“The Life of Unity!"
Captivated by Christ: An expositional sermon series on Paul's Letter to the Church in Philippi (message #12)
Pastor Jerry Ingalls
July 4, 2010 -- Happy Independence Day!
The word of God from Philippians 2:1-2 (NIV), “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.”
Philippians 1:27—2:18 is a powerful and rich section of Paul’s letter to the Philippians that is focused on living a life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The section starts in 1:27, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.”
We have learned from the last 2 weeks that the worthy life is made visible by the unity that is to be found among Christ-followers. It is our unity in the midst of external opposition and internal strife that serves as a sign to all of the power of God for destruction and salvation. Unity is not just a sign to the world; unity is the very essence of the Christian life! Reconciliation with God and then with one another is the basis for unity!
Unity is not an option for someone who has experienced the grace of God! Essentially, the bottom line of what Paul is exhorting in our Scripture lesson this morning, is that we have received so much from God, through Jesus Christ, that in gratitude to God we give to others the same love, comfort, and encouragement we have received.
Let’s study the first verse to see what exactly we have received from God. This first teaching point is the foundation to the life of unity! THE LIFE OF UNITY IS EXPERIENCED IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!
Paul passionately communicates in Philippians 2:1, "If you have any encouragement [paraklesis] from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship [koinonia] with the Spirit, if any tenderness [splanchna] and compassion [oiktirmoi]"
There are four clauses in this verse and one by one I want to highlight the four benefits we objectively and subjectively receive from our personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. I say objectively and subjectively because Paul’s call to unity is making an appeal to doctrinal truths as well as to your personal conversion experience through Jesus Christ! The Holy Spirit is calling each of us to remember how we have experienced our relationship with God.
First, we experience this relationship with God by our union with Jesus Christ! Above all things, there is one truth that calls us into unity and that is our union with Jesus Christ only possible through the Cross!
No matter what comes up against us in this life you can be encouraged that nothing can break your union with Jesus Christ! You have been bought at a price and we are one in Christ Jesus! Paul speaks of this unity in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
Together, we are encouraged by our union with Jesus Christ, but the emotion of encouragement is not enough for unity! So, let’s go deeper. The Greek word translated ‘encouragement’ is paraklesis and it is accurately translated ‘comfort’ or ‘encouragement’, but there is more in the usage of this word. We have learned in our studies from 1 John that Jesus Christ is the Paraclete or Advocate. And from the Gospel of John, we have learned that the Holy Spirit is the Paraclete or Comforter, Advocate, one who walks alongside of.
Within this clause we are reminded of the great benefit of a relationship with God. You now have Jesus Christ advocating/interceding for you at the right hand of the Father and you have the Holy Spirit who journeys with you every moment of every day to direct, encourage, convict, counsel, and comfort you. Our unity is found in an unceasing union with Jesus Christ! You are not alone!
Second, we experience this relationship with God by the comfort of God’s love! Our unity is built upon the great love that was lavished upon us that we would be called Children of God! Our unity rests upon the love of God demonstrated on Cross of Jesus Christ! The love of God that journeys with us through life’s difficulties!
This great love motivates us to comfort others as we have been comforted; to forgive as we have been forgiven; to reconcile as we have been reconciled! Paul states in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”
How has God comforted you in the midst of trouble and crisis? Our unity is found in the comfort of God’s love!
Third, we experience this relationship with God by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit! God’s love is not just a once upon a time event in history; God’s love continues to this day through His enduring presence in your life through the Holy Spirit. The Greek word koinonia translated “fellowship” can also be translated “partnership”. God has given us the continual presence of His perfect fellowship or partnership through the 3rd person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, living in us. Paul stated this in verse 1:27 and is now reiterating it clearly.
Paul teaches in Romans 5:5, “God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Paul is reminding the Philippians of the great benefits they experience as Christ-followers and now he ends this list with the most visible of the personal experiences of God’s grace. We experience this relationship with God by life transformation! These four experiences of Grace serve as the foundation for unity in the Church.
The last clause in 2:1 states, “if any tenderness [splanchna] and compassion [oiktirmoi]”. On the surface it seems that Paul is simply stating that if you have ever felt any tenderness and compassion in your life then that is a ground of meaning reason for unity, but that does not entirely fit the context of the other 3 clauses. That’s kind of like saying we can have unity by tolerating one another and behaving ourselves! Real unity is not toleration nor is just behaving!
So, I went deeper and looked at the words translated tenderness and compassion and I found something interesting. Splanchna was also used in 1:7 and literally means ‘inward parts’ and is used figuratively of the seat of emotions, the heart. Paul uses it to symbolize the whole person, expressing strongly and forcefully what concerns the personality at the deepest level, especially in a person’s capacity to love. Whereas oiktirmoi means ‘pity, mercy, and compassion.’ These are the feelings themselves reaching out to others.
Paul is teaching us that one of the experienced benefits of a relationship with God is life transformation to the innermost place of our heart to the outward way we live out our values towards other people. We are profoundly different from the inside-out because of Christ Jesus! Unity is only possible when we are transformed by God and given a heart transplant; when we are born again!
This is the great truth of God’s fellowship in our lives from 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
And a life of unity is completely dependent on this life transformation caused by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, who comes to live in us when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, who came to us in the greatest demonstration of God’s love ever known my humanity! The objective realities of doctrine and the subjective personal experiences of our salvation must be in the forefront of our thinking about unity, and together form the foundation on which we strive for the deeper unity among ourselves.
If I want to know what you believe, I’ll watch your life! Unity in the Church is the greatest sign of the gospel; do you believe? Then live a life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ; be unified!
This leads us into the second teaching point: THE LIFE OF UNITY IS EXPERIENCED IN CHRIST-CENTERED COMMUNITY! The life of a Christ-follower requires us to do life together; we cannot do this life alone!
From Philippians 2:2, "Then make my joy complete by being like-minded [phronete], having the same love, being one in spirit [sympsychoi] and purpose."
Paul is in chains, shackled to a Roman soldier, and he is saying, “Make my joy complete by…” Paul’s joy is not based upon his own circumstances or whether or not he gets free, whether he lives or dies. Rather, his joy is that the Church of Jesus Christ would do the one thing that is required to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ—live a life of unity together!
If you have experienced God’s grace and love then you must demonstrate it! Make my joy complete by…
First, we live out unity by setting our mindset on Jesus Christ!
The Greek word phronete translated, “being like-minded” refers to a mindset; an attitude toward life, values, and people. Paul is building to a crescendo that will erupt in the Christ hymn of Philippians 2:6-11 where Paul lays out the mindset of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2:5 gives the context for the Christ Hymn of 2:6-11, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:”
This is the ultimate goal of every Christ-follower--to be like the master. This is the function of discipleship—a disciple (or apprentice) intentionally commits him/herself to studying the person, works, and teachings of the master to become like him. Paul knows that unity in the Church arises when we put Christ above all things. Our mindset must by shaped by the One who has ushered in the Kingdom of God; the Lord Jesus Christ!
Second, we live out unity by expressing God’s love in relationships! It is not enough to transform our mindset; our hearts must come with this change of mind which means our relationships must look differently.
The beloved apostle John states in 1 John 3:23-24, “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.”
If you have union with Christ through faith then the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit lives in you as you live in Him. Then the world will see God’s love manifest in your life: you will love one another as Jesus Christ commanded us and modeled for us!
Look at it this way: your relationship with God is the thermostat and your relationship with people is the thermometer. If the thermometer (your relationships with other people) is reading lukewarm or icy cold, then the only way to raise the temperature is to adjust the thermostat (your relationship with God!). You cannot will yourself to have healthy loving relationships just like you cannot will your apartment or house to be the right temperature. You have to adjust the thermostat. In life, the only true source for love is your relationship with God. If we are not unified in the body of Christ, then that is a symptom of our lack of discipleship! We are unified when we are being conformed to the image of God together!
Lastly, we live out unity by acting in one accord together! The Greek word sympsychoi translated “being one in spirit” literally means ‘one-souled’. The emphasis is on our volition or will to choose. We must intentionally use our free will for one purpose; to act in one accord together for the glory of God!
And we have learned through this letter: our purpose is to exalt Jesus Christ in this life until we are in the presence of the exalted Christ in the next life. Paul has very clearly laid out what our unified purpose is as Christ-followers.
In Romans 15:5-6, Paul states, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
The priorities of unity are for agreement in the Truth of Jesus Christ (mind), the living out of God’s love in our relationships (heart), and the direction of our will (soul) toward God.
The Holy Spirit is knocking on the door of your heart, mind, and soul this morning: How does your life reflect your faith? If you have received the gift of God’s love, the union with Jesus Christ, the perfect fellowship of the Holy Spirit, and you have experienced life transformation brought about by salvation then make my joy complete by living a life of unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ!
When asked what was the greatest commandment of God’s Law, “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart [expressing God’s love in relationships!], all your soul [acting in one accord together!], and all your mind [setting our mindset on Jesus Christ!].’ This is the first and greatest commandment’” (Matthew 22:37-38).
The life of unity starts and ends with your personal relationship with Jesus Christ and your commitment to discipleship!
Invitation
"Jesus Christ must become greater; I must become less." - John 3:30
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