Christ, the Way of Humility: Philippians 2:1-11

Sermon Idea: Churches maintain unity by being formed by the life and death of Christ, following Jesus in the way of humility. 

Introduction: The Christian tradition has long understood pride as the root of all sin. In the history of interpretation, it was pride that caused the fall of Satan from heaven (Isaiah 14:12-15; Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:8). Pride was at the root of Satan’s temptation of Adam and Eve, who sought to “be like God” (Gen. 3:5). 

This is why C.S. Lewis, in his marvelous book Mere Christianity, titles his chapter on pride, The Great Sin. “…it was through pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”¹

In this chapter, Lewis offers two insightful points about the nature of pride. The first is that pride is essentially competitive, and the second is that pride always means enmity between man and God. 

So, following Lewis, we can confidently say that the vice of pride only results in fracture and disunity. 

Paul understands this well, so in his efforts to encourage the church to maintain unity, he wants them to adorn themselves with the virtue opposed to pride—humility. 

The way Paul does this is important for our pursuit of unity and a proper understanding of the Christian life.

For Paul, Christ’s life and death are the patterns that shape and form our lives as a church. We are to be a people conformed to the crucified Christ. That is the encouragement of verses 5-11. 

The power to be formed and shaped by the cross of Christ comes from the glorious reality that in salvation, we are crucified with Christ so that we live in him and He in us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 

The realities that Paul calls us to remember in 2:1, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, are not identical, but similar to Galatians 2:20. 

²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Ga 2:20)

Living unified as a church is only possible because of the work of God in salvation that unites us to Christ Jesus. That is where Paul begins in verses 2:1-4. 

Furthermore, living unified as a church is rightly pursued by being conformed to the crucified Christ, whom God has united us to in salvation. That is how Paul ends in verses 2:5-11. 

What I want us to see this morning is that churches maintain unity by being formed by the life and death of Christ, following Jesus in the way of humility. Three truths will support this idea: shared life in Christ is the basis for unity, humility is the way to unity, and Christ is the way of humility. 

I.) Shared life in Christ is the basis for unity (Phil. 2:1-2) 

Five realities in verse 1 describe a church’s shared life in Christ. 

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy (Php 2:1)

What is assumed with each phrase is that these things are true. There is encouragement in Christ, comfort from love, participation in the Spirit, and affection and sympathy. These realities are true of the church because of what God has done in Christ and by the Spirit. Our shared life in Christ is in God, the Holy Trinity.

Elsewhere Paul refers to God as the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Co 1:3–4)

He also uses language very similar to Philippians 2:1 in a Trinitarian way at the end of 2 Corinthians: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. (2 Co 13:14)

It’s good to remember that the immediate context is Paul’s exhortation for the church to stand firm together, especially through suffering, ²⁹ For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake. (Php 1:29)

Yes, God has granted them to suffer for Christ, but he has also blessed them in Christ with all that is needed to live faithfully with one another through suffering. They can stand firm in one spirit, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel because there is encouragement in Christ, comfort from love, participation in the spirit, affection, and sympathy. 

The key here is that God has provided what we need to maintain unity in the church. If unity is going to be maintained, we need to remember what God has already done in Christ and who we are together in Christ. We don’t need new teaching or information. We need to take heed to what God has already done and has already taught us. 

This is how Paul connects verses 1 with verse 2, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. (Php 2:2)

Our shared union with Christ is to result in the church being like one person. 

We might think of a rowing team that is made up of multiple members, all of whom are different but who nonetheless move as one. They do that because they have the same goal and everyone is rowing in the same direction to meet that goal. 

For unity to be maintained, there has to be something worth striving for that is greater than personal preferences and individual ambitions. For the church, that greater something is God’s glory and the advancement of his gospel. 

The basis of our unity is our shared life in Christ. Encouragement in Christ, comfort from love, participation in the Spirit, affection, and sympathy are the motivation for being of one mind. 

The way to unity is by living humbly with one another. Look with me at verses 3-4. 

II.) Humility is the way to unity (Phil. 2:3-4) 

³ Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Php 2:3–4) 

Self-ambition is pursuing your own desires to the detriment of others. There is nothing wrong with being ambitious. There is nothing wrong with having goals and pursuing them. There is something wrong with pursuing your ambitions, no matter the cost to others. 

James refers to selfish ambition as wisdom from below and goes as far as to say that selfish ambition is demonic. 

 ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. (Jas 3:13–16)

Likewise, Proverbs tells us that God hates pride, There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes (Pr 6:16–17)

Following Christ leads us downward, away from selfish ambition and to the path of humility, “but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

Humility is a virtue that can too easily be misunderstood or distorted. So, what is humility? Simply, humility is having a proper view of oneself. 

At the most fundamental level, it is to know that you are a creature, not the creator. It is to know that you redeemed, not the redeemer. That sounds simplistic, but it’s the foundation for understanding that every good gift you have has been received. You’re a product not of your own making but of God’s providence and grace.

When we have a proper view of ourselves, it frees us from being preoccupied with trying to get others to think more highly of us than they ought, and we’ll be less tempted to step over others to lift ourselves. 

True humility is thinking of yourself less as you seek the good of others. Humble people are preoccupied with the needs of those around them, not only individuals but also the needs of their community.  

The motivation that the Bible gives for the pursuit of humility is contrary to our instincts. Glory and exaltation follow the path of humility. 

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁷ Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (Jas 4:6–8)

Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, (1 Pe 5:5–6)

Humility as the way of exaltation is the pattern modeled for us by Christ. Humility may be the way to unity, but Christ is the way of humility. 

III.) Christ is the way of humility (Phil 2:5-11) 

Christ’s life and death are the pattern that shapes and forms our lives as a church. We are to be a people who conform to the crucified Christ. We’re not going to reflect on every detail until next week, but for now, it’s important to see that the life and death of Christ are the support for Paul’s exhortation to maintain unity. 

 ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (Php 2:4–7)

The text begins with the glory of the Son before the incarnation. He was “in the form of God” who had “equality with God.” The emptying in verse 7 is a simple reference to the fact that the Son assumed human flesh and was born in the likeness of men. Christ’s humanity is referred to as the form of a servant. That is because the purpose of Christ’s mission was to redeem humanity, now corrupted by sin. 

Jesus Christ is God in human flesh, so that in every way, he experienced human life as we do. He hungered in the wilderness. He became tired and slept. He wept at the grave of friends and experienced grief. He knew betrayal and abandonment. He became thirsty on the cross and experienced pain. Christ is as human as you and me. 

We can’t stress enough the importance of the Son being born in the likeness of men. The author of Hebrews makes a direct connection between Jesus’ humanity and his ability to redeem us. 

¹⁴ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Heb 2:14–15)

The reason Christ humbled himself ultimately was to die on the cross to defeat Satan, sin, and death. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Php 2:8)

The scandalous reality of the Son of God incarnate dying on the cross is such a powerful example of humility that it can only expose just how proud we are. We can only hope that we’ll respond in the way Isaac Watts did in this famous hymn. 

When I survey the wondrous cross

On which the Prince of Glory died

My richest gain I count but loss

And pour contempt on all my pride

Friends, if there is lingering pride in us let us meditate on the humility of Christ on the cross. By God’s grace, we can hope to have great contempt for our pride until it dwindles down to nothing. 

It is against our instincts, but humility leads to glory. Note carefully the “therefore” in verse 9. The exaltation of Christ is in response to his faithful obedience.  

⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Php 2:9–11)

Application 

1. Meditate on the shared life we have in Christ. Think about the encouragement in Christ, comfort from love, participation in the Spirit, etc.
2. Let’s keep Christ and the cross at the center of our worship and ministry. 
3. Reflect on the pride of your heart, confess it before the Lord, and ask God for the grace to change. 

1. C.S.Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York, NY: Harper One, 1952) 122. ↩︎