PRIDE SERIES:

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4

-       Greek:

o   Selfishness: a desire to put one’s self forward, a partisan and fractious spirit which does not disdain low arts

§  Partisanship: prejudice in favor of a particular cause; bias (for oneself)

§  Fractious: irritable and quarrelsome; difficult to control, unruly

o   Empty conceit: vain glory, groundless, self esteem, empty pride; a vain opinion, error

o   Humility: having a humble opinion of one’s self, a deep sense of one’s (moral) littleness, modesty

o   More significant: to have or hold over one, to stand out, rise above, to surpass

-       Believers are to love others in the body of Christ equally not because they are all equally attractive but by showing the same kind of sacrificial loving service to all that was shown to them by Christ

o   John 15:12-13 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

-       Philippians 2:5-8 “ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,^[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,^[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,^[c] 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.”

o   Though Christ had all the rights, privileges and honors of deity which he was worthy of and could never be disqualified from, his attitude was not to cling to those things or his position but to be willing to give them up for a season

o   Christ is the ultimate example of selfless humility

-       V.13 “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

o   Although the believer is responsible to work (v.12 therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,”) (work: believer’s responsibility for active pursuit of obedience in the process of sanctification), the Lord actually produces the good works and spiritual fruit in the lives of believers. This is accomplished because he works thorugh us by his indwelling Spirit.

o   To will and to work: God energizes both the believer’s desires and his actions. The will indicates that he is not focusing on mere desires or whimsical emotions but on the studied intent to fulfill a planned purpose. God’s power makes his church willing to live godly lives.

o   Good pleasure: God wants Christians to do what satisfies him.