So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 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. 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. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 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.

1) Paul is describing a situation that would bring him joy in verses 1-4. What is does that situation look like?
Paul was the founding pastor for the church at Philippi. (Acts 16:1-40) He had a great affection for the churches he founded even if he did not stay in those cities for any length of time. He would receive letters regarding the happenings of the churches he founded and in return, write letters of admonition, encouragement, and instruction. In this letter to the Philippians, he is asking them if they truly believe in the gospel and if so, then the actions overflowing of that they should be likeminded-ness and unification. He is instructing them to look out for each other and be imitators of Christ.

2) Who are we to imitate and why?
We are to be imitators of Christ. (v.5). Paul describes the manner in which Christ came, the reason He came, and the servant minded focus Jesus had while on this Earth that ultimately led to His death on the Cross.

3) What does this imitation look like?
Paul is instructing the Philippians to follow in Christ’s steps and die to self. As the first part of this passage points out, selfish ambition must be put aside and humility must reign supreme. Paul points out the gospel characteristic of Christian sympathy, love, encouragement, and unity. As the passage explains, these only happen when we are servant-minded.

1) Paul is describing a situation that would bring him joy in verses 1-4. What is does that situation look like?
Paul, like any biblical grounded pastor, desires his flock to live in the light of the gospel message and live out the truth they claim to believe. Our standards of behavior that bring about true freedom do not exist in social media, television, or even our best friends who love Jesus, but rather in the person of Jesus Christ. The joy and freedom of the Christian life is not lived for what we gain from the gospel, but in what we give because of what was gained.

2) Who are we to imitate and why?
Christ is our example. The word Christian means “little Christ or belonging to Christ”. Sister, if we are of Christ or belonging to Him, He is Lord and leader of our life. He is the example we look to. It reminds me of the question from the early 90’s that made its way around the Christian swag arena, WWJD…What Would Jesus Do? Although the trend has played itself out, there is truth to be found in it. We have to ask ourselves what would Jesus do as we live out our daily lives.

3) What does this imitation look like?
Imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Christ doesn’t need to be flattered, rather He desires to be worshipped. Imitation of Christ is a desired obedience to the gospel. In ourselves, unity does not happen, sympathy and love are a struggle at best, and participation in the Spirit is impossible. When we choose to live in the Spirit as imitators of Christ, we are radically transformed seeing not through selfish eyes but rather the lens of the gospel. The Christian life is made possible through the life of the Spirit living within the believer!

Don’t miss today’s other Journey Study, The Freedom of the Gospel!
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We love getting help while we study and www.studylight.org is one of many excellent resources.  Just type in the verse you’re looking at and Boom! It’s right in front of you in English and Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament), which are the original languages the Bible was written in.

Want to know more about a specific word in a verse? Click on “Strong’s Interlinear Bible” then click the word you’d like to study. Find super awesome stuff like “origin”, “definition”, and even all the different ways that single word has been translated into English! If you want to be geeky, you can even click the word and hear its original pronunciation – That Is Awesome!

Want to get more background on a word or phrasing or passage? Click “Study Tools”, then pick a few commentaries to read their scholarly approach, keeping in mind that just because a commentary says it, doesn’t mean it’s true. (just like the internet :-))

Finding the original meaning is a huge deal when we study Scripture and can make all the difference in our understanding as we apply God’s truths to our everyday lives.

In our modern-day relationships, we want people to understand our original intention as we communicate; how much more so between God and humanity?!

Here’s a little bit more on why we take Digging Deeper so seriously.

Embracing God’s fullness in our lives is rooted in scripture and memorizing His word is vital to our continued growth and depth with Jesus.
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