Philippians 2:12-13

Journey Through Philippians

Shine Brightly for Jesus 

Paul begins the section with the word “therefore” to convey to his readers that those who call themselves Christians must practice the same discipline that Jesus exercised when he obeyed his Father. The call to discipleship is costly. In Luke 9:23, Jesus said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

There is a call in verse 12 to work hard to show the results of our salvation, considering the preceding exhortation to unity, may mean that the entire church should work together to rid themselves of division and discord. The Philippian Christians needed to be especially careful to obey Christ now that Paul wasn’t there to continually remind them about what was right. We, too, must be careful about what we believe and how we live, especially when we are on our own. In the absence of mentors who hold you accountable, we must focus our attention and devotion even more on Jesus so that we won’t become sidetracked.  

What do we do when we don’t feel like obeying God? He has not left us alone in our struggles to do his will. He wants to come alongside us and be within us to provide help. God gives us the desire and the power to do what pleases him. We find the secret to a changed life when we submit to his control and let him work in and through us. To change our desires to be more like Jesus, we need the power of the Holy Spirit, the influence of faithful Christians, and obedience to the Word of God. We must do what the Lord is asking of us and trust him to change our desires. 

Philippians 2:6-11

Journey Through Philippians

Jesus was humble, willing to give up his rights to obey God and serve people. Like Christ, we should have a servant attitude, serving out of love for God and for others.   

Today, we will explore Christ’s preexistence, incarnation, humiliation, crucifixion, ascension, and exaltation. Jesus did not empty himself of deity; he didn’t stop being God. Rather, he poured the fullness of deity into his humanity. He took on human flesh and became a servant. He didn’t let his deity stop him from expressing humanity. The incarnation resulted in Jesus being fully God and fully man. 

Serving was never a threat to Jesus because he never lost sight of who he is. He knew his position with the Father. Similarly, when you know you are a son or daughter of God, rendering service won’t be a problem. It’s when you don’t know who you are that serving becomes a problem. When you are unsure of your identity, you’ll fear that serving is beneath you, that you’ll somehow be taken advantage of if you serve. People will pump you up, but they will also stick a pin in your balloon. Jesus was after something more than praise of people; he lived for divine recognition from his Father.  

At the last Judgment, even those who are condemned will recognize Jesus’ authority and right to rule. You and I can voluntarily choose now to commit our lives to Jesus as Lord, or we will be forced to acknowledge him as Lord when he returns. Christ may return at any moment. Are you prepared to meet Him? 

Philippians 2:1-5

Journey Through Philippians

Be Like Christ

Many people, even believers, live only to make a good impression on others or to please themselves. Attitudes are the foundation upon which actions are built. To live in unity, believers must practice three things.

1. Harmony – Things that work and go together well.

2. Humility – A modest or low view of one’s own importance; humbleness.

3. Helpfulness – Being ready to serve one another at any time when needed.

In Christ, God’s people have an incentive to come alongside one another for help and comfort. Where there is unity, God is at home.

A football team is unified, not because every player plays the same position; that would be uniformity. The football team is unified because they are operating in harmony to reach the same goal line. Each player is playing his position with the objective of helping his team score or stopping the opposing team from scoring. Everyone is moving in the same direction.

Attitudes are the foundation upon which actions are built. As believers, we need to have an attitude of submission and servanthood to produce harmony. As followers of Jesus, to be of one mind means to agree in doctrine and creed. Spiritual unity does not occur without doctrinal oneness.

Jesus was humble and willing to give up his rights to obey God and serve people. Like Christ, we should have a servant’s attitude, serving out of love for God and for others, not out of guilt or fear. Remember, you can choose your attitude. You can approach life expecting to be served, or you can look for opportunities to serve others.

Romans 12:16 says, “Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.” Unity does not mean uniformity. It means oneness of purpose. We should remember that unity is a personal responsibility, with each believer taking ownership of his or her own spirit and disposition. As we journey with the Lord, we should look at each new day as an opportunity to serve him and others.