This is Part 2 of a series on Philippians 2. You can read Part 1 here.
Philippians 2 begins with a call for unity as followers of Christ. Paul is asking his readers in the church at Philippi to be unified, to work together for the good news of the gospel. The same thing is asked of us today as we read this passage.
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in His Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. (vs 1-2)
Paul emphasizes the reasons why we should be unified in these verses. He points out what forms the foundation of our unity as believers in Christ.
We have been united with Christ. When we choose to accept the gift God offers us through His Son, we are united with Christ. The One who paid the debt of our sins for us. This is the reality for all of us who claim to follow Christ.
We are all loved by God. And that love is equal for each of us because we are His creation. We are all equal before God and He loves us all the same. We don't have to do anything to try to earn His love. He loves us anyways. There is comfort in that. And it puts us all on level ground as believers.
We all have the Holy Spirit in us. When we accepted God's gift we were given the Holy Spirit. All of us have the Holy Spirit in us to guide us and give us wisdom if we choose to listen.
Because of the great gifts we have been given by God, we are filled with tenderness and compassion towards others. We have received tenderness and compassion from God and it begins to flow out of us and change the way we interact with others.
Paul is telling the church at Philippi that these are reasons why they should be united - "being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind." He's not telling them they all have to be exactly the same. Paul is saying that the motive and the reason behind what they do should be the same.
As followers of Christ, we should all have the same purpose, we should all be working towards the same thing - even if the specifics of how we do it looks different.
Unity doesn't mean clones. It doesn't mean everyone does exactly the same thing in the same way. It means we are all working together, in our own way and roles, toward a common purpose. That is the unity Paul is speaking of here.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Monday, October 6, 2014
Follow Christ's Example
Following Christ and following His example and teaching of how to live is a high calling. We're called to live in a way that is counter-cultural.
When I was at Bible college, the words of Philippians 2 became familiar. My first year, part of this chapter was the theme verse for my hall. And my second year, a large part of it was the theme for the entire school. Philippians 2 is a chapter I find myself returning to continually and finding that there is still more I can learn from it.
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in 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 of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped;
rather, He made Himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself
be becoming obedient to death -
even death on a cross!
Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God in a crooked and depraved generation." Then you will shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labour in vain.
-Philippians 2:1-16
In these words, Paul calls the church at Philippi to a high standard of living. And that same call is extended to us. It's a standard we can't meet on our own, but Paul also speaks of how we get what we need to live it in this passage. Thankfully, we can assured that God will "work in us to will and to act according to His good purpose." (vs. 13). It's not up to our own willpower to do this. It's God in us.
For the next while, some of my posts are going to take a look at exactly what is being said in this passage and how God is calling us to live as His followers.
When I was at Bible college, the words of Philippians 2 became familiar. My first year, part of this chapter was the theme verse for my hall. And my second year, a large part of it was the theme for the entire school. Philippians 2 is a chapter I find myself returning to continually and finding that there is still more I can learn from it.
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in 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 of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped;
rather, He made Himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
He humbled Himself
be becoming obedient to death -
even death on a cross!
Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.
Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God in a crooked and depraved generation." Then you will shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labour in vain.
-Philippians 2:1-16
In these words, Paul calls the church at Philippi to a high standard of living. And that same call is extended to us. It's a standard we can't meet on our own, but Paul also speaks of how we get what we need to live it in this passage. Thankfully, we can assured that God will "work in us to will and to act according to His good purpose." (vs. 13). It's not up to our own willpower to do this. It's God in us.
For the next while, some of my posts are going to take a look at exactly what is being said in this passage and how God is calling us to live as His followers.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Our Need for a Place & a Way to Refresh
Coffee grinders buzz as beans are ground to make the next drink. Metal spoons bang against cups of steamed milk poured out to make the next drink. The scent of fresh ground coffee fills the air. Murmurs of conversations around me. Moments of silence where the music is heard clearly after being drowned out by other noise before.
Some people call this place my office. Some call it my second home. Some are so used to seeing me there, they wonder when I'm not.
Coffee shops have easily become a favourite space for me.
A place for conversation with a friend.
A place to read a book.
A place to write.
A place to hear from God.
People walking by my table. Some in a hurry - grabbing a cup of coffee for the rush to the next place. Some take their time - lingering with a friend or a good book. Those who know exactly what they want and those still undecided.
Hot or cold? Tea? Just coffee? Or a special drink? Any food with it?
I watch the people coming in as I sit and sip my latte. Such diversity of people coming in. I wonder why they come.
Why do you choose a busy coffee shop over the quiet of your house? It's a question I'm asked regularly. It's a logical one. My house is as quiet or as loud as I choose for it to be. It seems a good place to think or wrote or read or pray.
But it's also filled with distractions . . . the dishwasher that needs emptying, the floor that needs vacuuming, the laundry that needs doing, the computer or TV vying for my time. For me, sometimes I just need to leave those things behind. Other times I can put them aside and remain at my home.
The truth is, I think we all have places we like to go or things we like to do to escape the demands of everyday life. We need those place and activities. They renew and refresh us, so we have the energy and perspective fro the daily demands of life. As long as our escapes are realistic in time and don't cause harm to us or others, they are beneficial to our lives, even necessary.
For me, that escape is often to a coffee shop to read or write or pray for a couple hours. For others, it might be a hike or a run or a bubble-bath at home. We all need these times if we're going to live the life we've been given to live by God. We weren't created to go nonstop without a break or time to refresh.
Where is that place for you? What is the activity you do to refresh?
Some people call this place my office. Some call it my second home. Some are so used to seeing me there, they wonder when I'm not.
Coffee shops have easily become a favourite space for me.
A place for conversation with a friend.
A place to read a book.
A place to write.
A place to hear from God.
People walking by my table. Some in a hurry - grabbing a cup of coffee for the rush to the next place. Some take their time - lingering with a friend or a good book. Those who know exactly what they want and those still undecided.
Hot or cold? Tea? Just coffee? Or a special drink? Any food with it?
I watch the people coming in as I sit and sip my latte. Such diversity of people coming in. I wonder why they come.
Why do you choose a busy coffee shop over the quiet of your house? It's a question I'm asked regularly. It's a logical one. My house is as quiet or as loud as I choose for it to be. It seems a good place to think or wrote or read or pray.
But it's also filled with distractions . . . the dishwasher that needs emptying, the floor that needs vacuuming, the laundry that needs doing, the computer or TV vying for my time. For me, sometimes I just need to leave those things behind. Other times I can put them aside and remain at my home.
The truth is, I think we all have places we like to go or things we like to do to escape the demands of everyday life. We need those place and activities. They renew and refresh us, so we have the energy and perspective fro the daily demands of life. As long as our escapes are realistic in time and don't cause harm to us or others, they are beneficial to our lives, even necessary.
For me, that escape is often to a coffee shop to read or write or pray for a couple hours. For others, it might be a hike or a run or a bubble-bath at home. We all need these times if we're going to live the life we've been given to live by God. We weren't created to go nonstop without a break or time to refresh.
Where is that place for you? What is the activity you do to refresh?
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