Daily Scripture Reading Philippians 1:27 - 2:22

Humans are wired to be selfish. If young children are left to develop as they wish, they will grow up to think only of themselves. Even people who have good parents and are trained to love others have to fight the urge to think of themselves first and foremost.

In today’s passage we will see that Paul commanded us to resist the urge to be selfish, and to think of others as more important than ourselves.

At the end of yesterday’s passage, Paul wrote about his dilemma regarding life and death. On the one hand, he was eager to die and go to heaven because heaven is a much better place to be. On the other hand, there was still ministry work for him to do on earth.

Phil. 1:27 ¶ Only live your lives in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear about your circumstances, that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind contending together for the faith of the gospel,

Notice the command in this verse to live in a manner worthy of the gospel, with an emphasis on worthy.

Phil. 1:28 in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.

We should not be alarmed by those who are opposed to Christ.

Phil. 1:29 For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

Think about the phrase “to you it has been granted”. That sounds like the Philippians received something positive that they wanted. Now look at the phrase “suffer for His sake” at the end of the verse. The Philippians were granted to suffer for Christ.

We often think of suffering as a punishment or curse. Paul looked at persecution as a benefit.

Phil. 1:30 having the same struggle which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

Phil. 2:1 ¶ Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,

Phil. 2:2 fulfill my joy, that you think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose,

Phil. 2:3 doing nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves,

Note the word “nothing”. Christians are to do nothing from selfish ambition. That is a hard command because humans are wired to be selfish and take care of their own needs before they take care of anyone else. As Christians we need to do the opposite of what we are wired to do and put others before ourselves.

Phil. 2:4 not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Look at the word “merely”. Paul didn’t say we should never take care of ourselves. Instead, we need to take care of others as well as ourselves.

Jesus rested and found time to be alone and pray. At some point Christians also have to take time to protect their physical, mental, and spiritual health. Christians can’t help others if we are not healthy. At some point we need to protect ourselves so that we can protect others.

Phil. 2:5 Have this way of thinking in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

Phil. 2:6 who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

Phil. 2:7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men.

Jesus is God. When He came to earth, He emptied Himself and took the form of a slave. If the Creator of the universe can lower Himself to live among humans, then we should be willing to lower ourselves and care for our fellow man.

Phil. 2:8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The sacrifice that Jesus was willing to make was far more difficult than what most of us will ever be asked to sacrifice.

Phil. 2:9 Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,

Phil. 2:10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

Phil. 2:11 and that EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father.

In chapter one verse 28 Paul told us not to be alarmed by our opponents. Part of the reason for that command is that someday everyone, including every one of our opponents, will bow before Jesus and admit that He is Lord.

Phil. 2:12 ¶ So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;

Phil. 2:13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Phil. 2:14 ¶ Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

Grumbling and disputing are wrong. As we go through life, we will face many obstacles, setbacks, hardships, and disappointments. We should never grumble about our lot in life.

Phil. 2:15 so that you will be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

Think about the concept of shining as lights in the world. All humans have problems and disappointments. Part of being a light is having a good attitude about all the obstacles and hardships we need to endure and overcome.

Phil. 2:16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to boast because I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.

Phil. 2:17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.

Phil. 2:18 And you also, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

Phil. 2:19 ¶ But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be in good spirits when I learn of your circumstances.

Phil. 2:20 For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned about your circumstances.

Phil. 2:21 For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.

Humans are so inclined to selfishness that even Paul had trouble finding someone he could send to Philippi who would be genuinely concerned about the interests of the Philippians.

Phil. 2:22 But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.

Paul commanded us to do nothing from selfish ambition. That is a hard command because humans are wired to be selfish and take care of their own needs before they take care of anyone else. As Christians we need to do the opposite of what we are wired to do and put others before ourselves.

What are some occasions where you have suffered because someone put themselves before your needs?

What are some times when you had an opportunity to consider someone else as more important than yourself, but you failed to do so?

Describe a circumstance in which you successfully treated someone else as more important than yourself?

What temptations do you have today to act in selfish ambition?

What do you need to do to resist those temptations?

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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”