February 4
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CAUSES OF DIVISION IN THE CHURCH AND ANTIDOTE FOR IT
Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross. 9 For this reason also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 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, 11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:1-11
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In this letter, Paul gives the Philippians warning about the dangers of disunity. In verse 2, he asks them to have the same mind, same love, united in spirit and focused only on one purpose. It is very important in the body of Christ to be on the same page with regards to following the true gospel of Jesus. Paul gives the believers the causes of disunity in a church. He spells out selfishness and empty conceit as the main source of division in the body. When people only care for their agendas and is not in harmony with the gospel, we are surely going to see trouble lurking in the church. He emphasizes that empty conceit must not be part of the believer’s life. In verse 4, Paul teaches the Philippians how to be selfless instead of being selfish. We cannot be only after our needs being met, but we also need to care for one another as Christ commands us to. In verse 5, he gives the antidote for selfishness and conceit. The example of Jesus’ coming down on earth to give up being God and became humans, so that he can obey God to the point of dying on the cross. He sampled what humility was and that when we became believers, we ought to live that same humility we were role modeled to by Christ.
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REFLECTION
• Why is division something that God doesn’t want present in his church?
• What happens when division infiltrates a church?