“lf there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any
consolation of love . . . if any tender mercies and compassions . . . ” Philippians 2:1
How timely here are the words “in Christ.” Suppose that
Paul had exhorted his brothers in Philippi to be united in love and mercy and compassion;
they could well have answered that although such unity was desirable, they
could never attain to it. They each had their own goals and ideals and
interests. How could they ever expect to abandon them and be so united?
Paul, however, began by stressing the power that there is
in Christ. Outside of him they would of course be defeated, but because they
were in Christ they could draw freely on the resources which are found in him.
If in him there were no mercy and compassion, these
virtues would be impossible to find in his people. They are found in Christ,
however, and thus provide, for all his own, the source and the nutrient of a
life poured out in his service.
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