The study of Philippians

Paul & Timothy were faithful servants of Jesus Christ. That was their calling but be His servants. They did not live unto themselves nor seek their own pleasure but gave themselves completely for the sake of the gospel. In this they were called servants. Their goal was eternal goals not to accumulate wealth and materials things in this life.

This letter was exhortations from Paul and Timothy to the bishops, deacons and all believers in Philippi.

This should be our attitude when we learn of believers or a body of Christians that are faithfully serving God. Never should we be envious of the success of other growing churches that is apart from our particular church. Instead we should rejoice to see other believers faithfully serving the Lord in spirit and in truth.

We should especially pray for other believers. Fervently pray for new converts and new churches to overcome obstacles and spread the gospel, growing in grace and the knowledge of God.

Let us pray for other believers with faith and confidence that God will complete the work started in them. We need to remember that God wants everyone to be saved and escape wrath. God wants the sick healed, the gospel preached and He desires that all will walk in the Spirit. God also has the power to change lives and nothing or no one is impossible to save. We  should picture God as someone who wants to do these things instead of someone sitting in heaven trying to decide whether to answer our prayers or not. Be confident that God wants the church down the street or on the other side of town to make it just as he wants our own church to make it through to victory. It is never his will that people backslide, grow lukewarm or cold and close their church doors.

Even at the times when Paul is in prison and suffering bondage because of his fervent preaching of the gospel, he remembers other churches and believers and thinks more of them than his own comfort.

He longs to see them, pray with them and encourage them in the faith. Notice how he worries about their spiritual walk than his own troubles.

He desires them to possess the love of God perfectly and increase in this.

This is what we are forgetting in the church of this present age and this is why many are compromising with the world. We have stopped proving the things that are excellent. Our fear of being legalistic has stopped us from striving to be sincere and without offence until Jesus returns. We stopped preaching and teaching holiness for fear of becoming Pharisees. Yes we should guard against religion that is void of the love and grace of God. Yes we should avoid religion that is cruel and judgmental. Yet, we should study the scriptures daily to make sure that our fear of religion is not depriving us of seeking God for His fullness and hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

No man or woman was made righteous by trying to keep the law of God handed down by the hand of Moses. It was impossible and they failed to keep all the law. If they failed in just one, they would be condemned.

Jesus Christ came and kept the law in every point. He then was able to become that a perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. His death was not justified for he did not sin. His death can count for all who believe in Him.

Through faith in Jesus we now can obtain the righteousness that comes by the power of God. We are born again by the Spirit of God and are given the Holy Spirit to abide within us so that the righteousness of God dwells in us and we become a new creature. Old things have passed away. We still have our will to choose right from wrong however, and if we do not abide in Christ continually and seek His righteousness continually, we can be tempted back into sin and the old nature. We don't want this so we seek Him constantly to be filled with His spirit and desire to walk in TRUE holiness and not manmade religious holiness that is completely outward and does not love or have compassion on the lost or upon a weak brother or sister in Christ. Fearing legalistic religion should not stop us from seeking God continually to walk in love and true holiness.

This will indeed affect our outward appearance but the holiness is not the outward appearance and we cannot judge whether or not one is holy by his or her outward appearance.

Years ago as a young Christian, I lived very strict. My outward appearance was what some would call holy. Even though I loved God and was born again, I soon became judgmental and doubted the salvation of anyone who did not dress as I thought Christians should dress. I got out of that thinking but made another mistake. I started dressing a little more like the world and soon began to think that if the way I was taught was wrong then maybe other things were not wrong either. I almost went too far the other way and almost went back into sin. Instead of continuing in the way I was taught, I started copying the way of others. I offended some in my church who didn't understand why I changed. Some judged me the way I use to judge some of them.

Here is the mistake. Instead of being like the world, we need to set the example but in meekness and love, not in a holier than thou attitude. The church should have kept their standards but with the right spirit and the right attitude of being an example, not being judgmental. We should have been gentle and kind; not harsh and cruel. In other words the church should have changed in attitude if it needed changing but they should not have begun to looking and copying after the world. 

We should have lived in a manner that the world would copy us instead of us copying the world. However, to have a religious spirit that makes the way of salvation complicated and hard to someone who needs to find Jesus Christ is worse than dressing like the world. If I had to choose one, it would be to look like the world and love my brethren. Why though, can't we set the example in dress and outward actions and still possess the love of God toward others. We can have both. We don't have to forsake everything that is decent in order to love others as ourselves.

We just need to guard against portraying the way of salvation as a way of dress or what one does or does not do instead of letting God give us the gift of salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. One cannot live in true holiness without the holy one living within the person. Salvation is individual. Jesus said that except a man be born again, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. This is something that Jesus does when we repent or turn from sin and come to Him for forgiveness of sin. We become Born Again. We are not saved by just keeping the law of Moses or keeping any set of rules and regulations that we've been taught. We have to come to Christ. After coming to Christ, His spirit comes into us and we then can live in the right kind of righteousness and that is the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

We then must choose to continue in the faith and be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit which will not lead us back into sin. Only the wicked one will try to do that but we must resist the wicked one, steadfast in the faith.

That sums it all. Be filled with the fruits of righteousness which comes from Jesus Christ. This pleases God.

Paul realizes that some may wonder why God allowed Paul to be imprisoned and suffer so much persecution. He explains this to them so that their faith is not wavered. These things happened so that he could share the gospel in the places he is taken. Paul felt that getting the gospel to the whole world even if it meant losing his life was more important that his own comfort. 

Some see Paul's example of preaching the gospel even though it may bring persecution, some began to preach without fear.

Not all preach the gospel for the right reasons. Some envy others and try to outdo them or imitate them.

Some proclaim Christ to get authorities to be more angry at those preaching. Some may even be preaching for material gain and a way to make a living.

The love for souls and obedience to God is the only reason to preach the gospel.

Christ name will save the lost and impact the world whether or not it is preached in truth or pretense.

I don't yet understand why our prayers is helpful to another believer but it is. This is why we are to pray for those who preach the gospel. It may be that we may pray at a time when they are suffering discouragement and can't pray themselves. Prayer works. It is still a mystery to me sometimes but I know that prayer works miracles.

To those who die in Christ, it is not loss but gain, for they go immediately into the presence of God. There is no soul sleep taught in scriptures.

We benefit more when the faithful are still alive and living among us then when they go to be with the Lord. 

He recognized that to stay among them in his present body is better for them but worse for him. This is the opposite of our thinking today. We really need to desire to be with the Lord more than the things of this life.

If there was not a danger of losing one's salvation and love, why does Paul continually warn of such? He says continually to make sure our conversation becomes the gospel. In other words, our lives should reflect what we claim to believe. Seeking the infilling of Holy Spirit continually will enable us to do this.

Be of the same mind and one accord. Strive together for the gospel's sake. Contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. Paul is not telling us to compromise and be of the same mind in any false teaching or falling away but to be of the same mind in the truth and faith of the gospel.

We are not to fear those opposing us but trust in God.

A godly life will produce opposition. The greatest opposition sometimes are those that are religious or different than one who walks in the Spirit. But be assured of this. A life in the Spirit and a life in the flesh are total opposites. 

©2008 Old Paths Lighthouse
All articles copyrighted by Old Paths Lighthouse can be copied and shared with others as long as nothing is altered or changed.