HAVING THE SAME LOVE
In verse 2 we find not only the matter of the mind, but also the matter of the emotion, for love is a matter of emotion. In verse 2 Paul implores the Philippians to have the same love. Thus, they were not only to think the same thing in their mind, but to have the same love in their emotion. Many among us today do not have the same love. Instead, our love for certain ones is on a higher level than our love for others. This is especially true among the sisters. The love among the sisters is on different levels. They love certain ones more and others less. This means that the sisters do not have the same love. To love the Apostle Paul above the other saints is wrong. We should love all the believers with the same love.
Paul’s word about having the same love is a weighty word. It is a strong indication that the Philippians had a love that was on different levels. Our situation today is the same. Yes, we love one another, but our love differs, and the temperature of our love is not the same. When we contact certain ones, we are like ice, but when we contact others, we are like boiling water. For some, our love is too cold; for others, it is too hot. Our love should be moderate toward everyone. It should be neither too hot nor too cold. Sometimes people have told me that they love me. But within I said, "Your love is so cold. The more you love me, the colder I become. But your love for others is boiling hot."
To have a love that fluctuates in its temperature is to have a love that issues out of our natural life. Such a love comes from a soul that has not been dealt with. We can never enjoy Christ in this kind of love. If our love toward the saints has been regulated and dealt with, then we shall enjoy Christ as we love the saints. Whether or not our love is proper depends on whether or not we enjoy Christ in our loving of others. If you love others without having the enjoyment of Christ in that love, your love is wrong. It is neither moderate nor proper.
Are you sure that your love for the saints is all on one level? If not, then your love has honey in it. Honey was prohibited from being added to the meal offering because it could be easily leavened (Lev. 2:11). To be leavened means to be corrupted. Likewise, our natural love is easily corrupted.
Because there are no wasted words in the Bible, there must have been a reason for the Apostle Paul to write such a word as is found in Philippians 2:2. As we have pointed out, Paul seemed to be saying, "Philippians, do you have any tender mercy toward me? If you do, make my joy full by thinking the same thing, by having the same love, and by being one in soul. Do you intend to sympathize with me in my sufferings for the gospel in prison? Then you should not be so opinionated, and you should not be fighting against one another. This troubles me and hurts me. I beg you to think the same thing, to have the same love, and be one in soul. If you do this, you will fulfill my joy."
(The Experience of Christ, Chapter 3, by Witness Lee)
