Philippians 4 Life Lived in Christ our Lord

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is any praise — dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your graciousness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Our joy comes from our Lord, it is in the joy we find in Him that we are strengthened.

Paul continues to thank the community of believers for their support but tells them through the strength that comes from the Lord he is able to be content in all circumstances and do all things. For us as well that strength is available.

In ending our journey through the book to the Philippians let us always remember:

Our Lord desires us know Him.

He is not just a remedy for sinfulness but a Treasure; our Treasure.

A Treasure for which we should be able to give up all for, enabling to live for the Fathers glory, just as our Lord did.

Being in a relationship with is the only source of joy in our lives.

A joy that is not dependant on circumstance. Not a sensation or thrill.

It is only in our Lord and through the Spirit that we can rejoice even in suffering.

Philippians 3 Life lived to Know our Lord

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 

More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 

Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ — the righteousness from God based on faith. 

My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a protection for you.

Watch out for “dogs,” watch out for evil workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh.

To know Him and love Him is the best reward of choosing to follow our Lord. To know Him and walk Him through life is the wisest decision any of us can make.

Our Father will always respond to a heart that hungers after Him. We must never forget that it is not just our doing but our Father works in us as we learnt in Chapter1. 

Not that I have already reached the goal or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.

Our Father takes hold of us through Lord as we get to know Him and fall in love with Him more and more. We are not alone in this journey. Our Father also provides for us a community (church) to grow and partner with in this journey of ours.

Therefore, all who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. Join in imitating me, brothers, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame. They are focused on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of His glorious body, by the power that enables Him to subject everything to Himself.

Philippians 2 Life lived in humility for the Father's Glory

Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,
who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be used for His own advantage.
Instead He emptied Himself
by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man
in His external form,
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death —
even to death on a cross.
For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow —
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth —
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Lights in the World

Our Lord is the greatest example of life lived in humility.

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

Our Father is at work in all of us to produce in us both to desire and to work out His good purpose.

We are called to humility and to following without complaints and we will be a light in the world we live in.

Philippians 1 (Life invested in the Father's Glory)

Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Our Lord desires us to know Him.

He is not just a remedy for sin but a Treasure; our Treasure.

A Treasure for which we live for. Through His Spirit we are enabled to live for the Fathers glory, just as our Lord did.

Being in a relationship with our Father becomes a source of joy in our lives.

A joy that is not dependant on circumstance. Not a sensation or thrill.

It is only in our Lord and through the Spirit that we can rejoice even in suffering.

Philippians 1

Paul starts this book in thanksgiving to the people in Phillipi who as his partners in the gospel had assisted him.

He continues to tell them of his love for them and that he continues to pray for them even though he is now in prison.

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

As gospel carriers we learn that this journey we are on will have up and downs; even very tough times.

Paul teaches to us look beyond our circumstance but to lift our eyes and look upwards for our Father is at work.

He celebrates his imprisonment for Christ is known and has advanced the gospel, some have gained courage from Paul’s experience and are now confidently teaching and preaching. Others are jealous and preach out of strife and envy but Paul is not disturbed for the Lord is being proclaimed.

What does it matter? Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice because I know this will lead to my deliverance through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honoured in my body, whether by life or by death.
Living Is Christ
For me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work

Note:

For a while we are going to re-journey through messages from years before. I recently started working again although part time . I also have moved and again and I am struggling to be consistent in blogging. So we will be rejourning (apologies)