Click here for the Philippians 1:25-30 PODCAST
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me. 27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. ~ Philippians 1:25-30
As we have mentioned before, in every chapter in Philippians, there is a built in prevention of joy in our lives. Joy stealers, if you will. In addition, as mentioned before, in each chapter of Philippians, there is a unique feature of the Lord Jesus that enables us to see the joy preventer as a means to growing in His joy.
The joy stealer in Philippians 1 is our prisons. Most of our prisons are the result of any form of rejection from others particularly during our first six years of lives. There are prisons which come into our lives after age six, however since we have no filters during our first six years of our life, these tend to be the most debilitating.
The unique feature of the Lord Jesus in Philippians 1is the life of Christ. Christianity is an exchanged life experience with the Lord Jesus. Christianity happens in our lives when we give to Him our existence, prisons and all, and He gradually gives us His way of thinking and living. With His new view on life which He calls eternal life, we are granted the ability to see how our prisons serve us in living this new life that He is giving us. And, as a result, we are positioned to help others do the same. The result is that we begin seeing how our prisons are stepping stones to the type of life the Lord Jesus died to give us.
The Apostle Paul begins our text for today with the reason why we experience our prisons. Paul writes that he continued through his hardships so that his hearers will progress in the faith and that faith will produce a greater degree of joy in their progression. Joy is essential for our advancement in the faith. And, it is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ that grants us the inertia to progress. In fact, the gospel is the power of God to save us in every possible way.
In v.27, the Apostle writes, "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." Living in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ presupposes that we have found worth in the gospel. Our capacity to live worthy of the gospel of Christ is commensurate to the worth we ourselves have found in it.
In v.27-28, the Apostle Paul proceeds to describe what it means to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ: 1) Standing firm in one Spirit, 2) Contending as one man for the faith of the gospel, 3) Not being frightened in any way by those who oppose us.
The word translated “stand firm” in v.27, was used of solders who stood their ground no matter how severe the battle. The battle is for the gospel. "To stand firm in one Spirit" is to depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to make us one as we fight for the gospel.
The word translated “striving together” means to contend with others, side by side, as athletes do on a team. In v.17, Paul uses the word “one,” calling for unity. The image is that of a team that works so well together that it appears to function as one man. The team goal is the “faith of the gospel.” The goal is the advancement of the gospel.
Beginning with the word translated “for” in v.29, Paul gives further incentive for living in a manner worthy of the gospel. When we continue to advance the gospel, we will suffer. Paul reminds us that such suffering is a gift. It has been “granted” to us. We can only appreciate suffering this way if we see it as a gift “on behalf of Christ” and “for him.”
Our willingness to suffer demonstrates the worth of the gospel and our love for others. When others see that we’re willing to suffer for them to give them something we think is priceless, they’ll be more likely to see it as priceless as well.
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Showing posts with label Philippians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Philippians. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Philippians 1:19-24
Click here for the Philippians 1:19-24 PODCAST
19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. ~ Philippians 1:19-24
In every chapter in this book of Philippians, there is a joy stealer. In every chapter there is a unique feature of the Lord Jesus accentuated. You guessed it, the unique feature of the Lord counteracts that which would naturally rob us of our joy. The joy stealer in Philippians 1 is our prisons. Our prisons can be a variety of things, they are anything which would rob us of our joy in the Lord.
The Apostle Paul reminds the Philippians in v.18, despite the fact that he is in prison, he will rejoice because the Gospel was being proclaimed. He tells them in v.19-20, he will continue to rejoice. He explains the reason for his ongoing disposition in v.19-20. He is continuing to rejoice because Christ literally will be “exalted.” His source of joy, once again, is the fact that the Gospel of Christ is being preached. And, he recognizes that those things in life which happen to us which would daunt our progress in the faith are useful to God for the advancement of a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus.
In spite of all of the difficulty the Apostle Paul encountered, he never lost his joy. He summed it up in 2 Corinthians 6:10, where he says, “Sorrowing yet always rejoicing.” The worst the circumstances, the greater the joy. This is so because as our circumstances begin to collapse around us, we are pushed into deeper trust of the Lord Jesus. The soil of our faith is broken and turned up, and we begin to extract our joy out of our relationship with the Lord. It really is His joy. When our conditions are negative and difficult and burdensome and troublesome and we have anxiety, it presses us in to the joy of faith in Him.
The joy of the Lord contains in it a confidence that is given to the believer who accesses His joy. This joy is accessed by the bowing of our will to His will. This is the same note of confidence that breathed so strongly in those five young men who went down in Ecuador in 1954 to laid down their lives under the spears of the Auca Indians. Here is a link to the trailer for the movie which chronicled those events.
Even though there was fear in their contemplation of the savage unknown, and though they realized anything could happen, and they went in with a great deal of fear and uncertainty, nevertheless they had a confidence that regardless of what happened, whether they lived or died, Christ would be exalted. It was the joy of the Lord that led those young missionaries to run that risk.
In v.21, we discover the unique feature of the Lord Jesus: His life. Paul writes, "For to me, to live is Christ." This is the key throughout all of Scriptures, the life of God in the life of a man or woman. This is the “salvation” that Paul expects in v.20. It is not his release from prison. It is the exaltation of the life of Christ in his life. You see, when Christ's life becomes our life our prisons become our pulpits.
The Apostle Paul knows that what has happened to him will turn out for his salvation that Christ will be exalted. This will happen as the prayers of the Philippians and the subsequent provision of the Spirit strengthen him so that he trusts God and courageously defends the Gospel. Thus, Christ will be exalted in his body, whether he lives or dies.
The verb “exalted” means “to make large” or “to magnify.” When Christ is exalted, He is shown to be large and seen to be large. His magnificence is revealed and becomes evident.
It’s important to note that v.21 begins with the word “For.” Paul is explaining how Christ will be exalted in his body. His explanation is offered in two lines that are succinct in their poetic structure. He says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Transliterated, it looks like this: to live Christ, to die gain. There is no verb, demonstrating clarity of purpose.
The Apostle Paul goes on to explain what this means in v.22-24. “To live Christ” means fruitful labor. The fruit is the Philippians’ and his “progress and joy in the faith.” “To die gain” means departing and being with Christ. Paul expected to gain Christ in death which means being with Christ on earth or in heaven. This anticipated joy is defining the Apostle.
Finally, notice in v.23 the Christian view of death. In just two words, "with Christ," it is summed up. Facing the possibility of death does not mean we are tired of life on this earth, it translates into a deeper companionship with Him. This is what makes life worth living, a deeper intimacy with Him.
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19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. ~ Philippians 1:19-24
In every chapter in this book of Philippians, there is a joy stealer. In every chapter there is a unique feature of the Lord Jesus accentuated. You guessed it, the unique feature of the Lord counteracts that which would naturally rob us of our joy. The joy stealer in Philippians 1 is our prisons. Our prisons can be a variety of things, they are anything which would rob us of our joy in the Lord.
The Apostle Paul reminds the Philippians in v.18, despite the fact that he is in prison, he will rejoice because the Gospel was being proclaimed. He tells them in v.19-20, he will continue to rejoice. He explains the reason for his ongoing disposition in v.19-20. He is continuing to rejoice because Christ literally will be “exalted.” His source of joy, once again, is the fact that the Gospel of Christ is being preached. And, he recognizes that those things in life which happen to us which would daunt our progress in the faith are useful to God for the advancement of a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus.
In spite of all of the difficulty the Apostle Paul encountered, he never lost his joy. He summed it up in 2 Corinthians 6:10, where he says, “Sorrowing yet always rejoicing.” The worst the circumstances, the greater the joy. This is so because as our circumstances begin to collapse around us, we are pushed into deeper trust of the Lord Jesus. The soil of our faith is broken and turned up, and we begin to extract our joy out of our relationship with the Lord. It really is His joy. When our conditions are negative and difficult and burdensome and troublesome and we have anxiety, it presses us in to the joy of faith in Him.
The joy of the Lord contains in it a confidence that is given to the believer who accesses His joy. This joy is accessed by the bowing of our will to His will. This is the same note of confidence that breathed so strongly in those five young men who went down in Ecuador in 1954 to laid down their lives under the spears of the Auca Indians. Here is a link to the trailer for the movie which chronicled those events.
Even though there was fear in their contemplation of the savage unknown, and though they realized anything could happen, and they went in with a great deal of fear and uncertainty, nevertheless they had a confidence that regardless of what happened, whether they lived or died, Christ would be exalted. It was the joy of the Lord that led those young missionaries to run that risk.
In v.21, we discover the unique feature of the Lord Jesus: His life. Paul writes, "For to me, to live is Christ." This is the key throughout all of Scriptures, the life of God in the life of a man or woman. This is the “salvation” that Paul expects in v.20. It is not his release from prison. It is the exaltation of the life of Christ in his life. You see, when Christ's life becomes our life our prisons become our pulpits.
The Apostle Paul knows that what has happened to him will turn out for his salvation that Christ will be exalted. This will happen as the prayers of the Philippians and the subsequent provision of the Spirit strengthen him so that he trusts God and courageously defends the Gospel. Thus, Christ will be exalted in his body, whether he lives or dies.
The verb “exalted” means “to make large” or “to magnify.” When Christ is exalted, He is shown to be large and seen to be large. His magnificence is revealed and becomes evident.
It’s important to note that v.21 begins with the word “For.” Paul is explaining how Christ will be exalted in his body. His explanation is offered in two lines that are succinct in their poetic structure. He says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Transliterated, it looks like this: to live Christ, to die gain. There is no verb, demonstrating clarity of purpose.
The Apostle Paul goes on to explain what this means in v.22-24. “To live Christ” means fruitful labor. The fruit is the Philippians’ and his “progress and joy in the faith.” “To die gain” means departing and being with Christ. Paul expected to gain Christ in death which means being with Christ on earth or in heaven. This anticipated joy is defining the Apostle.
Finally, notice in v.23 the Christian view of death. In just two words, "with Christ," it is summed up. Facing the possibility of death does not mean we are tired of life on this earth, it translates into a deeper companionship with Him. This is what makes life worth living, a deeper intimacy with Him.
To help BYM, click here
Monday, February 17, 2020
Philippians 1:15-18
Click here for the Philippians 1:15-18 PODCAST
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. ~ Philippians 1:15-18
As we mentioned in yesterday's blog, joy is the theme of the book of Philippians. And, since joy is one measure of our spiritual strength, we should never be surprised that it will be the target of the attack of the enemy.
The Apostle Paul writes in v.15, "It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry." But, even those who preach the gospel out of envy and rivalry couldn't steal the Apostle Paul's joy. There were those who belittled the reputation of the Apostle Paul. Yet, he was full of joy as long as the gospel was being preached. He felt this way because he understood that the power was and is in the proclaiming of the gospel. Despite the fact that there are those who really do not know one thing about the gospel, as long as they preach forgiveness of sin through Christ, the Apostle is happy.
Someone apply once said, "we are not serving until others get the credit and God gets the glory." This is the posture which yields the disposition of joy for it is in this mindset that Christ is most highly lifted up in and through our lives.
These who were preaching the gospel from envy and rivalry were not attacking Paul's theology. They are not proclaiming another Jesus, their's was the same gospel as Paul's. The difference between them and Paul was discovered in their motive. These people were jealous, so jealous of Paul's giftedness and success that they belittled him. They were jealous that Paul was so loved.
As a result of being jealous they were “stirring up trouble for the Apostle Paul.” There are people who focus their whole life on trying to discredit other people. They preach the true gospel but they have such an impure heart. They seek to be more prominent than they ought to be. They see themselves as important. And, they are angry that someone else is more successful than they. And so they are producers of rivalry, strife, and conflict.
The Apostle Paul doesn't tell us specifically how these people were attacking him. He doesn't want to focus on himself, so he doesn't mention what they were doing to him. Perhaps, they were accusing him of doing something wrong since he was in prison. They probably were accusing Paul of not knowing how to access certain divine resources, or else he'd be able to burst out of his chains and walk out of that prison.
But on the other hand, in v.15 we read, "Some preach Christ out of good will." Their motive is pure. Paul describes them a little bit more in v.16, "the latter do it out of love." The implication is that the ones preaching Christ out of envy and strife aren't motivated by love. This underscores the fact that the most essential element of effective ministry is love. People do not care what we know until they know that we care.
In v.16 we read, "knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel." The Apostle had a big view of God. For Paul, God was big enough to control the events in his life. He had walked with God long enough to recognize that be it good or bad, God uses all things for our good and His glory. And, since the glory of God was Paul's ultimate goal, he was fine with being in prison.
The word used here for "I am put here for," is a military term, meaning “I am set.” It's used for a soldier on duty. He was as much on duty set by God to defend the gospel as a Roman soldier was on duty being chained to him. The Apostle was in prison not because he failed but because he succeeded. And, the goal was the advancement of the Gospel.
That word "defense" in v.16, is the Greek word, apologia. We get our word "apologetic" from it. When you and I are in the center of God's will for our lives, we are His apologia. We are God's defenders of the gospel.
In v.17-18, the Apostle Paul redirects our attention to the insincere group. Again the Apostle reminds us for the second time, they “preach Christ out of selfish ambition.” They don't have the right motives. Their motive is selfish ambition. Their message is right but their motive is wrong.
The word here translated "selfish ambition" is "erithia" in the Greek. It means “to work for pay.” But someone who works only for pay, works out of a very small view of God. He's out to benefit himself and that's all he sees, and so he only wants to advance himself. This they did, according to v.17, "supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains."
Their goal wasn't to evangelize the lost. Their goal wasn't to defend the Word of God. Their goal was to irritate the man of whom they were jealous. They wanted to pull him down in the eyes of the people so the people wouldn't believe him, trust him, and follow him.
This didn't steal Paul's joy. Imprisonment and the insincere couldn't steal the Apostle Paul's joy. To the contrary, Paul writes in v.18, "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice."
Only one thing mattered, the preaching of the gospel. This is what happens when we have committed ourselves to the Lord, His fame becomes our priority. Paul didn't care who got the credit, as long as God got the glory.
To help BYM, click here
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. ~ Philippians 1:15-18
As we mentioned in yesterday's blog, joy is the theme of the book of Philippians. And, since joy is one measure of our spiritual strength, we should never be surprised that it will be the target of the attack of the enemy.
The Apostle Paul writes in v.15, "It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry." But, even those who preach the gospel out of envy and rivalry couldn't steal the Apostle Paul's joy. There were those who belittled the reputation of the Apostle Paul. Yet, he was full of joy as long as the gospel was being preached. He felt this way because he understood that the power was and is in the proclaiming of the gospel. Despite the fact that there are those who really do not know one thing about the gospel, as long as they preach forgiveness of sin through Christ, the Apostle is happy.
Someone apply once said, "we are not serving until others get the credit and God gets the glory." This is the posture which yields the disposition of joy for it is in this mindset that Christ is most highly lifted up in and through our lives.
These who were preaching the gospel from envy and rivalry were not attacking Paul's theology. They are not proclaiming another Jesus, their's was the same gospel as Paul's. The difference between them and Paul was discovered in their motive. These people were jealous, so jealous of Paul's giftedness and success that they belittled him. They were jealous that Paul was so loved.
As a result of being jealous they were “stirring up trouble for the Apostle Paul.” There are people who focus their whole life on trying to discredit other people. They preach the true gospel but they have such an impure heart. They seek to be more prominent than they ought to be. They see themselves as important. And, they are angry that someone else is more successful than they. And so they are producers of rivalry, strife, and conflict.
The Apostle Paul doesn't tell us specifically how these people were attacking him. He doesn't want to focus on himself, so he doesn't mention what they were doing to him. Perhaps, they were accusing him of doing something wrong since he was in prison. They probably were accusing Paul of not knowing how to access certain divine resources, or else he'd be able to burst out of his chains and walk out of that prison.
But on the other hand, in v.15 we read, "Some preach Christ out of good will." Their motive is pure. Paul describes them a little bit more in v.16, "the latter do it out of love." The implication is that the ones preaching Christ out of envy and strife aren't motivated by love. This underscores the fact that the most essential element of effective ministry is love. People do not care what we know until they know that we care.
In v.16 we read, "knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel." The Apostle had a big view of God. For Paul, God was big enough to control the events in his life. He had walked with God long enough to recognize that be it good or bad, God uses all things for our good and His glory. And, since the glory of God was Paul's ultimate goal, he was fine with being in prison.
The word used here for "I am put here for," is a military term, meaning “I am set.” It's used for a soldier on duty. He was as much on duty set by God to defend the gospel as a Roman soldier was on duty being chained to him. The Apostle was in prison not because he failed but because he succeeded. And, the goal was the advancement of the Gospel.
That word "defense" in v.16, is the Greek word, apologia. We get our word "apologetic" from it. When you and I are in the center of God's will for our lives, we are His apologia. We are God's defenders of the gospel.
In v.17-18, the Apostle Paul redirects our attention to the insincere group. Again the Apostle reminds us for the second time, they “preach Christ out of selfish ambition.” They don't have the right motives. Their motive is selfish ambition. Their message is right but their motive is wrong.
The word here translated "selfish ambition" is "erithia" in the Greek. It means “to work for pay.” But someone who works only for pay, works out of a very small view of God. He's out to benefit himself and that's all he sees, and so he only wants to advance himself. This they did, according to v.17, "supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains."
Their goal wasn't to evangelize the lost. Their goal wasn't to defend the Word of God. Their goal was to irritate the man of whom they were jealous. They wanted to pull him down in the eyes of the people so the people wouldn't believe him, trust him, and follow him.
This didn't steal Paul's joy. Imprisonment and the insincere couldn't steal the Apostle Paul's joy. To the contrary, Paul writes in v.18, "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice."
Only one thing mattered, the preaching of the gospel. This is what happens when we have committed ourselves to the Lord, His fame becomes our priority. Paul didn't care who got the credit, as long as God got the glory.
To help BYM, click here
Friday, February 14, 2020
Philippians 1:12-14
Click here for the Philippians 1:12-14 PODCAST
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. ~ Philippians 1:12-14
As we come back into Philippians 1, we must underscore the main theme in the book of Philippians which is joy. The Apostle uses the words rejoice or joy fifteen times throughout this book of 104 verses.
In v.12-14 we see that the gospel is advancing through Paul’s imprisonment. Although it would seem that imprisoning Paul would impede the advance of the gospel, it had the opposite effect. The gospel advances as the word of God is spoken.
In v.13, we read, "it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ." The Apostle Paul is a prisoner because of Christ. He wasn't a prisoner because he committed a crime. He was a prisoner because he preached Christ, because he believed in Christ, because he represented Christ.
Despite the fact that I have never been jailed like Paul, I still have my own prisons. And, God has always been good at using our prisons to advance the gospel. I have learned that the design behind our suffering is that it causes us to seek Christ more ardently. When we seek Him and find Him for ourselves, we will have discovered the lessons that when shared with others will help them in discovering a personal relationship with the Lord for themselves.
In v.13, we see the content of the gospel is the person of “Christ” which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew “Messiah.” Paul’s imprisonment is literally “for Christ,” the Messiah, the Jewish king. Caesar, who claimed the titles king and lord of the whole world, imprisoned the primary preacher of the Gospel, but the Gospel advances in and out of the palace.
The measure of a person's spiritual strength is best measured by what it takes to steal our joy. We can find out how spiritually mature we are by finding out the breaking point where our joy is lost and negativism begins to creep in and take over. The measure of our joy is how we react not to things the way we would like them to be but to things the way we wouldn't like them to be.
According to Galatians 5, Joy is the fruit of the Spirit-controlled life. There should be no point in the life of a believer where joy is forfeited to a victim's mentality because of some things that aren't the way we'd like them to be.
We know, according to John 16:33, "in this world we will have trouble" and we must expect that God has profound purposes for our troubles. In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul is our example because he is a man whose joy knew no breaking point. There is never a time in the New Testament when the circumstances in Paul's life impacted his joy. In fact, the greater the struggle for the Apostle, the greater the trial, the more insistent he was to articulate his joy.
So, here is a man who has negative circumstances beyond his ability to understand them, chained to a Roman soldier. And yet he's a model of joy, because his joy isn't related to his comfort. His joy isn't related to his freedoms. His joy isn't related to his success. His joy is strictly tied to the advance of the gospel, so he has joy in his ministry, in spite of trouble.
When we fix our hearts on the progress of the gospel, it will not matter what happens to us as long as we can see God's kingdom being furthered. If this is our passion, we're going to find that our joy will increase. When Christ's life becomes our life then our prisons will become our pulpits.
To help BYM, click here
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear. ~ Philippians 1:12-14
As we come back into Philippians 1, we must underscore the main theme in the book of Philippians which is joy. The Apostle uses the words rejoice or joy fifteen times throughout this book of 104 verses.
In v.12-14 we see that the gospel is advancing through Paul’s imprisonment. Although it would seem that imprisoning Paul would impede the advance of the gospel, it had the opposite effect. The gospel advances as the word of God is spoken.
In v.13, we read, "it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ." The Apostle Paul is a prisoner because of Christ. He wasn't a prisoner because he committed a crime. He was a prisoner because he preached Christ, because he believed in Christ, because he represented Christ.
Despite the fact that I have never been jailed like Paul, I still have my own prisons. And, God has always been good at using our prisons to advance the gospel. I have learned that the design behind our suffering is that it causes us to seek Christ more ardently. When we seek Him and find Him for ourselves, we will have discovered the lessons that when shared with others will help them in discovering a personal relationship with the Lord for themselves.
In v.13, we see the content of the gospel is the person of “Christ” which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew “Messiah.” Paul’s imprisonment is literally “for Christ,” the Messiah, the Jewish king. Caesar, who claimed the titles king and lord of the whole world, imprisoned the primary preacher of the Gospel, but the Gospel advances in and out of the palace.
The measure of a person's spiritual strength is best measured by what it takes to steal our joy. We can find out how spiritually mature we are by finding out the breaking point where our joy is lost and negativism begins to creep in and take over. The measure of our joy is how we react not to things the way we would like them to be but to things the way we wouldn't like them to be.
According to Galatians 5, Joy is the fruit of the Spirit-controlled life. There should be no point in the life of a believer where joy is forfeited to a victim's mentality because of some things that aren't the way we'd like them to be.
We know, according to John 16:33, "in this world we will have trouble" and we must expect that God has profound purposes for our troubles. In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul is our example because he is a man whose joy knew no breaking point. There is never a time in the New Testament when the circumstances in Paul's life impacted his joy. In fact, the greater the struggle for the Apostle, the greater the trial, the more insistent he was to articulate his joy.
So, here is a man who has negative circumstances beyond his ability to understand them, chained to a Roman soldier. And yet he's a model of joy, because his joy isn't related to his comfort. His joy isn't related to his freedoms. His joy isn't related to his success. His joy is strictly tied to the advance of the gospel, so he has joy in his ministry, in spite of trouble.
When we fix our hearts on the progress of the gospel, it will not matter what happens to us as long as we can see God's kingdom being furthered. If this is our passion, we're going to find that our joy will increase. When Christ's life becomes our life then our prisons will become our pulpits.
To help BYM, click here
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Philippians 1:9-11
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God. ~ Philippians 1:9-11
When we enter into a relationship with the Lord Jesus, what is dear to Him begins to become dear to us. This is why the Apostle Paul prays that the Philippians would experience a deeper and meaningful love for each other. He describes this love in v.9-11.
In v.9, the Apostle prays that our "love may abound more and more." The Greek word translated ‘abound’ describes the bubbling up and flowing over of a spring of water. A natural spring should never run dry, even in the driest of summers, because of its source. In our case the source is the Lord Jesus Himself. As long as we walk with Him, the sky is the limit. His love constantly flows, and He loves enough for our benefit and the benefits of others. This spring keeps none of its water to itself. So, true love flows out of the Christian to others. God loved and gave. Christ loved sinners and gave Himself for us. We love and so we give.
In v.9, the Apostle prays that our "love may abound more and more." The Greek word translated ‘abound’ describes the bubbling up and flowing over of a spring of water. A natural spring should never run dry, even in the driest of summers, because of its source. In our case the source is the Lord Jesus Himself. As long as we walk with Him, the sky is the limit. His love constantly flows, and He loves enough for our benefit and the benefits of others. This spring keeps none of its water to itself. So, true love flows out of the Christian to others. God loved and gave. Christ loved sinners and gave Himself for us. We love and so we give.
In v.10, he prays for the kind of love that results "more in knowledge and depth of insight," "so that they may be able to discern what is best." Love acts like hate when it refuses to think correctly. This kind of love must come with knowledge out of our relationship with the Lord Jesus which lead to wholeness that Paul describes as "pure and blameless for the day of Christ."
This word "pure" in the Greek means "without wax." In the ancient world oftentimes they made little statutes which would develop cracks. In order to pass these off as perfect, some of the merchants would fill the cracks with wax so the crack was not observable. There was a way of find out if the statute was imperfect. They would put the item out in the hot sun for a while. If there was wax, the sun would melt it and the crack would become visible. In this case, it was "sun tested". Paul is saying that the Christian life when motivated by God's love will be pure, without hypocrisy, without wax.
This word "pure" in the Greek means "without wax." In the ancient world oftentimes they made little statutes which would develop cracks. In order to pass these off as perfect, some of the merchants would fill the cracks with wax so the crack was not observable. There was a way of find out if the statute was imperfect. They would put the item out in the hot sun for a while. If there was wax, the sun would melt it and the crack would become visible. In this case, it was "sun tested". Paul is saying that the Christian life when motivated by God's love will be pure, without hypocrisy, without wax.
Love can make us whole, but it is not automatic. His love can make us whole in the context of our relationship with Him. We do not supply what's missing, God is the only one who can do this. And, He does this through the way He relates to us and we Him. Then we are in the position to love others as we ought, as He loves us.
But love doesn’t just make us whole. Love orients us outward toward Him and toward other people. Paul says the final result is that we are "filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ." This fruit is not just for us. It's also for others. Fruit doesn't serve the fruit tree. It brings life outside of itself.
Love gives us something to make the lives of the people around us better. When we choose to love someone, we help to bring life to them. Our fruitfulness is for their benefit. This is the love that orients us toward others. And, it’s a powerful kind of love.
Love gives us something to make the lives of the people around us better. When we choose to love someone, we help to bring life to them. Our fruitfulness is for their benefit. This is the love that orients us toward others. And, it’s a powerful kind of love.
When we are connected to God and one another by the eternal work of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we are brought together to be a part of the body. Once we have experienced His love for ourselves, once we are in the family, we discover that we belong to each other since God is our Father and Jesus is our brother. We are loved and drawn together by our common purpose which God makes happen. We belong because we are loved by the author of love, and He is addressing our brokenness and the brokenness of the world round us through us.
The fruits of righteousness mentioned in v.11 are the fruit of the Holy Spirit. In Galatians 5:22 we read, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." These fruits are not produced by the believer. The Holy Spirit produces these. The believer yields these fruits as the Holy Spirit produces them.
God is always looking for our willingness to be the vessels of His expression. In 2 Chronicles 16:9, we read, "For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." Our hearts must be defined by Him and none other. When this is the case, we can love others as we ought, "purely and blamelessly," not expecting anything in return.
Finally, at the end of v.11 we read, “to the glory and praise of God." This is the goal of the one who is himself being loved by the God of all creation. As this prayer of the Apostle is realized in our lives, as our knowledge and depths of insight increases, we naturally give credit where credit is due. As Cicero once said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”
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Finally, at the end of v.11 we read, “to the glory and praise of God." This is the goal of the one who is himself being loved by the God of all creation. As this prayer of the Apostle is realized in our lives, as our knowledge and depths of insight increases, we naturally give credit where credit is due. As Cicero once said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”
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Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Philippians 1:1-8
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1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 1:1-8
Today, we begin a study of the book of Philippians which is one of Paul's "prison epistles" written while he was a prisoner in Rome. Philippi was the first place Paul preached the gospel in Europe. Acts 16 records the story of how Paul was used of God to start the church in the city of Philippi. The first believer there was Lydia, a wealthy business woman. Then a slave girl was freed from demons. Then Paul and Silas were miraculously freed from prison, and the Roman jailer put his faith in Christ.
In v.2, the Apostle Paul greets this diverse church with, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." This exact phrase is found in Romans, First and Second Corinthian, Galatians, and Ephesians. In this phrase we discover the first element that unites these people around what makes them a community: "God is our father. Jesus Christ is Lord."
The primary subject of the book of Philippians is the Lord Jesus. Philippians boasts the highest percentage of verses that reference the Lord Jesus in the New Testament. Thirty four percent of the verses in Philippians are about the Lord Jesus. It's the only book where over a third of the verses reference Christ.
In v.2, the Apostle Paul highlights "grace and peace" without which the Christian life does not work. Grace is God's favor made accessible to the undeserving. Peace is the inevitable result of the activity of God's grace in our lives.
The Lord Jesus is our brother who connects us to the same father. We do not belong to the family without the person and work of Christ. Because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus, we who believe in Him, belong to Him and to one another.
This is the grace that God our father offers us. We do not earn our belonging. We don’t deserve it. We just receive it. We don’t have to do anything to belong here. We just belong to God. He is our Father. Christ is our brother. This is our family.
In v.3-8, the Apostle Paul writes, "I thank," "I always pray with joy," "being confident of this," "It is right for me to feel this way about all of you," "since I have you in my heart," "I long for all of you." Six times in six verses Paul uses the word “all.”
Paul is making it abundantly clear that he feels an intense emotion toward everyone in the community. Everyone belongs. He loves everyone deeply. There is a deep relational connection in the body of Christ.
In v.5-8, there are three things that draw us together with one another. In v.5 Paul writes, "because of your partnership in the gospel." There is nothing like sharing in the ministry of the Gospel that unites us with one another. Have you ever noticed that great things never come from comfort zones.
In v.6 Paul gives us the second thing that provides cohesion and it is "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." The best part about this statement is we know it will succeed. The “good work” that was begun is the work of the Gospel. And it’s this partnership in the work of the Gospel that God will bring to completion. What God starts, God finishes.
In v.7 Paul writes, "It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me." In this verse he gives us the third element which causes us to stick together. Paul is saying, "the family that suffers together, stays together."
When we go through pain together, something supernatural happens. Pain serves to bring the fibers of our souls together in the context of hardship. When we are going through something difficult, we must not go through it alone. We belong together. We share a purpose together for the sake of the Gospel that God guarantees will come about. This path is a hard one, it’s full of pain and struggle. However, when we deal with the pain together, we discover the kind of deep relationship that Paul is describing here and we all long for.
Adversity is the first path to truth and the truth has a name: the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the spokes in a bicycle tire, it is the Lord Jesus holds us together. Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. The key is seeking Him together through the pain, suffering and trials.
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1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 1:1-8
Today, we begin a study of the book of Philippians which is one of Paul's "prison epistles" written while he was a prisoner in Rome. Philippi was the first place Paul preached the gospel in Europe. Acts 16 records the story of how Paul was used of God to start the church in the city of Philippi. The first believer there was Lydia, a wealthy business woman. Then a slave girl was freed from demons. Then Paul and Silas were miraculously freed from prison, and the Roman jailer put his faith in Christ.
In v.2, the Apostle Paul greets this diverse church with, "Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." This exact phrase is found in Romans, First and Second Corinthian, Galatians, and Ephesians. In this phrase we discover the first element that unites these people around what makes them a community: "God is our father. Jesus Christ is Lord."
The primary subject of the book of Philippians is the Lord Jesus. Philippians boasts the highest percentage of verses that reference the Lord Jesus in the New Testament. Thirty four percent of the verses in Philippians are about the Lord Jesus. It's the only book where over a third of the verses reference Christ.
In v.2, the Apostle Paul highlights "grace and peace" without which the Christian life does not work. Grace is God's favor made accessible to the undeserving. Peace is the inevitable result of the activity of God's grace in our lives.
The Lord Jesus is our brother who connects us to the same father. We do not belong to the family without the person and work of Christ. Because of the person and work of the Lord Jesus, we who believe in Him, belong to Him and to one another.
This is the grace that God our father offers us. We do not earn our belonging. We don’t deserve it. We just receive it. We don’t have to do anything to belong here. We just belong to God. He is our Father. Christ is our brother. This is our family.
Paul is making it abundantly clear that he feels an intense emotion toward everyone in the community. Everyone belongs. He loves everyone deeply. There is a deep relational connection in the body of Christ.
In v.5-8, there are three things that draw us together with one another. In v.5 Paul writes, "because of your partnership in the gospel." There is nothing like sharing in the ministry of the Gospel that unites us with one another. Have you ever noticed that great things never come from comfort zones.
In v.6 Paul gives us the second thing that provides cohesion and it is "being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." The best part about this statement is we know it will succeed. The “good work” that was begun is the work of the Gospel. And it’s this partnership in the work of the Gospel that God will bring to completion. What God starts, God finishes.
In v.7 Paul writes, "It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me." In this verse he gives us the third element which causes us to stick together. Paul is saying, "the family that suffers together, stays together."
When we go through pain together, something supernatural happens. Pain serves to bring the fibers of our souls together in the context of hardship. When we are going through something difficult, we must not go through it alone. We belong together. We share a purpose together for the sake of the Gospel that God guarantees will come about. This path is a hard one, it’s full of pain and struggle. However, when we deal with the pain together, we discover the kind of deep relationship that Paul is describing here and we all long for.
Adversity is the first path to truth and the truth has a name: the Lord Jesus Christ. Like the spokes in a bicycle tire, it is the Lord Jesus holds us together. Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. The key is seeking Him together through the pain, suffering and trials.
To help BYM, click here
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