Paul has just urged them to live a life worthy of the gospel, worthy of Christ. Now he expands on what this means for us. In this first verse he uses the term "in Christ", or "united with Christ". Being a Christian is certainly more than merely knowing about Christ, it is more than simply trying to follow Christ. We become part of Him, united with Him. We find this unity in many places in the Bible. A husband and wife are to be one, Jesus prays for the church to be one. Supremely, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one. Now this being one most certainly does not mean that we lose our identity, rather it means that we find it.
So, Paul appeals to them that if they have received any benefit at all from Christ, if they know Him at all, if they have any awareness of Him, then they should seek to live in unity, being one in spirit and mind.
In practice this means doing nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. So much of life is geared around getting the best for yourself, even at the expense of others, or of exalting ourselves. These are not godly attitudes. Instead we are to value others more than ourselves. At the same time, it is worth pointing out that this does not mean a false humility, or having no concern for yourself.
We are to look for the interests of others. It is a powerful thing to look to the interests of others first. This is part of living in the kingdom of God. In God's economy we each look first to God, then to others. And God looks after our needs, and others look after us.
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