Philippians 2:3-5
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
Many pastors on the "christian" left will attempt to bend this scripture and focus it outside the Church. Though there is some application that can be brought forth from it, this type of interpretation of this scripture would constitute a complete eisegesis. The context of this scripture has nothing to do with people outside the Church, but rather it is focused on us within the Church and Christ's call for us to be unique and different from the world around us, full of love, grace, charity, and assistance for one another.
This scripture is where we get the understanding that as believers, we are our brother's keeper. Christian accountability is a key part of our faithful walk as believers, so why then do so many people do all that they can to avoid any type of accountability?
The most likely answer is pride.
They want others to see them as "sinless" or "perfect," and their consideration is all, and only, for themselves and their vanity.
Yet this scripture calls us to be humble toward one another, in the same was that Christ was humble. Christ gave up His divinity to come and save us, should we not be willing to release our vanity for the salvation of others?
When we put on the mantle of vanity, for our own selfish reasons, we create the atmosphere of perfection (and hypocrisy) within the Church. Instead, we should be vulnerable to one another, knowing that we need accountability in our lives, and that younger / newer believers need to see that they are not the only ones who struggle.
If we truly want to internalize and capsulize this scripture, we should begin by looking out for the spiritual benefit of others before our own. This means not taking away their ability to be a blessing to you by helping you, this means not putting on an air of perfection which either repulses them or causes them to believe they can never measure up, and it also means considering how your actions and words will spiritually impact those believers and their lives.
When we consider other believers before ourselves, when we put their well being before our own, then we will create the environment necessary for both a healthy church and an a righteous life.
And, hopefully we provoke the world to jealousy with our love so that they want to be a part of what we have.
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