Apr 28, 2023
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3,4).
Well, here it is. Both Pastor Anthony and I have more than hinted that this is the central message of the book. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
But that is probably wrong. Paul is writing letters, not thesis statements. So, to make two verses stand in for the whole is likely the wrong way to read these books. However, I an earlier devotion, I suggested that Paul’s opening words often hint at what is to come. In 1:3 he writes, “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
The idea of their ‘partnership in the gospel’, I think, is much closer to the heart of this letter. And here is the point we have been making: as God works out this partnership in their personal and communal lives, humility is the main application. The longer I live in the Christian community, the more I am convicted that this is true, and that we have neglected this key ingredient of the gospel living.
In many, at least Protestant Christian traditions, we have emphasized knowledge. To enter the community, we need to know the right stuff (usually, as opposed to those Christians over there). We build intellectual fences others need to climb over before they may belong. Yet, I keep hearing Jesus calling his disciples, “Come, follow me.” When those same disciples tried to strong arm each other to the top, Jesus rebuked them with “whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (Mark 10:43-44; cf. 9:35; Matt. 20:27; 23:11; Luke 22:26-27). Its as if Jesus is saying, ‘how come you’re not getting this?’
When I am convinced that I are right and that others are wrong, what happens? Church land becomes a battleground in which I give licence to ambition and conceit because I must win for God. An ancient dictionary defines selfish ambition as ‘a greedy attempt to gain the upper hand through underhanded tactics.’ Yes, this happens in Christian communities.
There is something spiritually insidious happening here as well. In this need to win the issue of the day, we are attempting to take the Spirit’s role. I come to believe that “I must finish the good work” in this other person or persons. I must convince you I am right. But this is not the way the Bible speaks. Jesus loved the rich young ruler and watched him walk away. The wealthy father let his son go, then ra to embrace him when he wandered home. God is the one who sanctifies. I must partner with him in humility.
Years ago, Dallas Willard said, “State your case and sit down.” He was talking about congregational meetings. When he said, ‘sit down,’ he was referencing this kind of stuff. If we keep talking, we elbow God out of the way. We believe our words must convict others, when in truth, God needs to do the convicting. The outcome of the meeting is not ours to control.
Why is this so important? Because it models Jesus’ attitude towards us. It is the thing the disciples were to learn from him. It is the way of the Spirit. Paul does not imagine the church as a group of clones, walking in lockstep with one another. Instead, he sees it as a group of individuals who, despite their differences, are willing to show love for one another through putting the well-being of others first. This is what partnership with the gospel does in us.
Recently, a former professor of mine, after giving a lecture, said to his audience, “This is the way I read scripture now, but you need to know, I may be wrong.” That is the attitude of humility that comes from the gospel. Its an illustration of what Paul means when he speaks of “being like-minded…being one in spirit and of one mind.”