Uniting Heaven and Earth: Christ in Philippians and Colossians

Unity Through Humility

Lesson #4 for January 24, 2026

Scriptures:Philippians 2:1-11; 4:8; Jeremiah 17:9; 1 Corinthians 8:2; Romans 8:3; Hebrews 2:14-18.

1. What does humility have to do with unity?

[From the Adult Teachers Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=T-BSG:] This … lesson emphasizes three major themes:

• Living in unity and demonstrating love for one another are fundamental Christian responsibilities and the expected behavior of every follower of Jesus.
• As Christians, we are called to cultivate a Christlike manner of thinking. Paul emphasizes what a Christlike mindset entails.
• Our finite minds are unable to comprehend fully the infinite condescension of Christ in becoming man. This condescension is an unfathomable mystery.—T-BSG* ^‡

[From the Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide=BSG:] 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.”—BSG* for Sabbath Afternoon, January 17.^†‡

[BSG:] The origin of disunity in the universe stemmed from the pride and thirst for position and power of a single angel in heaven [Lucifer], a sentiment that spread quickly, even within a perfect environment (seeIsa. 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 (Gen. 3:1-6).—BSG* for Sabbath Afternoon, January 17.^†‡§

Isaiah 14:12-15: ¹²King of Babylonia, bright morning star [Lucifer], you have fallen from heaven!… ¹³You were determined to climb up to heaven and to place your throne above the highest stars. You thought you would sit like a king on that mountain in the north where the gods assemble. [In Hebrew, Armageddon.] ¹⁴You said you would climb to the tops of the clouds and be like the Almighty. ¹⁵But instead, you have been brought down to the deepest part of the world of the dead.—American Bible Society. (©1992). The Holy Bible: The Good News Translation^®* [GNT] (Today’s English Version) [TEV], Second Edition,Isaiah 14:12-15). Philadelphia: American Bible Society [abbreviated as Good News Bible-TEV* or GNB-TEV*].^†‡

Disunity in Phillippi

Philippians 2:1-3: ¹Your life in Christ makes you strong, and his love comforts you. You have fellowship with the Spirit, and you have kindness and compassion for one another. ²I urge you, then, to make me completely happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and being one in soul and mind. ³Don’t do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

[T-BSG:] “For safety reasons, mountain climbers rope themselves together when climbing a mountain. That way, if one climber should slip and fall, he would not fall to his death. He would be held by the others until he could regain his footing.

“The church ought to be like that. When one member slips and falls, the others should hold him up until he regains his footing. We are all roped together by the Holy Spirit.”—Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), p. 66.—[as quoted in T-BSG* 52-53].^‡§

[BSG:] It must have been a tremendous disappointment for Paul to see the church that he established and loved so much racked with rivalry and consumed with contention. He uses very strong language to describe the problems. “Selfish ambition” translates a word (Greek, eritheia), used earlier inPhilippians 1:17 (ESV) to refer to Paul’s self-interested rivals in Rome who were bent on promoting themselves rather than advancing the cause of Christ.—BSG* for Sunday, January 18.^‡§ [They were called Judaizers!]^‡

[T-BSG:] InPhilippians 2:1–4, Paul hints that selfish ambition is a major cause of disunity within the church. He states, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit” (Phil. 2:3, NKJV). The words “ambition” and “conceit” translate, respectively, from the Greek nouns eritheia and kenodoxia, both of which are rare in the New Testament. The first occurs seven times, almost exclusively in Paul’s letters (Rom. 2:8; 2 Cor. 12:20; Gal. 5:20; Phil. 1:16;Phil. 2:3; James 3:14, 16). The second occurs only this once…. Conversely, both words appear in ancient lists of vices, in the writings of philosophers, to criticize rivalry (see Gerald F. Hawthorne, Philippians, vol. 43 of Word Biblical Commentary [Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2004], p. 87). Not surprisingly, eritheia appears in the catalogs of sins recorded in2 Corinthians 12:20 andGalatians 5:20. Clearly, Paul uses these words to pinpoint behaviors that Christians must avoid.—T-BSG* 53.^†‡Ω§ [Paul did not spell out any details about these opponents!]^‡

[BSG:] Note the [six] remedies Paul lists for these problems:

1. Consolation in Christ. Paul will proceed to use Christ’s own example as a powerful motivation.
2. Comfort of love. Jesus reveals divine love and commands us to “love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12).
3. Fellowship of the Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit creates a close Christian relationship like the one that pervaded the early church (Acts 2:42; compare2 Cor. 13:14 [sic] [2 Cor. 13:13]).
4. Affection (or compassion). We see this divine quality frequently manifested in the life of Christ (seeMatt. 9:36,Matt. 20:34, andMark 1:41) and described in the parables of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:33) and the prodigal son (Luke 15:20).—BSG* for Sunday, January 18.^†‡§

Matthew 9:36: As he saw the crowds, his heart was filled with pity for them, because they were worried and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.—GNB-TEV.* [See https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.1106&index=0]^‡

[BSG:] 5. Mercy. This quality, exemplified by Jesus, is to be seen also in the lives of His followers (Luke 6:36).—BSG* for Sunday, January 18.^†‡§

Luke 6:36: “Be merciful just as your Father is merciful.”—GNB-TEV.*

[BSG:] 6. Being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. What a picture! It is difficult to imagine how Paul could emphasize the importance of unity more strongly. As Paul will point out, the mind we are to have “was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).—BSG* for Sunday, January 18.^†‡§ [Imagine a church where everyone was like Jesus!]^‡

2. Being like-minded includes treating everyone with love and kindness, whatever their background is.

Galatians 3:26-29: ²⁶It is through faith that all of you are God’s children in union with Christ Jesus. ²⁷You were baptized into union with Christ, and now you are clothed, so to speak, with the life of Christ himself. ²⁸So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. ²⁹If you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of Abraham and will receive what God has promised.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

3. We are born selfish. It is not natural to think like Jesus. However, it is possible.

[T-BSG:] Jesus became a Servant (seeMatt. 20:28,Mark 10:45) and sacrificed Himself for the salvation of others (see2 Cor. 8:9,Heb. 12:2) in obedience to the will of God (seeMatt. 26:39,Rom. 5:19). Those with a Christlike mindset are willing to do the same.—T-BSG* 54.^‡§

4. Jesus chose an interesting and diverse group of disciples. What changed them?

[EGW:] The apostles differed widely in habits and disposition. There were the publican, Levi-Matthew, and the fiery zealot Simon, the uncompromising hater of the authority of Rome; the generous, impulsive Peter, and the mean-spirited Judas; Thomas, truehearted, yet timid and fearful, Philip, slow of heart, and inclined to doubt, and the ambitious, outspoken sons of Zebedee, with their brethren. These were brought together, with their different faults, all with inherited and cultivated tendencies to evil; but in and through Christ they were to dwell in the family of God, learning to become one in faith, in doctrine, in spirit. They would have their tests, their grievances, their differences of opinion; but while Christ was abiding in the heart, there could be no dissension. His love would lead to love for one another; the lessons of the Master would lead to the harmonizing of all differences, bringing the disciples into unity, till they would be of one mind and one judgment. Christ is the great center, and they would approach one another just in proportion as they approached the center.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 296.2.^†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.1405&index=0]^‡

The Source of Unity

[T-BSG:] The members of the Godhead exist eternally in a harmonious and loving relationship, providing a blueprint for the unity and love that should define the relationships among believers. Paul stresses this theme, not only in Philippians but also elsewhere. For instance, at the beginning of 1 Corinthians, he says, “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10, NKJV; compare withRom. 15:5–7,Gal. 3:26–29,Eph. 4:1–6,Col. 3:12–15).—T-BSG* 52.^†‡§

5. The big question, of course, is: How can we become like Jesus?

[EGW:] All true obedience comes from the heart. It was heart work with Christ. And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we shall be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 668.3.^†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.3287&index=0]^‡

[EGW:] It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 83.4.^†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.313&index=0]^‡

[BSG:] Think more about Paul’s emphasis on unity inPhilippians 2:2, saying essentially the same thing in four different ways. Note also his focus on the mind, thoughts, and feelings. While the religious leaders tended to emphasize outward behavior, Jesus focused on our thoughts and feelings. For instance, the rich young ruler claimed to have always kept the law. Yet, by telling him to sell all he had, give to the poor, and follow Him, Jesus tested his attachment to worldly things. He also said it’s what comes from the heart (or mind) that defiles a person: “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt. 15:19, NKJV), and “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34, NKJV).—BSG* for Monday, January 19.^†‡§

Philippians 2:4: And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

[BSG:] Often in conversation there is the tendency to concentrate on our reply to whatever is being said, rather than focused on listening in order to understand what the other person is saying and trying to see the issue from their point of view. Often strife arises from simple misunderstandings that could be avoided simply by active listening. We may not agree, but listening and seeking to understand the other person’s viewpoint is the first step for fostering healthy communication and trust.—BSG* for Monday, January 19.^†‡

6. It should be clear that getting to know God better and better and coming to be more like Him deals with any disunity or antagonism in the church.

Ephesians 4:13: And so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith and in our knowledge of the Son of God; we shall become mature people, reaching to the very height of Christ’s full stature.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

[EGW:] …. Self is not to be consulted. Pride, self-love, selfishness, avarice, covetousness, love of the world, hatred, suspicion, jealousy, evil surmisings, must all be subdued and sacrificed forever. When Christ shall appear, it will not be to correct these evils and then give a moral fitness for His coming. This preparation must all be made before He comes. It should be a subject of thought, of study, and earnest inquiry, What shall we do to be saved? What shall be our conduct that we may show ourselves approved unto God?—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church,* vol. 1, 705.1.^†‡ [Will the Holy Spirit be able to transform us here on this earth?]^‡ [https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p116.3283&index=0]^‡

7. Paul was telling us to grow up! Would it take a “death to self” to reach that goal?

Mind Implant? Or, Mind Surgery?

[BSG:] In some ways, … [mind control] is already here. Our mind is like a computer, only far superior. The constant information flow, to which we are daily exposed, “programs” our mind, conditions our thoughts, and guides our actions. When we immerse ourselves in media, the worldly way people think stamps its impression on our minds, and we begin thinking the same way. It’s as if other people’s minds were implanted or melded into ours.—BSG* for Monday, January 19.^†‡ [Is this happening to us now?]^‡

[BSG:] We are, like Jesus, to be “spiritually minded” (Rom. 8:6). “No one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God,” which Paul contrasts with “the spirit of the world” (1 Cor. 2:11, 12, NKJV). Who is our teacher? And what are we learning?—BSG* for Monday, January 19.^‡§

[BSG:] Ultimately, we can change our mind, but we can’t change our heart; only God can. The Holy Spirit needs to perform heart surgery on us, wielding the “sword of the Spirit” (Eph. 6:17), the “living and powerful” Word of God, “piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Heb. 4:12, NKJV). Only through the Holy Spirit can we really know ourselves because, by nature, our own heart deceives us (Jer. 17:9). The Hebrew word for “deceitful” (‘aqov) refers to bumpy ground that trips us up; by extension, it means thoughts that are tortuous, twisted, and crooked. We must be transformed by the “renewing” of our mind in order that we may “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom. 12:2, NKJV).—BSG* for Tuesday, January 20.^†‡§ [Only God can change us!]^‡

The Mind of Christ

[BSG:] Muhammad Ali once said, “I am the greatest.” In August 1963, six months before winning the world heavyweight boxing championship, he even released a record album titled “I Am the Greatest.” Ali, no doubt, was a great athlete, but he was not an example to follow if one wants the mind of Christ.

In contrast, Jesus was perfectly sinless. Though He was tempted “in all points . . . as we are” (Heb. 4:15 [Quoted in Item #17 below.]), He never sinned, not even by a thought. Nevertheless,Hebrews 5:8 indicates, “though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (NKJV). Jesus’ submission to the Father’s will was always perfect. There was never a moment He refused to submit, though no doubt many times it was not easy.—BSG* for Wednesday, January 21.^‡§

Hebrews 5:8: But even though he was God’s Son, he learned through his sufferings to be obedient.—Good News Bible-TEV.*

8. Contrast the mind of Christ with that of Satan (and us)!

Adapted from Believer’s Study Bible

9. How did the humbleness of Jesus actually take place? Did it start with Jesus’s troubles with His step-brothers? They believed that since they were older, they could tell Jesus what to do! Did He ever tell His brothers that He was God?
10. Philippians 2:5-11 is one of the most amazing passages in Scripture. What was Paul trying to tell us? What other passages are related?
11. Read again and meditate on the meaning of that section.

Philippians 2:5-11: ⁵The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had:

⁶He always had the nature of God,

but he did not think that by force he should try to remain equal with God.

⁷Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had,

and took the nature of a servant.

He became like a human being

and appeared in human likeness.

⁸He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death—his death on the cross. [The mystery of godliness.]

⁹For this reason God raised him to the highest place above

and gave him the name that is greater than any other name.

¹⁰And so, in honor of the name of Jesus

all beings [including Satan!] in heaven, on earth, and in the world below

will fall on their knees, [Did God foresee this before Christ left heaven?]

¹¹and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†‡

12. Christ has always been fully God. He took part in creation. He is Redeemer and Savior.
13. Paul was challenging us to learn how to live in unity.

[T-BSG:] Yet, Paul is not advocating for uniformity but rather for unity through diversity. In condemning “selfish ambition” and “conceit,” he presents the opposite attitude; that is, “lowliness of mind” (Phil. 2:3, NKJV). This attitude is further explained in the subsequent sentence: “Let each esteem others better than himself” (Phil. 2:3, NKJV). This thought is so important that Paul repeats it with different words in the next verse, “Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:4, NKJV). Paul is not asking his audience to abandon their own personal interests but to consider the interests of others with deep attention, rather than indifference. Jesus is our Supreme Example in this regard. Thus, Paul exhorts his audience to develop a Christlike mindset.—T-BSG* 53.^†‡§

14. There are four major passages in Scripture discussing the nature of Christ: John 1:1-18;Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-23 alongwith 2:9-10; andHebrews 1:1-13. What can we learn from studying and comparing these passages?
    1. Christ is, has always been, and always will be, fully God.
    2. Father and Son and Holy Spirit are always in full harmony.
    3. Christ is the Agent through whom all things were created. So, He is superior to all created things.
    4. We are made in Their image.
    5. Christ set aside His divinity and became a Human Being to reach us.
    6. Christ had earlier become an Angel (Michael the Archangel) to reach angels.
    7. As sinners, we cannot see God. So, Christ came and made Himself visible to us to demonstrate the truth about God.
    8. From the beginning, Christ voluntarily agreed to take on the role of representing God to His creatures. While doing this, He was still fully God. He arose from death by His own power. (https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.3866&index=0)
    9. When He returned to heaven after His time on this earth, He again assumed His position at the right hand of God; and the entire universe worshiped Him for what He had done.
    10. When the truth of what Christ accomplished is seen by all, the truth of it will be so compelling that everyone—even Satan temporarily—will bow down and worship Christ once again. (Compare Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11;Philippians 2:10-11.)
    11. Christ is the Head of the church and the Source of its power and life.
    12. By His life and His death, Christ answered all of Satan=s questions and accusations and won the great controversy, sealing Satan=s doom.
    13. What Christ has done for us wins us back to even greater loyalty and love than we had at the beginning.
    14. Christ offers us full union with Him if we will agree to live as He lived.
    15. As God, Christ deserves our worship now and forever.
    16. God the Father places Christ in the highest position available because of what He has done.
    17. After Christ completed His work on this earth, did the Father give Him a name just below the Father=s name? (Philippians 2:9-11) Does that sound like Someone whose job is to constantly plead with the Father?
15. Is it really possible for us in the 21^st century to be so humble and kind and serving that we fulfillMatthew 23:11-12?

Matthew 23:11-12: ¹¹ “The greatest one among you must be your servant. ¹²Whoever makes himself great will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be made great.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

The Mystery of Godliness

16. What did Christ accomplish for us when He came to this earth? Consider some options.

Romans 8:3: What the Law could not do, because human nature was weak, God did. He condemned sin in human nature by sending his own Son, who came with a nature like our sinful nature, to do away with sin.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^† [He showed us what sin does to people!]^‡

17. Jesus came more than 2000 years ago, and sin is still rampant on this planet! So, how can we say that He came “to do away with sin”? Is that promise still good?

Hebrews 2:14-16: ¹⁴ Since the children, as he calls them, are people of flesh and blood, Jesus himself became like them and shared their human nature. He did this so that through his death he might destroy the Devil, who has the power over death, ¹⁵and in this way set free those who were slaves all their lives because of their fear of death. ¹⁶For it is clear that it is not the angels that he helps. Instead, he helps the descendants of Abraham.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

Hebrews 4:15: Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin.—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

[BSG:] How was it possible for the eternal Son of God, through the operation of the Holy Spirit (seeLuke 1:35), to become a divine-human being in Mary’s womb? It boggles the mind how the infinite and eternal could suddenly become a finite human being subject to death. That is the heart of what Paul calls “the mystery of godliness” (1 Tim. 3:16). In the beautiful hymn of Philippians 2, Paul here elaborates on this condescension more fully in some respects than anywhere else in Scripture.—BSG* for Thursday.^‡§

18. Did Jesus actually inherit DNA from Mary? If He didn’t, He could not be called the Son of Man! Is it possible that all of the nature of God could be coded into DNA contained in a single sperm?

Luke 1:35: The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God’s power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*

19. Jesus was crucified as a traitor to the Roman government! Sinners will die in the end as traitors to the divine government!

[EGW:] …. The wrath of God against sin, the terrible manifestation of His displeasure because of iniquity, filled the soul of His Son with consternation. All His life Christ had been publishing to a fallen world the good news of the Father’s mercy and pardoning love. Salvation for the chief of sinners was His theme. But now with the terrible weight of guilt He bears, He cannot see the Father’s reconciling face. The withdrawal of the divine countenance from the Saviour [sic-British spelling] in this hour of supreme anguish pierced His heart with a sorrow that can never be fully understood by man. So great was this agony that His physical pain was hardly felt.

Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The Saviour [sic-British spelling] could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father’s acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offensive to God that Their separation was to be eternal. Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race. It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father’s wrath upon Him as man’s substitute, that made the cup He drank so bitter, and broke the heart of the Son of God.—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages* 753.1-753.2.^†‡ [Sin killed Jesus.]^‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.3718&index=0]^‡

[EGW:] All the paternal love which has come down from generation to generation through the channel of human hearts, all the springs of tenderness which have opened in the souls of men, are but as a tiny rill [rivulet or a small stream] to the boundless ocean when compared with the infinite, exhaustless love of God. Tongue cannot utter it; pen cannot portray it. You may meditate upon it every day of your life; you may search the Scriptures diligently in order to understand it; you may summon every power and capability that God has given you, in the endeavor to comprehend the love and compassion of the heavenly Father; and yet there is an infinity beyond. You may study that love for ages; yet you can never fully comprehend the length and the breadth, the depth and the height, of the love of God in giving His Son to die for the world. Eternity itself can never fully reveal it. Yet as we study the Bible and meditate upon the life of Christ and the plan of redemption, these great themes will open to our understanding more and more. And it will be ours to realize the blessing which Paul desired for the Ephesian church when he prayed “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.”—Ellen G. White, Testimonies for the Church,* vol. 5, 740.1.^‡§

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p113.3599&index=0]^‡

[EGW:] …. The more we learn in this school, the more we shall advance in meekness and lowliness of mind. We are not to feel that we have learned everything worth knowing. We should put to the best use the talents God has given us, that when we are changed from mortality to immortality, we shall not leave behind that which we have attained, but may take it with us to the other side. Throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity, Christ and His work of redemption will be the theme of our study.—Ellen G. White, Letters and Manuscripts,* vol. 4, Manuscript 36, 1885, par. 29.^†‡

[https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p14054.4561034&index=0]^‡

20. Many people think that Jesus’s main work today is pleading with the Father on our behalf. Jesus said repeatedly that He and the Father are one. There is no difference between Them. So, how and why would He need to plead with the Father? Jesus actually said that He would NOT need to ask the Father for anything on our behalf!

ReadJohn 5:19; 10:30,38; and 12:45.

John 14:9-10: ⁹Jesus answered, “For a long time I have been with you all; yet you do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. Why, then, do you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”—GNB-TEV.*^†

John 16:25-27: ²⁵ “I have used figures of speech to tell you these things. But the time will come when I will not use figures of speech, but will speak to you plainly about the Father. ²⁶When that day comes, you will ask him in my name; and I do not say that I will ask him on your behalf, ²⁷for the Father himself loves you. He loves you because you love me and have believed that I came from God.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†

21. Jesus is also in unity with the Holy Spirit. Both of them are pleading with us to follow God’s plan for our lives. All three of Them are opposing Satan.

Unity between Christ and the Spirit

John 14:16,26: ¹⁶ “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper [the Greek means just like Me], who will stay with you forever….”

²⁶ “The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you.”—Good News Bible-TEV.*^†‡

John 15:26: “The Helper will come—the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God and who comes from the Father. I will send him to you from the Father, and he will speak about me.”—Good News Bible-TEV.* [The Holy Spirit’s job is to convince us to change, not to convince the Father to change!]^‡

22. Could we as a modern church live up to these standards? What would it take?

©2025, Kenneth Hart, MD, MA, MPH. Permission is hereby granted for any noncommercial use of these materials. Free distribution of all or of a portion of this material such as to a Bible study class is encouraged. *Electronic version. ^†Bold type is added. ^‡Brackets and content in brackets are added. ^ΩBrackets and the content in brackets within the paragraph are in the source. ^§Italic type is in the source.                             Last Modified: December 3, 2025                                           Email: Info@theox.org