November 21, 2016 UNITED IN SPIRIT
Philippians 2:2-4: “make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each one of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interest, but also for the interest of others.”
If the instructions given in these three verses were put into practice, there would be peace throughout the world. Can you even imagine living in a world where everyone considered others more important than themselves? Of course, that is not the case, but it should be, and can be the case within the body of believers, and it can start with us as individuals. Throughout time, selfishness in the heart of man has been the root cause of conflicts that have destroyed families, businesses, churches, and has led to warfare between nations. In the Garden of Eden, selfishness first entered the heart of man, and was expressed when Eve yielded to the lie that she could be like God, and subsequently, all of mankind was born with this selfish nature. In contrast to the ways of the world, Jesus demonstrated a pure, unselfish love as He came to give His life for those who would believe in Him. Because we are now a part of His family and have been redeemed from our old way of life, we can live unselfish lives and enjoy true unity as the body of Christ. In Christ, we now have new desires and new natures and we have the ability to live with our selfish nature being dethroned and the Spirit of God enthroned in our hearts and minds. The evidence of living under the influence and work of the Holy Spirit is unity and love, along with a desire to bless others. In the body of Christ, it is our joy as well as our privilege to be “united in spirit,” to have genuine love for each other, to regard others as more important than ourselves, and to look out for the interest of others as we look out for our own interest. (Note that looking out for the interest of others does not negate the fact that we are to also look for our personal interest.) This unity and love that is the subject of these verses does not become a reality automatically; it is possible for believers to live contrary to what is presented in these verses. In this passage of scripture, Paul is instructing and encouraging believers to walk and to live out of their new nature-and that is the key point. If we do not live out of our new nature, then we will continue to be plagued with the selfishness that is resident in the old nature. We do not have to wait until we get to heaven to experience life as presented in these verses, but because we are in Christ and Christ is in us, we can experience life in the kingdom of God here on earth! Our salvation is much more than a ticket to heaven; our salvation brings with it the opportunity to live a life that is truly, ‘out of this world!’ In spite of all the ever-present strife and discord around us brought on by the selfish nature of the unregenerate man, as believers, we can now lay aside “selfishness and empty conceit” and be a people who are intent on one purpose-being reflectors of the unselfish love that our Father has for us. What could be greater or better than living a life where love, unselfishness, unity, agreement, and preferring others first is the norm? Let us, this very day, lay aside any selfishness that remains, and let us make the choice to put on the new us that enables us to be living, walking examples of the life that God has made possible.
Blessings,
Buddy
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