Philippians 2:1-4
Today we are going to look at the Christian virtue of humility. We have seen in chapter 1 of Paul’s letter that he wants the Philippians to conduct themselves worthily of the gospel of Christ. Last week we read verse 27 when he says “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ … stand firm in one spirit and contend as one man for the faith of the gospel.” He says this to teach them how to respond to outsiders who opposed them. Stand firm together and contend alongside each other for the faith against those who oppose you – it’s the Church’s unity in relation to outsider persecution.
Now, as he opens chapter 2, Paul zero’s in closer to the details of inner-church-life. He has moved past the issue of their conduct towards unbelievers, and, has now moved into their relationship towards one another; believer to believer; Christian to Christian.
There is a key word in this passage that cannot be taken out of the text. Without this word, the text is fruitless and doesn’t work. Everything is related to this word. It is the word “humility.” Everything Paul says in these 4 verses – and really up to verse 11 – has to do with humility, because humility is the glue that holds the church together in unity. Paul says in verse 2 that his great desire, and the one thing that will complete his joy – the thing that he needs from them so that his joy is no longer lacking – is their unity. “Being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Unity is the goal, but humility is the nails that hold together the house of God. Humility is the tendons that hold the body parts together in the body of Christ. Without humility, everything falls apart into division, discord, and disunity.
The word “humility” here in the passage actually reads, “be humble in mind”. It’s the Greek word which means, to think with lowliness. When a person thinks with lowliness about themselves it means they consider themselves to be small in their own eyes. In other words, when you are ‘humble in mind’, then you do not make much of you. One person has defined humility as having insight into your own insignificance.
George Washington Carver, the scientist who developed hundreds of useful products from the peanut: "When I was young, I said to God, 'God, tell me the mystery of the universe.' But God answered, 'That knowledge is reserved for me alone.' So I said, 'God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.' Then God said, 'Well, George, that's more nearly your size.' And he told me."
To help us understand humility better, we need to understand pride.
Pride is the opposite of humility. Pride is when we give to ourselves more credit, more entitlement and more value than what we really deserve. It’s an inflated and exaggerated self-perception. We use phrases like, “He’s full of himself”, or, “She sits on her high horse”, or, “He’s always looking down on others”, or, “He never thinks he’s wrong”, or, “She thinks life revolves around her”. It is when we are thinking we are more than what we are.
And pride makes us want to be greater than everyone else. Pride says, “I am greater than you in how I look, how much I make, how good of a person I am, how right I am, in my opinions, and so on. It does not end. The sinful nature creates a sense of superiority to everyone in every way and in everything. Pride always makes you want to see yourself as betterand more important than the next guy.
And that’s why pride makes unity in the Church impossible. To a prideful person, nothing is of greater importance than themselves – not even the cause of the gospel. They’re concerned about their own agenda, their own interests, and their own advancement. There is a bumper sticker I see on this truck I pass a lot on the road. It says, “It’s all about me.” That is pride and it has no place in the Church.
We need to know too that God hates pride - because, at the heart, is competition with God. When a man has a prideful heart his heart says, “I’m greater than you, God. I’m greater in righteousness so I don’t need yours. I’m greater in wisdom – I know best. I’m greater as a judge – I’ll decide what is right and what is wrong. And, I’m greater in strength – I will do it on my own.” Add a prideful heart up and you have a man who thinks in his mind that he is worth more than God – “I deserve the glory that you have”. Listen: pride is taking glory that belongs to God and giving it to our self. Glory that is His; glory that is to be ascribed to Him alone; glory that only He is worthy of receiving; it is that glory that man seeks in his pride to have for himself. Only God is worthy of glory and he will not share it with anyone else. Isaiah 42:9 says, “I am the LORD, that is my name! I will not give my glory to another…”
How does God respond to the pride of man? Proverbs 16:5 says, “The LORD detests all the proud of heart.” In chapter 3:34 it says that “[God] mocks proud mockers.” Psalm 18:27 says, “[God] bring[s] low those who are haughty.” And again in Proverbs Solomon says God will bring disgrace and destruction on all those who are prideful.
But, as much as God hates pride, He loves and favors those who are humble.
According to Psalm 25 He guides and teaches the humble in His ways and the ways that are right. In Psalm 18 God saves the humble. In Proverbs 22 He gives honor and life to those who have humility. And in Matthew 23 we read the words of Jesus that God will exalt the humble, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” He loves humility in people so much that He will exalt them, and, He hates pride in people so much that he will shame them.
From our passage this morning I want us to see 4 ways to be humble in the Church. Four ways that help us create unity through humility.
Today we are going to look at the Christian virtue of humility. We have seen in chapter 1 of Paul’s letter that he wants the Philippians to conduct themselves worthily of the gospel of Christ. Last week we read verse 27 when he says “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ … stand firm in one spirit and contend as one man for the faith of the gospel.” He says this to teach them how to respond to outsiders who opposed them. Stand firm together and contend alongside each other for the faith against those who oppose you – it’s the Church’s unity in relation to outsider persecution.
Now, as he opens chapter 2, Paul zero’s in closer to the details of inner-church-life. He has moved past the issue of their conduct towards unbelievers, and, has now moved into their relationship towards one another; believer to believer; Christian to Christian.
There is a key word in this passage that cannot be taken out of the text. Without this word, the text is fruitless and doesn’t work. Everything is related to this word. It is the word “humility.” Everything Paul says in these 4 verses – and really up to verse 11 – has to do with humility, because humility is the glue that holds the church together in unity. Paul says in verse 2 that his great desire, and the one thing that will complete his joy – the thing that he needs from them so that his joy is no longer lacking – is their unity. “Being like minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Unity is the goal, but humility is the nails that hold together the house of God. Humility is the tendons that hold the body parts together in the body of Christ. Without humility, everything falls apart into division, discord, and disunity.
The word “humility” here in the passage actually reads, “be humble in mind”. It’s the Greek word which means, to think with lowliness. When a person thinks with lowliness about themselves it means they consider themselves to be small in their own eyes. In other words, when you are ‘humble in mind’, then you do not make much of you. One person has defined humility as having insight into your own insignificance.
George Washington Carver, the scientist who developed hundreds of useful products from the peanut: "When I was young, I said to God, 'God, tell me the mystery of the universe.' But God answered, 'That knowledge is reserved for me alone.' So I said, 'God, tell me the mystery of the peanut.' Then God said, 'Well, George, that's more nearly your size.' And he told me."
To help us understand humility better, we need to understand pride.
Pride is the opposite of humility. Pride is when we give to ourselves more credit, more entitlement and more value than what we really deserve. It’s an inflated and exaggerated self-perception. We use phrases like, “He’s full of himself”, or, “She sits on her high horse”, or, “He’s always looking down on others”, or, “He never thinks he’s wrong”, or, “She thinks life revolves around her”. It is when we are thinking we are more than what we are.
And pride makes us want to be greater than everyone else. Pride says, “I am greater than you in how I look, how much I make, how good of a person I am, how right I am, in my opinions, and so on. It does not end. The sinful nature creates a sense of superiority to everyone in every way and in everything. Pride always makes you want to see yourself as betterand more important than the next guy.
And that’s why pride makes unity in the Church impossible. To a prideful person, nothing is of greater importance than themselves – not even the cause of the gospel. They’re concerned about their own agenda, their own interests, and their own advancement. There is a bumper sticker I see on this truck I pass a lot on the road. It says, “It’s all about me.” That is pride and it has no place in the Church.
We need to know too that God hates pride - because, at the heart, is competition with God. When a man has a prideful heart his heart says, “I’m greater than you, God. I’m greater in righteousness so I don’t need yours. I’m greater in wisdom – I know best. I’m greater as a judge – I’ll decide what is right and what is wrong. And, I’m greater in strength – I will do it on my own.” Add a prideful heart up and you have a man who thinks in his mind that he is worth more than God – “I deserve the glory that you have”. Listen: pride is taking glory that belongs to God and giving it to our self. Glory that is His; glory that is to be ascribed to Him alone; glory that only He is worthy of receiving; it is that glory that man seeks in his pride to have for himself. Only God is worthy of glory and he will not share it with anyone else. Isaiah 42:9 says, “I am the LORD, that is my name! I will not give my glory to another…”
How does God respond to the pride of man? Proverbs 16:5 says, “The LORD detests all the proud of heart.” In chapter 3:34 it says that “[God] mocks proud mockers.” Psalm 18:27 says, “[God] bring[s] low those who are haughty.” And again in Proverbs Solomon says God will bring disgrace and destruction on all those who are prideful.
But, as much as God hates pride, He loves and favors those who are humble.
According to Psalm 25 He guides and teaches the humble in His ways and the ways that are right. In Psalm 18 God saves the humble. In Proverbs 22 He gives honor and life to those who have humility. And in Matthew 23 we read the words of Jesus that God will exalt the humble, “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” He loves humility in people so much that He will exalt them, and, He hates pride in people so much that he will shame them.
From our passage this morning I want us to see 4 ways to be humble in the Church. Four ways that help us create unity through humility.
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