Philippians - the Gospel of Joy and Suffering
Philippians - the Gospel of Joy and Suffering
I am excited to journey with you through the Letter of Paul to the Philippians. I am excited for many reasons which I will share as we go along. God allowed me to go through one of the most painful and also joyful summers ever. I guess I am ready to go through Philippians to understand it all as Paul wrote from difficult experiences.
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons[a]: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” – Philippians 1:1-6.
Let’s get into it:
1. Paul is the author of the Letter without questions. He is writing with Timothy while under house arrest/imprisonment. He calls themselves “slaves or servants of Christ”. What an honor to be identified as a slave of Christ. That is what this book is all about – having full joy as a slave of Christ. Are you ready for full joy even as a slave of Christ? First you have to agree to be a slave of Christ. “29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him” Phil 1:29. Suffering? Yes. There is no “cheap”, “no-cost” Christianity. Christ suffered and we must have his mind to suffer.
2. The letter is to the holy people or the saints at Philippi which includes everyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ. To all who have been reconciled to God the father and saved from the wrath to come not because of self- righteousness but because of the finished work of Christ on the Cross –His death, burial and resurrection.
3. Paul by the power of the Holy Spirit always extends grace and peace to all the saints. Grace and peace come from God. Grace is the only basis of all relationship with God.
4. It is not happiness we are talking about but the joy of the Lord. “I always pray with joy”. Do your own count of the book of Philippians and see how many times “joy”, “rejoice” or “rejoicing” is used. This is the theme of the book. Happiness is based on things happening and we should be happy from time to time. But joy is the fruit supplied by the Holy Spirit and can only come from God Himself. You can make yourself happy but you can only pray to be filled with joy of the Lord. Joy is inside out. Happiness outside in.
5. Paul is not calling us to doing but to being. Being joyful because of the Christ in us. Can you and I let Christ in us show His joy that lives in us? The joy He earned by suffering.
6. The joy comes from the confidence and absolute trust in God. We see the beginning to the end so why worry but be joyful. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”. We are in good hands for ever. Let us relax and rejoice in this confidence. Completion guaranteed.
Hello fellow slave of Christ. Let’s embrace what we have been granted – joy in the midst of suffering for Christ. God will surely complete the work He has started in you and me. Be joyful in your present circumstances. God has you covered; pray to Him about it and thank Him. Amen.
I am excited to journey with you through the Letter of Paul to the Philippians. I am excited for many reasons which I will share as we go along. God allowed me to go through one of the most painful and also joyful summers ever. I guess I am ready to go through Philippians to understand it all as Paul wrote from difficult experiences.
“Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons[a]: 2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” – Philippians 1:1-6.
Let’s get into it:
1. Paul is the author of the Letter without questions. He is writing with Timothy while under house arrest/imprisonment. He calls themselves “slaves or servants of Christ”. What an honor to be identified as a slave of Christ. That is what this book is all about – having full joy as a slave of Christ. Are you ready for full joy even as a slave of Christ? First you have to agree to be a slave of Christ. “29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him” Phil 1:29. Suffering? Yes. There is no “cheap”, “no-cost” Christianity. Christ suffered and we must have his mind to suffer.
2. The letter is to the holy people or the saints at Philippi which includes everyone who has put their faith in Jesus Christ. To all who have been reconciled to God the father and saved from the wrath to come not because of self- righteousness but because of the finished work of Christ on the Cross –His death, burial and resurrection.
3. Paul by the power of the Holy Spirit always extends grace and peace to all the saints. Grace and peace come from God. Grace is the only basis of all relationship with God.
4. It is not happiness we are talking about but the joy of the Lord. “I always pray with joy”. Do your own count of the book of Philippians and see how many times “joy”, “rejoice” or “rejoicing” is used. This is the theme of the book. Happiness is based on things happening and we should be happy from time to time. But joy is the fruit supplied by the Holy Spirit and can only come from God Himself. You can make yourself happy but you can only pray to be filled with joy of the Lord. Joy is inside out. Happiness outside in.
5. Paul is not calling us to doing but to being. Being joyful because of the Christ in us. Can you and I let Christ in us show His joy that lives in us? The joy He earned by suffering.
6. The joy comes from the confidence and absolute trust in God. We see the beginning to the end so why worry but be joyful. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”. We are in good hands for ever. Let us relax and rejoice in this confidence. Completion guaranteed.
Hello fellow slave of Christ. Let’s embrace what we have been granted – joy in the midst of suffering for Christ. God will surely complete the work He has started in you and me. Be joyful in your present circumstances. God has you covered; pray to Him about it and thank Him. Amen.
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