CHRIST'S EXAMPLE OF HUMILITY - "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 of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition 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. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
"If" is a powerful word. It represents a fork in the road whereby we weigh the scales of life to determine the wisest course of action in the decisions we face. "If" can also drive one's psyche into a frenzy because it feeds upon hypothetical outcomes and fantasies. Any and every decision poses an equal and opposite reaction based on "if," so why do we focus so much attention on the products of our imagination than reality itself? Perhaps what is real and present is too difficult to manage or accept for some, therefore "if" becomes a coping mechanism to manage pain, stress, confusion and/or anxiety. For others, "if" is firmly rooted in accountability or regret and becomes the catalyst for change, whether positive or negative. Yet in the context Paul describes, "if" represents a spiritual line in the sand whereby we are forced to weigh the scales of truth in our lives and determine whether our identity is rooted in the absolute truth of Scripture or relative truth of this world. Make no mistake, Paul echoes the same sentiment Moses did to the nation of Israel.
- "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them" (Deuteronomy 30:15-20)
If indeed our personal truth or spiritual compass aligns with the pages of Scripture, then our response to Philippians 2:1-11 is firm and resolute. In other words, we embrace encouragement, comfort, fellowship, affection and sympathy as Paul describes because they are the byproducts of our union with Jesus. They empower us to live as the body of Christ because they are rooted in the promise of salvation which hinges upon FAITH. Faith is the line in the sand which distinguishes a believer from an unbeliever because it identifies those who cling to Scripture as absolute truth vs. those who reject its supreme authority and relevance altogether. Therefore, if we believe what the Bible says, our hope is secure in the assurance that joy is made possible through Jesus. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Peter 1:3-5). Faith in Christ compels us to live outside of our fleshly propensities by elevating selflessness in community, which is why Paul positioned his argument beginning with "if." Therefore, we cannot simply know what God's Word says and fill our minds with knowledge without application. For even Solomon confessed, "I said in my heart, 'I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.' And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:16–17). Rather, we must be united in spirit and devoted to the same mission of emulating Christ's example of humility.
Humility is an interesting topic of discussion because people tend to struggle defining what it looks like and how to achieve it. Is it a philosophical state of mind? Can it be achieved without faith or religion? There are countless, secular opinions on the internet all proclaiming humility as independent from religious influence. Yet as people of faith, we believe humility is the personification of God Himself and the defining aspect of His character in Christ Jesus, which is the essence of Philippians 2:1-11 Paul wrote about to provide an example we can emulate. The key we must understand is that humility is the byproduct of being humble. Therefore, our actions dictate to those around us whether humility is an aspect of our character because it is identified by what we DO rather than what we SAY. Consider the following example from the mouth of the Lord Himself: "If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14). Notice how humility is positioned as an act of obedience and submission. Humility forces us to check our pride at the door, demanding we relinquish supreme control and authority by yielding to what God desires. In other words, humility demands sacrifice. And if we're unwilling to reject our selfish tendencies, we will never reap the benefits God promises to those who submit to His authority and obey His sovereign will. Granted, it is never easy to humble oneself, but what are we truly communicating to those around us when we boastfully reject the lowest position in favor of the highest?
- "Now he (Jesus) told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted" (Luke 14:7–11).
It is incredible to consider the blessings which await those who obey God's Word regardless of the consequences. However, we are wise to recognize that humility does not promise earthly rewards. In some cases, humility is met with ridicule, threats and persecution, which many faithful brothers and sisters in Christ around the world who are ostracized, imprisoned, and even martyred for their faith can attest to. Truthfully, the majority of us cannot begin to fathom the humility it takes to literally sacrifice EVERYTHING we have for the sake of the Gospel, and endure abuse and torture on top of that. Unfortunately, that is what it means to live as a Christian in hostile areas around the world. Yet every day, men, women and children humble themselves and make that sacrifice for no other reason but submission and obedience to the Lord and His Word. Jesus said, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:18–19). The crux of humility hangs on our ability to die to self, which is manifested in the life of Christ. Therefore, just as our ability to love originates from our Creator, our ability to humble ourselves does as well.
- "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us" (1 John 4:7–12).
When we come full circle to Paul's admonition that "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 of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind" (Philippians 2:1–2), we must respond in faith regardless of the consequences. Reason being, our ability to love one another and humble ourselves distinguishes us as followers of Christ and differentiates us from the world. Scripture reminds us, "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20). Therefore, who are we to accept Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our eternal salvation yet refuse to count others more significant than ourselves? Humility is the complete antithesis of conceit and selfish ambition and has no part in the body of Christ, yet it exists within the church as evidenced by the testimony of its members' admission of sin throughout the generations, beginning with the writers of Scripture themselves. "For I (Paul) do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate" (Romans 7:15). Moreover, "And I (Isaiah) said: 'Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!'" (Isaiah 6:5). Therefore, let us emulate the example of humility evidenced by our Savior, Jesus Christ, and embrace the honesty needed (like Paul and Isaiah) to identify opportunities where we can practice humbling ourselves. Because like it or not, humility is the gateway to surrender of personal will—trusting God will honor our sacrifice, whether now or in eternity, as a testimony of our faith and devotion to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
- "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Colossians 3:12–17).
