Letter #4 - Philippians 2:1-11
by Anonymous
Acts 16 recounts the birth of the Philippian church. The first three conversion stories present an interesting glimpse into the makeup of the Philippian church. Its founding members are a businesswoman named Lydia, a slave girl, and a jailer. From its inception, the Philippian church includes:
Female and male.
A single girl and two families.
An impoverished slave and a person of wealth.
An oppressed youth and an authority figure.
The three founding members showcase diversity. It is no wonder that Paul’s primary concern for this church is unity. The Philippian church is healthy, thriving, and generous, but they must continually work towards unity. To this end, Paul encourages church members to humble themselves and serve one another.
Christ Jesus—the One we worship and model our lives after—exemplified ultimate humility. He lived a life of obedience to God. In the end, Jesus humbled himself even to the point of death before God exalted Him above all (v.8-9).
Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians challenges us to have the same mindset as Christ: No matter who you sit next to in church, value her above yourself (v.3) and look out for his interests (v.4). Love the people you like and the ones you don’t. Honor your poor brother and your rich sister. Speak kindly towards your white and black neighbors (and every shade in between!). Serve the oppressed and the marginalized as well as those who represent government institutions and economic prosperity.
Jo Saxton clarifies in her study on Philippians that “unity isn’t pretending that differences don’t exist. It’s not avoiding what matters. It’s not about keeping the peace… To live in unity confronts our motives (that means our selfishness and our vanity); it confronts our pride and our narcissism and who comes first. And it addresses our priorities. It keeps us thinking about what others need above ourselves.”
Philippians 2:1-11 ends with a glimpse into heaven. Every knee bows before the throne of Christ. Every tongue confesses that He is Lord. It is an image of perfect unity: every human equally humbled before the Savior.
While on earth, we aim for a taste of this beautiful unity in diversity. We may come from very different backgrounds, yet we worship as one church family— “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind” (v.2).
Centerpointe Church is a diverse church. But do we consider the full implications of Paul’s words? Will we take our beautiful diversity a step further? Will we strive for unity by truly humbling ourselves before one another?
As the Philippians knew well, simply being a “diverse church” is not enough. If we want to be united in our diversity, we will exemplify the humility of Christ in the way that we listen to one another, seek to understand one another, serve one another, and love one another.
Lord Jesus, thank you for your life of obedience and your humble sacrifice. Forgive me for looking down on my brothers and sisters who come from other backgrounds, see the world in a different way than I do, or who are just plain difficult to love. Forgive me of my pride and selfishness, for not intentionally reaching out and getting to know people who are unlike me. Jesus, help me to value others above myself. Show me how I can humbly love my neighbor.
Thank you for the diverse congregation at Centerpointe Church. We are all equal at the foot of the cross, and we are reminded of this every time we worship together. Help us as a church to become ever more united through our diversity. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
