Sabbath: Unity Through Humility
Daily Lesson for Sabbath 17th of January 2026
Image © Pacific Press
Read for This Week’s Study: Philippians 2:1-11, Jeremiah 17:9, Philippians 4:8, 1 Corinthians 8:2, Romans 8:3, Hebrews 2:14-18.
Memory Text:
“Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (Philippians 2:2, NKJV).
Unity is strength. But knowing what is true is not the same as doing it. We all fail sometimes, despite our best efforts at unity. But that’s not the same as deliberately undermining unity. No wonder, then, that as Paul continues writing to the Philippians, he wants them to be “of one accord, of one mind.”
Paul bases the necessity of unity on the teaching and example of Jesus. It’s a theme that we find throughout the New Testament and especially in the epistles. The origin of disunity in the universe stemmed from the pride and thirst for position and power of a single angel in heaven, a sentiment that spread quickly, even within a perfect environment (see Isaiah 14:12-14). It then gained a foothold in Eden through a similar discontent with the rules God had put in place and the desire for rising to a higher sphere than that which God had designed (Genesis 3:1-6).
This week we’ll look at the biblical basis for unity in the church, focusing especially on the amazing condescension of Jesus, the lessons we can gain from beholding Him, and how we can grow to be more like Him.
The problem with humility is that it is such a sought-after character quality that many of us are proud of our humility and want people to know about it. True humility speaks for itself and does not need a publicity agent to advertise it. Most of us are familiar with Uriah Heep, the Dickensian character in David Copperfield, who is the epitome of manipulative “‘umbleness”. He used the projection of humility to control others.
And in our church life, I have come across the “Brother ,and Sister Heeps” who make inferences that they have humbly prayed about issues and followed the lead of the Holy Spirit, when deep down they are really trying to get their own way. It is easy to appear humble in the pew, but true humility has to extend into church business meetings and conference sessions and is much more than “humility catch phrases”.
Humility is a strong catalyst for peace and unity. Humility can disarm a warring attitude and stabilise a tempestuous atmosphere. Abraham and Lot’s herdsmen began quarrelling because the land could not support both families’ livestock. This had the potential to escalate into a family division and even violence. Abraham, though older and the one to whom God gave the promise, chose humility:
“Finally Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not allow this conflict to come between us or our herdsmen. After all, we are close relatives! The whole countryside is open to you. Take your choice of any section of the land you want, and we will separate. If you want the land to the left, then I’ll take the land on the right. If you prefer the land on the right, then I’ll go to the left.” (Genesis 13:8-9, NLT).
By the grace of God, may the New Year, 2026, bring more peace and humility in our families, in our churches, in our communities, and to the troubled parts of the world. Dear Lord, may peace and unity reside within our hearts and may we be conduits through which your peace and unity channel to others. A brief case study of Abraham, highlighted above, provides us with valuable lessons that can guide us in maintaining peace and unity in our families during this.
1. Humility is more precious than being “right” – For the sake of peace and unity, Abraham forfeited his right as the elder and family head. Peace and unity have a price to pay – opportunity cost.
2. Humility preserves relationships – Humility diffuses tension. Abraham lowered himself rather than asserting dominance. Humility is a choice to be taken courageously.
3. Humility reminds us of who we are – Abraham reminded his nephew, Lot, “We are brethren.” Humility can remind us, “we are husband and wife”, “you are my father or mother”, “you are my son or my daughter”, “we are fellow believers”, “we serve one Lord”, “We have a common destiny”. Humility is love in action.
4. Humility gives us a chance to solve our differences calmly – Abraham gave Lot a chance to make his choice. Humility is considerate.
5. Humility is an expression of our faith – Abraham trusted God would still bless him, no matter which direction he went. Families often fight because of fear- fear of loss, unfairness, or future insecurity. Trusting God reduces anxiety and makes generosity possible.
Paul urges the Christians at Philippi to “complete my joy” by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord, and of one mind (Philippians 2:2). This is not merely a repetition of similar ideas to arrive at a single conclusion of unity; rather, Paul takes a layered approach, calling them to pursue unity repeatedly and deliberately. His exhortation emphasizes that unity is not accidental but intentional, cultivated through shared devotion to Christ.
Importantly, Paul is not asking believers to think identically in perspectives, opinions, or convictions. Instead, he teaches that diversity within the body of Christ does not threaten unity but can strengthen it, as differing gifts and experiences are meant to build one another up (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4–7).
Paul further challenges the Philippian church to understand that humility is the pathway to such unity. In most cultures—and certainly in our fallen human nature—humility is neither natural nor celebrated. The world encourages self-promotion, personal agendas, and the elevation of one’s own voice above others. Scripture, however, calls believers to a radically different posture: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). True Christian unity is preserved not by insisting on personal rights or recognition, but by willingly laying them aside for the good of others.
Christ Himself is the ultimate example of this humility. Though He was “in the form of God,” He did not cling to His rights but “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:6–7). Jesus humbled Himself in love, putting our lives before His own, even to the point of death on a cross (Philippians 2:8). Paul’s appeal is simple yet profound: follow Christ’s example. Though the world may see humility as weakness, Scripture reveals it as true strength, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).
Humility is not a character trait that you strive for in isolation.
It is only as we surrender to God on a daily basis that he manifests the fruit of the Spirit in our lives to those we come in contact with!!!!
Unity through humility for what purpose? How far reaching are the affects of humbling ‘self’? Too much pride in ‘self’ is obviously a foe to humility. But what is at stake? Whay are we called to ‘humble ourselves’? What is at the heart of humility? Is it not trusting in the power of a benevolent God rather than in the power of ‘self’?
To experience true humility is the hallmark for having died to self and come alive in the Spirit of God. From then on, we allow Him to lead us in governing our life. True humility cannot be wielded as a tool to gain advantage over others. Humility’s adversary – vanity – does that.
Nothing is wrong with healthy self-esteem, self-respect, dignity, self-confidence, self-worth, or self-assurance. But when experienced throught he old ‘self’, outside of the Holy Spirit, they turn to vanity – pridefulness or self-importance. True unity in humility can only be found by submission to God’s Holy Spirit. This is a non-negotiable prerequisite for the ‘body of Christ’ seeking to fulfill its purpose of promoting God’s Glory!
Human effort alone can imitate humility outwardly, but The Holy Spirit produced humility transforms the heart. Scripture teaches that humility is not self-degradation, it is Christ-centered living empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit reveals our true condition The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin and self-reliance (John 16:8). When we see ourselves in the light of God’s grace, pride fades and humility grows.
Hillary, I don’t doubt your words, but they are the sort of meta-description we give of the work of the Holy Spirit that sounds good but lacks action. It’s a bit like saying exercise is good for your health. We all know that, but someone has to get off their butt and do some exercise for that statement to be meaningful.
It would be a sad thing if we became good at describing the Holy Spirit but never acted on it. I believe the Holy Spirit is saying things to us today that are both meaningful and practical, and often they are little things:
Say thank you to someone who showed you a kindness.
Share a smile with someone you see sitting lonely in the train.
Go out of your way to help someone who cannot understand how to get email.
This is how the Gospel is preached!
We don’t need to get all theological about the Holy Spirit, we just need to act on its good advice.
Maurice – some of us really enjoy God’s Truth! It’s a melody causing the heart to rejoice and sing praises to our wonderful God in heaven and we want to share it. You seem to lean more toward the ‘doing side’, though without receiving the Truth into our heart first, we cannot engage in the ‘good acts’ revealed by Truth. There is no good within man – Mark 10:18; Rom.7:18; Rom.3:10-12. Actually, the first ‘good act’ revealed by God’s Holy Spirit is Faith – an action, followed by inspiration to help discern the proper response – action.
Please consider that our Scriptures are filled with spiritual Truth given to those with ‘ears to hear, eyes to see’, and a heart to receive it and ‘recognize’ it before engaging in proper actions. Our acts are motivated by the born-again-self, regardless how seemingly ‘reasonable’ or ‘commo-sense-like’ they appear.
Eph. 2:10 – ”For we are His workmanship, created IN Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. It is only through ‘Christ in us and we in Christ’ that we can engage in ‘good works’.
Hillary great advice. I have learned that Maurice’s comments are encouragement rather than nit picky. Keep up the good posts. Maurice’s advice is prudent for most of us, not just directed at one post.
Amen
It’s possible to believe that some threats are bigger than others while not equivocating. Weighing and distinguishing between these problems is called wisdom. And it’s possible, because of Christ, to be discerning while also being humble. It’s possible, because of Christ, to live and act with grace and with truth. It’s possible that the biggest threat to our spiritual life is the one we, in the honest assessment of our heart, have the most sympathy for.
Philippians 2:2-3 MSG
“If you’ve gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care—then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.”“Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead.”
Humility means recognizing our dependence on God and refusing pride or self-exaltation. When we are humble, we become teachable, patient and willing to serve—qualities that naturally produce unity. Humility allows God’s power, peace and presence to flourish among ourselves.
The phrase of the day is “ But knowing what is true is not the same as doing it.” Unfortunately, nowadays, people create their own truth and live by their own narrative. When the truth is only one: Jesus! Thank God for His love for a decadent humanity!