So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Php 2:1–11.
The concept of reformation often evokes images of division, but its original intent, as seen in figures like Luther, was not to shatter the Church but to realign it with the mission of Christ. The goal was to purify the Church from worldly power and call it back to a ministry of grace, mercy, and peace. This need for reform, however, is not a distant historical event; it is a constant, personal summons. It would be dangerous to misread the Reformation as a simple rejection of authority. Rather, just as Luther sought a return to Christ’s teaching, we must continually examine where the Church today embraces power over the authority of Christ in our own lives. This perennial call for renewal is precisely what the Apostle Paul urges in his letter to the Philippians, reminding them to shed all “selfish ambition” and unite in the mind of Christ as we establish a pattern required to overcome every temptation toward sin.
Our primary aim in coming to the table of Christ must be to bring ourselves closer to Christ by intentionally drawing closer to one another, particularly to those with whom we most disagree. Paul builds his appeal for this unity in Philippians 2 by grounding it in the profound, shared spiritual realities of the believers. He employs four “if” clauses, not as statements of doubt, but as powerful rhetorical affirmations meaning “since.” He argues that since they have experienced “encouragement in Christ,” “comfort from love,” “participation in the Spirit,” and “any affection and sympathy,” these truths must compel them toward unity. Paul’s joy would be complete, he states, if they would manifest this intense unity through four reinforcing phrases: “being of the same mind,” “having the same love,” “being in full accord” (souls beating as one), and being “of one mind” (thinking the one thing).
To achieve this profound unity, Paul provides specific commands that target the roots of dissension: pride and self-interest. He mandates that the Philippians “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit.” Selfish ambition refers to a spirit of factionalism and rivalry, while vain conceit denotes an empty, groundless pride. In direct opposition to these destructive attitudes, Paul commands them to act “in humility,” a concept Christianity ennobled from a term once meaning “base” or “groveling.” This humility is not false modesty but a conscious, deliberate judgment to “count others more significant” than themselves. This posture requires a radical shift in perspective, compelling each believer to “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
This pathway of humility finds its perfect, ultimate expression in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Paul commands the Philippians, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Though Jesus existed “in the form of God” (morphē), possessing the very essence of Deity, He “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” Instead, He “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,” demonstrating His humility by “becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Because of this ultimate act of self-giving, “Therefore God has highly exalted him.” Christ’s exaltation is God’s thunderous repudiation of all human power structures built on pride. God’s answer is clear: true greatness is found in self-giving, and this greatness results in the highest “super-eminent exaltation,” where every knee in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bow and “every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Christ completed His work on the cross by reconnecting humanity to the Almighty, and He calls on us to carry on that work by connecting with one another. The only path to the unity He commands begins by humbling ourselves, putting on the shoes of our neighbor, and seeking to understand and connect. This mission perfectly reflects the character of Christ, who showed us how to look out for one another. While the Reformation was sparked by items for discussion, its human result often reflected our sinful nature to divide, slicing the Church into denominations that segregate us. This hubris of “always being right” stands in opposition to the humility of Christ. Our true reformation, therefore, is an imitation of Christ. We must be transformed by the renewal of our hearts and minds, allowing the Spirit to root out sin and instill in us the attitude of Christ. Only through this humility and desire for unity will we finally find the exaltation of the Body of Christ.
Horizon Community Church 