Church at Philippi, Part 2

Thank you very much, Michael. That was really, really beautiful and extremely moving. Beautiful guitar. I love an acoustical guitar. And that was just really, really beautiful. Wonderful. Thank you so much. I want to pick up where we left off last time, going through Paul's letter to the Church of Philippi. It's an extremely important letter, especially when you look at what's happened here in the last month or so with United. But during the time of Paul's first imprisonment at Rome, probably somewhere between 16 and 62 AD, when he was imprisoned there in his own rented house, as it tells us next, 2830. During that time, probably around 61 AD or so, he wrote a letter to the Church of Philippi. The Church was he founded. The Church where he had a very intimate relationship with the members there, who had a great affection for them, a great deal of love. So he wrote in this letter in 61 AD, and he wrote as a friend to his friends. And he did enter himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ. He enters himself as a bondservant, as a slave of Jesus Christ. He not only addresses his letter to all the saints or all the brethren there, but also to the deacons and bishops or to the leaders of the Church of Philippi as well. As like I mentioned, you go through that letter, there's no indication in that letter of Philippians that there were any doctrinal problems in the Church of Philippi. Not even any glaring sins or problems of the members had individually.

But there was one major problem that he brings out. The Church of Philippi did not have unity. They weren't unified like they should have been. There was complaining. There was disputing, dissension. Some were seeking selfish ambition.

And that was tearing at the very fabric of the Church of Philippi. If you read between the lines, a little bit what Paul wrote there. Undoubtedly, that caused many of the members at that time to be confused. Which side should they believe? Which side should they align themselves with? Who was right? What's that Paul to say this, which we left off last time you turn back to Philippians? Philippians chapter 2, and I ended with this verse last time. Philippians 2 verse 12. Let him to write this to those beloved brethren that he had there in Philippi. He said, therefore my beloved, notice the affection that he had for them, how he was endeared to them. Therefore my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence as I'm a prisoner here in Rome, you can't come to you. He said, you've got a situation here where you need to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. So I want to pick it up from there today. We'll look a little bit more at what the cause of the disunity was, but the main thing we're going to look at today is what is the solution? What is Paul's solution to their disunity? And what did Paul mean, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling? Those are the questions I'll address today in part two. My title is The Church at Philippi, part two, and I guess you want to subtitle it, Disunity the Solution. I'll look at my last question first. What did Paul mean, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling? I think that applies to all of us today as well. What does he mean by that? How do we do that? See, this disunity, this contention within the Church of Philippi, if you stop and think about it. We don't have all the details here, but I can imagine that it probably been going on behind the scenes for a long time. In fact, I can imagine that it probably goes all the way back to 49 AD, and a decision was made in Jerusalem at that conference regarding the fact that they said it came to a decision that non-Israelites, non-Jews, Gentiles, if you will, did not have to be circumcised in order to become a member of the Church, in order to be saved. And I'm sure there were some who never agreed with that decision. Down in their hearts and back of their minds, they probably didn't agree with it. Maybe they accepted it for a while, but they didn't really agree with it. So I'm sure there was some difference over that that may have been brewing for a long time, even in the Church of Philippi. I'm sure some in leadership positions may not have accepted that decision, especially those who are of the circumcision, so to speak. In fact, that is strongly alluded to by Paul in chapter 3 verses 2 to 6, which I read last time. I'll go over that again. But number one, then, in working out our own salvation with fear and traveling, we have to come at some times to fully try to fully understand and accept maybe overall decisions the Church has to make, just like they had to do back then after that Jerusalem Conference. At least we have to come to understand them to the point where there are no longer major issues in our own minds, because we have faith in Christ as the Church that if there is something wrong there, that Christ in His own time and way will straighten it out and correct it.

Now, it's interesting that the Greek word Paul uses for work in verse 12 of Philippians 2 conveys the meaning of bringing to completion. So what Paul is saying there, you know, he's looking my beloved brethren, stay on the road, Jerome. Don't let someone take you off in another direction.

Check your attitude to make sure it's of the mind of Christ. And allow God to complete the work of salvation that had begun in you when you were called. This says in what Paul alluded to in chapter 1 verse 6, being confident of this very thing, that He has begun a good work in you. He will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ, if you keep your faith in focus on Jesus Christ and on God, and you keep your faith in God, the Father and Jesus Christ, and you look to them to work out problems that may arise that might cause disputes and so on. Don't allow someone to lead you off track, Paul was saying in essence. Now there are two overall aspects of salvation. One, and I say this is a major aspect of it, is of God. Salvation of God is God who calls and drew us to Jesus Christ. God knew us before we knew Him. He loved us before we loved Him. He called us. He found us. We didn't find Him.

So God began our process of salvation. He's the one that continues that process by working in us through His Holy Spirit, and He's the one that will complete it. In fact, only God can save us and give us the gift of eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ. We die, that's it, unless Jesus Christ, unless God the Father resurrects us. That's it. We cannot save ourselves. We cannot give ourselves that gift. It has to be of God. So first and foremost, salvation is of God. But there is another side to the equation. We also play a role. We at times have to work out our own salvation, in a sense.

So salvation sometimes can be dependent on us, on our relationship to God, based on our personal prayer, our Bible study, our meditation, what we allow our minds to think on and dwell on, how much we yield to God, how much we fast sometimes and ask God for the help that we need. How much we depend on God.

It's also based on our relationship to one another. And all the God we display towards one another or don't display towards one another, that can be a matter of salvation. Christ said, by this you all know you are my disciples if you have love one towards another. And John 1st John said, look, how can you love God and not love your brother? You can't. You might think you do, but you can't.

He loves God, has to love his brother also.

We have to work out our own salvation based on how we forgive others. Christ made it very plain. I'm very willing to forgive you for anything, but if you don't forgive your brother, I won't forgive you. And if God doesn't forgive us, we won't be saved. It can be based on whether or not we allow, and to what extent we allow, Christ to live his life in us. And how much we yield to the mind to Christ and develop the mind to Christ and the attitude to Christ. It can be based on what we learn from our trials and how we react and respond to our trials and whether or not we trust God to work things out for us or whether or not we take matters into our own hands. Those can all become matters of salvation. William Barclay makes an interesting comment regarding Philippians 2 and 12. He says, Without man's cooperation, even God is helpless. Now, I wouldn't go to say that much. I don't say he's helpless, but we can even curtail God in some way if we don't cooperate with God and yield to God. We can limit what God can do in some cases. What signs does Paul give to the Church of Philippi which indicate who is on the right road to working out their own salvation with fear and trembling? Let's continue here. Philippians 2, verse 13, he says, For it is God who works in you. No matter what you go through, God is working on a plan. He's working in you. Both the will and the do is good pleasure. It is God who works in us, but we also have to allow God to work in us. We can put up a stumbling block. We can put up a barrier. That makes it more difficult for God to work in us.

See, it is God's will and God's good pleasure that he wants to work in us, and he wants to see something displayed that would show that and reveal that. It would indicate that we are working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. What signs of salvation does God want to see in us? What does Paul give here? Signs that would indicate that God is working in us. Verse 14, here's a sign that God is working in us and that we are trying to be a part of that process and working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, cooperating with God. Do all things without disputing or complaining. Do all things without complaining and disputing. The old King James says, do all things without murmurings and disputings. Very interesting, and this is really embarking on these words, or not my words, it's his commentary, but it's very interesting what he says in regards to the words translated murmurings or complainings. He said, the word Paul uses for murmurings is unusual. In the Greek of the sacred writers, it has a special connection. It is the word used of the rebellious murmurings of the children of Israel on their desert journey. If you took that Hebrew word and used the Greek equivalent, that's this word here. The people murmured against Moses. It describes the low, threatening, discontented muttering of a mob who distrust their leaders and on the verge of an uprising. That's William Barkley's comment here. And you read between the lines here and you analyze this carefully. That was beginning to happen behind the scenes in the Church of Philippine. A sign of those who were working out their own salvation with fear and trembling was that they were doing all things without murmurings, without complainings, without disputing with one another, or things that weren't really all that important, or things that were not matters of salvation. Said they were living by faith and patience and looking to Christ as the head of the Church. Paul goes on in verse 15, that you may become... why should we do all things without murmuring, without complaining and disputing? Verse 15, that you may become blameless and harmless so that you can become children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation among whom you shine as lights in the world around you. Because that's the world, that's all the way they operate. They can never get along. They're all polarized against one another. They're always complaining and disputing. Look at politicians. It says you're a real life if you get by without doing that. If you can work things out among yourselves without disputing and coming to being against one another. And this is whole fast the word of life. Said I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Paul says, whole fast the word of life. You know, we hold fast to the truth of God's word. That's one way we hold fast. God's word is the word of life. We hold fast to that teaching. Teaching of the word of God, the teaching of Jesus Christ. And also we have to hold fast to living by and applying the word of life. That's the only way it really becomes a word of life for us, is we apply it in our own lives. It's guiding and directing our thinking, our actions, our reactions. We hold fast to living by every word of God, every word of Jesus Christ.

In our daily lives, no matter what we go through, no matter what we experience, whether it's fair or whether it's not fair.

So it means we always have to then check our own attitudes, have to check our thoughts. We have to check our feelings. We have to check and analyze how we react to different things. Are we exercising the mind to Christ? Are we reacting as Christ would react? Are we howling it as He would, according to God's word and what Christ taught and what Christ exemplified? We have to analyze, do my thoughts, my feelings, do they stem from the mind to Christ? Or do they stem from my own mind? Are they my thoughts? Are they God's thoughts? A number of years later, the Apostle Paul wrote this. Excuse me, Apostle Paul. I'm changing course. A few years later, the Apostle John wrote something very interesting. It's recorded in the first John. Let's turn to first John. First John chapter 4, where he says something I think the principle here applies to all of us as well. He said, Beloved, chapter 4, verse 1 of first John, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits for the sake of God. Now, a lot of ways we might take that and look at that, but I want to apply it as it can apply to attitudes and our thoughts. Don't believe that every attitude that somebody displays is unforgot. Test your own attitude. Test others' attitudes to see if they're of God or not. Would that be the type of an attitude and reaction that would come from God? God's Holy Spirit.

Now, see, Paul was addressing one thing in his letter to the church at Philippi. John is addressing something a little different here in his letter of first John. We have different things that we address today, but the principles that are taught here apply to all of us as well, to our situation. All these things can become very important aspects of working out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Let's get to the real, the hard and core of Paul's letter to the church of Philippi. What is Paul's solution to the disunity within the church? What is the solution? What do we need to learn? How can we apply what Paul writes here so that we can be sure we're always going to have unity? We're all going to stay together and encourage one another on the road that we are on towards the kingdom of God.

What is the solution for all disunity, wherever it may occur, and with whomever it may occur? See, Paul makes the solution very plain, and within his solution he also gives some further indications of what some of the things that can disrupt unity are. See, Paul knows that there's deep conflict within the church of Philippi, brewing below the surface, which is being demonstrated by the conduct of some towards others there at the church of Philippi. So, leading up then to the solution, he begins by saying this in chapter one, going back now to Philippians, going back to Philippians chapter one. He says, it's leading up to the solution, he says this beginning in verse 27 of chapter one of Philippians. He says, let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let your conduct be worthy so that whether I come to see you or whether I'm absent, still imprisoned here in Rome, then I may hear of your affairs, and I may hear that you stand fast together in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

That's quite a statement. Let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Boy, that's a high standard. That's a high standard of conduct to reach for and strive for.

Stand fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. Then he goes on to say in verse 28, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries. See, Paul realized that church in Philippi was becoming polarized, that there were adversarial positions taking place. That's wrong. It shouldn't happen. But don't be afraid of it. But learn what you need to learn. The Living Bible. I'm going to read some of this from the Living Bible. Is it paraphrases? It's just a paraphrase, but it gets to the point, makes it very clear. Living Bible paraphrases verses 27 and 28 this way. But whatever happens to me, Paul says here, according to the Living Bible paraphrase, remember always to live as Christians should. So that whether I ever see you again or not, I will keep on hearing good reports that you are standing side by side with one strong purpose, to tell the good news and fear, you'll tell the good news fearlessly, no matter what your adversaries may do. You'll stand together. If someone wants to take an adversary position, they've got a problem. That'd be their problem. But you stand together fast. And let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Going on in verse 29 in New King James, he says, "'For do it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.'" You know, all people they say, well, just believe in Jesus Christ and you should be saved. But here, Paul says, no, it's not enough just to believe. You have to believe. You have to have confidence. You have to know He was the Son of God. You have to know He died for you not to know He's a living right now at the right hand of His Father. And He's your end. He'd be there as a mediator for you. But in addition to that, you also have to be willing to suffer for His sake, he says.

Going on in verse 30, he says, "'Having the same conflict with what you saw in me, and now here is in me.'" Paul was suffering wrongful in prison, imprisonment, I should say. He was struggling for his very life at that particular time, not knowing whether if he ever faced near or whether he would ever be released from prison or not. But for the sake of unity, should not all of us be willing to suffer for the sake of Christ, for the sake of unity, so we can be one body? Isn't that what we all celebrate? A Passover, we take the bread that represents being one body, being together in unity? Isn't that why Christ died?

The Living Bible paraphrases verse 30 this way. He says, "'We are in this fight together. You have seen me suffer for him in the past, and I am still in the midst of a great and terrible struggle now, as you all know so well.'" Paul was suffering wrongful imprisonment. He was struggling. But he was willing to suffer for the sake of Christ. We continue on in chapter 2 where you get to a little hard core of how to solve disunity. And then New King James says, "'Therefore,' flipping to 2, 1, if there be any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affections in mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, being of one mind.'" The living Bible makes it very plain what Paul was getting at. Says, "'Is there any such thing as Christians cheering each other up?

Do you love me enough to want to help me? Does it mean anything to you that we are brothers in the Lord, sharing the same Spirit? Are you harsh, tender, and sympathetic at all? Then make me truly happy by loving each other and agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, working together with one heart, one mind, and one purpose. If Christ is living in us, as He should be, if we have the mind of Christ in us, then we should be able to fulfill this admonition. And if we can't, there's something lacking, there's something missing, there's something we haven't learned.

Because we should all want to help one another, to encourage one another, to cheer each other up. We should all share the same Spirit, the same attitude as spiritual brothers and sisters. We should all have tender hearts towards one another. We should all be sympathetic towards one another. We should all be truly happy by loving each other and agreeing with each other, where things that are really important, on things that are really pertained to eternal life in the kingdom of God. And if we all did that, then we could all work together with one heart, one mind, and one purpose, as Paul's advocating here. Then Paul gives the clear solution for just unity beginning in verse 3, where he says here, the New King James, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition. See, selfish ambition stems from an attitude of pride and vanity. And that kind of an attitude has no place in a true Christian, a true follower of Christ.

Pride is a true Christian. Pride, vanity, and selfish ambition are the exact antithesis of the mind of Christ. It's an attitude that is contrary to the mind of Christ. It's an effect we could say would be an anti-Christ attitude. Hold your place here. Let's turn back for a moment back again to 1 John.

1 John, go back to chapter 2. 1 John 2 verse 15, where John writes, do not love the world. Don't love the things in the world.

Find someone loves the world. The love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father, but of the world.

If we have any of those things, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life, all that leads to pursuing selfish ambition.

But in verse 17 it says, the world is passing away and the lust of it, but who does the will of God abides forever? And now we come to the Scripture. It backs up what I just stated, that pride, vanity, selfish ambition is basically an attitude that is contrary to the mind of Christ, that is anti-Christ, if you will. Verse 18, he says, little children, it is the last hour. And as you've heard that the anti-Christ is coming, the anti-Christ would be at the last in time, the one who would actually put himself in the place of Christ, calling himself God. But I do want to address this. Let's say the last hour here, and you might say, wait a minute, how could that be the last hour? This was written 2,000 years ago. Here we are 2,000 years later. What do you mean, the last hour? Well, at that time, they probably thought it was the last hour. But in a very real sense, this Scripture holds true for every Christian at every point in history. You know, our lives are very fragile. They're very temporary. Our lives can come to an end at any given moment. In a very real sense, for each and every one of us, any given time is our last hour, or potentially our last hour.

Verse 18 again, you've heard that the Antichrist is coming, but even now, he says, many Antichrists have come. I see many who have an attitude in the mind that's anti the mind of Christ, by which we know it is the last hour. So this again can be a sign of the time of the end. Time of the end, many will have an attitude just contrary to the mind of Christ. Even as Christ himself indicated in Matthew 24, 5, where he said, for many will come in my name, saying I am Christ, but they will deceive many. Happened in John's day.

It's happening now because we are, I believe, nearing the time of the end. Let's go back to the book of Philippians. Back to Philippians chapter 2. Again, I think this is probably one of the most important sections of Scripture in the New Testament. Philippians 2, verse 3, again, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, because selfish ambition and conceit stem from pride and vanity, which is an attitude that is contrary to the mind of Christ. And that kind of an attitude will always lead to disunity.

How can that attitude be countered? See, what is the solution for disunity? Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, verse 3, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself, and let each of you look out not only for your own interests, but look out for the interests of others, what's in their best interest. See, don't always pursue what's in your own best interest, but instead pursue what's in the best interest of others. In the case of the church, any leader who's been granted an opportunity to be in a leadership position in God's church, he should always pursue what's in the best interest of God's people. God's people, they're not his people, they're not my people, not any man's people, they're God's people. You should always pursue what's in the best interest of God's people.

That's about as basic as it gets.

So the solution for disunity is humility, which is pursuing what is in the best interest of others, not what is best in our own best interest.

The Living Bible paraphrases verses 3 and 4 this way. It says, don't be selfish. Don't live to make a good impression on others. If you're going to impress somebody, try to impress Jesus Christ. Don't worry about what others think. They don't count. The only one we're going to stand before is Jesus Christ. Be humble. Thinking of others is better than yourself. We can read those words, but it's hard sometimes to apply them.

And don't just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others too, and in what they're doing. Think about what is best for others, not what's best for yourself, he's saying. And think about the example of Jesus Christ, that Jesus Christ himself set for us to follow. Going on in verse 5, think of the example of Jesus Christ. And let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider robbery to be equal with God. But yet he made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, taking the form of a slave, not just a servant, but a slave, and coming the likeness of men, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Those verses may be the most important verses in the entirety of the New Testament. It's crucially important, especially at this time, to understand the full impact of what they mean. Again, the Living Bible helps us to do that. I want to read how the Living Bible paraphrases, Philippians 2, verses 5 through 8. Your attitude should be the kind that was shown to us by Jesus Christ, who, though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God, but instead he laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave, becoming like men. And then he humbled himself even further, going so far as to actually die a criminal's death on a cross. See, how far should humility take us when it comes to pursuing what is in the best interest of others? How far must we humble ourselves? How far did humility take Jesus Christ? See, to what extent did Christ humble himself to pursue what was in the best interest of the people of the world? Not just people we might disagree with, but people who hated him, people who were instrumental in putting him to death, and yet he still did what was in their best interest because he loved them and he wanted to save them.

He humbled himself to that extent.

You know, before he became flesh, Christ was God. He had all the rights and privileges of God.

He had the right to eternal life. He had eternal life. But for the sake of mankind, he did not demand or cling to his rights, says God. He gave all that up to do what was in the best interest of mankind so mankind could be saved and have an opportunity to be given eternal life. For the sake of mankind, he did not demand or cling to his rights. But how often do we as human beings, and you look at the world around you, how often do human beings want to demand or cling to what they feel are their rights? That's a propensity of human nature, isn't it? Our rights maybe to hold on to a particular leadership position that we think we deserve to stay in. Our rights to hold on to an office or a title. Our rights to demand or hold on to a particular salary. Our rights are demanded to get a certain salary increase, pay increase. It's my right. I demand my right to get a pay increase.

There are people who do that. Maybe you want to hold on to our rights to be recognized and rewarded for what we do. When really we can do nothing except what God does in us.

See, what example did Christ set for all of us to follow? See, Christ was God, and he did not cling to his rights. He gave up all those rights. He hummed himself to that extent. He did not cling to or demand his rights, though he was God. And then the living Bible states he humbled himself even further, going so far to actually die a criminal's death on a cross. He died as a criminal, as a convicted criminal.

You know, as God in the flesh, Christ also had rights he could have clung to, but he could have demanded. He had the power and the right, even as God in the flesh. He had certain power and certain rights, and he knew who he was. He understood the power that he had available to him, and he understood the rights that he had available to him. He understood who he was. Go to John chapter 8.

John chapter 8, verse 53. John chapter 8, verse 53.

When the Jews came to him and they asked him, verse 53, the Jews asked Jesus Christ, he said, Are you greater than our father Abraham who was dead?

And the professor did? Well, who do you make yourself out to be? Jesus answered, verse 54, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing. It is my father who honors me, of whom you say that he is your God. And yet you have not known him, but I have known him. And if I say I do not know him, I should be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word.

And then he said in verse 56, he told the Jews, he said, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. And he saw it and was glad. They said, Whoa, wait a minute. You knew Abraham? Why, you're not 50 years old. He was only in his 30s. And you've seen Abraham? Who do you think you are? And Jesus said to them in verse 58, Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was, I am. Christ knew who he was. He knew who he had been before he became flesh. He understood. He remembered all his experiences as the word was God and was with God at the very beginning.

He clearly understood his past as God. And he understood the power and rights and privileges he still possessed as God in the flesh. Turn to Matthew 26. Matthew 26, beginning in verse 52. Jesus said to him, Well, put your sword in his place. And of course, this is when he was up on the Mount of Olives on Passover night, being arrested. And of course, as we know from another account, it was Apostle Peter who drew his sword and cut off the servants here. And he said, Put your sword in his place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. And then he said in verse 53, Do you not think that I cannot now pray to my Father? And he will provide me with more than 12 legions of angels, and he can rescue me from this fate right now. I have the power and the right to demand that he rescue me, and he would. But, he said in verse 54, How then could the scripture be fulfilled that it must happen this way? But even as God in the flesh Christ still possessed power and rights and privileges, he had the right and the power to avoid being crucified, to avoid the suffering. But he did not demand or cling to his rights. Instead, he died a criminal's death on a cross. He did that so we could become one with he and his Father. And so we could be saved, so we could be given the gift of eternal life, if we can just become like him.

What price? You know, you think about unity. Unity is not free. There's a cost to achieving unity. What price must be paid for the sake of unity and for the sake of salvation? What price has to be paid for supreme unity? See, to have real unity, we must grow spiritually until we obtain the humility of Christ and the mind of Christ. But obtaining that level of humility comes at a very high cost. The cost being that we must not demand or cling to our rights or to what we may feel are our rights. We have to give that up. That's hard to do. It's a high price to pay for unity to give up what we think is right. And then to go even further than that, we like Christ must be willing to suffer wrongfully. We, like Christ, must be willing to take wrong upon ourselves for the sake of unity, for conscience toward God and toward what Jesus Christ has done for us. And to follow his example. That is the price that must be paid for unity. Again, I read this before. I'm going to read it again. 1 Peter 2. 1 Peter 2 verse 17. Let's start in verse 17. 1 Peter 2, 17. It says, Honor all people. Love the brotherhood.

Fear God. Honor the King. Honor those who are in authority. In authority. Be guard to who they are. Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear. Regards to who they are and regards to how you might be treated.

Not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. For this is commendable, because of the conscience toward God, one endures grief and suffers wrongfully. For what credit is it if you're corrected for your faults and you take it patiently, but if you do good and suffer and you take it patiently, this is commendable to God. For to this you recall, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow in his steps, and yet he committed no sin.

There's no deceit found in his mouth. And when he was reviled, he did not revile and return. He didn't try to get back. He didn't try to take matters into his own hands. And when he suffered, he didn't threaten, but he committed himself to him who judges righteously. And then he himself bore our sins in his own body in the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed.

And the only way to have this unity healed is to have the humility of Jesus Christ. A humility that does not demand or cling to his or her rights. A humility that's willing to suffer wrongfully. It's willing to be counted as being wrong, even though we may know or think that we are right. That is the price that must be paid in order to have real unity. And that's the only way this unity can be healed.

Verse 25, for you were all like sheep going astray, but now you have returned the shepherd and overseer of your souls. And what we must also return to is to the very humility of Jesus Christ and to the mind of Christ, and to follow in his example, if we are to become one and to have real unity. By humbling himself and by not demanding or cling to his rights and by dying a criminal's death on a cross, what did Christ then in turn receive for that?

What was the result for Jesus Christ? Because he was willing to do that. Going back to one final scripture. Philippians 2 verses 9, 10 and 11. Philippians 2, 9, therefore God has also highly exalted him and given him the name which is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and those on earth and those who are now buried and dead, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

You know, you start to think about it. What is the only thing when you talk about people wanting to cling to their rights, what's the only right that we really have? What is the only thing we really deserve? The only thing any of us deserve is death. We've all earned death. That's the only thing we deserve. But God the Father Jesus Christ wants us to be a part of their family. They want us to be one as they are one.

They want us to be in unity and in harmony with them and with one another. In order to make that possible, in order to show us the way, Christ did not demand or cling to his rights as God. Instead, he humbled himself and suffered wrongfully, and he took all of our sins upon himself. He died a criminal's death on a cross. And if we were to have unity, we must follow Christ's example, having the same mind, the same attitude, and the same love that Jesus Christ had. See, the cause of disunity is self-seeking, selfish ambition. The cure is the humility of Jesus Christ. But to have the immunity of Christ, we must not always demand or cling to our rights.

We must be willing to at times suffer wrongfully, even as Christ did. The Church of Philippi was threatened by discord and disunity because of the attitude of selfish ambition on the part of some. And Paul in his letter gives them the only cure for disunity, having the mind, the attitude, the love, and the humility of Jesus Christ. And to have unity, we must have the same mind in us. Let this mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus. That is Paul's bottom line message to the Church of Philippi on how to have unity.