What promotes unity?
Verses 4 and 5.
"Let each of you look out not for his own interests,
but also for the interests of others.
Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus."
What promotes unity?
Humility.
Christ had this mind in Himself.
Lowliness of mind.
Lowliness of heart.
A servant's heart.
Not being always opinionated.
Not thinking we always are right.
Or that we always know what's right.
Not being a high-minded opinionated
person that has to push our agenda on others.
A servant's heart,
a forgiving heart;
motivated by the love of Christ,
the love of the brethren,
the love of the gospel,
and mainly motivated
in your church
by the welfare of the whole church.
That's a faithful church member.
That's the best member of the body of Christ
that God can have.
Is one whose motivated
for the welfare of their church.
Not to get their own way
but to promote the interest of Jesus Christ.
Paul says, "Do everything within you
to preserve and maintain loving unity."
The enemy hates it
and the Lord loves it.
Now these realities of unity
that he mentions
in verse 2.
Four things that make up unity in verse 2.
Being like minded.
What does this mean?
It doesn't mean you agree on everything.
There's always differences of opinion.
There always are.
It means to think in a certain way
with a certain loving mature attitude
so as to preserve the relationship.
Is it better if you disagree and you are having an argument,
to win the argument
or maintain a right spirit?
And be the loving one in the end.
This idea of being like minded is a moral attitude
where we're reconciliatory
and we don't have a divisive spirit.
"Having the same love, " he says,
"this is what I want of you,
having the same love."
This means, "you Philippians
the love that you've had for one another
in the history of your church
when God began to save the jailor
and Lydia
and others
and a church was birthed
and there was real love there
and great joy there.
This love - maintain it.
The love you've had from the beginning.
This is what you are to walk in and still have.
Having the same love one for another."
Being in one accord.
Living in a harmonious relationship.
Your own brethren
in your church,
is there disharmony between you and them
or is there harmony?
Being of one mind.
It is not differing viewpoints that cause disunity
but rather a wrong attitude toward others
whose views differ from ours.
Let me say that again.
It is not differing viewpoints that cause disunity,
but rather a wrong attitude toward others
whose views differ from ours.
Do you have less love for those who disagree with you?
And more love toward those who always agree with everything you think is right?