Series Renewal
*Phil 2:5 ESV Focus
Philippians 2:1-7 ESV
I have to admit this focus scripture is on my top 100 list that I plan to ask God about when we are face to face.
That’s because while I understand the concept and the reason I’ve not seen a handful of people in the church (going on 70 years) who are of the same mind.
I don’t believe that’s unusual.
The overall passages in Philippians 2:1-7 tell us, “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. (v. 5) 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.”
Notice that in Philippians 2, verse 1 Paul uses the word, “if” which in the Koine Greek is “ei” and it is a conjunction that can express a condition or make an assumption.
In this particular case I lean toward the word “if” expressing a condition. It’s as if Paul was saying, “if, then”. In Speech Communication Argumentation and Debate in college those were catch words that we watched for. They meant something. They could be clues for the broader passage that helped us understand what the author was thinking.
In this case he was saying “if” there is great benefit from the Spirit (encouragement, comfort, cohesiveness, affection, and sympathy) then give me joy and love by being of the same mind.
Now notice Philippians 2:5 says “have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”
Therein lies the clue we often miss.
If we flip Philippians 2:5 around we can see it clearly. Think of it this way, all is YOURS through Christ…you can have the same mind.
Flipping the sentence doesn’t make sense grammatically, but placing the emphasis on what Christ offers changes everything.
There is a specific reason I took note of that phrase.
It’s because in my lowest hour when everything in my life fell apart and I crawled into a very large church I discovered (in time) that the burden of life was not mine to carry. Until that point I thought I was solely responsible for doing the ‘Jesus’ thing right.
Twenty years later it seems strange that my theology was myopic.
I thought it was my responsibility.
In light of this new focus in time I came to realize that encouragement in Christ, comfort in love, participation of the Spirit, and affection and sympathy (and a host of other things) are available to us because of and through Jesus.
Someone once said to me the good news is that, “God is God and I am not.”
Whew! That was such a load off my chest!
When I really realized the magnitude of it I was able to see that in some ways I had been practicing works righteousness.
I thought I was responsible.
By the new matrix I came to realize I only needed to turn, lean into God in Christ, and surrender the “thing” to God. Suddenly the load of failure I had been carrying meant I wasn’t carrying it alone. While that did not instantly change my habit, it started to change my theology.
Part of the reason that revelation was so vital at the time is because I was feeling like my life was a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle that had been scrambled and many of the pieces were gone.
In truth, I thought I was Humpty Dumpty who had a great fall who could never be put back together again.
When I realized I could really turn to God and leave the matter with God, I felt like I could breathe again.
Healing wasn’t instant but healing did come.
The good news…the really Good News when I realized I was not responsible for healing what was broken, was that every day since when I stumble and even fall I remember I can turn to Jesus and surrender.
After practicing letting God be God for twenty years I have found all I need to do it stop, sigh, and receive.
Words are no longer necessary.
We are of the same mind.
Spiritual Practice: BE in Christ
Practice letting God be God.
In God, Deborah
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