Philippians 1-2
Secret of Joy
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Psalm 149:1-9 Praise with Song and Sword
Sing to the Lord a New Song!
1 Praise the LORD!
Sing to the LORD a new song,
his praise in the assembly of the godly! 2 Let Israel be glad in his Maker;
let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! 3 Let them praise his name with dancing,
making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! 4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;
he adorns the humble with salvation. 5 Let the godly exult in glory;
let them sing for joy on their beds. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats
and two-edged swords in their hands, 7 to execute vengeance on the nations
and punishments on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with chains
and their nobles with fetters of iron, 9 to execute on them the judgment written!
This is honor for all his godly ones.
Praise the LORD!
Application
We exalt God and give Him pleasure, not just by songs of praise, but by accomplishing His purposes on earth, which include judging and punishing sin, so holiness can result.
Prayer
God, thanks for the ways You delight me with Your answers to my prayers; may I delight You with my praise and accomplishment of the purposes for which You have me on earth. Amen.
TMS Ephesians 2:8-9 Salvation is not by Works
Observations
This is another “must know” passage for believers who want to be fruitful. It's the first of the 7PASSAGES disciples should master, and is useful for sharing the gospel, the assurance of salvation, and refuting error. God graciously saves those who put their faith in what He's revealed (that Jesus is His provision for our sins). This salvation by faith is the gift (gracething) of God. Faith is not the gift since faith is in the feminine gender (as is grace) and “that” is in the neuter gender (used of concepts like being saved by faith). We all have faith, but must decide what we are going to place it in. See the fuller observations under the Ephesians 2 post. Works don't save/justify us, only God's provision pays the death penalty for our sins, resulting in our forgiveness and justification. So if works don't save us, a lack of works or bad works can't unsave us. However, God saved us and created us in Christ to do good works as a lifestyle (as the basis of giving us eternal glory). So we need to find out what God said He wants us to do, and then do it. See these Surveys for help: Survey on Grace, Survey of Faith, and Survey of Good Works.
Application
Master this passage so you can use it to minister to others.
Prayer
God, thanks for graciously saving me to do good works; may I draw on Your grace to do them, and please You. Amen.
Philippians 1-2 Secret of Joy
This epistle is really a thank-you note for the support which the Philippian church gave Paul to further the gospel. It has a didactic purpose as well, helping them live in the other-centered unity and love God expects of them, if they want to expect His reward/glory. In Philippians, Paul mentions joy more than in any other epistle, and tells his readers how to get it: by choosing what is best. He also puts two vignettes back to back in the center of the book, surrounded by the model of Christ in the first half, and his own example in the second half. This gives a clue to the structure and purpose of the book when we look for the common threads among all four examples. This post also contains a key verse on how God's grace and Spirit work in the lives of believers (2:14).
Philippians 1 Secret of Joy
Greetings from Paul and Timothy
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.Paul’s Trials Advance the Gospel
12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 15 Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. 16 The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
To Live Is Christ
21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.Worthy of the Gospel
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.Application
Prayer
God, thanks that You are concerned about my joy, and tell me how to get it; may I believe and do what You've said. Amen.
Philippians 2 Christ-like Mindset
One in Christ
1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.The Mind of Christ
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.Lights in the World
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you. 20 For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. 21 For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel. 23 I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me, 24 and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. 25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. 29 So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, 30 for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me.Application
The grace of the Spirit of God is at work in us to cause us to desire and do God's pleasure; all we have to do is respond in obedience, and glory will follow. Simple.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thanks for all the resources You have made available to me in Christ, may I be faithful to follow the obedient, other-centered example of those who pleased You, and fulfill Your desire. Amen.
Digging Deeper
God in a nutshell: God works in the lives of believers to accomplish His purposes. He then rewards those who do what He wants.
Build-a-Jesus: Jesus is God, and He laid aside His glory to obediently do the Father's will. There can be equality and subordination. Jesus humbled Himself to serve our need for a Savior and die for our sins. As a result, He experiences the joy of being exalted by the Father. He is our model.
Us in a nutshell: We need to follow our Lord's example of humbling ourselves to live in unity and love with our fellow-believers, considering their needs as more important than ours. Even if our service entails suffering (it usually does. Is self-denial high on your pleasure scale or pain scale?), joy will result, because we've chosen what is best, knowing that the Father will reward us.
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