Click here for the Philippians 2:14-16 PODCAST
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. ~ Philippians 2:14-16
As mentioned before, the theme of Philippians is JOY. And, in every chapter something unique about the Lord Jesus is accentuated. When we put these four uniquenesses about the Lord Jesus together, we have God's definition of JOY.
In Philippians 1, the life of Christ is accentuated. In Philippians 2, the mind of Christ is accentuated. When His life becomes ours and when we yield to His definitions to all things, we discover that we are well on the way to having a definition of JOY, which we are told in Nehemiah 8:10, is our strength.
Now, we must be cognizant that everything happens in our lives falls into one of two categories: 1) caused by God, or 2) allowed by God. Either way, what ever happens in our lives comes through the will of God for us. And, when we are yielding to the very life of Christ being lived in us, to us, and through us, we discover that He is defining us. When He is defining us, we will begin to think as He thinks.
In Philippians 2:14, the Apostle Paul tells us, "Do everything without grumbling or arguing." Grumbling means murmuring. It is an expression of discontent, an expression of dissatisfaction. It is literally muttering in a low voice. It is a complaint expressed in a negative attitude, an emotional rejection of God’s will.
As we have mentioned before, in every chapter of Philippians, there are potential joy stealers. If we are yielding to the presence of the Lord Jesus and His definition of things, these joy stealers will not rob us of His joy which is a fruit of the Spirit, we do not manufacture it.
In Philippians 1, the potential joy stealer is our prisons. In Philippians 2, the potential joy stealer is people. When Christ's life becomes ours, our prisons will become our pulpits. When Christ's mind or His way of thinking defines our thinking, people become important, even when they are being annoying.
In v.14 of our text, the Apostle describes conflict that we have in our lives with other people. We lose sight of the fact that God uses others, even when they are being annoyingly wrong, to refine us. This sets off an intellectual debate with God. We end up complaining with them and arguing with God about why they are what they are. God's goal is to use the people in our lives to refine us, to teach us how to love them as He loves us.
Now, in context, Paul is saying, "work out your salvation with the basic attitude that does not grumble or complain and argue." We either feed the Spirit of God who has awakened our spirit to God (born again) or we feed the flesh (the sinful desires that are still in us even we are born again.) When we complain and argue, we are feeding the flesh.
According to v.15, we resist "grumbling or arguing," “so that we may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Paul is not saying we earn acceptance before God, no, we have that through the cross of the Lord Jesus. Paul is ultimately concerned with our witness to the world. And, as we allow God to define us, we become billboards of God's way of thinking and living. This in turn causes the world to want what we have.
The witness, in this case, is our relationships with one another, as believers. And, those who are observing us, the “warped and crooked generation” will be able to observe how we relate to each other, finding our behavior blameless and our hearts pure. As we do so, we show the world what our Father is like.
As we learn to love one another and be God’s community, we “shine among them like stars in the sky.” As the light of the world, Himself, shines through our yielded lives, we show the lost, particularly by the way we love, that there is a better way of being human. Then the people dwelling in darkness will see a great light.
As we shine, we hold firmly to “the word of life,” the Lord Jesus Himself. This enables us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling because God is watching (v.12). We are to do everything without grumbling or arguing because the world is watching (v.14).
Our unity of purpose, created and nurtured by humility and our common love for Christ, which motivates us to stop grumbling and arguing, gives us the ability to offer the gospel of the Lord Jesus to the world with credibility.
When we hold onto and holding out the Gospel, it will result in Paul's ability to in the day of Christ to literally “boast” that he did not run in vain or labor in vain. The day of Christ is the day when Christ returns to establish His eternal kingdom.
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Friday, February 28, 2020
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Philippians 2:12-13
Click here for the Philippians 2:12-13 PODCAST
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. ~ Philippians 2:12-13
Mankind was created with two basic needs: to be loved and to love. Our desire for community emanates out of this truth. Everywhere I go, I discover that people are lonely and isolated. In our text, the Apostle Paul takes note of our God-given desire for community, and instructs us how we might go about living in community.
In v.12 of our text, the Apostle instructs us to obey God. To obey is to choose to live under the lordship of Christ. The verb, “work out your salvation” in v.12, means to produce, to bring about, or to effect. If obedience is a set of rules to follow rather than a Lord to love, we will follow a well-worn path that leads to spiritual deadness. No one loves us more than the Lord Jesus. If He tells us to do something, we should do it because He loves us and we recognize that He has our best interest at heart.
As you know, there is a difference between our justification and our sanctification. The book of Philippians is an epistle, a letter, which gives teaching regarding our sanctification, as all epistles do. Whereas Justification gets us into heaven and is based upon the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross, Sanctification gets heaven into us, now, and is used upon our willingness to be defined by God. When we are being defined by God, we are walking in obedience to His word and are being sanctified.
Paul defines this obedience and subsequent sanctification, by writing, “continue to work out your salvation.” Paul is writing to people who have believed in the Lord Jesus and are justified before God. He’s not appealing to them to somehow, either by works or faith, earn their salvation. He has already equated obedience with working out their salvation. This is what saved people do: we obey God; we work out our salvation. In so many words, Paul is saying: “God has saved you. Now live according to His definition of things.”
Paul goes on to implore His readers to obey “with fear and trembling” in v.12. Paul is absent in Paul's readers lives, but God is present. The proper response when one is in the presence of God is “fear and trembling,” which means a posture of awe, respect and reverence. This phrase is employed not to scare us into obedience, but to enable us to have the proper posture toward a God who is holy and perfect and who has our best interest at heart. The phrase “with fear and trembling” is not a threat, it is a gift.
Paul bases his appeal to obey on the love of God. This love is coming from one to whom every knee will bow. We are to work out our community life together with the knowledge that we are in the presence of a holy God who loves us and those with whom we are in community.
In v.13, the Apostle reminds us of the secret behind any success that we may experience in our walk with God. The secret is that "it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." We work outwardly because God is at work in our souls, inwardly. God takes great interest in the community He creates. It makes sense, then, that He would help His community do what He wants it to do which is what is best for us.
Paul says that God works among us “to will and to act.” God has put the desire for community in our hearts. And, He gives us the desire for obedience to His word. His will empowers our will. And, when we obey Him, we access His joy. We must be diligent to work with all of our strength, but we must not trust in our labor, we must trust in God's.
When we became followers of the Lord Jesus, God chose to reside in our being through His abiding Holy Spirit. That means God is at work in our souls, which is the arena of our sanctification. And, our souls are made up of our minds, our wills, and our emotions. It is through the change in our souls that we are able to access God's definition of things, that is, His wisdom, joy and His definition of all things. As we obey Him, we grow in His sanctification in our lives.
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12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. ~ Philippians 2:12-13
Mankind was created with two basic needs: to be loved and to love. Our desire for community emanates out of this truth. Everywhere I go, I discover that people are lonely and isolated. In our text, the Apostle Paul takes note of our God-given desire for community, and instructs us how we might go about living in community.
In v.12 of our text, the Apostle instructs us to obey God. To obey is to choose to live under the lordship of Christ. The verb, “work out your salvation” in v.12, means to produce, to bring about, or to effect. If obedience is a set of rules to follow rather than a Lord to love, we will follow a well-worn path that leads to spiritual deadness. No one loves us more than the Lord Jesus. If He tells us to do something, we should do it because He loves us and we recognize that He has our best interest at heart.
As you know, there is a difference between our justification and our sanctification. The book of Philippians is an epistle, a letter, which gives teaching regarding our sanctification, as all epistles do. Whereas Justification gets us into heaven and is based upon the work of the Lord Jesus on the cross, Sanctification gets heaven into us, now, and is used upon our willingness to be defined by God. When we are being defined by God, we are walking in obedience to His word and are being sanctified.
Paul defines this obedience and subsequent sanctification, by writing, “continue to work out your salvation.” Paul is writing to people who have believed in the Lord Jesus and are justified before God. He’s not appealing to them to somehow, either by works or faith, earn their salvation. He has already equated obedience with working out their salvation. This is what saved people do: we obey God; we work out our salvation. In so many words, Paul is saying: “God has saved you. Now live according to His definition of things.”
Paul goes on to implore His readers to obey “with fear and trembling” in v.12. Paul is absent in Paul's readers lives, but God is present. The proper response when one is in the presence of God is “fear and trembling,” which means a posture of awe, respect and reverence. This phrase is employed not to scare us into obedience, but to enable us to have the proper posture toward a God who is holy and perfect and who has our best interest at heart. The phrase “with fear and trembling” is not a threat, it is a gift.
Paul bases his appeal to obey on the love of God. This love is coming from one to whom every knee will bow. We are to work out our community life together with the knowledge that we are in the presence of a holy God who loves us and those with whom we are in community.
In v.13, the Apostle reminds us of the secret behind any success that we may experience in our walk with God. The secret is that "it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." We work outwardly because God is at work in our souls, inwardly. God takes great interest in the community He creates. It makes sense, then, that He would help His community do what He wants it to do which is what is best for us.
Paul says that God works among us “to will and to act.” God has put the desire for community in our hearts. And, He gives us the desire for obedience to His word. His will empowers our will. And, when we obey Him, we access His joy. We must be diligent to work with all of our strength, but we must not trust in our labor, we must trust in God's.
When we became followers of the Lord Jesus, God chose to reside in our being through His abiding Holy Spirit. That means God is at work in our souls, which is the arena of our sanctification. And, our souls are made up of our minds, our wills, and our emotions. It is through the change in our souls that we are able to access God's definition of things, that is, His wisdom, joy and His definition of all things. As we obey Him, we grow in His sanctification in our lives.
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Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Philippians 2:9-11
Click here for the Philippians 2:9-11 PODCAST
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~ Philippians 2:9-11
The Lord Jesus was exalted by God the Father. It is one thing to be exalted by a King, but it is another to be exalted by the Supreme Being of all. This is why the Lord Jesus has the preeminence, He has been exalted by the greatest.
The Father gave to the Lord Jesus a name which is above every other name that has ever been given in heaven and on earth. The Lord Jesus was given a new name. The new name is discovered in v.11 where we read, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” The name that is above every name. No other name than Lord, the name will cause every knee to bow.
In v.10, we read, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” This is the purpose of His exaltation, worship! This is the only appropriate response to Christ, and ultimately will be the response of everyone to ever live on this earth. Everyone will one day bow the knee to Jesus Christ. Those who confess Him as Lord will enjoy eternity in heaven with our Creator. And, those who reject Him as Lord will spend eternity in hell, apart from the originator of life.
In v.11, we read, “to the glory of God the Father.” Herein is the purpose of the exaltation of the Son, the exaltation of the Father. And, the Father is honored when the Son is worshiped.
The Father is exalted by what Christ has accomplished.
The gospel then is the story of humiliation and exaltation. God stooping all the way down to become man, as a servant, and dying on the cross. By this, He accomplished our redemption. As a result, the Father exalts Him back to where He was, with honor and glory for having accomplished redemption. Giving Him the name that is above every name, the name Lord, the Lord Jesus.
From all of this we learn that we must not spend our lives demanding our rights, trying to get what we think we deserve, being angry at God and people. From this we must learn to choose to be humble under the mighty hand of God. We are wise to resist arrogance, conceit, and self-centeredness. This is what exalted the Son and exalting the Son brings glory to the Father.
Interestingly, the first time the word "worship" appears in the scriptures is in Genesis 22. The first time the word "love" is used, as well. The first time the word "love" is used in scripture speaks of the Father's (Abram's) love for the son (Isaac). Interestingly, the second time the word "love" is used in the scriptures, Genesis 24, speaks of the son's love {Isaac) for his bride (Rebekah). What a picture of the gospel.
What we revere, we resemble, either for ruin or for restoration. At the heart of worship is love. What we worship will be the thing that we love the most. And, what we love is what we will worship. C.S. Lewis said it well, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”
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9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ~ Philippians 2:9-11
The Lord Jesus was exalted by God the Father. It is one thing to be exalted by a King, but it is another to be exalted by the Supreme Being of all. This is why the Lord Jesus has the preeminence, He has been exalted by the greatest.
The Father gave to the Lord Jesus a name which is above every other name that has ever been given in heaven and on earth. The Lord Jesus was given a new name. The new name is discovered in v.11 where we read, “Jesus Christ is Lord.” The name that is above every name. No other name than Lord, the name will cause every knee to bow.
In v.10, we read, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” This is the purpose of His exaltation, worship! This is the only appropriate response to Christ, and ultimately will be the response of everyone to ever live on this earth. Everyone will one day bow the knee to Jesus Christ. Those who confess Him as Lord will enjoy eternity in heaven with our Creator. And, those who reject Him as Lord will spend eternity in hell, apart from the originator of life.
In v.11, we read, “to the glory of God the Father.” Herein is the purpose of the exaltation of the Son, the exaltation of the Father. And, the Father is honored when the Son is worshiped.
The Father is exalted by what Christ has accomplished.
The gospel then is the story of humiliation and exaltation. God stooping all the way down to become man, as a servant, and dying on the cross. By this, He accomplished our redemption. As a result, the Father exalts Him back to where He was, with honor and glory for having accomplished redemption. Giving Him the name that is above every name, the name Lord, the Lord Jesus.
From all of this we learn that we must not spend our lives demanding our rights, trying to get what we think we deserve, being angry at God and people. From this we must learn to choose to be humble under the mighty hand of God. We are wise to resist arrogance, conceit, and self-centeredness. This is what exalted the Son and exalting the Son brings glory to the Father.
Interestingly, the first time the word "worship" appears in the scriptures is in Genesis 22. The first time the word "love" is used, as well. The first time the word "love" is used in scripture speaks of the Father's (Abram's) love for the son (Isaac). Interestingly, the second time the word "love" is used in the scriptures, Genesis 24, speaks of the son's love {Isaac) for his bride (Rebekah). What a picture of the gospel.
What we revere, we resemble, either for ruin or for restoration. At the heart of worship is love. What we worship will be the thing that we love the most. And, what we love is what we will worship. C.S. Lewis said it well, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”
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Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Philippians 2:5-8
Click here for the Philippians 2:5-8 PODCAST
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! ~ Philippians 2:5-8
Philippians 2:5 is a transition from exhortation to illustration. If we follow the example of the Lord Jesus, we will experience unity one with another. Paul's goal is not to answer theological questions, but to highlight transformational relationships. Unity does not come through agreement, it comes through humility. This is why Paul describes the humility of Christ in our passage for today.
In v.5, we read, "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus." Literally, Paul is saying, "have this attitude, which you are able to have because you are in Christ Jesus." Due to the fact that "we are in Christ", the sphere in which we live our lives is different. We live surrounded by Christ; everywhere we go in everything we do. We are "in Christ." The only reason that this is remotely possible is that we live in Christ. It is an impossible goal, but through the Lord Jesus, the impossible becomes attainable. As a result, we look like we are imitating Christ when in reality it is Him doing it.
The verb used here translated "have the same mindset as Christ Jesus" is literally, "think His way." But, this is not an intellectual exercise. This is how we start down the road toward unity. We think like Jesus because we are in Jesus so that we can live like Jesus.
In v.6-8, the Apostle describes the humility of the Lord Jesus. First, as God, He was pre-existent. Then, He becomes a man. Finally, He dies.
In v.6, we read, "being in very nature God." In all of His essence, He is God. Yet, v.6 continues with, "did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage." The Lord Jesus didn't struggle with proving He was God. And, He was totally motivated for the other, be it His Father or be it you and me.
He gave up the right to His rights. He did not give up His rights, He couldn't do that, but He gave up the right to enjoy those rights. He was equal with God, but He experienced the life of fallen man.
In v.7, we read, "he made himself nothing." The Greek word used here is "ekonosen." This is described in three ways: "by taking the very nature of a servant," "being made in human likeness," and "And being found in appearance as a man." The Lord Jesus became a servant. He was born as a poor, working-class infant to an unwed mother of an oppressed people group.
It began in His mind with the idea that My enjoyment is not the most important thing to me. In other words, He did not insist on His rights, but laid aside the right to have His rights. This is where humility begins, the readiness to lay aside the right to enjoy our rights.
Then, according to v.8, the Lord Jesus died. God, the giver of life, had His taken from Him. He died in the most degrading, humiliating, shameful way possible. He was abandoned by everyone. He not only took our sin upon Himself, He also took our shame. As He hung on that cross, He was naked.
There is no humility without humiliation. The humility of the Lord Jesus was most humiliated. He is our model. With unity as our goal, we are invited to humiliate ourselves. The Lord Jesus stopped at nothing. His downward journey took Him as far as He could possibly have gone. From God to man to death.
The Lord Jesus is the epitome of humiliation. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." He didn't have to die; He volunteered. No man took His life from Him; He gave His life for you and me. It was an undeserved death. And it was a death of a humble person. He went all the way to death. Since the wages of sin is death, somebody had to die. Since God required a sacrifice, someone had to be the sacrifice.
He went “to death-even death on a cross.” That is the worst form of tortured death man has ever devised. His was incredible pain, unbelievable shame, nakedness and disgrace. And beyond that, the desertion of God. But that's how far He went for sinners who didn't deserve it, who didn't even want it, and who still don't want it except that God in His free, sovereign grace gives it to us.
I love these words of Philip Yancey. "To some, the image of a pale body glimmering on a dark night whispers of defeat. What good is a God who does not control his Son's suffering? But another sound can be heard: the shout of a God crying out to human beings, "I LOVE YOU." Love was compressed for all history in that lonely figure on the cross, who said that he could call down angels at any moment on a rescue mission, but chose not to - because of us. At Calvary, God accepted his own unbreakable terms of justice."
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5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross! ~ Philippians 2:5-8
Philippians 2:5 is a transition from exhortation to illustration. If we follow the example of the Lord Jesus, we will experience unity one with another. Paul's goal is not to answer theological questions, but to highlight transformational relationships. Unity does not come through agreement, it comes through humility. This is why Paul describes the humility of Christ in our passage for today.
In v.5, we read, "In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus." Literally, Paul is saying, "have this attitude, which you are able to have because you are in Christ Jesus." Due to the fact that "we are in Christ", the sphere in which we live our lives is different. We live surrounded by Christ; everywhere we go in everything we do. We are "in Christ." The only reason that this is remotely possible is that we live in Christ. It is an impossible goal, but through the Lord Jesus, the impossible becomes attainable. As a result, we look like we are imitating Christ when in reality it is Him doing it.
The verb used here translated "have the same mindset as Christ Jesus" is literally, "think His way." But, this is not an intellectual exercise. This is how we start down the road toward unity. We think like Jesus because we are in Jesus so that we can live like Jesus.
In v.6-8, the Apostle describes the humility of the Lord Jesus. First, as God, He was pre-existent. Then, He becomes a man. Finally, He dies.
In v.6, we read, "being in very nature God." In all of His essence, He is God. Yet, v.6 continues with, "did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage." The Lord Jesus didn't struggle with proving He was God. And, He was totally motivated for the other, be it His Father or be it you and me.
He gave up the right to His rights. He did not give up His rights, He couldn't do that, but He gave up the right to enjoy those rights. He was equal with God, but He experienced the life of fallen man.
In v.7, we read, "he made himself nothing." The Greek word used here is "ekonosen." This is described in three ways: "by taking the very nature of a servant," "being made in human likeness," and "And being found in appearance as a man." The Lord Jesus became a servant. He was born as a poor, working-class infant to an unwed mother of an oppressed people group.
It began in His mind with the idea that My enjoyment is not the most important thing to me. In other words, He did not insist on His rights, but laid aside the right to have His rights. This is where humility begins, the readiness to lay aside the right to enjoy our rights.
Then, according to v.8, the Lord Jesus died. God, the giver of life, had His taken from Him. He died in the most degrading, humiliating, shameful way possible. He was abandoned by everyone. He not only took our sin upon Himself, He also took our shame. As He hung on that cross, He was naked.
There is no humility without humiliation. The humility of the Lord Jesus was most humiliated. He is our model. With unity as our goal, we are invited to humiliate ourselves. The Lord Jesus stopped at nothing. His downward journey took Him as far as He could possibly have gone. From God to man to death.
The Lord Jesus is the epitome of humiliation. "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." He didn't have to die; He volunteered. No man took His life from Him; He gave His life for you and me. It was an undeserved death. And it was a death of a humble person. He went all the way to death. Since the wages of sin is death, somebody had to die. Since God required a sacrifice, someone had to be the sacrifice.
He went “to death-even death on a cross.” That is the worst form of tortured death man has ever devised. His was incredible pain, unbelievable shame, nakedness and disgrace. And beyond that, the desertion of God. But that's how far He went for sinners who didn't deserve it, who didn't even want it, and who still don't want it except that God in His free, sovereign grace gives it to us.
I love these words of Philip Yancey. "To some, the image of a pale body glimmering on a dark night whispers of defeat. What good is a God who does not control his Son's suffering? But another sound can be heard: the shout of a God crying out to human beings, "I LOVE YOU." Love was compressed for all history in that lonely figure on the cross, who said that he could call down angels at any moment on a rescue mission, but chose not to - because of us. At Calvary, God accepted his own unbreakable terms of justice."
To help BYM, click here
Monday, February 24, 2020
Philippians 2:3-4
Click here for the Philippians 2:3-4 PODCAST
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. ~ Philippians 2:3-4
The main theme in Philippians is joy. And, in every chapter there is a unique thing about the Lord Jesus which enables us to access His joy. And, in every chapter there is a potential joy stealer. In Philippians 1, the joy stealer is our prisons, and in Philippians 2, the joy stealer is people. In Philippians 1, the unique thing about the Lord Jesus that enables us to access His joy is His life. In Philippians 2, the unique thing about the Lord that enables us to access His joy is His way of thinking which is often the exact opposite of the way we think.
It’s sad, but sometimes suffering pulls us apart. Often, when we suffer, we withdraw from others, even those whom we love. The encouragement here is that as we suffer, we serve each other in humility. Humility is not about what we think about ourselves. It’s about how we interact with one another. One translation renders this, “be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.”
In our text, the enemies of unity and joy are "selfish ambition" and "vain conceit." Selfish ambition can be understood as “motivation to elevate oneself or to put one’s own interests before another’s.” It is a self-above-others approach.
“Vain conceit” means “empty glory.” The verb “empty” and the noun “glory” are both used in connection with Christ in the following verses, but in a completely different way. Christ “made himself nothing, ”literally, “emptied Himself" and God exalted Him so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the “glory” of God the Father. Christ sought the glory of the Father, and in so doing, He was glorified.
Having been made in the image of God but damaged by sin, we are in need of being transformed. And, through our relationship with Christ, we are being changed from the inside out, so that we may be able to reflect His glory. But when we seek our own glory, seeking to establish a reputation for ourselves, it’s empty. It means nothing and has no lasting value.
The ally of unity is "humility," which begins with a proper assessment of ourselves as dependent on our Creator. When we humble ourselves before God, we see that we are valuable in His eyes, but no more valuable than anyone else.
We tend to think that agreement leads to unity. But the Apostle Paul is clear: unity is built on humility, not agreement. Unity begins when each of us starts to rethink our importance, and we change the way we act because of it. Unity is built on humility.
Such humility, then, enables us to do the seemingly impossible: "not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." This does not mean that others are more important than we are. It does not mean that we do not consider our own needs. It means, as v.4 indicates, that "we consider others’ needs more important than ours."
The verb that would be literally translated “looking to,” skopeo in the Greek, was used of a military guard, spy or scout. We are to be like a guard, a spy or a scout, looking outward and asking God whose needs we should meet. Paul considered his life “necessary” for the Philippians progress in the faith.
The quickest road to unhappiness is the freeway of Self. And if we get on that freeway of self, we will discover that it is packed. There's a lot of people on it. But, it is a dead end street, going nowhere but to frustration. On the other hand, when we get on Humble Road, although it's quite lonely, it is the quickest road to joy, real joy that is not daunted by our circumstances.
Finally, I love this quote from Andrew Murray, “Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.”
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. ~ Philippians 2:3-4
The main theme in Philippians is joy. And, in every chapter there is a unique thing about the Lord Jesus which enables us to access His joy. And, in every chapter there is a potential joy stealer. In Philippians 1, the joy stealer is our prisons, and in Philippians 2, the joy stealer is people. In Philippians 1, the unique thing about the Lord Jesus that enables us to access His joy is His life. In Philippians 2, the unique thing about the Lord that enables us to access His joy is His way of thinking which is often the exact opposite of the way we think.
It’s sad, but sometimes suffering pulls us apart. Often, when we suffer, we withdraw from others, even those whom we love. The encouragement here is that as we suffer, we serve each other in humility. Humility is not about what we think about ourselves. It’s about how we interact with one another. One translation renders this, “be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself.”
“Vain conceit” means “empty glory.” The verb “empty” and the noun “glory” are both used in connection with Christ in the following verses, but in a completely different way. Christ “made himself nothing, ”literally, “emptied Himself" and God exalted Him so that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the “glory” of God the Father. Christ sought the glory of the Father, and in so doing, He was glorified.
Having been made in the image of God but damaged by sin, we are in need of being transformed. And, through our relationship with Christ, we are being changed from the inside out, so that we may be able to reflect His glory. But when we seek our own glory, seeking to establish a reputation for ourselves, it’s empty. It means nothing and has no lasting value.
The ally of unity is "humility," which begins with a proper assessment of ourselves as dependent on our Creator. When we humble ourselves before God, we see that we are valuable in His eyes, but no more valuable than anyone else.
We tend to think that agreement leads to unity. But the Apostle Paul is clear: unity is built on humility, not agreement. Unity begins when each of us starts to rethink our importance, and we change the way we act because of it. Unity is built on humility.
Such humility, then, enables us to do the seemingly impossible: "not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." This does not mean that others are more important than we are. It does not mean that we do not consider our own needs. It means, as v.4 indicates, that "we consider others’ needs more important than ours."
The verb that would be literally translated “looking to,” skopeo in the Greek, was used of a military guard, spy or scout. We are to be like a guard, a spy or a scout, looking outward and asking God whose needs we should meet. Paul considered his life “necessary” for the Philippians progress in the faith.
The quickest road to unhappiness is the freeway of Self. And if we get on that freeway of self, we will discover that it is packed. There's a lot of people on it. But, it is a dead end street, going nowhere but to frustration. On the other hand, when we get on Humble Road, although it's quite lonely, it is the quickest road to joy, real joy that is not daunted by our circumstances.
Finally, I love this quote from Andrew Murray, “Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me, and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord, where I can go in and shut the door, and kneel to my Father in secret, and am at peace as in a deep sea of calmness, when all around and above is trouble.”
Friday, February 21, 2020
Philippians 2:2
Click here for the Philippians 2:2 PODCAST
... then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ~ Philippians 2:2
Relationships take a lot of work. And every person in this world is incompatible with every other person. Enough time together reveals this truth. Every friendship, marriage, family, and organization has relational challenges. This is due to the fact that we are defined by our flesh more so than we are by God. This is why the Apostle Paul mentions the four truths in Philippians 2:1.
Most of our problems in life come from our interaction with people resulting in our joy being disrupted. People can rob us of our joy. And the book of Philippians is dubbed the epistle of joy. Paul uses a joyful tone throughout the entire book, even though he's in prison. He reminds us that our circumstances cannot rob us of our joy.
Whereas in Philippians 1, our prisons are our joy-stealers, in Philippians 2, people are the next biggest challenge to our joy. Having said that, we must also quickly turn the page and realize that we're part of the problem. Because we're people too.
According to v.2 our joy is made complete by: "being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind." The unifying force for all of these is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, if we are experiencing His "encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion," for ourselves, we will be united for the cause of the gospel.
In Philippians 2:1, the Apostle gives us four identifying truths which come out of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In addition, in Philippians 2:2, the Apostle gives us four essentials of unity which precede the experience of joy. And these four essentials of unity are preceded by us being defined by God through the four truths in v.1. Also, the four essentials providing unity among us precedes our joy being made complete.
The first essential toward unity is: “being like-minded.” The Greek verb phrone is used here which means “to think the same way.” The first key to unity is thinking alike. Of course, this is why the Lord has given us His word. And, when God is clear, when He is black and white, we are black and white. And, when He is gray, when He doesn't spell it out clearly, we are gray. In other words, we think God's way. Unity is evidenced among us when we are controlled by a deep knowledge of the Word of God that is energized in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The second essential toward unity is: "having the same love." It serves to reason that if we are of the same mind we will experience the same love. The Lord has told us, "Have no other gods before me." He knows that due to the fact that we are fallen, we will have other gods. But, we must not have any gods before Him. What we give our heart to is what we love. And, when His love is defining us, we will love others as we ought. Love acts on behalf of someone else's need. “God so loved the world that He gave," He gave what we so desperately needed. Unity is evidenced among us when we love each other, when we don't hold grudges, and we're not bitter toward one another.
The third essential toward unity is: “being one in spirit .” This Greek word, transliterated “being one in spirit,” is used only one time in the whole New Testament. It means “one-souled.” It means to be knit deeply down in the harmony of the soul. This is talking about passion and desire. If we all have the same passions and desires, we're going to be “one in spirit.” Note that this word spirit doesn't come with a capitalized "S." It is speaking of our spirit which is one third of our being. The other two parts are our soul and our body. And, our souls are made up of three parts; our mind, our wills, and our emotions.
The fourth essential toward unity is: "of one mind." Here, Paul uses a participle when translated reads “being of the same mind.” Literally this means “minding one thing.” The one thing that we mind is the gospel which is the magnet which holds all of this together.
Finally, the Lord's way of thinking leads us to His way of living which leads to soul connection among His people which leads to being focused on one thing: the advancement of His Gospel in this world. The greatest part of the gospel is not forgiveness, justification, or eternal life. The greatest part of the gospel is God Himself, enjoyed by His redeemed people. The gospel is the good news that God bought for our everlasting enjoyment of God.
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... then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ~ Philippians 2:2
Relationships take a lot of work. And every person in this world is incompatible with every other person. Enough time together reveals this truth. Every friendship, marriage, family, and organization has relational challenges. This is due to the fact that we are defined by our flesh more so than we are by God. This is why the Apostle Paul mentions the four truths in Philippians 2:1.
Most of our problems in life come from our interaction with people resulting in our joy being disrupted. People can rob us of our joy. And the book of Philippians is dubbed the epistle of joy. Paul uses a joyful tone throughout the entire book, even though he's in prison. He reminds us that our circumstances cannot rob us of our joy.
Whereas in Philippians 1, our prisons are our joy-stealers, in Philippians 2, people are the next biggest challenge to our joy. Having said that, we must also quickly turn the page and realize that we're part of the problem. Because we're people too.
According to v.2 our joy is made complete by: "being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind." The unifying force for all of these is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And, if we are experiencing His "encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion," for ourselves, we will be united for the cause of the gospel.
In Philippians 2:1, the Apostle gives us four identifying truths which come out of our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In addition, in Philippians 2:2, the Apostle gives us four essentials of unity which precede the experience of joy. And these four essentials of unity are preceded by us being defined by God through the four truths in v.1. Also, the four essentials providing unity among us precedes our joy being made complete.
The first essential toward unity is: “being like-minded.” The Greek verb phrone is used here which means “to think the same way.” The first key to unity is thinking alike. Of course, this is why the Lord has given us His word. And, when God is clear, when He is black and white, we are black and white. And, when He is gray, when He doesn't spell it out clearly, we are gray. In other words, we think God's way. Unity is evidenced among us when we are controlled by a deep knowledge of the Word of God that is energized in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The second essential toward unity is: "having the same love." It serves to reason that if we are of the same mind we will experience the same love. The Lord has told us, "Have no other gods before me." He knows that due to the fact that we are fallen, we will have other gods. But, we must not have any gods before Him. What we give our heart to is what we love. And, when His love is defining us, we will love others as we ought. Love acts on behalf of someone else's need. “God so loved the world that He gave," He gave what we so desperately needed. Unity is evidenced among us when we love each other, when we don't hold grudges, and we're not bitter toward one another.
The third essential toward unity is: “being one in spirit .” This Greek word, transliterated “being one in spirit,” is used only one time in the whole New Testament. It means “one-souled.” It means to be knit deeply down in the harmony of the soul. This is talking about passion and desire. If we all have the same passions and desires, we're going to be “one in spirit.” Note that this word spirit doesn't come with a capitalized "S." It is speaking of our spirit which is one third of our being. The other two parts are our soul and our body. And, our souls are made up of three parts; our mind, our wills, and our emotions.
The fourth essential toward unity is: "of one mind." Here, Paul uses a participle when translated reads “being of the same mind.” Literally this means “minding one thing.” The one thing that we mind is the gospel which is the magnet which holds all of this together.
Finally, the Lord's way of thinking leads us to His way of living which leads to soul connection among His people which leads to being focused on one thing: the advancement of His Gospel in this world. The greatest part of the gospel is not forgiveness, justification, or eternal life. The greatest part of the gospel is God Himself, enjoyed by His redeemed people. The gospel is the good news that God bought for our everlasting enjoyment of God.
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Thursday, February 20, 2020
Philippians 2:1
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Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion. ~ Philippians 2:1
As we transition into Philippians 2, we discover in v.1 four first class conditional statements that each begin with the word “if.” Since these are first class conditional sentences, the better translation is "since." The Apostle is really saying, “If these things are true (and they are!), then make my joy complete.”
Now, these four truths for the believer in Christ are very important because they counteract the prisons that we all have. These four enable us to realize the joy of the Lord in a practical way, rendering freedom from our prisons.
These four truths are: "encouragement from being united with Christ, comfort from his love, common sharing in the Spirit, tenderness and compassion." These are the results of coming into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. These four things are the definers of the believer in Christ. Like a solar system circling a sun, the community believers should be drawn together by one single thing at our center, the Lord Jesus Himself.
Notice that the Apostle Paul doesn’t say, "find people that are similar to you." He doesn’t say, "figure out the most important issues and agree on them." He doesn’t say, "create some kind of cultural or theological or political boundary and only experience unity within that." No, believers in Christ come together because we share in the same Savior who brings us to Himself where His joy is authentically experienced as we give ourselves to Him and gives Himself to us.
In v.1 the Apostle writes, "since you have encouragement from being united with Christ." This word “encouragement,” means “to come alongside someone and help them.” So, first, since we are in Christ and we have experienced His help, we should come alongside others in order to help them. In this way, we are defined by Christ.
Second, "since we have comfort from Christ's love," we should comfort one another. The word here for “comfort” carries with it the idea of “tender counsel.” This is a friendship word. Since we have been constantly encouraged in our relationship with Christ; because we have experienced His “tender counsel,” speaking words of friendship , we should reciprocate this to other believers.
The third result of being in Christ is this "common sharing in the Spirit." The Apostle uses the Greek word koinonia which means partnership, communion, sharing to help us understand and experience the life of God further. Because we have experienced the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we should minister to one another.
The first two results of coming into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus are directly from the Lord Jesus. Whereas the second two come from the Holy Spirit. And it is the Holy Spirit who is the source of believer's unity. We will be unified with one another as we are defined by the Holy Spirit who teaches us the meaning of what it means to be defined by these four results of coming into a personal relationship with Christ.
The fourth result is "the tenderness and compassion we have received from the Holy Spirit. He plunges us deeper into His ministry to us. The word used here for tenderness in the Greek is, splanchna, which means “gut, viscera, or bowels.” It has to do with affection. Love is sort of a cognitive thing, whereas affection is a feeling. Tenderness is a longing. It's more than a cognitive appreciation; it's a longing. The Apostle is saying, “you have received the longings of the Spirit,” deeply felt affections. The bowels were seen by the Jews as the seat of emotions. It's where one felt things. Believers have received the longings of the Spirit. What He longs for, He gives to us. What He longs for, if we let it, will define us.
Then, there's the word “compassion.” It's used four times by Paul. Two of those times it's translated “the tender mercies of God.” We've received the longings of the Spirit, and the tender, compassionate sympathy of God through the Spirit. God has been sympathetic to us. God gives us way more than we deserve. He has poured out to us grace upon grace, and mercy upon mercy. He has a heart of pity and tenderness toward us.
Finally, if we do not experience a personal relationship with God, these four truths will not define us. And, as a result, we will be inauthentic in our relationships with others, be they believers or not. This is do to the fact that we will be motivated to do those things that we are commanded by the Lord from the wrong posture. We will be seen as inauthentic due to our insecurities. You see, these four things fill us up to the point of not needing anything from anyone one else. When we are not experiencing Him, we will insecurely look to others to meet our deepest needs. Something that they can not do. This is something that only He can do. And, when we are drawing upon Him for these needs, we will grow in security and authenticity.
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Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion. ~ Philippians 2:1
As we transition into Philippians 2, we discover in v.1 four first class conditional statements that each begin with the word “if.” Since these are first class conditional sentences, the better translation is "since." The Apostle is really saying, “If these things are true (and they are!), then make my joy complete.”
Now, these four truths for the believer in Christ are very important because they counteract the prisons that we all have. These four enable us to realize the joy of the Lord in a practical way, rendering freedom from our prisons.
These four truths are: "encouragement from being united with Christ, comfort from his love, common sharing in the Spirit, tenderness and compassion." These are the results of coming into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. These four things are the definers of the believer in Christ. Like a solar system circling a sun, the community believers should be drawn together by one single thing at our center, the Lord Jesus Himself.
Notice that the Apostle Paul doesn’t say, "find people that are similar to you." He doesn’t say, "figure out the most important issues and agree on them." He doesn’t say, "create some kind of cultural or theological or political boundary and only experience unity within that." No, believers in Christ come together because we share in the same Savior who brings us to Himself where His joy is authentically experienced as we give ourselves to Him and gives Himself to us.
In v.1 the Apostle writes, "since you have encouragement from being united with Christ." This word “encouragement,” means “to come alongside someone and help them.” So, first, since we are in Christ and we have experienced His help, we should come alongside others in order to help them. In this way, we are defined by Christ.
Second, "since we have comfort from Christ's love," we should comfort one another. The word here for “comfort” carries with it the idea of “tender counsel.” This is a friendship word. Since we have been constantly encouraged in our relationship with Christ; because we have experienced His “tender counsel,” speaking words of friendship , we should reciprocate this to other believers.
The third result of being in Christ is this "common sharing in the Spirit." The Apostle uses the Greek word koinonia which means partnership, communion, sharing to help us understand and experience the life of God further. Because we have experienced the ministry of the Holy Spirit, we should minister to one another.
The first two results of coming into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus are directly from the Lord Jesus. Whereas the second two come from the Holy Spirit. And it is the Holy Spirit who is the source of believer's unity. We will be unified with one another as we are defined by the Holy Spirit who teaches us the meaning of what it means to be defined by these four results of coming into a personal relationship with Christ.
The fourth result is "the tenderness and compassion we have received from the Holy Spirit. He plunges us deeper into His ministry to us. The word used here for tenderness in the Greek is, splanchna, which means “gut, viscera, or bowels.” It has to do with affection. Love is sort of a cognitive thing, whereas affection is a feeling. Tenderness is a longing. It's more than a cognitive appreciation; it's a longing. The Apostle is saying, “you have received the longings of the Spirit,” deeply felt affections. The bowels were seen by the Jews as the seat of emotions. It's where one felt things. Believers have received the longings of the Spirit. What He longs for, He gives to us. What He longs for, if we let it, will define us.
Then, there's the word “compassion.” It's used four times by Paul. Two of those times it's translated “the tender mercies of God.” We've received the longings of the Spirit, and the tender, compassionate sympathy of God through the Spirit. God has been sympathetic to us. God gives us way more than we deserve. He has poured out to us grace upon grace, and mercy upon mercy. He has a heart of pity and tenderness toward us.
Finally, if we do not experience a personal relationship with God, these four truths will not define us. And, as a result, we will be inauthentic in our relationships with others, be they believers or not. This is do to the fact that we will be motivated to do those things that we are commanded by the Lord from the wrong posture. We will be seen as inauthentic due to our insecurities. You see, these four things fill us up to the point of not needing anything from anyone one else. When we are not experiencing Him, we will insecurely look to others to meet our deepest needs. Something that they can not do. This is something that only He can do. And, when we are drawing upon Him for these needs, we will grow in security and authenticity.
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Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Philippians 1:25-30
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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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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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.
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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
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