When I look at the church, I see a one-minded unity and a desire to fulfill the great commission here and around the world. I see our church as citizens of heaven who have formed a shield wall of faith. The shields in the Spartan army would create a wall that was almost impenetrable.
There are lots of things Paul is praising the church for in Philippians 2. They desired God’s Word to be taught. Paul praised them for being participants and supporters of the gospel. It doesn’t take very long for the shield wall to be taken down. It would only take 3 or 4 to focus on their preferences instead of the gospel for the shield wall to come down.
If the shield wall of faith comes down, it not only puts you in danger, but it puts the whole army of faith at risk. Unity is something we must always fight for so we can continue to be focused on the mission of the gospel going forward through the great commission.
Unity keeps us away from distractions like marginal issues, gossip, or less important matters.
Philippians 2:1-4 NASB
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any [a]affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete [b]by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing [c]from [d]selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Unity is not uniformity. It doesn’t mean we have to look, think and act the same. Unity binds us together internally. Unity is formed by God and held together through his Spirit. This isn’t just a matter of confession.
Imagine having a bag of marbles. The external force that is holding them together is the bag. If there was a magnet that is amid metal shavings would be drawn together. We don’t need a bag to hold us together in the form of a confession. We need an internal magnet that draws us all together with a focus on the Spirit and on the gospel.
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel: Philippians 1:27
The road to unity is through humility, therefore let’s walk through this path together.
Paul seems to show us that the road to unity comes through humility in Philippians 2:1-4 NASB.
He gives us four motivators to be humble and consider others.
#1 Motivator: Encouragement in Christ
Is there any encouragement in your life because of Christ? Yes. Christ will never leave you nor forsake you. No matter what happens in your life, Jesus will be there with you. He will come alongside you as a companion and an encourager. The Holy Spirit is a constant source of encouragement.
Find someone that you don’t know that well and encourage them. Invite them to coffee, dinner or lunch and just encourage them. This activity will build unity. Reach out to someone you aren’t familiar with and spend time with them to encourage them. Take a photo with that person and share a selfie on social media using the hashtag #cogginencouragement.
#2 Comfort of Love
Comfort means the tenderness you experience from your relationship with God in Christ. Think back on a moment when God has been tender with you. Maybe it was in a financial situation or a family loss, someone came to you and consoled you. If God has ever consoled you, pass that consoling tenderness onto someone else.
#3 Fellowship of the Spirit
We have fellowship with God in Christ because of the encouragement of the Holy Spirit. We can now share fellowship with one another. This is a fellowship of love that we share with one another as believers. God gives you this gift of fellowship in the spirit.
#4 Affection and Compassion
Have you experienced the comfort and compassion of God? We receive comfort from God as the God of all compassion. Once it pours down on you, but it’s not only meant for you. You must therefore share that compassion with one another.
Does a building hold the church together? A budget? A creed? No, there’s more. It’s a desire to know the gospel and see it spread around the world. If you are motivated toward unity, these are the marks of unity:
1. Being like-minded. This means our will, emotions and attitudes. We aren’t robotic, we don’t have to think the same things, but we submit to the same process of thinking in alignment with God’s will for every part of our lives. May we be marked by liked-mindedness.
2. Having the same love. This is unconditional love. The same love Jesus has shown to you, you should show to others. When Jesus was on the cross, Jesus saw you as more important than himself.
By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another. – John 13:35
People know that we are disciples of Christ by how we love one another.
John 15:12-14
12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. 14You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.
By laying His life down for us, He showed that He cared more about us than He cared about Himself. That’s the kind of love He wants us to show for one another. This kind of love extends patience to others because God has been patient with you. It extends forgiveness to others because God extended forgiveness to you. Forgiveness and patience are magnetic. They are also attractive. The world should be able to look at the church and see selfless patience and forgiveness.
3. Being united in the spirit. This word means “one sold”. This means to be harmonious, on one accord. We function as a team because we have the same passion to achieve the same goal. Our unified passion as a body of believers is to bring glory to God’s name.
4. Being of one purpose. If we have one passion, our purpose is to know and surrender to the gospel. Our one purpose of seeing God glorified is through the gospel. We are unified because we’re like-minded not because we look the same on the outside. We are unified because we have the same passion for advancing the gospel.
Humility is the path of Christ and the road to unity. We can only achieve unity when we stop living for ourselves. Selfishness always leads to strife. Most of the troubles we have in this world arise from self-focus and selfishness.
Do nothing out of vanity or empty conceit. Vanity is emptiness. You can be full of pride and empty of purpose. There are so many people who struggle with emptiness. People who are acting for themselves will always feel empty, even after achieving a measure of success. People who give themselves away will be filled with the joy and fulfillment of the Holy Spirit.
For what does it benefit a person to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? – Mark 8:36
These verses are the keys to unlocking joy in your relationships. These keys will bring people together that would be torn apart if they were alone. If children would serve their parents above themselves, their relationships would be better. If husbands put their wives above themselves, your relationship would be better. Consider your boss more important than you. This key will make your business and your relationships more successful. This concept of serving one another in humility would cause us to arrive at a place of growth and unity.
