Epaphroditus that two prominent women in the church, Euodia andSyntyche, were in conflict. Their disagreement had the potential to divide thewhole church. At the same time, there were pressures from the outside. Falseteachers were pressing in, trying to disrupt the truth of the gospel. Paulunderstood something very clearly about the church: disunity is one of Satan’sfavorite weapons. It grieves the Lord, weakens the church, and damages itswitness to the world. So Paul, before giving one of the greatest examples ofhumility and submission in verses 5–11—the example of the Lord Jesus Christ—he firstlays a foundation in verses 1–4. Nowlisten very carefully. In these first four verses we just read, he appeals tothe highest spiritual motives. Because we are in Christ, because we havereceived the comfort of His love, the fellowship of His Spirit, and the tendermercies of God, we are called to live in unity. Paul is not calling for outwarduniformity forced by rules. He is calling for inward spiritual unity that flowsfrom hearts that are right with Christ and right with one another. Thekey verse here is found in verse 3, where he writes, “Let nothing be donethrough selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteemothers better than themselves.” In chapter 1, it was Christ first. Inchapter 2, it is others next. And Paul gives us four examples of humility and asubmissive mind in this chapter: the Lord Jesus Christ in verses 5–11, theApostle Paul himself in verses 12–18, Timothy in verses 19–24, and Epaphroditusin verses 25–30. Hegives us these examples to show what it truly means to have a submissive mind.But everything begins right here in verses 1–4. If we understand and applythese verses, the rest of the chapter will come alive. My friend, as we studythis chapter together, may God help our hearts to be open to His holy Word. Mayour hearts be open to live in submission to His truth, and in submission to theLord Jesus Christ. What a difference it will make in our churches and in theworld around us.