Imagine If...
Stomach viruses and strep are definitely on my list of least favorite houseguests. But the one that has topped them all so far is Hand-foot-mouth. It just lingers. And when it came to visit us in 2014, I had the privilege of watching every single episode of Wild Kratts on Netflix. Twice.
The animal-loving, and overly predictable Kratt brothers begin every show as real people tramping through the woods, or wandering in the desert when they just randomly happen upon some surprisingly interesting critter. Without fail, they talk about the critter’s amazing “creature powers,” and then they imagine together what it would be like to have these powers themselves.
And then on every episode the same thing goes down...After using the phrase “imagine if” several times, they undergo a shocking transformation (trust me, it is shocking - Every time.). They turn into cartoon versions of themselves, where they can actually experience all that they were just imagining.
As we start to break down the text in Philippians 2, let me invite you to “imagine if” with me for a moment ...
In verse 2, Paul encourages the church to:
“…make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” Philippians 2:2
Imagine if the church actually functioned this way: same mind, same love, united in spirit, with one purpose. This idea of unity is not unique to the Philippian church.
Do you know what Jesus prayed for the future church in the final hours before his arrest? Not once, but three times he prayed that “those who will believe in me” would be one (John 17:21-23). This is clearly important to the heart of God. In fact, he commands it throughout Scripture in places like 1 Peter 3:8 and Romans 12:16. And He is not talking about unity-ish… this unity is the full blown, all in kind… listen to this:
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:1-6
That is a lot of oneness. And since we don’t have to look far to see division in the church today, the request for unity seems like an impossible one to fulfill. But I love how in Philippians, Paul doesn’t leave us to wonder how on earth we are supposed to do this. He brings this whole idea down to a practical level and gives us very specific instructions on how to make the “impossible” happen:
“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4
The instructions are not complicated. But they are extreme. Does God really expect us to do nothing from selfishness? Regard one another as more important? This seems a little unreasonable… But, then as Paul recaps the life of Jesus, his request of the church pales in comparison to the unreasonable selflessness and extreme humility that characterized the life of Christ:
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8
And sandwiched between the above references is verse 5: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus”. This is it. This is the key to the “impossible.” Notice that it is not about identical biblical interpretation, musical preference, or political/cultural/economic background. We like to make these things the issue because they imply a definite winner/loser, or an obvious right/wrong (hello, pride). But God makes it clear in Philippians 2 that the the key is an attitude.
So let us recount Paul’s description of Christ’s life and imagine together what this attitude would look like on God’s people.
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing…”
Jesus yielded his glory and made himself nothing.
What would this attitude look like on God’s people?
How hard it is to yield our glory. So often our lips say “glory to God” while our hearts selfishly crave it - we want recognition for our new boots, our spiritual gifts, our well educated children, our superb biblical interpretation, our hard work, our response to crisis, our righteousness, our great hair, our flawless beliefs, our thin waist, our talents, and the list goes on.
Imagine if God’s people burned this list - if we yielded our glory, and we fully emptied ourselves the way that Christ did. If, instead of each of our hearts whispering our own names just loud enough to be heard (but not so loud as to be obvious), imagine if we all proclaimed one name together - Christ Jesus.
“... taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness…”
Although he was fully aware of the depths of wickedness dwelling in human hearts, he was made in our likeness, and surrendered his position in heaven to dwell among us as a servant.
What would this attitude look like in God’s people?
Oftentimes, we feel like we have earned some sort of position, or reputation, or rights among one another. We cling to these things that have been given to us by the LORD as if they actually belong to us. We forget that all of our titles and “rights” - mother, wife, sunday school teacher, friend, blogger, prophet, choir member, teacher - are on loan from Him… and only as long as He has appointed.
So we defend them, and we tend to get offended when they are removed for a time, or forever - but we must remember that the Prince of Heaven surrendered his position, and took an unimaginable pay cut to dwell among our sinful human race as a servant.
Imagine if God’s people took this posture together - if we climbed down from our defensive position and took a posture of humility - face to the ground, and hands held open, acknowledging that our position and title are fully accessible to his will… where no station or name is below our own.
“..And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross.”
And, as if the former was not a vivid enough picture of humility, the Son of the Most High God, in limitless obedience to the Father, bore those depths of wickedness on himself as he was killed like a common criminal.
What would this attitude look like in God’s people?
Radical, infinite obedience. Not legalism - God’s people are not under the law, but under something that requires complete dependence and trust - his Spirit. Galatians 5 gives us a list of what this does, and does not look like:
DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THIS: “sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.”
DOES LOOK LIKE THIS: “love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
Did you notice what showed up on the naughty list somewhere in between sorcery and orgies?
- Enmity (the state or feeling of being actively opposed to someone)
- Strife (angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict)
- Rivalries (competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field) Dissensions (disagreement that leads to discord)
- Divisions (the action of separating something into parts)
YIKES! Imagine if God’s people walked in this kind of radical obedience to the Holy Spirit.
We don’t have to imagine the result of Christ’s extreme humility because Paul totally gives away the ending:
“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11
But imagine with me the result if God’s people were to “have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus” - imagine if God’s people walked in extreme humility.
Imagine if God’s people fully emptied themselves and proclaimed only one name together. Imagine if God’s people took a posture of humility where no station was below their own. Imagine if God’s people walked in radical obedience to the Holy Spirit.
And just about as predictable as the Kratt’s brothers transformation, is the result of an attitude of extreme humility in God’s people: same mind, same love, united in spirit, with one purpose. Yep, Paul gave the the ending of that one away too.
How I wish that these words of Paul, through the power of the Holy Spirit, would radically transform our hearts until the “impossible” became a reality:
“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:6-8
Lindsey Newcomer spends most of her time managing the Newcomer household, which she falls more in love with every day. She’s a typical housewife with a few exceptions – she doesn’t exercise, iron, or drink coffee. She can count on one hand the number of things she takes seriously – foosball and her daily 8pm bowl of Cheerios probably make the cut… but the weight of her sin, and the depth of love that Jesus Christ poured out through the cross sober her like nothing else. She loves how these verses from Hosea sum up God’s relationship with her: “And I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you to me in righteousness and justice, in steadfast love and mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD.”