The One God Exalts

Throughout this summer, we continue to read Paul’s letter to the Philippians. This is a letter of compassion written from Paul to the Church in Philippi. Today, we are starting what we know as chapter 2 - specifically, verses 1-4. In these verses, Paul is offering practical application drawn from the spiritual truth he laid out in Philippians 1:27-30, which we discussed last week. Let’s break it down together!

Christ’s Comfort Applied in Our Lives

At the end of chapter 1, Paul wraps up by encouraging us to live in a way that reflects the gospel. To stand together, strive together, and suffer well. Chapter 2 opens up with a “therefore” - which tells us that he is drawing upon his prior statement to move us to action. In other words - because of everything Paul just said, because we’ve been called to live worthy of the gospel, and because we’re all in this together - here is how to live it out: with humility, unity, and love.

Philippians 2:1-2 says “Therefore, if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”

His plea is simple: if you truly believe all of these things, let it shape how you live. If Christ means anything to you, if His love has changed you, if the Spirit lives in you - then reflect that love in how you act with each other.

Verses 3-4 bring us some of the most challenging verses to live by! Here, Paul says that we ought to “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” These verses are counter-cultural in every way. Philippians 2:3 is a pivotal verse that diagnoses the human heart and gives us a radically different way to live.

Selfish Ambition & Vain Conceit 

The phrase “selfish ambition” was originally used to describe a political spirit - someone who canvasses for office, seeking personal gain - often at the expense of others. It implies a self-centered push to get ahead, no matter what the cost. The phrase “vain conceit” literally means “empty glory” - in other words, the pursuit of glory with no substance behind it. It’s a hunger for recognition without true greatness. It’s a desperate attempt to appear important, ultimately rooted in insecurity and pride.

When you put these two together - selfish ambition is the what I do to lift myself up, and vain conceit is how I want to be seen, even if it’s not true. Both of these together create the me-first mindset that is so prevalent in the world, and ultimately comes from the same pride that inspires and motivates all sin. Our culture rewards ambition, self-promotion, and platform building. Paul tells us not just to “do less” of these things - but to do nothing out of selfish-ambition or vain conceit. 

Our example is Christ Himself, not culture. Jesus made Himself nothing - taking the form of a servant and putting off His divinity to serve the creation that would reject Him. Living like this requires that we undergo a heart shift wherein others become more important to us than ourselves, and our interests are no longer our focal point. This kind of daily surrender unites us as a family of believers, where each member strives to serve one another selflessly in love and compassion. 

God is Looking for Nobodies

We can find a powerful example of this kind of humility in Mary, who God chose to carry the Messiah despite her lack of credentials. She was a teenage girl living in obscurity when God called her out and chose her for a role like no other - the mother of Jesus himself. We can see Mary’s heart of humility in her response to this tremendous honor, found in Luke 1:36-50.

Here, Mary says “My soul glorifies the Lord and my Spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty one has done great things for me - holy is His name. His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.”

We learn a powerful truth about God here - that He is mindful of the humble. The world chooses prestige - but God chooses humility. He often bypasses the people who the world esteems and chooses the people who the world ignores - because humility invites God’s power.

God is not looking for the powerful, the rich, or the famous. He is looking for “those who fear Him” (Luke 1:50). He is looking for the humble who will respond to Him in faith and obedience. This is good news for us! If you have ever felt like a nobody, the incredible thing is that you might be exactly who God is looking for! You don’t have to wait to be “enough” for God. If you’re humble, available, and fear God - He will make you enough. He doesn’t use the proud and polished, He uses the humble and available that fear Him.

God Exalts the Nobodies

God isn’t just looking for nobodies - He exalts nobodies. In Luke 1:51-55, Mary continues her song and declares that God “has performed mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.” The world overlooks the lowly, but God lifts them up. Mary’s “Magnificat” is a song of reversal: the proud are scattered, the humbled are raised, and the hungry are filled.

God is in the business of flipping cultural expectations on their head. He brings down those that esteem themselves and are esteemed by the world, but He lifts up those who walk in humility. You can see examples of this all throughout Scripture…

• Gideon was called a “mighty warrior” while caught hiding in fear. While he is literally hiding in a winepress, afraid of the enemy - God calls him. Gideon’s response? “I’m the weakest in my family, and my clan is the weakest in Manasseh” - to which God responds “I will be with you” (Judges 6:15-16).

• David was overlooked even by his own father when Samuel came to anoint a king. He wasn’t in the room, but God saw him in the field. God chose the youngest, the overlooked, to become the king of Israel (1 Samuel 16).

• The disciples were a mix of fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots. They weren’t scholars or spiritual elites - rather, they were described as “unschooled, ordinary men” (Acts 4:13). But God chose them to turn the world upside down because they had been with Christ.

• Jesus is God in the flesh - and yet chose to be born into a stable, raised in obscurity, and crucified in shame. He is the ultimate “nobody” in the world’s eyes, yet in reality He is the exalted King of Kings.

God’s habit of choosing the lowly to do His works is beautiful - as all the credit clearly goes to God. He is glorified by His ability to do wonderful works with broken vessels. This ensures that we never disqualify us from the ministry that God calls us to, and that we depend on Him as we live out our faith.

Be a Nobody Who Introduces Everybody to the Somebody of Jesus Christ

The heart of Gospel living is to walk in humility with a mission. Jesus left heaven to serve, suffer, and save. He became a nobody in the world’s eyes to reach nobodies like us. We are intended to be a church full of nobodies - not because we lack value, but because we’ve laid down our pride, opened our hands, and made room for God to move. A church full of nobodies lives to serve others - just like Jesus did.

Mary pointed to Jesus. Paul pointed to Jesus. That’s our job, too! To point people to Jesus! My heartfelt desire is that each of us as individuals and all of us together as the church introduce the world around us to Christ. May our lives be a humble invitation - “Come meet the one who changed me.”

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Philippians Week 3: June 15th, 2025. Preached by Ben Dieterly

Article Edited by Julia Castro