Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy.  (2) fulfill my joy by being like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  (3) let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.  (4) Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  (5) Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus

The letter to the Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul.  Paul was under house arrest in Rome and was writing to the church in Philippi to let them know his status and to encourage them to maintain harmonious relationships within the church and with each other.  Alienation in the Church at Philippi seems to be something new in that Christian community and Paul is appealing for harmony and unity.

Paul is asking the Philippians to think about their experience in the love of Christ.  Union with Christ, rebirth in faith, gave comfort to believers.  They experienced comfort from trials by a common bond in Christ with others.  Such comfort results in harmony in the spirit and the Philippians should take great encouragement from that.  Relational conflicts can be so discouraging.  Jesus is all sufficient and gives us hope – motivates us to please Him.  There is a consolation of love in Christ.  My love doesn’t depend on the other person’s response, it depends on the love of Christ for me – Christ is the Good Shepherd.

Paul is urging the Philippians to have a fellowship of Spirit – to develop affection and compassion with Christ as their example. They/we are to love others and need a mind set that works at seeking unity – to seek to know the mind of Christ through prayer and in the Word.  The mind of Christ, the love of Christ, is united in the Spirit which is united on the faith of the gospel glorifying Christ.  In this way God gives us a solid base for resolving conflict.

The world’s way is that of pride and self fulfillment:  worldly ways are empty conceits, vain glories, self interest as the chief end of man.  Self esteem is about pride and opposed to harmonious relationships.

So we should not boast  All we have and are is by Gods grace.  All we have is a gift to be used for Gods glory.

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, (20) according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.  (21) For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  (22) But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor:  yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.  (23) For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.  (24) Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you.

(27) Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel

The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Philippians.  The Jews in Jerusalem had accused Paul of treason against Rome and Paul was arrested as a result of these accusations and was ultimately sent to Rome for judgment.  While under house arrest in Rome Paul wrote to the Philippians to tell them how he was doing and in our verses today, Paul writes about his outlook for the future.

Paul had an uncertain future but he had certain joy.  Paul is joyful because he is certain of his deliverance – either deliverance in death or deliverance in release from prison so he can continue living  as Christ did here on earth – to experience what Christ did on earth.  Future gain of heavenly blessing is not  in our present life.  Paul was saying to live is Christ – to walk in his footsteps, to preach the gospel; suffer His persecution and rejection.  Paul’s message to the Philippians was that he was not guilty of wrongdoing and he was ready to defend himself:  God would deliver him.

So, to live is Christ and to die is gain.  To die would be to leave behind suffering and pain and gain the treasures of heaven

(5) Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  (9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians while he was imprisoned in Rome.  Paul was very attached to the Philippians and founded the Church there – he wanted to inform them of his situation in Rome and of his state of mind.  Paul also wanted to encourage the Christian in Philippians to be true to the gospel he had taught them.  Paul had no doubts whatsoever about the certainty of what awaited him should he die – “to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  In other words, to continue to live would be to continue to suffer as did Christ Jesus with Him always as our example of the suffering servant, and to die would be certain to enter into the presence of God, free from suffering, pain and sorrow.  The end was always certain for Paul.

Those who cannot believe in a God who allows suffering apparently have no use for events like the fall of man and sin and death entering the world.  Our verses today tell us that the God who allows suffering in man also suffered in the person of Christ Jesus Who was obedient to the Father unto death.   Paul is teaching foundational doctrine here – Christ, undiminished deity, true God, took on perfect and sinless humanity at His incarnation.  We as finite beings cannot truly comprehend this but it is true – because the Bible says so.

The Apostle Paul is establishing Jesus postion and status.  Jesus is God.  He was actively involved in the creation of the world.  He is fully equal to the Father in His essence.  Jesus emptied Himself but never dimished His deity.  As true man He gave Himself over in the obedience to the Father to glorify Him.  Jesus divested himself of self interest which was true humility. He came to bear the wrath of God in the place of sinners.  Christ Jesus was elevated to the highest possible place of honor by the Father.

And then we are told how the world will end and we should never forget this in these days of suffering.  Every knee shall bend at the name of Jesus and every creature ever created will call Him Lord.

In todays verses we hear that Jesus is equal with God, not man.  Jesus became man but man was not equal with Him.  Jesus subordinated His interests to the interests of the Father, not man.  The intended goal was not the salvation of man but rather obedience to the glory of the Father.

In preparation for todays lesson I came across a quote from John Newton – If I every reach heaven I expect to find three wonders there:  first, to meet some I had not thought to see there; second, to miss some I had expected to see there; and third – the greatest wonder of all – to find myself there.

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.  (9) For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,”  “You shall not steal,” You shall not bear false witness,” You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  (10) Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.

The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Romans, and in this letter he provides a proper doctrinal foundation for Christian faith.  In today’s verses Paul is writing of a call to commitment or service in response to divine grace.  With the doctrinal foundation Paul provides in Romans, the commitment he urges should not be emotional – a Christian’s service involves both mind and body.  Believing that God loves us and through Christ Jesus has pardoned us and offered justification to those who have faith,  results in reconciliation with God – all at the initiation of God, not man.

Love as expressed by Paul in today’s verses is not a feeling but is a command to be obeyed.  The cross was the ultimate demonstration of this love.  Sin damaged man’s relationship with God and because of indwelling sin our default mode is to be selfish.  It is a life long battle of loving God and others more and more – our sincere love for God becomes a sincere love for others.  This is the message of the New Testament.

Transformed living is a result of true Christian belief – transformed daily living with our neighbors. God has given us the indwelling Holy Spirit to enable us to conform to the image of Christ.   Biblical love must be holy – it is discerning.  It hates what is evil, clings to what is good.  This implies an objective knowable standard of what is evil and what is good – neither of which is relative or cultural.  We are not commanded to like everyone but – being wise and discerning – we are to love our neighbor.  Our motive is to help a person to grow in Godliness.  Transformed living is a result of true Christian belief and because of the mercies of God our minds are renewed and we will become – remember this is a process – proof in practice of God’s good, acceptable and perfect will.

I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  (2)  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The letter to the Romans was written by the Apostle Paul in preparation to his visit to the Christians in Rome.  In the first 11 chapters of this letter Paul has laid the doctrinal base for the Gospel.   The verses we study today are a call to commitment – a whole new way of thinking and behaving.  Verses 1 and 2 set forth our need to commit to God completely.  The first of the two great commandments – that we love God with our whole heart, body and mind – is addressed here.

There is nothing we can do to earn salvation.  Implicit in this is God makes it possible for us to transform our minds and all is initiated by God..  God wants US, not our work and this decision to transformation is an act of will – an ongoing commitment on the part of the committed Christian

When Paul uses the verb beseech, he means that we have to will or make the decision to holiness.  We must resist conformity to the world – to be transformed takes place in the mind of the believer and is a conscious decision.  Beware of living based on feeling and only being concerned about doing.  A life of feeling ignores the renewing of the mind which is the transforming power of God.  The Apostle Paul is not against feeling or doing but this is insufficient foundation for Christian life.  We are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind.

Transformation of our minds is a process of sanctification – to be holy, set apart.  This world is passing away – look around you – it is under Satan’s dominion.  We need to live in contrast to this age where all thoughts concern what is seen and temporal.  To think as a Christian is to think with salvation and eternity in mind.