Philippians 2
The only way Christians can experience unity and agreement is if the whole group practices humility.
If anyone lifts himself over others, thinks he is better than others, or thinks he is over his brothers and sisters in Christ it will cause disunity (James 3:16). There will be no one accord. We cannot allow anyone to have dominion over the faith of someone else, but instead be helpers for others so that they can experience the joy of the Lord. It is by faith we stand like this. (2 Corinthians 1:24).
God's will is for us to experience the consolation of being in Christ, to be comforted by his love, to have the fellowship of the Spirit, and to experience the mercy of God. It is the joy of the Lord for Christians to be like minded, have the same love, be in one accord, and have one mind.
How is this accomplished? It can only be done when we repent of strife and vainglory. Another way of saying this is to turn away from competition and comparing yourself with others. Competition and comparison is strife and vainglory.
Instead, we are to practice humility by believing, confessing, and acting in agreement with the reality that others are better than you. Don't try to be better than others. Let others be better than you. We are to actively esteem other people as better than ourselves. This is practicing humility.
Don't just think about yourself constantly: your needs, your life, your schedule, your tasks, on and on. Instead, try to think about the needs of other people. How can you help the next person? How can you bless someone else?
The basis of practicing humility is the example set before us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. No one has ever practiced humility like the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are to adopt the attitude that the Lord Jesus Christ had. He humbled himself, and was obedient to the heavenly Father. These scriptures make it clear that Jesus Christ is God. Yet, even though he was God, he humbled himself to become a man so that we could be brought back to the heavenly Father.
Jesus made himself of no reputation. It is part of human nature to make a name for one's own self. I can remember even when I was a young child being taught to "make a name for yourself". This is the doctrine of the devil. Making a name for yourself and making a reputation for yourself is self worship.
The Lord can give you a name, he can give you a reputation. If you are obedient to the Lord and live a life of humility and obedience then people will naturally come to know you and recognize you. God will give you a reputation for being a humble man of God. But we don't seek our own reputation. Instead, we seek to be obedient, we seek to be humble, we seek to esteem others better than our own self. We seek to elevate others and to lower ourselves to the place of the servant.
Jesus took upon himself the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. As a man he humbled himself and became obedient even unto death. Not just any death. The death of the cross. This is one of the worst ways any person could ever die.
After the Lord Jesus humbled himself and was obedient to the death of the cross he was buried in a tomb. On the third day God raised him from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). God exalted the Lord Jesus Christ by raising him from the dead, and he gave the Lord Jesus a name which is above every name. There is no other name higher than the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. His name is above all other names.
Every knee should bow to the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth should bow to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is exalted in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. Every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
We see through this a Bible principle. When we humble ourselves before God and we are obedient in giving up our lives for Jesus then the Lord himself will lift us up. He will raise us up and give us life.
Psalm 113:7-8, "He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill; 8, That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people."
By putting our faith in the Lord Jesus we lose our life, but what we get from God is a new life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Our old life is dead and gone, but we have a new life in the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
As a new creation in Christ we are to walk out this salvation in our every day life situations. We are encouraged to walk out our salvation "with fear and trembling".
This is an attitude of being sober, alert, and constantly aware of spiritual reality. We need to interpret everything in life through the lens of the truth that is in the Bible. The word of God must control our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.
2 Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"
The Holy Spirit, who now lives in us, will work through us to want to obey God and put God's word into practice. He works in us to both will and to do of God's good pleasure. (Philippians 4:13).
A sign that you are not practicing humility is when you are complaining and arguing. This scripture exhorts us to do all things without murmuring and disputing.
Think about how the children of Israel in the wilderness would murmur and complain (Exodus 16:8-9). What was the result of their complaining and disputing? They were bitten by snakes (Numbers 21:5-7). Read also 1 Corinthians 10:9-11.
Those snakes are a symbol to us of evil spirits (Luke 10:19). Do you want to be bit by unclean spirits? Do you want poison to get into your spiritual veins? Obey this exhortation and commandment: Do all things without murmuring and disputing (Philippians 2:14).
The goal is to be blameless and harmless as the sons of God. We are to live a life that cannot be rebuked by the world. They cannot find any fault in our lives because we walk in humility, in love, and serve others without any false motives.
We are to practice humility while living in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. We are shining the bright light of Jesus Christ to this generation. We are the light on the lamp stand. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world, as the Lord Jesus said. (Matthew 5:13-14).
Through practicing humility, by living a life free from complaining and arguing, we will have the opportunity to hold forth the word of life. We will have opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people in our lives. God will bring people to us in the work place, in our family, in our church that we can serve. We will get the chance to share the word of life with others when we are walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Lord rejoices over our life when we walk in the Spirit, in humility, and live a life of thanksgiving and peace. James 4:10, "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."
Mike Kines
August 2, 2025