“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”[1]
In the chapter 1 of Philippians, St. Paul calls the church to not only to believe rightly, but live rightly. He calls them to embrace both Gospel doctrine and Gospel culture. But to do this requires humility. It is the Humility of Purpose.
Paul tells them that he hopes they are, “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel.” He’s asking the members of the church to let go of their own agendas and priorities and to be united around a common purpose –The Gospel of Christ. This requires humility from each member of the Church. This is a call to relinquish competing priorities and rival causes. No church can succeed if this priority is neglected. Whatever else a church may do, no matter how good it may be, if they aren’t focused with mutual humility on the Gospel of Christ, they are not fulfilling the intent of the Lord for the Church.
This is always a needed reminder for God’s people. The message of the Gospel is the reason for the Church’s existence. The incarnation, death, and resurrection of Jesus, His love for his wayward people, His sacrifice for our sins, the call to recognize and obey him as Lord and to discover the fullness of life that is found in Him is the mission of the Church. Everything else is secondary. But that takes humility, unity, and purposeful effort. That takes a humility of purpose.
This cannot be done by elevating ourselves, or elevating our efforts, or by elevating our agendas. It is by elevating Him, elevating His efforts, and elevating His agenda. It is by seeking the mind of Christ.
Humility is the way to faithfulness. In his book, The Godly Man’s Picture first published in 1666, Thomas Watson said, “Strive for this characteristic: be humble. Put it on as an embroidered robe. It is better to lack anything rather than humility… A humble heart is God’s palace.”[2]
[1] Philippians 1:27, ESV
[2] Watson, Thomas, The Godly Man’s Picture, Banner of Truth (Reprint, 1992), Endinburgh, 1666, 88