Philippians 2 - The Essence of True Humility!
Imitating Christ’s Humility
2 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, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Paul tells them that his joy would be complete if in response to the encouragement, comfort, and consolation they had found in Christ, they would become like minded by having the same love for each other. Then, Paul gives an excellent summary about what humility looks like for a Christ follower.
1. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. The opposite of humility is self-centeredness and vanity. We have all known people who are "all about me!" The extreme version of this is "narcissism".
2. In humility value others as above yourselves and look not to your own interests but the interest of others.
This is the best definition of humility. Humility is putting others before yourself. It is being more interested in others. It is being "others centered" rather than "self-centered". We are going to see in a few verses down how this is essential to being a disciple of Christ.
To be this kind of person is to die to our need to be in control, be loved, and adored.
Jesus explains the paradoxical nature of this when he says,
"The first shall be last and the last shall be first." Matthew 20:16
"Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all." Mark 10:43-44
"Whoever humbles themselves will be exalted, and whoever exalts themselves will be humbled." Matthew 23:12
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
These verses in Philippians, written by Paul, are considered some of the most eloquent verses describing the dual nature of Jesus, as both God and man. This is why the easiest definition of discipleship is, "Becoming the person Jesus would be if he were me." How do I do this?
Paul tells them to have the same "mindset as Christ Jesus". So our walk with Christ starts with a "mindset". Jesus was not a robot. He made a conscious decision to step out of heaven, where he enjoyed equality with God, to come down to earth. He made a choice to "empty himself and take the nature of a servant".
The Greek word here is "doulos" which can also be translated "slave". The idea is a person who has given up their rights. Next, he made the decision to humble himself. He chose to go to the cross in obedience to His Father's will. At any time Jesus could have opted out. But he chose to go the cross in obedience to the Father and out of love for us.
As Jesus humbled himself, God exalted him to the highest place in heaven. He gave him the name that is above all names. So Jesus went to the highest place, heaven, and descended to the lowest place, death on a cross. And then he went back to the highest place, to the right hand of the Father.
When Jesus returns in great and promised glory all people will recognize him as a Savior and Lord.
It is all too easy for us to read the following description of Jesus and admire it from a distance. God wants us to be awed by it, but also to see it as something that we must enter into and imitate. Let this mind means that it is something that we have choice about. Remember also that this mind is something granted to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:16 says that we have the mind of Christ. But let this mind shows us that it is also something we must choose to walk in. You have to let it be so. - Guzik
Jesus made a choice to descend into greatness. Though He was in very nature God, he made a decision to empty himself and become a servant even to death on a cross. And Paul says to us to have the "same attitude as Jesus did".
So ... the very essence of being a disciple of Jesus, a Christ follower, is to make a decision every day to humble oneself and considered others as better than ourselves. To not look to be served but to serve others with their best interest in mind.
And one day when we are taken home, we will be with Jesus. We will be with him at the right hand of the Father.
Do Everything Without Grumbling
12 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, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”[c] Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Paul says something that commentators and theologians debate about often. Paul says,
"Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and act according to His good purpose!"
If salvation is a free gift of God given through Jesus, then how do we work it out? Certainly Paul is not talking about salvation by works. What I do think he is saying once we have been given the gift of salvation, we are not passively just waiting for Jesus to return. The key verse is when it says that "God who works in you to will and act according to his good purpose."
When we do good works, it is God working through us. We participate with God in these works. He wills us to act in this way, but He won't make us. We choose to walk in the Spirit so as not to gratify the selfish desires of the sinful nature.
We know that Paul did not mean “work so as to earn your own salvation.” Such a statement would contradict the whole of Paul’s gospel. What Paul did mean is to call the Philippians to put forth real effort into their Christian lives. This is not to work their salvation in the sense of accomplishing it, but to work out their salvation – to see it evident in every area of their lives, to activate this salvation God freely gave them. - Guzik
There is a sense in which our salvation is complete, in the sense that Jesus has done a complete work for us. Still there is also a sense in which our salvation is incomplete, in that it is not yet a complete work in us.- Guzik
“The believer must finish, must carry to conclusion, must apply to its fullest consequences what is already given by God in principle… He must work out what God in His grace has worked in.” (Muller)
Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. 23 I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. 24 And I am confident in the Lord that I myself will come soon.
Paul sends Timothy who checks off all the boxes for the qualities he listed as a true Christ follower in the verses above. Timothy is a servant who will serve as an ambassador for his mentor Paul. Paul has taken the time to invest in Timothy so that he completely trusts him to do what he would do. He has been faithful in everything that Paul has entrusted to him, so he knows he will be in this task too.
Do you have a Paul in your life? Do you have a Timothy in your life? We need one of both!
25 But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. 26 For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. 29 So then, welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor people like him, 30 because he almost died for the work of Christ. He risked his life to make up for the help you yourselves could not give me.
Paul also commends Epaphroditus, who the Philippians sent to help Paul out. In the process he got sick and almost died. But the Lord spared his life, and also spared Paul the grief of losing him.
So in both Timothy and Epaphroditus, Paul has given two examples of the type of humility that are found in those who follow Jesus' example. His character is summed up when Paul says, "He almost died for the work of Christ."
Not many people have to risk their life for the work of Christ, but the choice Epaphroditus made to be a servant of Christ, we all can make.
So every day then we have a choice. We can choose to be a servant and be more concerned about other's interests than ourselves. Although God gives us our salvation through Jesus, we choose to live it our everyday lives!
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