Verse 1. “Paul and Timothy,
bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in
Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:”
This letter (epistle) to the Christians in the city of
Philippi (the first church Paul founded in Macedonia), was written by Paul the
Apostle. “Timothy” is also mentioned, but he was
not precisely the author. He was the amanuensis, a trusted secretary. In the
custom of the time, Paul dictated the letter to him, and Timothy, in writing it
down, was allowed minor input to the text as he wrote it down for the author. As
with every Book of Scripture, the Holy Spirit of God is the ultimate Author of
all that is written.
Paul wrote to the Philippians as “saints”
(holy ones) in Christ Jesus. The word “Christian” had not yet come into common
usage at the time of this letter, a term first used in Acts 11:26, when Agrippa
replied to Paul. Christ’s people were more commonly called “brethren,”
“disciples,” “saints” or “people of the Way.” “Overseer”
has also been translated “bishop” – an elder who guided others in the faith. “Deacons”
were appointed workers in the church (Acts 6:1-6).
Verse 2. “Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Here Paul uses two phrases to greet the Philippian
believers; both of which were common greetings of that time. One of them was a
Greek expression, and the other was very Jewish. “Grace”
is the unmerited favor of God. He has given us RELATIONSHIP with Him, when we
have done nothing to deserve such an honor. “Peace”
(shalom) was a typical greeting among the Jews, and it more related to peace
with God than any other application.
We of mankind essentially declared war on God when we sinned against
Him (though we have not understood the enormity of our action). Compare us, for a moment, with a food crop. We were planted, grown by the
Farmer who owns the land, and we were created for His purposes, not our own. He
has a plan for us, but we have incredibly ignored that plan. Subsequently, “peace”
with God (not necessarily with men and women) has been given us in Christ Jesus,
through the “grace” of Him who loves you and me.
Verse 3. “I thank my God in all my
remembrance of you,”
In Philippians 4:6-7, Paul told the Philippian believers
a key reason WHY they (and we) should pray. In that place he presents anxiety
and prayer as forces in opposition to one another. That is, the one tends to
eliminate the other. Prayer will replace anxiety, and vice versa. Those verses
give us the RESULT of our prayers, which is “peace” inside your heart and mine. God
may say “yes” or “no” to your prayer, but you will receive His peace by going to Him with the
desires of your heart.
There’s more, for Paul will tell us that to “rejoice”
can be our way of life (Philippians 4:4), but now, in Philippians 1:3, we are
seeing that Paul not only gave advice to others, but he also practiced what he
preached. And notice HOW he did it. He prayed for them and thanked God for the
Philippian believers every time he thought of them. That’s good advice for us
all – when you think of someone, PRAY for them, and “the
peace of God” will be with you (Philippians 4:7).
Verse 4. “always offering prayer with
joy in my every prayer for you all,”
Notice that Paul is “always
offering prayer with JOY.” Historically and in the present world, most
who have lived don't pray like Paul did. Prayer so often is a chore, a painful
process that even for many Christians, it becomes so burdensome that they don’t
even do it! Note that Paul found JOY in prayer, whereas others do not! – Why?
For one thing, prayer is not unlike exercise. To
repeatedly use muscles that have largely remained dormant, is NOT pleasurable –
it is a burdensome chore avoided by many. However, the key to enjoying bodily
exercise is to actually DO IT! The more you do, the more you will actually enjoy
it, and it is like that with prayer. The more you simply DO it, the more you
will find the “joy” of the Lord in prayer.
Verse 5. “in view of your participation
in the gospel from the first day until now.”
In this verse, Paul recounts a reason why prayer is
actually a joyful practice (verse 4) rather than a burdensome process. Paul
experienced the joy of ANSWERED prayer. Note that all prayers are answered, but
God’s answers include (as mentioned in relation to verse 3): “Yes,” “No,” and
“wait.” We obviously like the “Yes” answers best of all, and so did the Apostle Paul.
The Philippians had been PARTICIPATING in the gospel,
from the time Paul had first told them about Jesus, until the present, the time
of Paul’s writing this letter. The Philippians had not kept all this to
themselves, but were telling others, and THEY were coming to Christ,
representing a second generation of witnesses to and for Christ. If the
Philippians were like his “children” in the faith, then Paul was like a
delighted grandparent to the new believers at Philippi.
Father, recreate us, so that we will become a people
who pray, love others and unashamedly participate in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Give us Your joy, in prayer, in love and in Your Word. In Jesus Name.
Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Philippians 1:6-10
Verse 6. “For I am confident of this
very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day
of Christ Jesus.”
This verse should give you confidence and JOY! Just as Paul the Apostle
knew joy (verse 4 and other places), so confidence and JOY should fill you and me! So many
Christians, through the centuries, have chosen to grit their teeth as they try
to walk the Christian walk – through human effort! Such efforts lead to grim
faces and unhappy hearts. Others know the joy of the Lord and this verse tells
us a reason for those smiles.
“HE” (God) will “perfect it.” HE is the One who will
bring you through. Hebrews 12:2 informs us of the same thing: “Jesus Christ is
the author and finisher of our faith.” He CREATED the faith that is in us, and
He will bring us across the “finish line” to be with God the Father – forever! He
will “perfect” us, and “complete” us (as in some translations), in HIS strength,
not in our own. To know that He is WITH us to such a degree, is to become
“CONFIDENT;” and continue in the "JOY" of the Lord
(verse 4).
Verse 7. “For it is only right for me to
feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my
imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are
partakers of grace with me.”
Paul had the same choice we all have. He was able to
look around at his circumstances, just like we do, and decide whether or not he would
feel miserable or allow himself to appropriate God's "grace"
and know the JOY of the Lord. He was in prison,
which anyone would agree is a “negative" circumstance, and yet he persisted in
prayer (had them in his "heart") and continued to know the “joy”
found in true relationship with the Lord.
He was, as they say, “in love.” He loved those he served
and in those prison walls, they were “with” him, in his "heart," as he told his
jailors about Christ and presented the ministry that had been granted to him by
God. He was sustained because the Holy Spirit had shown him that if the Romans
and others at Philippi remained faithful to the gospel (good news) about Jesus
Christ, then others, such as his jailors, were likely to become faithful as
well. When we stand firm in the "gospel," it is an
encouragement to others.
Verse 8. “For God is my witness, how I
long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.”
Some have objected to the hugs and other expressions of
love that tend to accompany Christian gatherings. Affectionate words are shared
and a hug may be accompanied by a kiss on the cheek. Paul is careful to link the word
“affection,” which in the Greek was a very strong expression of his love for
them, with the name “Christ Jesus,” the God-man who was and is pure and holy
beyond our ability to understand. Paul “longs for” them, another very strong
phrase, almost romantic in its intensity, but gentle and innocent in all its
ways.
How do you feel about other Christians, your family
members, people you meet? Do you love them? Jesus really only gave us one
command – We are to “love one another,” and this is not some transitory love,
like “I love my new suit," but it’s instead, as Jesus continued: “you are to
“love one another, EVEN AS I HAVE LOVED YOU” (John 13:35). In other words, you
are to love others to the extent that you would even die for them if that was
the need. That was the Lord’s type of love, and Paul’s love was of that
kind.
Verse 9. “And this I pray, that your
love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,”
Lots of young people (and some not so young), “fall in
love” with movie stars. They write fan letters to them, hoping to get something
like a signed picture in return. They are “in love,” but not with the real
person behind the façade of that movie persona – they are “in love with love” –
not the reality behind the person who acts on the screen. Love is much deeper
than our superficial feelings, even when they seem “real” at the moment.
God wants us to “love…
still more” than we ever thought
or expected. He wants our “love (to)
abound,” in a different way – “in real
knowledge and all discernment.” If you’re “in love” with someone, God has in
mind that you will “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…” who
“became obedient to the point of death…
on a cross” (Philippians 2:5-9). We
are to love others even more than we love ourselves; to the point where we are
even willing to die for them, if that is what God leads.
Verse 10. “so that you may approve the
things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of
Christ;”
To “approve” in the
original Greek is to “approve after careful testing,” and what we are to look
for when we test, is for excellence and whether or not the objects of our test
are vital to life. We are looking for morality, unmixed integrity, and the
purity that only comes from God. We are looking for reality; not the pretense offered by this world.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John
14:6). There is no other; He is the only One sent from God to redeem you and me.
When we find Him who is the “way,” He gives us “life.” In becoming really ALIVE
in Him, we find real “truth” growing inside of us for what is
actually the first time. We are to think and act as people of truth. We are to
become “sincere and blameless,” honest in all we
say and do.
Father, You have called us to be people of truth,
virtue and love. Let us become people who pray - in everything! And
let us know Your joy. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Philippians 1:11-15
Verse 11. “having been filled with the
fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise
of God.”
From God’s perspective, we are something like the “fruit” of a
tree. The type of “fruit” you produce reveals your source
(who you really are). Apple trees produce apples, pecans
come from pecan trees, and so on. Our “fruit” is our behavior, and if it is
mean, malicious, and filled with gossip, it shows that we are somehow still
attached to the enemy, for that's how the enemy is. If “righteousness” comes out of our
lives, it is evidence that we belong to God.
There are many wonderful ways our actions, our “fruit” can
be
good, and it is especially so when our words and actions bring “glory and praise” to God!
When we honestly and completely place our
faith in God through Christ, we fall in love with Him, and what do you do when
you are in love? - your words and actions become filled with “glory and praise”
for your beloved! When you love the Lord your life will be full of praise for
Him,
and your actions will start to become - like His.
Verse 12. “Now I want you to know,
brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the
gospel,”
Paul’s “circumstances” at that moment were not so good.
As we will see in the next verse, he was a prisoner, a “jailbird” as some have
termed those who are in prison. Even worse than merely being a convicted felon,
he was actually not guilty of anything! In the Lord, He had become truly
an innocent person,
but he was imprisoned for YEARS! And he had been on death row all
that time! But incredibly, even though he was a prisoner, he
continued to lead many to Christ!
It’s really important in life to have a
perspective based in reality. We usually compare ourselves with those around us, and if they
seem to be doing better than we are, it is our tendency to become depressed and
despondent. Paul looked past the circumstances of his imprisonment and understood that
those who have been born again by the Lord Jesus Christ are in the will of God.
The Lord WILL have His good outcome in your life, for He loves you and He is with you.
Verse 13. “so that my imprisonment in
the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard
and to everyone else,”
Paul the Apostle had become a “notorious” person;
someone who was "well known" because of “questionable” circumstances. His
“imprisonment” had brought him fame that made others curious about who and what
he was. This included those who were in the “praetorian guard,” the emperor’s bodyguards in
Rome. They were his jailers. Their curiosity drew them to speak to him, ask him questions, and also LISTEN to
what he had to say.
If an evangelist of the time had decided he would
“witness” to the guards within the household of the emperor, the Caesar of all
the Roman Empire, he (or she) would have been stopped at the gate; and not allowed to enter. And
if they persisted, they might have been killed. But Paul, because he was an imperial prisoner,
a “jailbird” if you will, WAS allowed to be a "witness" to them. Because of his "negative"
circumstances, he was allowed to speak, to evangelize the well-defended center of Rome, right in the middle of
Caesar's household!
Verse 14. “and that most of the
brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage
to speak the word of God without fear.”
We saw in the preceding verse that Paul’s “imprisonment”
meant that the “unreachable” praetorian guardsmen who protected the Caesar of
all Rome were being reached for Jesus Christ. Under normal circumstances, Paul
would not have been permitted to even speak to them, but because he was a
federal prisoner of Rome, they not only spoke with him, but they also LISTENED and
were being won
to Christ.
He was allowed to have visitors, and the “brethren,” his
“brothers” in Christ, were visiting him as often as possible. As they spoke with
him, listening to his words about what was happening, they became filled
with excitement. He was actually bringing to Christ those who were members of
Caesar’s very household! The impossible was becoming true and it encouraged
others to recognize that even the worst of circumstances can work to the glory
of God. His life should give US "courage,"
so we will begin
"to speak the word of God without fear."
Verse 15. “Some, to be sure, are
preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;”
The Holy Spirit of God is not only looking at our
actions, but He is also searching us inside, looking at our motives – the
reasons WHY we do what we do. All in the body of Christ (the church) are
“gifted” in the Spirit by the Lord. Paul had many "gifts" and through
them he “saw” the
true motives of those who had become his enemies. He “saw” their hearts because the
Spirit showed them to him. They envied Paul and that is why they strove against
him in their “preaching.”
You are not only seen inside and out by the Spirit of
God, but He is also revealing you to others in the body of Christ. And
ultimately He wants you to "see" as well, for His aim is that you and I will be
healed of spiritual "blindness" and any sinful intent. The Spirit is also intimately aware
of those who speak about our Lord out of the “good will”
of hearts that love Him. You and I are beginning to reflect the Spirit of God in our thoughts and actions, if it is
true that the Spirit is in us.
Father, we pray that we will NEVER speak of the Lord
or others in Your church out of "envy and strife."
Let us be a people of "good will" toward one
another. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Philippians
1:16-20
Verse 16. “the latter do it out of love,
knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel;”
It’s important to note the content of these verses. Considering the
nature of Christ, who was and is holy, just, pure, true in all His ways and full of
love, you would expect that His “followers” would be much the same. However, the
truth is that some are like Him and some are not. It is certainly encouraging to
note, as in this verse, that many DO act “out of love” for the Lord and for one
another.
Notice that those who acted “out of love” were those who
defended Paul in relation to his accusers. We will see in the next verse that
there were others who were in it for themselves and even wanted to INCREASE Paul’s
suffering as a prisoner. They were the ones who acted out of “selfish ambition”
(verse 17). We need to look at our own motives carefully, for both groups are
with us today.
Verse 17. “the former proclaim Christ
out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me
distress in my imprisonment.”
We’re going to see in Philippians Chapter 2, that we’re
supposed to think and act like our Lord: “Let this mind be in you which was
also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). The Lord “made Himself of no reputation,
taking the form of a servant…” (Philippians 2:7). “He humbled Himself and became
obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” for us
(Philippians 2:8). Jesus modeled the "servant"
life for you and me.
Jesus' thoughts were upon OUR needs. not His own. You’ll
note that those Paul spoke about in this verse in Chapter One were just the OPPOSITE
of Jesus in their motives. They actually preached sermons AGAINST Paul, hoping to
cause him sadness while he was in prison. There are too many like that today. We
must think about OUR motives – Jesus gave us one commandment in relation to
others on this planet: We are to “love one another”
(John 13:34), in thought, in word, in prayer and in deed.
Verse 18. “What then? Only that in every
way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I
rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,”
Jesus revealed to us: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Peter, who
personally knew the
Lord Jesus, said of Him, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no
other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts
4:12). He is the Creator of all things (John 1:3, 14, Colossians 1:16).
And to carefully compare Hebrews 1:10 and 3:4, including the context that connects those
verses, is to discover that "He who built all things is God."
He is wonderful. And He is our best Friend. If
you were the personal friend of the President of your country (or the
Sovereign if that is the case), you would "rejoice" in that
friendship and want to tell others about your friend. You would also be
pleased when others spoke of them, even if you suspect they might have
proclaimed your leader out of bad
motives. "REJOICE" in Jesus, your Friend, your
salvation, your Creator, and yes, your God. Rejoice that He is "Proclaimed," for He is indeed
- wonderful.
Verse 19. “for I know that this will
turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit
of Jesus Christ,”
There is a wonderful Scripture which many in the church
know and love. It contains these words: “And we know that all things work
together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according
to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Paul, who wrote those words, was intimately
acquainted with a truth we all need to know – God will make bad
circumstances actually become a blessing for those who trust in the Lord.
The "pretense" of verse 18 will be made to lead to
"deliverance" for those who love the Lord.
Note the forces at work in making our troubles turn into
good – 1) "your prayers," and 2) “the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” We need
to pray far more than we do. To analyze the lives of the “great saints” of
history, is to discover that they were men and women of prayer. And also
note that the Holy Spirit is praying for us as well, as you can read in Romans
8:27. He IS our “provision,” now and forever, and He will lead us to be people
who pray.
Verse 20. “according to my earnest
expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with
all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by
life or by death.”
From an external, human perspective, Paul had entered
into a life that could be considered filled with shame. But life is so much
more than mere externals. Neither his suffering nor the opposition of religious
bigots would bring shame to Paul, for the Lord was with him. The phrase “earnest
expectation,” literally meant “a watching with outstretched head,” with the
attention concentrated on one object and turned away from everything else.
Paul’s eyes were on the Lord.
“Hope” is so important! Most people “hope things will
turn out all right,” but the hope in Scripture is so much more. We are “in hope of
eternal life which God, who cannot lie, PROMISED before time began” (Titus 1:2).
To have hope is to believe God and take Him at His Word. Paul had learned what we
all need to know: that the lives of those who trust in the Lord will bring glory to
God, no matter what the outward circumstances may be.
Lord, let our lives bring glory and praise to God.
And heal us, Lord, that we may love one another. In Jesus Name.
Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Philippians 1:21-25
Verse 21. “For to me, to live is Christ
and to die is gain.”
So much of what is called “life” by those in this world,
is not really “life” at all. “I want to live” has been a cry of humanity; words
which are often followed by actions that are more like death than life. Many want life to
be a “party,” a time in which substances are taken into the body that reduce
the senses and ultimately cause harm. Promiscuity is regarded as “life” by
many people, but the diseases that result from such behavior can lead to death.
Paul regarded himself as already dead to sin through the
cross of Christ. He saw that “Christ IS…
our life” (Colossians 3:4). He said, “I
have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives
in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20). When you
recognize that, in Christ, we are already dead, but also ALIVE like never
before, then physical death loses its power and you can know LIFE in the Lord
like you never knew before.
Verse 22. “But if I am to live on in the
flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.”
Paul had a choice. He KNEW that God had called Him and
sent him to that very moment in history to reach many for Christ. His ministry
included not only bringing people to the Lord, but also the nurturing of
those who had already trusted in Jesus Christ. Additionally, he wanted to leave
this place and go be with the Lord. Do you sometimes not know what to
do? Or which way to go? That was Paul at the time of this verse.
God had CALLED this man to serve a people who were
coming to Christ and yet He was also communicating to Paul that his time was
short and he would soon leave the earth. It is good for us to be brought to the
place where Paul was. To “not know which to choose” is to “let go, let God,” at
critical junctures in our lives. It forces us look to the Lord, for He is the One
who really knows what we should do.
Verse 23. “But I am hard-pressed from
both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is
very much better;”
Paul had come to that wonderful place where he
recognized that to go and be with the Lord is infinitely better than “life” here
on earth. Note that he did NOT in any way intend to hasten that process. God is
the Giver of life, and when the circumstances for us are just right, HE is the
One who takes us to be with Him. The perfect time is a matter of HIS choosing,
not our own.
It’s important to understand in relation to this verse that Paul
was FILLED with the Holy Spirit and had been shown wonders in heaven and on
earth. He KNEW where he was going, more than most who have ever lived. Yet he
was “hard-pressed” because God’s timing is better than any concept we might have
of personal comfort. Paul wanted comfort like anybody else and he wanted to
remain and serve other Christians, but he wanted the
Lord most of all.
Verse 24. “yet to remain on in the flesh
is more necessary for your sake.”
We have met many who are tired of life and some of them want it to be
over, like those who are paralyzed, those who have lost loved ones, those who have been struck with diseases
such as cancer,
and the elderly. Often they no longer see any continuing purpose for their existence and
having no hope that things will ever become any better, they give up.
There are others who even have worse circumstances than
those who have become tired of it all, and yet they have found the enthusiasm for life
that we all need. The blind, the elderly, the paralyzed, those who are weakened
by forces such as Multiple Sclerosis and cancer, have many within their ranks
who love life and continually reach out to help others in the power of God.
Helping others in His strength will help YOU. TRUST in God and follow Him – He has good PURPOSE
and a good outcome right in the midst of all your
difficulties!
Verse 25. “Convinced of this, I know
that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the
faith,”
How did Paul “KNOW” that He would “remain and continue”
with those he served? We have seen in the preceding verses that the man was
struggling emotionally – He wanted to GO; to get OUT of here and go to be with
the Lord! He had discovered what we all need to know, that real LIFE is when
we are in the nail-scarred hands of our Savior, declaring Him to be the Lord of
our lives and source of all comfort.
Yet, in prayer, he had seen that God had PURPOSE
and MEANING for his life - right here, right now! Let me tell you a secret that
few know and understand: God has purpose and meaning for us all. He has a
blueprint for your life that can give you HOPE even in the darkest of circumstances. Paul referred to us
elsewhere as
having a “fragrance” of Christ. Others perceive the Lord in you, even when your
life seems empty. In eternity we will see that others found "progress"
and “joy in the faith”
through us, even in those times when we thought we had nothing to give.
Father, let us trust in You, no matter WHAT the
circumstances of our lives. Let others perceive You in us and decide to
trust in You, too. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study – Philippians 1:26-30
Verse 26. “so that your proud confidence
in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.”
When Paul was much younger, he was called “Saul,” which was
his Hebrew name. Just the mention of that name had brought terror to Christian Jews,
who avoided him at all cost. At the time the murdered Stephen was being buried, “Saul began
ravaging the church, entering house after house; and dragging off men and women,
he would put them in prison” (Acts 8:2-3). He was unpopular, to say the least.
And then something happened, a wonder that is available
to you and me today – the man was remarkably changed by the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus. Instead
of killing those who loved the Lord, he placed his own life in jeopardy by
helping them and brought still others to a saving knowledge of Christ Jesus.
People everywhere now were glad to see him coming, for he brought the “gospel of
Christ” with him (verse 27). Fear of him was changed into "proud
confidence" because the Lord made it so.
Verse 27. “Only conduct yourselves in a
manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or
remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with
one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;”
Paul, a Roman citizen from birth, was writing to
the Christians at Philippi, a place that was a Roman colony largely inhabited by citizens
of Rome. This was the
city where Paul declared himself to be a "Roman" to the local officials through
the Philippian jailer (Acts 16:37). Rome enforced peace within their Empire, a
concept they called “Pax Romana,” a “Roman peace”
kept through force. Many rules existed within that system of government.
Paul was telling these Christian believers to be good
citizens; to respect the laws of that place, much like he instructed those who
lived in Rome itself: “Let every person be in subjection to the governing
authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those which exist
are established by God” (Romans 13:1). The point of life is sharing “the faith
of the gospel,” which is best done legally - in accordance with the law of the
land.
Verse 28. “in no way alarmed by your
opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you,
and that too, from God.”
Everybody has known what it means to feel “alarmed” by some
“opponent,” We have compensated through defense mechanisms of one
type or
another. Some respond to fear with anger, and others with an ironic sense of humor.
Others have tried to insulate themselves from being “alarmed” through social
position or the power that comes with money.
The Christians of Paul’s day had no defenses as the
world understands them. Jesus had told them, “do not resist him who is evil; but
whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew
5:39). The answer as to why they were taught in that manner is right here in
this verse: “It is a sign of destruction” for their attackers. The way of the
world is to defend and attack. The way of Christ is to “love your enemies”
(Matthew 5:44). Others will perceive the difference in you and begin to see their need
of God.
Verse 29. “For to you it has been
granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for
His sake,”
This verse and others like it is hard for many to
understand. In places like Hebrews 12:2, we find that Jesus Christ is “the
author and finisher of our faith.” The faith you have, the ability you have to
believe, has been GIVEN to you, in and through Christ Jesus. You may have
thought that the Lord is pleased by the faith you have, and that’s true, but
“your” faith is really HIS – created in you. That can be difficult to see, but here in this verse we find
something even harder to grasp:
Just as wonderful as our God-given ability to
“believe,” another “gift” is ours – the high calling of being
allowed to
“suffer for His sake.” Your suffering is not necessarily about you. That job
loss, the divorce, the unthinkable illness, your loss of a loved one, and more,
may enable you to reach out and touch someone else who would not listen to
anybody, except someone with a similar loss. To “believe” is a gift, and
also it is a gift to “suffer” for His sake.
Verse 30. “experiencing the same
conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”
We should not be surprised today in observing that the
gospel of our Lord is becoming less than popular in many parts of the world.
It’s poorly thought of at least and actually it is dangerous to be a Christian in a
growing number of countries. Paul was concerned as he saw many “suffer”
(verse 29) because
of their love of the Lord; and among those who suffered were the Philippians,
the direct recipients of this letter.
They were experiencing “the same conflict” which Paul
shared with us in the verses preceding this one. As he said in verse 29: “to you it
has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to
suffer for His sake.” The right to believe in eternal life through Christ
Jesus was GRANTED to them (and is granted to you and me); but the other side of that “coin” is
that we will know suffering in this life. As Paul said in verse 21, “to die is
gain,” but we look to the Lord's will, for while we are here, we remain useful
for God’s purposes on this earth.
Lord, no matter WHAT happens to us in life, we are
Yours. Let Your faith grow in us, that we may TRUST in You. In Jesus
Name. Amen.
Ron
Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
The First Church On The Net
www.FridayStudy.org
www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org "While
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
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