The passage for May is Philippians 2:1-11:
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 as 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.(ESV)
If you are new to this reading plan, follow the instructions on the right side of this page or click here to read the "Why Just One Letter" introduction article.
Throughout
each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of
understanding regarding our text (see the archive links on the lower
right of this page for review). Today we will discuss...
Harmony
in the Gospel
There
is a BIG difference between most kindergarten music recitals and a
professional concert. If you get right down to the root the
difference is all about unity - or a lack of unity.
Most
kindergartners are not unified in their musical understanding, the
words they are singing, their timing, pitch - or even whom they are
singing to.
It's
cute and if they are related to you, it's beautiful.
But
it is undeniably different than what you hear from trained musicians
who have all of their professional focus centered on unity of the
work. They are unified in the music, unified toward the audience,
unified under the direction of the conductor.
In the
last article we saw Paul's Big IF's as reminders to help
fuel us to move in a direction that makes for a healthy, unified
church family that can be effective in reaching the not-yet-believers
around us. The things he tells the church to do and not to do are
hard to follow UNLESS we are truly Christians. But IF, or SINCE we
are...
Since we
are in Christ; since we have been saved by His
perfect life and sacrificial death in our place; since we
are ever comforted by His love; since we are
empowered by the Holy Spirit - since all of that is
true of us Paul expects us to be able to complete his joy (and bring
joy to your local church leaders today) "by being of the
same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one
mind."
Being
of the same mind is mentioned at the beginning and the end of this
list. The only difference between the two in the original language is
that the first command to be of the same mind means to be in
agreement together and the second time it means to literally be ONE
(1) mind.
Some
non-Christians charge that a problem with us is that we don't think
for ourselves. Is that what Paul is getting at - Everybody just
forget your own thoughts, step in line and conform? No. At least, no,
not the way our detractors would say it.
We
are made to each - as individuals - reflect the glory of God. We are
not clones. God Himself made each of us unique in our character,
our way of thinking and responding to the world around us. Ask any
parent of multiple children and they will tell you that the parenting
techniques that worked for the first child, don't work the same for
the next child, or the next.
However,
children in a family are a good picture of what Paul is getting at
here. All three of my children have different strengths and
weaknesses, different interests and different ways of being
motivated. They are all passionate about different things in their
lives.
This
is the same for any church family - spiritual siblings all came into
the family from different backgrounds. We all have different areas of
life that really rev us up and that really turn us off.
Whether
we are different because of generational gaps, different sin
backgrounds, different upbringing, what ever else, we are different.
We do not think or respond in the same way.
But
my children, no matter how different they may be from one another,
are taught and unified from an early age that family is a core part
of their identity, that we protect one another and are committed to
each other's betterment throughout our lives. We teach that in word
and in deed.
In
the same way there is a unifying factor in the life of a healthy
church family. Like
we discussed in Chapter One with the idea of partnership in
the Gospel, we come from many different places, but our minds are
fixed on ONE COMMON GOAL: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever, and
to lead others to do the same.
That
is the idea of single-mindedness that Paul is getting at
here. We should be in such agreement on the Main thing - JESUS - that
it is as if we have One (1) Mind.
But,
Paul knows that we can't stay single-minded on the goal if we are not
of the same heart. Our thoughts, words and actions are all lead by
the heart, like a cart is led by a horse.
Our
heart is controlled and guarded with the truths that we have in the
Bible.
If
we know WHO GOD IS: that God is Glorious, Great, Good and Gracious;
and if we know WHAT GOD HAS DONE; that He has showered His love for
us in the finished saving work of Jesus Christ; and if we know WHO WE
ARE: a family of disciples living as servants on mission, then we
will have a heart-centered on living for Him which will allow us to
DO what we need to do: live with one mind, unified on the main
thing.
It
is with all of that understood that we can grasp the idea of "being
in full accord".
Being
in accord with one another is the opposite of discord, or lack of
unity - a lack of Harmony.
To
understand what Paul is hoping for here, think again about a
great choir or a really impressive orchestra. It is
only when all of the different instruments and voices are harmonized
that the music works.
If
every singer or musician goes off and does their own thing it
is unsettling. But, when all of them are in agreement,
have the same purpose of putting on a great concert with a heart for
the composer's music and a heart for the good of the audience,
then it is as if they group is one unified entity.
That's
what Paul wants when he says his joy will be complete when we are
in such agreement on the Main thing - JESUS - that it is as if we
have One (1) Mind. A unified Church, centered on Jesus and His
Mission is a beautiful and attractive thing to behold.
How
are we doing? What is the next thing YOU can do to help harmonize the
church in the Gospel?
