Motivations to Likemindedness -- 11/22/09

Sunday, November 22, 2009

WHY UNITY?
Phil. 2:1-2a

Not too long ago I commented on the fact that many authors believe the Philippians had a problem with unity. Without doubt, the church at Philippi was a strong church and the apostle Paul had great love and respect for this church. He wrote to them with a strong love and affection. This is a letter filled with joy. Nevertheless, there is much said about unity in this letter. Does this indicate that unity was the greatest need of the church?

While I have been kind of reluctant to see that viewpoint, I must admit that the idea is growing on me. It is amazing how often Paul uses the little phrase “you all” in this letter. Philippians makes up approximately 1/20th of what Paul wrote in the New Testament. Yet in all the rest of his letters, “you all” is only used 16 times, while it is used 7 times in the brief little letter to the Philippians. And of the 16 times in the other letters, only 6 times is it used outside of the greetings and closings of the letters (for example, “the Lord be with you all”). It certainly seems that Paul was stressing the need for the Philippians to come together. And right here in 2:1-4 we are going to see a very strong emphasis on this unity. Undoubtedly, the key text of the whole letter is 2:1-11. As we will see, the great passage about the humiliation and exaltation of Christ in 2:5-11 comes on the heels of Paul’s exhortation to unity, and it is introduced with the words, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” We will see more of this as we go through the letter.

Let’s think about us, this church right here in downtown La Luz. We don’t seem to have any great doctrinal problems. You may disagree, but I think it is because you are too narrow in your judgment. You think that because we don’t all agree on every little thing that we have doctrinal problems. The truth is that we believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ and Him alone. We believe that we are to live lives that are worthy of the gospel, that we are to let our light shine in this world, that people may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in heaven. We believe that this world will shortly come to an end. Therefore, we are not to be entangled with the affairs of this life, but rather set our minds on things above. I could go on and on and on.

Nor do we have great moral problems. We don’t have men in the church who are pursuing other men’s wives. We don’t have people who are getting drunk on Saturday night and coming to services on Sunday morning. Please understand what I am saying at this point. We are not immune to such problems, but the real key is not whether any of these things happen; the key is how such things are handled. If a member of this church is committing adultery, it must be dealt with by the church. The church which has a moral problem is the church which tolerates such behavior. The great problem in I Corinthians 5 was not the man who was sexually immoral; the great problem was the fact that the church tolerated that man and didn’t exclude him from the church.

Praise God that He has worked in us in those areas. But what about this concept of unity? It appears that even though the Philippian church was strong and exemplary in most every way, Paul still found it necessary to speak to its people a great deal about truly being one. As you know from going through this letter, Paul had to single out a couple of women in chapter 4. “I urge Euodias and Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord” (4:2). Is there anyone here to whom Paul might give similar instruction? Do we have a need to be exhorted toward likemindedness? As we will see this morning, the Philippians had that need. This great passage in 2:1-11 is all about unity.

Two weeks ago we came to 1:27, where Paul turned his attention away from his own imprisonment and turned the spotlight on the Philippian Christians. In the sections that follow, Paul gives some definite commands. The first was found in 1:27, where he told them (and us) to live lives worthy of the gospel, to conduct themselves in a way that was fitting of heavenly citizens. One of the great keys to doing that is realizing that suffering for Christ is a gift of grace from our loving Father.

This morning we come to the second command in 2:2. It is simple: “Be likeminded.” That’s it. Be likeminded. Read from any translation you like, and it will come out basically the same. NIV, “Be likeminded.” NASV, “Be of the same mind.” Rheims, “Be of one mind.” The key words are “one mind.” Literally, it reads, “Think the same thing.” Paul gives this command to a church. Through Paul the Holy Spirit gives that same command to this church.

Let me back up just a minute and begin reading in verse 2, “Fulfill ye my joy that ye be likeminded…” If we want to be exact, Paul commanded them to fulfill his joy, to fill him with rejoicing by being likeminded. However, it is clear that the being likeminded was more important than his joy being full.

Let’s go ahead and read Phil. 2:1-5…
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2. Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

This is our passage for this morning. We have been praying that the Lord would use it to speak to us for His glory. Let’s take time to pray again right now. Pray.

There are many ways in which we could approach this passage. I think it will serve us well to look at it like this. We will begin with the “Why?” Why should be likeminded? Then next week we will look at the “What?” and the “How.” What exactly is this likemindedness and how do we achieve it? Then finally we will look at the “Who?” Is there someone to whom we can look for a model? This morning let’s examine the why.

Why?

Why should we be likeminded? Why should we dwell together in unity? Why should we be one? Why should we guard the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? Those are fair questions.

When we ask that question, I think for most of us the first response is along the lines of why it is so important to live together in unity. We should be likeminded because that is the will of God. Paul tells us to diligently seek to guard the unity of the Spirit. This is the very thing for which Jesus prayed. It is a demonstration of this unity that will convince the world that Jesus is truly sent from the Father.

All of those things are true, but that is not the direction of this passage. All of us know those truths. When we are honest, we all know the value of this kind of unity. We aren’t going to go back over that this morning. Let’s look at the “Why?” from a different angle. Why should we even try to be unified, when it seems so impossible? That is what we desire, but look at us? Can we say that we are one? Is there really any future in us thinking about unity in Christ? If it happens, it happens. After all, it’s the Lord’s work, not ours. Why do we think that we can do anything to promote this likemindedness of which Paul speaks?

That is the question Paul answers in this passage. Our hope this morning is that the Spirit of God will take this passage and motivate us to believe that we can indeed guard the unity of the Spirit. We find this motivation in verse 1. Let’s read it again. "If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies." In the King James Version the words “there be” are in italics, indicating that they have been supplied. In the original the words “there is” are nowhere to be found. It is literally, “If any consolation in Christ, etc.” The NIV reads, “If you have…” I believe that translation is just as legitimate as “there is.”

Before we launch into these specific phrases, I need to remind you about that word “if.” Paul is not saying that there may or may not be any consolation in Christ. Rather, he is affirming that it is true. If he had wanted to suggest that this might or might not be true, he would have used a different word and construction. Let me give you an example of how Paul uses the word “if” in this verse. “If God is all-powerful, then trust Him with everything in your life.” I am not suggesting that God may not be all-powerful. Rather, I am using that very truth to motivate you to trust Him. We don’t do that too much in English, but we do still find that from time to time. More often, we use the word “since.” Since God is all-powerful, trust Him with everything in your life. Since there is consolation in Christ…be likeminded.

Consolation in Christ. So what is this “consolation in Christ”? The word translated “consolation” is that familiar word that we run across again and again. It is the word (paraklhsiV) that speaks of a coming alongside to help. Because it has such a wide variety of meaning, we could translate it “exhortation,” or “encouragement,” or “comfort.” But even after we know the meaning of the word, there is still a question as to exactly how this exhortation or encouragement is related to Christ. Is it our exhortation toward one another as brothers and sisters in Christ? Or, is it the encouragement we receive from Christ Himself?

While we are actually commanded to exhort one another because we are brothers and sisters in Christ, that doesn’t seem to be the emphasis here. That mutual exhortation grows out of the fact that we have received great exhortation and encouragement from Christ Himself. Jesus has come alongside us to help us! Hear it again – Jesus has come alongside us to help us. Isaiah 53:3-6…
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Surely that is strong motivation. And what should that motivate us to do? To do that which is dear to His heart, for He prayed that we all might be one, even as He and His Father are one. We read that portion of His prayer earlier. He longs for us to be likeminded, to demonstrate that unity for which He died and rose. After what He has done for us, how can we do less? One author put it like this: "Because you have received such continual gentle encouragement, exhortation, counsel and help from Christ since the moment of your salvation, since you have been given so much, does not that spur you on to give back to Christ that which is precious to His heart?" (John MacArthur, Sermon: “The Motives for Spiritual Unity”).

Comfort of love. If any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort of love… What is this comfort of love? The word translated “comfort” is rarely used in the New Testament. It is a word that originally referred to an address given to calm or console. Basically, it speaks of gentle counsel. What a picture of what we have from the Lord Jesus. Not only has he come alongside us to exhort and encourage us, but He speaks gentle, comforting words to us out of His love. Jesus lovingly and gently comforts His own.

What motivation! Put these first two together. The NIV puts it like this: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love… then make my joy complete by being likeminded.” Since our Lord has condescended to come alongside us, since He has ministered to us in such a gentle and loving way, shall we not give Him what He so greatly desires? Shall we not strive to be likeminded?

Fellowship of the Spirit. You will notice these prepositional phrases “comfort of love” and “fellowship of the Spirit.” They can be taken in more than one way. Is this the fellowship among believers that is enabled by the Spirit? Or is this the fellowship that the believer has with the Spirit? Again, there is no question that both are emphasized in the New Testament. The unity of the Spirit spoken of in Eph. 4:3 points to the unity that the Holy Spirit has established between believers. If we take this phrase the same way, then it is the Spirit-produced fellowship we have with one another. Praise God for that fellowship, but there is another fellowship with which we are blessed. Paul closes his second letter to the Corinthians with these words: "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen" (II Cor. 13:14). That word “communion” is the same word that is translated “fellowship” here in Phil. 2:1. Paul prayed that the Corinthian believers would experience fellowship with the Holy Spirit. In writing to the Philippians, he holds up that same fellowship with the Spirit as a motivation for pursuing likemindedness.

In trying to motivate his Philippian brothers and sisters to likemindedness, He not only points to the ministry of Christ, but also to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Lord sent the Holy Spirit to live within every believer. Yes, we do indeed have fellowship with the Spirit of God. We share life with Him. We are in the Spirit; we live in the Spirit; we worship God in the Spirit; we are to walk in the Spirit and pray in the Spirit.

Now remember again that the unity we have is the unity of the Spirit. Since we have fellowship with the Spirit who has made us one, surely that same Spirit is leading us to be likeminded. There is no way we can miss that truth. To fail to be likeminded is to grieve the Spirit, to resist His leading in our lives.

Bowels and mercies. We have dealt with this term “bowels” back in 1:8. That is the translation of a Greek word that referred to the heart, lungs, and liver, “from which feelings of love and tenderness were thought to arise” (Howard Vos, A Study Guide to Philippians). The translations “affections” or “tenderness” convey the idea. It speaks of a strong and tender affection. This is not an intellectual term, but an emotional word. Paul is speaking about strong feelings. Then he adds the word “mercies.” This word speaks of compassion, sympathy, tenderness, pity. These two terms go hand in hand.

It seems to me that Paul is still thinking about our relationship to the Holy Spirit. The first two motivating factors are based on our relationship with Christ, while the second two are based on our relationship with the Spirit. We must remember that the New Testament does not speak of the Holy Spirit as some impersonal forces. He is a person who lives within us. We don’t have fellowship with some force; we have fellowship with God’s Spirit. The Spirit who dwells within us has great feelings and longings for us, treating us with tender affections and compassion. Let’s read from I Cor. 2:9-12…

But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Let’s read all of verse 1 from the NIV: “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like minded.” Brothers and sisters, this is a beautiful description of our lives in Christ and our fellowship with the Spirit. All these things are true in our lives. Who can measure what we have been given in Christ and His Spirit? How can we do anything other than what would please our Lord? How can we resist the Spirit who lives within us? Surely we must long for this likemindedness.

Fulfill my joy. And then we come to Paul’s last motive for unity. “Fulfill ye my joy, that ye be likeminded.” Rather than simply saying, “Be of the same mind,” he says, “Fulfill my joy by being likeminded.” Paul doesn’t remain aloof. He loves these brothers and sisters. Remember that Paul was the one who founded the church. He knows many of these brothers and sisters and has spent time with them. This is not some apostle who writes to remind them of his rank and authority. With a tender and loving heart he says, “Now won’t you make my joy complete by being likeminded.”

Isn’t it rather amazing that Paul would say such a thing in light of the lofty motives for unity he has just elaborated in verse 1? How can he put the fulfilling of his joy beside consolation in Christ, comfort of love, and fellowship with the Spirit? In light of these great motives, why should he care about his own joy?

Let me give you two reasons. First of all, his desire is the same as the Lord’s. This is the man who could say, “Follow me, as I follow Christ.” He could set his own appeal alongside the great spiritual motives because what he desired from them was from God. Paul was not asking them to do anything for him, but for the Lord. He found his joy in their fulfilling of the Lord’s will. It would have been different, if he had said, “Fill up my joy by doing these two things: send 25 letters to your Congressman, demanding my release, and then each of you send me one week’s wages to help pay my legal fees. Paul doesn’t ask anything like that. He only asks what the Lord Himself desires for the Philippians.

Now there is a second reason why Paul could ask them to fulfill his joy by being likeminded. To put it simply, Paul wanted to add the weight of his own personal plea. He was not ashamed to let them know what he, their spiritual father in the faith, desired for them. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul did not find it overbearing to tell them what he desired and what would bring him joy. He added the weight of his desire to the weight of the motives he had already mentioned.

Can you hear the apostle Paul? It’s not too difficult to read between the lines. “Brothers and sisters, since you have received such great encouragement through your union with Christ, since you have gained great comfort from His love, surely you will want to pursue the unity that is dear to His heart. And since you have been blessed with fellowship with the Holy Spirit, long for that unity which was established by that same Spirit. Do the Spirit’s tenderness and compassion not motivate you toward the likemindedness that is dear to Him? So for the sake of the Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, be likeminded. And dear brothers and sisters, do it for me. For if you pursue this likemindedness that is dear to Jesus and the Spirit, nothing could give me more joy.”

We find this same motivation over in Heb. 13:17, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." The writer of Hebrews tells his readers to obey those who have the rule over them. Why? Because those leaders watch for your souls and must give account. It is to their benefit and to yours, if you behave in such a way that they are able to carry out their task with joy. Not only do this because it is right in the sight of the Lord, but do it for the joy of your leaders.

With humility and yet with firmness, I want to say to you: “Be likeminded because of these great spiritual motives connected with Christ’s love and the fellowship of the Spirit, but also do it for us. Do it for Norman and me.” I assure you that our joy will overflow, as you pursue this likemindedness. We can say with all openness and honesty, we desire this unity in the body of Christ. Do you want to make our service a joy indeed? Then be likeminded.

Conclusion

I’m not sure, but I think I hear a question rumbling around. It goes something like this: “Pastor, you have used an entire session to tell us why we should be likeminded. You have laid out these wonderful motives for being likeminded, and we do appreciate it, but you haven’t told us what it really means to be likeminded. Why know the reasons for being likeminded, if we don’t even know what it means? Why give us such strong encouragement that we can indeed reach this goal, when we don’t know what the goal is?”

Those are excellent questions. Lord willing, we will tackle them next week. We don’t have time today. And besides, I think it will do us good to wait and pray. Pray that the Lord will bring His Word alive as we study together next week, that He will shine the light of truth on His Word, that we may truly get insights into what it means to be likeminded. Meanwhile, would you go back over these motivations for likemindedness. Read verse 1 a few times each day. Think about how Christ has come alongside you to help, how you have received such great comfort from His love. Rejoice in the truth that you have fellowship with the Spirit of God and have been the recipients of His affections and tender mercies.

Let me say one other thing in conclusion. We must understand that this command to be likeminded is given to the church. It is impossible for a person to be likeminded with God’s people, if he or she has not been united with Jesus Christ through the miracle of redemption. In other words, if you have not been justified through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, your need is not to be likeminded with believers, because that is an impossibility at this point. Your need is to be unified with the Lord Jesus Christ.

According to the scripture, you are the enemy of God. But I have good news for you this morning. You don’t have to remain His enemy. Let me read you that verse about being God’s enemies. Rom. 5:10, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Paul is writing to people who are no longer the enemies of God. They were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. II Cor. 5:19 tells us that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them. And why didn’t God count the sins of sinners against them? Because their sins were put on Christ; they were imputed to Christ. God has laid on Jesus the iniquity of us all. Those of us who have already been reconciled have been given the task of sharing the good news of reconciliation with God’s enemies. We are His ambassadors. This morning we say to you who are still His enemies, “Be reconciled to God.” As though Christ were speaking through us, we plead with you, “Be reconciled to God.” How? Repent and believe. Give up on yourself and trust Jesus, on the basis of what He did at the cross. Throw yourself on Him who died and rose again.