Anxiety or Peace?
Read: Philippians 4:5-13 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything. . . . And the peace of God . . . will guard your hearts. (vv. 5-7) Reasonableness. What a great word. Are you known to others as a reasonable person? The word describes a “gentle agreeableness.” The opposite […]
Standing Firm
Read: Philippians 3:17-4:2 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. (4:1) Standing firm. What is that about? It’s a command. This is not presented as optional territory or with a “take it or leave it” mentality. It is presented not for […]
I Keep on Forgetting
Read: Philippians 3:12-17 But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on. (vv. 13-14) Paul does not use his imperfections as an excuse to stop growing spiritually. When he talks about “pressing on” he borrows a word from the world of the hunter. The verb means […]
Are You Perfect?
Read: Philippians 3:12-17 Not that I have already obtained [the resurrection] or am already perfect. (v. 12) Paul’s faith journey was a work in progress. He was confident of his final eternal destination with Christ in heaven, but along the way, he was less than perfect. The word “perfect” means “to meet the highest standard” of […]
It’s about Losing
Read: Philippians 3:1-11 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. (v. 7) In the first six verses of this chapter Paul provides us with his spiritual resumé prior to embracing Jesus Christ as his Savior. In his former way of life, Paul was a pretty religious guy. If anyone […]
Deep Friendships
Read: Philippians 2:19-29 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier . . . and minister to my need. (v. 25) Epaphroditus likely did not come from a Christian family. He was actually named after the Greek goddess Aphrodite. He grew up in Philippi (or at some point […]
Deep Friendships
Read: Philippians 2:19-29 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon. . . . For I have no one like him. (vv. 19-20) Everyone needs friends, deep friends. In fact, there are three kinds of relationships we need in life: (1) a person who ministers to you and for whom you do not necessarily […]
Grumbling and Complaining
Read: Philippians 2:12-18 Do everything without grumbling or arguing. (v. 14 NIV) In this section of Philippians Paul describes Christians as those who “shine as lights in the world” (v. 15). In other words, obedient followers of Christ are to reflect the light of Christ to those living in spiritual darkness. The apostle gives some illustrations of […]
Humility and Obedience
Read: Hebrews 5:5-10 He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death. (Phil. 2:8) In his human existence, Jesus Christ chose, in obedience to God the Father, to take the lowest place. That is what the word “humbled” means. How long has it been since we did that—took a position of service out […]