Phillipians 1
|
Philippians 1:1:
"Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Phillipi, with the bishops and deacons." |
Paul could not have written these letters if he hadn't written out of the light within him. We should share our heart and what is real to us. |
|
Philippians 1:2:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
When Paul put together the words "Grace" and "peace" (charis and eirenehe was stating something great. He was taking the normal greeting of two great nations and molding them into one. Charis is the greeting with which Greek letters always began and eirene teh greeting with which Jews met each other.
|
|
Philippians 1:6:
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. |
This good work is a direct reference to the gospel’s work within the believer — it is life-changing! Ephesians 1:13 says, “In him [Christ] you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.”
Your old life as a slave to sin is dead and you have been made new in Jesus (Ephesians 2:1-5 CSB). That is the process of regeneration, it's immediate. No delay. You are justified and saved — sealed by the Holy Spirit. The Greek word that Paul used was sphragizo, which means to seal. This was referencing the type of seal one would have used during that period to seal and mark a letter proving its authenticity. -Amanda Robinson; Christianity.com |
Most people consider Paul’s letter to the Philippians the book of joy and contentment. Included in his encouragement, he wrote about his own imperfections and God’s realistic expectations of his earthly children.
Paul emphasized:
•We’ll never become perfect on this earth. We’ll always be “in process.” 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 (1:6).
•Seek excellence not perfection. Excellence is doing the best we can with what we already have learned. It means knowing there will always be more we can learn. Perfection means never sinning and is unattainable. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (vss. 9-10).
•After we become a Christian, we’ll be dependent upon God’s continuing work. 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, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (2:12-13).
• Continue to learn. God uses our circumstances to develop more contentment. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need (4:9).
--Kathy Collard Miller: Heart Change; God Has Realistic Expectations of You 6.27.23
Paul emphasized:
•We’ll never become perfect on this earth. We’ll always be “in process.” 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 (1:6).
•Seek excellence not perfection. Excellence is doing the best we can with what we already have learned. It means knowing there will always be more we can learn. Perfection means never sinning and is unattainable. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (vss. 9-10).
•After we become a Christian, we’ll be dependent upon God’s continuing work. 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, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (2:12-13).
• Continue to learn. God uses our circumstances to develop more contentment. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need (4:9).
--Kathy Collard Miller: Heart Change; God Has Realistic Expectations of You 6.27.23
The writer is saying that God considers you His most valuable possession and is filled with anticipation and excitement to see you flourish and thrive according to His plans. However, it will require self-discipline to overcome fear and doubt as He will not force us to obey Him the same as He does not make us love Him. -Billy Holland
|
Sinners are called on to repent and believe on Jesus Christ, and it is by the quickening power those dead in trespasses and sin are made alive, brought to repentance and given faith. (Ephesians 2:1, 8-10).
The doctrine of perseverance declares that those who are true believers will persevere to the end. They may have numerous downfalls but they will never depart from their Saviour, Jesus Christ. |
This is an Equation for Today!: It (A) defines the confidence and security that should be at the core of every believers life. Add this with (B) Romans 8:38-39: “I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” and we have a formula:
A=Phil 1:6; B=Rom 8:38-39; so A + B = Y (Y=Yee Ha!!! (*see note)
*NOTE: “Yee Ha!" is Kansas redneck for “Hallelujah”
A=Phil 1:6; B=Rom 8:38-39; so A + B = Y (Y=Yee Ha!!! (*see note)
*NOTE: “Yee Ha!" is Kansas redneck for “Hallelujah”
|
Philippians 1:9:
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, |
Discernment is the skill of understanding and applying God’s Word with the purpose of separating truth from error and right from wrong. -Tim Challies
|
|
Philippians 1: 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. |
Paul was not certain whether he would live or die….that didn’t matter. Christ would be exalted. My determination is to be the utmost for HIS Highest. And that has to mean whether that would be life or death. To the Christian, death will lead to life for his or herself. But sometimes a death can bring life to those around the person who died.
On a personal level, God’s order has to work up to a crisis in our lives because we will not heed the gentler way. It is at that point that we are to decide for or against. Once we go forward we enter in to life more abundantly. Making a wrong decision does not automatically mean we have lost God forever. It just means that He is faithful and will bring the decision point around again. God has a vision for you that will not tarry and will surely come. |
|
Philippians 1: 23-24:
“I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.” |
When the Apostle Paul said, “To live is Christ,” he was speaking of the fact that he had an interest in the things of this life in addition to the things of the next life. Later he said this:
“I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.”--Philippians 1:23-24, NLT He was saying, “I want to go be with the Lord, but I still have a job to do.” What I appreciate about Paul is that he had a practical spirituality. Yes, Paul loved Jesus and wanted to live for Him. Without question, Paul had a holy passion for the things of God. But at the same time, Paul was utterly human. He didn’t live in stained glass. He didn’t walk around with a little pedestal that he climbed up on when he wanted to make a pronouncement. Paul was someone like you and me! -Tipping Point Prophecy Update |
|
Phillipians 1:27-28: 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;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.
|
This passage is crucial to the whole letter and is an integral part of how Paul sought to ground the church in gospel-centered living. After Paul has exhorted the church to live a gospel centered life, a life worthy of the gospel; he proceeds to give us the reason for this exhortation by identifying the Philippians’ opponents who were causing them a similar conflict which they had seen and now hear in Paul’s present circumstances. As the Philippians stand and strive together in the gospel, they will be better able to persevere in the face of any hostility they may face just as Paul has persevered in the face of His persecutors in Rome. That is one of the reason this encouragement is so meaningful, it comes to the Philippians from one who has been there himself (Acts 20.22-23). Paul knows that if the church is united to him, listens to his counsel, like him, they will survive with an eternal perspective. Thus, the unity of the church will create the necessary courage which they will need in order for the Philippians to stand unflinching before their opponents. --Red Grace Media
|
|
Philippians 1:29:
For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, |
There is honor in suffering for Christ.
|