3. Unity Through The Cross: When Humility Leads To Harmony (Phil. 2:1-18)

On December 13, 2003, the world was stunned by the news that U.S. soldiers had captured Saddam Hussein in Iraq. News agencies delighted in repeatedly showing pictures of this man being checked out by a doctor for head lice. The soldiers who captured him mockingly told him “President Bush sends his regards,” and the world laughed in derision. The man who once defied nations, who once lived in pompous extravagance, who once disposed of people like worthless animals, was displayed to the world, disheveled, dirty, and disgraced, hiding in a hole in the ground. This man had gone from a powerful dictator to a pitiful desperado, from a decadent palace to a dismal pothole.

Nearly 2000 years before, another man made a long journey downward from heavenly splendor to earthly squalor. He was displayed to the world in abject humiliation, not in a rat hole but on a rugged cross, not with lice in his hair but with a crown of thorns on his head. Out of greed and arrogance, Saddam Hussein desperately tried to hang on to power but was deposed by forces stronger than himself. But out of obedience and love, Jesus, our Saviour, voluntarily surrendered his power and humbled himself.

If you asked most Christians what Paul’s letter to Philippians is about they usually say: “Joy” or “Rejoicing.” In fact I would argue that this epistle is about unity – specifically, “unity through humility.” How do we know this? We know this because of the repeated references to a united, humble attitude (mind): (1) “one spirit ... one mind” (1:27); (2) “be of the same mind…being united in spirit, and having one purpose” (2:2); (3) “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (2:3-4); (4) “Have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had” (2:5); (5) “Let those of us who are mature think this way” (3:15); (6) “I urge Euodia and I implore Syntyche to agree in the Lord” (4:2); (7) “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7).

Now, you could also say that Paul repeats references to “joy” and “rejoicing” as well in this epistle – that’s true. But his exhortations that they “rejoice” are precisely because they weren’t rejoicing. You don't have to tell someone who is rejoicing to rejoice. The Philippians lacked joy because they lacked unity. They were a church that was divided by arguments, complaints, people pushing their own agendas and promoting themselves (2:1-3). Unity of spirit seems to have been the issue at this church.

Philippians 2:1-4 is a continuation of the appeal in 1:27-30 to live worthy of the gospel, which entails “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (1:27). Verses 1-4 set the stage for verses 5-18.

What they needed was harmony in the church and the way to harmony is through humility. They needed to imitate Christ in his humility (2:5ff.) by “considering others as more significant (important) than yourselves” (2:3), by acting in each other’s best interests (2:4). This is the path to unity among believers.

The subject of the passage we are studying today is “Church Unity: like-mindedness in the church.” The point of this passage is that if you want your church to be united, you need to think less of yourself and more of others. The apostle Paul says that...

I. Our Unity Stems From Our Attitude To One Another (2:5-11)

Attitude is so important for how we live. You’ve probably heard your mother or schoolteacher at one time or another say, “You need to change your attitude.” And that’s what Paul says to the Christians at Philippi. He says: “You’ve got an attitude problem. You need to start working together. You need to show mutual concern, not self-ambition. You need lowliness of mind, not self-conceit. You need to look out for one another’s interests not your own. You need to change your attitude! You need the attitude of Christ!”

Paul now gives the supreme example of what he means by his appeal that they be of the same mind, of one accord, by not pursuing self-ambition but lowliness: “Have the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had” (2:5). He is the supreme example of self-sacrifice for the benefit of others and of humility out of love and respect for others. This is the way to unity - the lowering of self and the elevation of others, just as Christ lowered himself so that others could be exalted. In fact, Christ-like humility produces harmony in the church.

Our mission is to live Christ (1:21), to be his presence on earth, and that includes practicing his humility, which, in turn, produces unity. To do this we need to express his attitude to one another…

1. The attitude of Christ expressed in emptying himself (2:6-7): “…who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be held onto (grasped)” (2:6). Before coming into the world and taking on human form Christ Jesus was in the “form of God.” Paul is not saying that Jesus was God in “form” (i.e. appearance) but not in reality. No, to be in the “form” of God means that he possessed all the characteristics of God that are essential to the reality of being God, for that is who he is - truly God, nothing less than God (Jn. 1:1), “in very nature God” (NIV).

Nonetheless, he did not consider his “equality with God” something to be held on to at all cost, something to be exploited for his own benefit, which, if he had done so, might have prevented him from humbling himself and “becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (2:8). But to the contrary, he let his position go, along with all its rights and privileges. Unlike human monarchs and presidents who desperately hold onto power and position, he gave it up! He did not consider equality with God something to be held onto ... but (rather) emptied himself (2:7a). He gave it all up!

(1a) He emptied himself by the position that he took (2:7a-b). As the Christian song by Donald McClurkin says: “He came from heaven to earth to show the way.” He gave up heaven to stoop to earth. Rather than holding on to his own rights and position, as the Philippians evidently were, Christ “emptied himself” (2:7a). He emptied himself by the position that he took, a position of no reputation, divesting himself of his privileges but without in any way ceasing to be fully God. Christ’s self-humbling stands in stark contrast to the Philippians’ self-exaltation and conceit (2:3).

He gave up his glorious position to take a despised position. The One who was adored by the angels of heaven became despised by the people on earth. He gave up his infinite riches to become poor (2 Cor. 8:9). He became voluntarily poor with no place to be born, no home to live in, no bed to sleep in, no tomb to be buried in. He took on our burden and debt of sin (cf. Jn. 1:29) - the sinless One became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21).

He gave up the independent exercise of his divine rights to become dependent, obedient, submissive. He became the perfect servant whose mission was to do the Father’s will. As someone else has said: The only One who had “the right to assert his rights, waived them” (Wuest, cited in Hendriksen, 109). Majesty was given up for meekness. Self-existence was replaced by self-renunciation. Superiority was set aside for submission.

This is the mystery and wonder of the incarnation, that God became a man without ever ceasing to be God. This is the attitude that Paul is urging on us – complete selflessness that looks out for the concerns of others; not grasping onto our own rights and privileges but letting them go for the benefit of others. The story is told of the late Dawson Trotman, founder of The Navigators, who was visiting Taiwan on one of his overseas trips. During the visit he hiked with a Taiwanese pastor back into one of the mountain villages to meet with some of the national Christians. The roads and trails were wet and their shoes became very muddy. Later, someone asked this Taiwanese pastor what he remembered most about Dawson Trotman. Without hesitation the man replied, “He cleaned my shoes.” How surprised this humble national pastor must have been to get up in the morning and to realize that the Christian leader from America had risen before him and cleaned the mud from his shoes. That spirit of servanthood marked Dawson Trotman throughout his Christian life. He died as he lived, actually giving his life to rescue someone else from drowning (Jerry Bridges, “Loving By Serving,” Discipleship Journal, May/June 1985). This is the attitude of Christ that we need to demonstrate to one another - emptying self for the benefit of others.

What did this self-emptying look like? How did Christ do this? “... by taking the form of a servant (slave)” (2:7b). The point here is not “what” he let go, but “how.” This was an act of self-abasement, self-impoverishment. Note the irony here: Christ emptied himself by becoming human. Humanity is the highest of God’s creation, but becoming human for Christ was a lowering of himself (the Creator) to the position of the creature he had made. And, more than that, he took the position of a slave, the lowest place in human society.

Christ emptied himself by the position that he took - he took the form of a slave. He took that position in addition to, not in place of, his deity. The One who was in the “form of God” also took the “form of a slave.” That’s how he could be our Saviour, because he is the God-man, perfectly holy and perfectly human, and thus the perfect sacrifice and substitute for our sins. The “form” of a slave doesn’t mean that he appeared as a slave but really was not. He actually took the lowest position on the economic and social scale, someone without rights or privileges, the servant of all (cf. 2 Cor. 8:9; Lk. 22:27). In fulfilling his mission as the servant of God (Isa. 42:1-4), he became the servant of men (cf. Jn. 13:1-17). Christ entered world history not as the “Lord” but as a “slave.” He came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28; Mk. 10:45).

Hudson Taylor was scheduled to speak at a large Presbyterian church in Melbourne, Australia. The moderator of the service introduced the missionary in eloquent and glowing terms. After telling the congregation what Taylor had accomplished in China, he presented him as “our illustrious guest.” Taylor stood quietly for a moment, and then opened his message by saying, “Dear friends, I am only the little servant of an illustrious Master.” Taylor gave up a lot in order to serve God on foreign soil. But Jesus gave up far more – he gave up everything! We can’t even imagine what Jesus gave up in order to come to earth in human form and be a servant to mankind.

Christ emptied himself by the position that he took. And...

(1b) Christ emptied himself by the nature that he took (2:7c): “... taking on the likeness of humanity” (2:7c). Now Paul uses a different word – not “form” but “likeness.” Paul is saying that Christ was “similar to our humanity in some respects and dissimilar in others” (Fee, 213). He was similar in that he was truly and fully human, like us. He was dissimilar in that he was at the same time fully God. He was similar to us in his full humanity but dissimilar to us in his sinless nature (cf. Rom. 8:3). Thus, he was like us but not exactly because he was not solely human – he was God manifest in flesh (cf. Heb. 1:3). This concept is known as the “hypostatic union” – the union of Christ’s divine and human natures (Jn. 1:1, 14; Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 3:16). He took human nature and therefore experienced human needs and emotions (e.g. hunger, tiredness etc.) as we do, but he had no sin. He was “one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). So, though he was fully human, he was not identical to us because he had no sin.

To be united in the church and to express Christ’s presence on earth, we need to express Christ’s attitude to one another. First, the attitude of Christ expressed in emptying himself. Second...

2. The attitude of Christ expressed in humbling himself (2:8): “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

(2a) He humbled himself by the human form he took (2:8a): “And being found in human form (appearance), he humbled himself.” Notice that each time, his mode of existence (his form, likeness, outward appearance) is accompanied by a corresponding action. He was in the “form of God” and he “emptied himself.” He was in the “likeness of men” and he “humbled himself.”

Having come in human likeness, his humanity was self evident: he was born, grew up, had siblings, was hungry, tired, wept etc. To all outward appearances he was a man (and he truly was), but though others recognized his humanity, they failed to recognize his deity. They did not believe his claims to deity - they rejected his words and works; they hated him. As God he chose to “empty himself” and as man he chose to “humble himself.” This is the attitude that Paul wants us to adopt - self-renunciation for the benefit of others; emptying of self.

He humbled himself by the human form he took, and…

(2b) He humbled himself by the cruel death he died (2:8b): “…by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Again as the song says: “He came from heaven to earth to show the way, from the earth to the cross my debt to pay.”

He gave up divine superiority to take on human inferiority. He was born in a stable to an unknown, disrespected virgin. He grew up in obscurity and lived in poverty. He did miraculous acts of kindness for which he was persecuted. He came to his own people and they did not receive him. He was ridiculed, mocked, tortured and crucified.

Just as he gave up heaven to stoop to earth, so also he gave up life to submit to death. That’s how he humbled himself, by “becoming obedient to the point of death.” He gave up everything to become nothing, even giving up life to submit to death – the ultimate act of self-sacrifice. And this was no ordinary death but “even death on a cross.” This was the most painful of deaths. This was the most shameful of deaths - a condemned man carrying his own cross to a desolate place outside the city, crucified between two thieves, mocked by the religious leaders and the crowd (Matt. 27:27-31, 39-44). To die on a cross was an accursed death; he bore the curse of God on account of our sin (Gal. 3:10, 13).

This is the mystery of redemption: God on a cross! For the believer, the cross of Christ is central to all we believe, trust, and hope in. No wonder “none of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Cor. 2:8). The One who did not consider equality with God something to be held onto at all costs, in fact let it go by emptying himself of his divine rights and privileges, by humbling himself and appearing in world history as a man, so that we could see God in flesh and know the love of God expressed in its fullness through his death on the cross. This was the ultimate act of self-humiliation!

As Gordon Fee puts it: “The divine weakness (death at the hands of his creatures, his enemies) is the divine scandal” (Fee, 217), a scandal because the cross was reserved for slaves and insurrectionists, not for the Son of God. God on a cross was and is a scandal. It went against everything that the first century disciples knew and expected of the Messiah. It contradicted human wisdom that the Gentiles sought after; it contradicted the divine sign of power that the Jews looked for (1 Cor. 1:18-31). And it is the paradox of the Christian calling, that we are granted as a privilege on behalf of Christ to suffer for his sake (1:28).

Christ emptied himself and humbled himself. But...

3. God exalted him to the highest position in the universe (2:9-11): “⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and given 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.”

Lest you doubt that the One who took the lowest place and suffered such ignominy could possibly be God, the story of redemption continues as the song states: “He came from heaven to earth to show the way; from the earth to the cross my debt to pay; from the cross to the grave, from the grave to the sky.”

(3a) He is exalted to a position with universal identification (2:9a): “Therefore, God has highly exalted him and given him the name that is above every name.”

Notice that the subject of the verb now changes from Christ to God. Christ is now the object to whom God gives the most exalted position and the most extolled name. Obedience to death on a cross was not the end. God has exalted him like no one else (Eph. 4:10). He has raised Christ from the depths of death to the heights of heaven. He has exalted him from the lowest place on earth to the highest position in heaven where he is now seated at the right hand of God, crowned with glory and honor (Heb. 1:3; 12:2; Eph. 1:20-22).

It is the purpose of God that the name of Jesus (the Savior of his people) will take on special significance, not that of an earthly name but of an exalted Saviour. Some names conjure up vivid mental pictures, don’t they? For example, the picture of Princess Diana in that fatal car crash in a tunnel in France. But the name of Jesus towers above all other names. God bestowed on him “the name that is above every name.”

His exaltation reverses his emptying. The One who took the lowest place is honored with the highest place (cf. Matt. 23:12). The One who was condemned by man is exalted by God. The One who was crucified is the one who is crowned. The One who became poor is gloriously rich. The One who was rejected by man is fully accepted by God. The One who became a servant now rules as King. The One who wore a crown of thorns now wears a crown of glory. The One who was utterly weak is now all powerful. The One who was our sacrifice is now our high priest.

Christ’s self-emptying and humiliation are now displayed as proof that he is equal with God. This is God’s vindication of Him, that he is truly God. The mystery and paradox of God on a cross is resolved. His humiliation and crucifixion are but the prelude to his exaltation by God, so that what appeared to be defeat was in fact victory.

God has exalted him to a position with universal identification. And...

(3b) God has exalted him to a position with universal submission (2:10): “… so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow - in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”

His name will be revered by every creature. No person or creature will be exempt from bowing the knee to the lordship of Jesus Christ.

The homage that alone is due to God by his creation (Isa. 45:18-24a) is assigned here by God to Christ. This is the ultimate vindication of his deity. This is not just the homage of those who have been redeemed by him but the bowing of every creature in submission to his universal lordship and sovereignty. “Every knee” means heavenly beings, living humans, the dead, and the underworld of demons. When this name is known, its very mention will cause everyone to bow the knee in homage. The redeemed will bow in rejoicing and the condemned will bow in remorse: They will be forced to their knees.

His most revered name reverses his humiliation. The One who was mocked with a purple robe, scourged with cruel whips, humiliated with a crown of thorns, spit upon by wicked men, and condemned with despicable injustice, will be acknowledged and worshipped by every creature.

God has exalted him to a position with universal identification. God has exalted him to a position with universal submission. And…

(3c) God has exalted him to a position with universal confession: (2:11): “…so that at the name of Jesus…every tongue (should) confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The bowing of the knee is the reverence of the lesser to the greater and the confession of the tongue is the acknowledgement of the creature to the Creator. His name that was once so despised will cause every knee in creation to bow and every tongue to confess that the Lord is Jesus Christ – He is God, the universal sovereign (cf. Acts 2:36). Jesus, the suffering Saviour, is the exalted Lord.

This is the grand finale to his humiliation and exaltation – the highest position and the divine title of Lord; the One with all power and authority. This is the ultimate goal for which we expectantly wait - the homage of every knee and the confession of every tongue - so that Jesus Christ has his rightful place as King of kings and Lord of lords. Though we acknowledge the rule of kings and governments, the ultimate rule is that of Jesus Christ (cf. Acts 2:36; Rom. 10:9; Rev. 17:14; 19:16). And all this “to the glory of God the Father,” for when the Son is honored so is the Father (Jn. 5:23). The unity of the Godhead is perfect.

That’s the model of unity for us. If we are the presence of Christ on earth, the unity of the Godhead will be the model for our unity. For our unity is the most powerful evidence that we are the presence of Christ on earth. And the key to our unity is having the attitude (mind) of Christ, lowering ourselves for the benefit of others.

First, our unity stems from our attitude to one another, and second...

II. Our Unity Shows In Our Activity With One Another (2:12-18)

“Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, so now, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (2:12).

When your mind is transformed by the attitude of humility, your activity will be transformed by the attitude of obedience. Changing our mindset isn’t enough – a true change of mind toward one another will transform our behavior with one another. Obedience is the underlying characteristic of Christ-likeness, without which we cannot worship and serve in unity.

This is Paul’s challenge now. He has told us what our attitude should be, now he challenges us how we ought to act. It’s one thing how you behave when someone is watching, but the true test is how you behave when no one is looking. It’s how you behave when your parents aren’t around or your boss isn’t looking that shows whether you are truly obedient and loyal, isn’t it?

So, how do we maintain our obedience to Christ? We maintain our obedience to Christ by...

1. Working in ways that show our salvation in Christ (2:12-13): “...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (2:12b). This has nothing to do with the doctrine of the eternal security of the believer (although that is biblical and I believe it). This has nothing to do with working “for” our salvation. This has to do with working “out” our salvation - “working out what God in his grace has worked in” (Muller, cited by Ralph P. Martin in Tyndale, 115). We need to put into practice the attitude of Christ so that our salvation is evident in how we live and act together as a church, not in disunity, not striving for our individual rights, but in humility serving one another, esteeming one another better than ourselves and striving together for the faith of the gospel (2:3; 1:27).

We serve the One who will one day be universally acclaimed. That should cause us some fear and trembling, shouldn’t it? How can we be so individualistic, so self-centred, so preoccupied with self interest, when we see how Christ acted? So, “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (2:12), Paul says. But, you say, how can we do that?

We can do it because “it is God who is working in you both the desire and the effort for his good pleasure” (2:13). God is the One who gives us the indwelling power to do it. He works in us in such a way that we desire his good pleasure and that’s what we work for - not for our own pleasure or our own interests but God's!

We maintain our obedience to Christ by working in ways that show our salvation in Christ. And we maintain our obedience to Christ by...

2. Living in ways that show our transformation in Christ (2:14-18). Churches that work together in God's power and for God's pleasure “do all things without grumbling or arguing” (2:14). That kind of behavior has no place among those whose mission is to be the presence of Christ on earth and who show his presence through their unity.

To live in ways that show our transformation in Christ means…

(2a) Showing our morality in Christ (2:15a): “…so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation.” We are to be people who stand out in the world - people of integrity, uprightness, forthrightness, transparency, with nothing to hide, nothing to be accused of; people who beam the light of the gospel into a morally and spiritually dark, corrupt, and perverted world. That’s the kind of world in which we work and live - working in ways that show our salvation in Christ and living in ways that show our transformed morality in Christ.

Our transformation in Christ means showing our morality in Christ, and it means ...

(2b) Showing our testimony for Christ (2:15b-18): “^15b ...among whom you shine as lights in the world, ¹⁶ holding firm to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain” (2:15b-16).

We shine as lights for God in the world by “... holding firm to the word of life” (2:16a). This is the mark of people who are the presence of Christ on earth. This is the mark of those who are acting in unity.

We show our morality in Christ by being “blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish” and we show our testimony for Christ by “holding firm to the word of life,” the gospel, both in our words and in our works, “so that in the day of Christ,” Paul says, “I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain” (2:16b).

Our testimony for Christ in word and deed is a wonderful affirmation of the impact that the ministry of others has had on our lives. Such was the case of Paul’s ministry among the Philippians. He had labored among them and they had come to faith through him and had followed his instructions and example while he was among them. Now he exhorts them to continue even during his absence (2:12) to put into practice what he had taught them, so that “in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain” (2:16b). This would be his ultimate reward and expectation that, when everything is revealed in “the day of Christ,” he can be proud of them, that his work among them was “not in vain.” This surely should be the motivation for all genuine ministers of the gospel. Such a positive outcome, of course, would ultimately not be due to Paul’s efforts alone but to “God who works in you” (2:13).

Indeed, “even if” his current circumstances (awaiting the outcome of his trial) should end in his death, “being poured out like a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith” (2:17a), even then their testimony and service for Christ would cause him to be “glad and rejoice with you all” (2:17b). The imagery here is the sacrifice of his life on the altar of their faith. The two are inseparably linked - his labor among them and their faith, expressed particularly in their testimony, including their financial support of the apostle (4:10-20). This would not only be the cause of his rejoicing but theirs also: “Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me” (2:18).

Final Remarks

Remember our thesis: If you want your church to be united you need to think less of yourself and more of others. Our unity stems from our attitude toward one another and our unity shows in our activity with one another.

The example that underlies all this is Christ himself: “Adopt the same attitude toward one another that Christ Jesus had” (2:5). If he was willing to give up everything and become nothing so that we who were nothing might have everything, how much more should we do the same for one another! If Jesus was willing to empty himself of his divine rights and humble himself to the lowest possible place, should not we be willing to humble ourselves so that we can live in unity with one another, respecting one another, serving one another in order to reflect the presence of Christ on earth? This is what Paul is calling us to in this chapter.

If we have the attitude of Christ, our unity will be marked (1) by our attitude to one another – the attitude of servants not masters, givers not takers, respect not contempt; (2) by our activity with one another – working in ways that show our salvation in Christ and living in ways that show our transformation in Christ.

To be the presence of Christ on earth is to be like Christ. It’s not about rules and regulations; it’s about being Christ-like in nature and action. As Gordon Fee puts it: “The principle is love (selflessness), the pattern is Christ (humility), the power is the Spirit, and the ultimate purpose is the glory of God” (Fee, 227).

Will you commit to being the presence of Christ on earth by being like Christ in attitude and activity? If so, what are you going to do about it? Perhaps you’re saying: “I need to change the way I think.” My attitude of loftiness needs to change to one of lowliness. My attitude of arrogance needs to change to one of humility. My attitude of ambition needs to change to one of sacrifice. Or, perhaps you’re saying: “I need to change the way I act.” I’m not really working out my salvation with fear and trembling that one day I’ll have to give account to God for how I act. I’m not really showing Christian morality in the way I behave. I need to be upright, transparent, honest, righteous in my dealings with others. I need to shine as a light for God in this dark world by sharing the gospel with those who need Christ, as the opportunities arise.” If so, would you make that commitment today that, with God's help, you’re going to be the presence of Christ on earth.

Perhaps you need to change your thought life by thinking about the things that are Christ-honoring, things that are good and pure. Perhaps you need to change your family life by putting Christ first in your priorities and conversations. Perhaps you need to change your work life by displaying Christ to those you work with. Perhaps you need to change your church life by ministering to others in meaningful ways for their benefit. Perhaps you need to change your testimony by speaking for Christ whenever an opportunity arises.

Whatever it takes, let us have the attitude of Christ toward each other, an attitude of humility that leads to harmony. And let us engage in activity with one another, activity that shows our transformation in Christ and our testimony for Christ. This is Christian unity through the cross. This is unity that can have a powerful impact on the world around us. This unity that brings glory to God the Father.