Disunity is the most common problem in any church and is addressed by Paul in some way in every letter he wrote. The reason why disunity is so common is because selfishness and pride are prevalent in the lives of God’s people.The more selfish we become as believers and the more we let pride rule in our lives the more divided we will be as a church. Also, the more divided our churches the more miserable we will be as individuals. Because let’s be honest, whether it be in the church, with our children, spouse, boss, and/or friends, when there is disunity in our relationships there is a lack of joy in our lives.
In Philippians 2:1-4, we discover that the church at Philippi, though healthy, had issues. So far, in the previous verses, there have been no mention of problems, but what we learn from this passage is that the Christians at Philippi struggled with being unified.
EXPERIENCING JOY THROUGH UNITY
I. HAVE THE PROPER MOTIVES FOR SPIRITUAL UNITY (2:1-2a)
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being like-minded.
In v. 1 Paul gives several "if...then" statements to provide the proper motivation for the Philippian Christians when it comes to unity.
These are known as first class conditional statements, meaning these phrases can literally be translated "Because...then or assuming...then."
In this passage Paul is basically saying, “Because you are united with Christ and have fellowship with the Spirit then make my joy complete by being like minded.” Paul here is trying to motivate the believers by grace to be unified with one another. He is basically saying, “Look at all of the wonderful things that God has done for you and let that be your motivation to live for God by being unified with one another.”
II. IDENTIFY THE PROPER MARKS OF SPIRITUAL UNITY (2:2)
being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Here Paul shows the Christians at Philippi what true unity looks like. He says…
Being of the same mind
What this means is that each believer should have the mind (or attitude) of Christ, which is one of humility that values the thoughts and opinions of others and works to understand.
It's an attitude that says, “I may not agree with this person, but I am going to try my hardest to understand where that person is coming from and get on the same page with them.”
having the same love
The word love used here is agape, which speaks not of an emotional love, but a love of the will. It is not of preference or attraction but a conscious choice to seek the welfare of another.
This is the kind of love that God showed us. Romans 5:8 says, “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” It is also the kind of love that Christ expects from us. In John 15:12, Jesus tells us "Love one another as I have loved you.”
This kind of love promotes unity, brings joy, and is the kind of love that is to be seen in lives of believers and the church.
being in full accord
This just means that believers are to have a kindred affection for one another. If believers are like minded and have the same love, what will naturally result is being in full accord.
and of one mind or also translated being intent on one purpose
We are not to be unified for unities sake, but are to be unified around the truth of the Christian message and are to have a common God given purpose. In Philippians 1:27, Paul says that we are to be putting aside our differences so that we can work together to advance God's Gospel.
So in this verse, Paul makes it clear that there is more to unity than simply not being at odds with one another. Unity takes work. It is important that believers examine their lives not by what they are not doing, but by what they are doing.
After reading this verse, believers should ask themselves, “Are these marks true of me and seen in my relationships with others? Am I working to understand one another—to be on the same page with them? Do I value the opinions of others even though I may not agree with them? Is agape love one of the marks of my relationships? Am I committed to and do I love others the way Christ is committed to and loves me? Do I have a kindred affection for one another and am I unified around the truth of the Christian message—putting aside pride, personal preference and petty differences to work together to accomplish God's purposes?”
III. TAKE THE PROPER STEPS TOWARD SPIRITUAL UNITY (vv. 3-4)
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
In this passage, Paul reveals what is causing disunity and gives the Christians at Philippi the proper steps to take for them to be unified. He says, "Do nothing from rivalry." This simply means that they should not be motivated by personal glory, but by the glory of God. In 1 Corinthians 10:31 Paul says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Paul also says "Do nothing from empty conceit.” Here he is referring to those who think too highly of themselves—who think their opinions and ideas matter more than others. Paul is clear that this kind of mentality destroys spiritual unity.
Instead, Paul states that unity is possible when believers humbly put others before themselves and when they look not only to their own interests, but also to the interests of others.
CONCLUSION
Let's be honest, being like minded with the same love, being one in spirit and purpose and putting others first are not characteristics we see in many relationships in our world. This is why Paul encourages believers to follow the example of Christ. He says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (2:5).
Jesus not only left us a perfect example, but has also provided us with a way to achieve spiritual unity. If we are to be on good terms with one another, we must first be on good terms with God Himself and that is only possible through the person and work of Christ. By becoming sin for us and being punished in our place, Christ offers us His righteousness and a way to be at peace with God so that we can in turn can be at peace with one another.
