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Scripture Reading: Phil. 2:1-11
During the past few weeks, this passage of Scripture has often been in my heart. As Christians, we should pay close attention to this portion of the Bible.
Verse 1 says, "If there is therefore any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any tenderheartedness and compassions." If we look at the words of this verse, there does not seem to be anything that we can get out of it. Apparently it does not say much. But what does this verse really mean? After reading this verse, many people think that it is insignificant, but I must tell you that it has a very deep significance. If we can understand the significance of this verse, we can fulfill what is mentioned in the following verses. We may say that verse 1 is the "soil" of the succeeding verses. A seed cannot be sown in the air because the air had no ground in which the seed can be rooted. A seed has to be sown in a soil rich and deep enough to give it opportunity to grow. This verse is the soil, the nutrition, and the source of water for the next ten verses. Without this verse, it is hard for the next ten verses to be carried out.
The words "if there is...in Christ" are very important. According to Paul, if there is encouragement in Christ, then thinking the same thing, as mentioned in the next verse, could be achieved. If there is any consolation of love in Christ, then the love mentioned in the next verse can also be achieved. Furthermore, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, any tenderheartedness and compassions in Christ, then joining together in soul and thinking the one thing mentioned in the next verse can also be achieved. If there is no encouragement in Christ, we cannot think the same thing. If there is no consolation of love in Christ, we cannot have the same love. If there is no fellowship of the Spirit, and no tenderheartedness and compassions in Christ, we cannot be joined in soul or think the one thing. In short, we must have these things in Christ in order to have the result spoken of in the next verse. If we do not have these things in Christ, we cannot have the result in verse 2.
Brothers and sisters, do you have any encouragement and any consolation of love in Christ? Do you have any fellowship of Spirit, any tenderheartedness and compassions in Christ? If you do not have these things in Christ, how can you carry out what is mentioned in the subsequent verses? If you are in Christ and have encouragement, consolation of love, fellowship of the Spirit, and tenderheartedness and compassions, then it is very easy for you to think the same thing, have the same love, be joined in soul, think the one thing, and make the Lord's joy full.
Paul applies verse 1 as the source, foundation, fertilizer and nutrient. If there were no such verse, how could Paul advise the Philippian brothers and sisters to think the same thing, have the same love, be joined in soul, think the one thing, do nothing by way of selfish ambition, nor by way of vainglory, but to be lowly in mind and regard the virtues of others? How would the Philippian brothers and sisters answer him? They might say, "Sir, although these things are good, we cannot do them. Christ can do them but we do not have His strength. As long as we belong to the world, how can we accomplish this? To love those who are lovable is all right but to love those who are unlovable is hard. I have my mind and others have theirs. I have my thoughts and they have theirs. How can we be of one mind?" Therefore, Paul took care of this concern from the very beginning by telling them that all these things will become easy, "If there is...in Christ." In order to be satisfied and full, we need to be fed first. In order to be filled, we need to be fed first. In order to be strengthened, one needs to be supplied with strength first. One brother made a very good point. He said everyone exhorts others to "put out with more strength," but he would rather advise people to "put in more strength." If one does not put in strength, how can he put out strength? This is what verse 1 means. Paul shows us that there is strength in Christ. How very important are the words "in Christ"! Because I am in Christ, I am able. Outside of Christ I am a sinner, but in Christ I am saved. Outside of Christ I am a failure, but in Christ I am an overcomer.
Verse 2 says, "Make my joy full, that you think the same thing, having the same love, joined in soul, thinking the one thing." Because of the supply in verse 1, we have verse 2. Since we are "in Christ," we can do the things in verse 2. If we have taken a meal and are still hungry, we have taken our meal in vain. If we have something in Christ, we should be able to do many things.
Why do we need to "think the same thing"? Is this possible? Can we have "the same love"? Can we be "joined in soul, thinking the one thing"? While in Foochow I spoke with a brother about thinking the same thing. He said, "Does it mean that I have to change my mind to agree with yours or you have to change your mind to agree with mine? This might be easy to do with two people, but it would be hard with three people. Which of the two minds needs to be changed in order to agree with the third? It is even harder to be of one mind among four or five hundred or even one thousand. How can we think the same thing among so many minds?" According to Paul, it is easy to think the same thing. The answer is in verse 5, which says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." This does not mean that I lay aside my mind to be one with yours or that you lay aside your mind to be one with mine, but that we receive the mind of Christ into us. Your mind is one with His, and my mind is also one with His. If every one of us is one mind with Him, even though we are many, it is easy to be likeminded. When we set out to do something, you have your tune, and I have my song; you have your decision, and I have my opinion. At that time should you submit to me or should I submit to you? One might think that you should submit to me and another might think that I should submit to you. Neither is God's way. God's way is in verse 5: "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus."
Oh, what a loss to God if one brother or sister walks on the wrong path, unwilling to submit to Him! What a loss God will suffer! Being likeminded will not only make God joyful but make His joy full. Paul, in these verses, represents the Lord. God's heart and the Lord's heart can be made full of joy only when the believers are in the situation in verse 1! There are many things that can make the Lord joyful. But Christians with the same mind make Him not only joyful, but also make His joy full. To save people will make the Lord happy. To overcome will make the Lord happy too. But to be likeminded will make the Lord's joy full. We have to be likeminded to such an extent that whatever our mouth says, our hearts agree, and we practice accordingly. The words in this verse the heart. The Chinese character for the word mind has as its root the word heart. To be one is an inward and not an outward matter. God can make us one to the point that we are one not only in word but also in our heart.
The like-mindedness of some people is only in word but not in their hearts; their hearts are not one. Their attitude reveals this. People around them can tell the difference. Of course, these ones may still say with their lips that they are likeminded. This kind of like-mindedness is not what we mean. The like-mindedness that we mean is according to being "in Christ" in verse 1.
Verse 3 says, "Doing nothing by way of selfish ambition nor by way of vainglory, but in lowliness of mind considering one another more excellent than yourselves." This verse is still based on the fact that one is in Christ. Therefore, one who is in Christ should not do something and should do something. What does selfish ambition mean? It means that one has his own preference. Besides Christ he has his own aim. For example, if there is a problem between two persons and you take sides with one of them, you are wrong. You must stand only on the Lord's side for the Lord's sake; otherwise, you have selfish ambition.
What kind of glory is vainglory? There is a verse in the Bible which says, "More and more surpassingly, an eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor 4:17). Glory has a weight; it is not floating about but it is weighty. This kind of weighty glory can only be seen by God. The obvious glory — that which is easily seen by men — is vainglory. But man cannot secure this kind of glory. He can long for it but never obtain it. Who can secure anything that is vain and floating about? All man can do is constantly long for it.
Unfortunately, sometimes arguments occur among the brothers and sisters. They are either caused by selfish ambition or by some who are seeking for vainglory. One wants to be greater than the other. Both of them insist and neither will give in. In fact whoever who wants to be great cannot really become great because there are always those who are greater!
When a person is flattered and highly praised, it seems that he has received much glory. Actually, his feet are walking in vanity and emptiness. Brothers and sisters, please remember that all glory from man is vainglory. There is a story of a renowned English novelist who wrote a very famous novel. One day he was invited to a banquet by an English lord. There he met a lady who continued to praise his novel. He rose up and said to her, "You are not worthy to praise my writing." He considered the lady's compliment as shameful. Oh, who is worthy to compliment us? Apart from the Lord, no one is worthy! Whenever someone praises us, we become degraded. Should we then covet praise? If your heart is for the future, aspiring to the Lord's word of "good and faithful servant," and if you desire the crown in that day, how can you receive and seek after someone's praises today? Moreover, no one is worthy to praise us.
We should not only shun vainglory on the negative side but, on the positive side, we should in lowliness of mind consider one another more excellent than ourselves. What is lowliness? Lowliness means to leave no ground for oneself. Whoever gives ground to himself can never be lowly. All those who say that they have some kind of authority, and that they should receive something will never be lowly. To be lowly is to leave no ground for oneself. One may speak words of lowliness with his lips, but may not be lowly in his mind. Many things that pass through the lips may not necessarily pass through the heart.
How is an attitude of lowliness of mind expressed? It is expressed through "considering one another more excellent than yourselves." Considering others more excellent than yourselves is a sign or trademark of lowliness. How difficult it is to consider others more excellent than yourselves! Once I met an elderly Christian who had served the Lord many years. A brother asked him, "Of all the Christian virtues, which is the most difficult to attain?" He replied, "The most difficult thing to attain is Philippians 2:3, which says, `in lowliness of mind considering one another more excellent than yourselves.'" Indeed, being lowly in mind is most difficult! What sin caused Satan to become Satan? It was pride. He fell because he wanted to be equal with the Most High. What sin caused man to become a sinner? It was also pride. Adam thought that after eating the fruit he would be like God, discerning good and evil, so he ate and fell. Lowliness of mind is the most difficult of all the virtues to attain. Perhaps no one on earth can genuinely achieve it. It is possible to find some who have ability, eloquence, or talent. But it is very difficult to find a genuinely humble person.
How can we consider others more excellent than ourselves? One believer put it well by saying, "When I look at myself, I look at my old man; when I look at others, I look at their new man." If we recognize our nature and corruption, and we consider God's grace upon others and His transformation of others, we cannot help but consider others more excellent than ourselves. The believers in Rome should have received help from Paul, but Paul wanted to receive help from them because their faith had spread abroad. Paul wanted to receive help from the recent work God had done among them.
I once brought a problem to a Western missionary. I asked, "Does God demand more from the believers, or do the believers demand more from their fellow believers? My thought was that perhaps God demanded more. I considered that because we are so low and the Lord is so high, He would demand more. She replied, "No." I asked her for the reason, and she said, "What we can see are men's obvious failures; but what the Lord sees are men's hidden victories." Indeed, this word comes from deep experiences. What we see is a person's obvious failures — once, twice or even tens of times. But the Lord sees his hidden victories — once, twice or hundreds of times. Perhaps you were tempted five times and failed five times, while someone else was tempted three times but failed only once. Perhaps he has many hidden victories which you have not yet seen. You may have had ten battles and were defeated only once; he may have had hundreds of battles and been defeated only once. If we understand this, we cannot but consider others more excellent than ourselves.
Verse 4 says, "Not regarding each his own virtues, but each the virtues of others also." This is not an easy matter. Due to my bad health in recent years, I have often been unable to take care of the things of others. Oftentimes it seems that we cannot even take care of our own things. How can we then regard the virtues of others? Regarding the virtues of others requires a life of self-denial. Recently I met a lady missionary from the China Inland Mission. I asked if she had met Mr. Hudson Taylor and whether she had seen anything special about him. She said, "According to what I know, he has a special characteristic: whenever you visit him, it seems that he is not busy. He considers your matter to be the most important. Actually his day is filled with writing many letters and seeing many people. He cares for others as though he has no other cares." This is self-denial. Oh, if the Lord were as cold as we are, not caring for anyone, where would you or I be today? The Lord cared for the things of men. He died because of our sins. We must learn to be a person who cares for the things of others.
Verse 5 says, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." This verse is a conclusion of verses 1 through 4. If one seeks for encouragement in Christ, much more can be said. If we have the mind of Christ Jesus, everything will be fine with us, and we can do all things. Since some may ask, "what is the mind of Christ?", Paul gave his answer in verses 6 through 8.
Verses 6 through 7 say, "Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped, But emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men." Christ was entitled to lawfully hold His existence in the form of God; He is worthy to hold this as His right. Therefore, He "did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped." He "emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men." What kind of mind is the mind of Christ? The mind of Christ involves Him giving up His legal right. Perhaps you wish that certain ones would treat you a certain way. But Christ did not even claim what He was entitled to. He did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped; rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave. This is the mind of Christ.
Brothers and sisters, I often feel that legal rights are not a good thing because we all think that we are entitled to certain legal rights. But our Lord said, "You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and the great exercise authority over them. It is not so among you" (Matt. 20:25-26). The teaching of Matthew 5 through 7 can be summarized in two phrases: give up what you deserve and, instead, receive joyfully what you do not deserve. Others can demand an eye for any eye, a tooth for a tooth, but the Lord said to pray for those who persecute you. Lay aside what you deserve and receive what you do not deserve. On these hang all the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 22:40). Whether at home or abroad, no Christian should voice his right. If the Lord had said, "Can the Father send me?", the Father could not have sent Him. On the one hand, the Lord said, "I and my Father are one." At the same time, He also said, "My Father is greater than I." Is there a difference of great and small within the Triune God? No. The matter of greatness and smallness is not based on existence but on willingness. The Father sent the Son, the Son sent the Spirit; this is the humility within the Godhead.
The form of a slave indicates the lowliness of Christ; the likeness of men indicates the human limitations suffered by the Lord. The form of a slave is in apposition to the form of God as man is in apposition to God. God is unlimited. But man is limited by time and space; he is limited in his eating, drinking, and sleeping. The form of God is glorious whereas the form of a slave is lowly. The mind of Christ is in His being willing to humble and restrict Himself.
Verse 8 says, "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of a cross." Christ's obedience is to obey One who is equal to Him, not One who is greater than He. Christ's obedience is an obedience even unto death, and that the death of a cross.
Brothers and sisters, Christians should be more in oneness and love. The way of verses 6 through 8 is truly the way of the cross! If a brother has not yet learned to deny the self, is still unwilling to lay down his legal right, and who does not know how to humble himself among his peers, then he has never walked the way of the cross. There was a Western missionary who said, "A certain person always encourages others to walk the way of the cross, the narrow way of the cross. However, I see him as one who has never entered into this way." Indeed, if we have never denied ourselves, we have never taken the way of the cross. We often say that we want to choose the way of the cross but we do not realize that we need to deny ourselves in daily matters that is, to die. This is the way of the cross.
Once a sister met a doctor who was an active believer in the Brethren group. He was well-educated, knowledgeable about the Bible, and quite eloquent in his preaching. This sister said to him, "Sir, what you preach is not wrong; but the way you take is wrong." He argued that what he preached was the denial of the self and the bearing of the cross. The sister said, "That is right; but what I see is that you have never died." He humbly sought for her advice, and she spoke frankly to him according to the Bible. Later he wrote her a letter, saying, "After you left, I told God that I did not know what the cross was, or what the way of the cross was, or what it was to deny oneself? I told Him, `God, in the midst of all my ignorance, I consecrate myself to You. I pray that You will enable me to deny myself.' After this, difficulties came. My wife opposed me. When I could no longer bear it, a voice reminded me, `In these matters you should deny yourself and die.' Formerly I preached about the cross and the denial of the self. Yet I did not realize in what things I should die and how to die? Now I know that it is carried out in the practical matters. When I speak in his way, many people are provoked to oppose me. My medical practice has also been affected. Now I know that I must die among those who are with me."
Brothers and sisters, many people know the truth and the necessity of denying the self, but how does one die? One dies among those he is with, among the people he can see and touch. May God bless us so that we can think the same thing, have the same love, be joined in soul, and think the one thing, so that the Lord's joy may be full.
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