The Clear Parts are Difficult

April 21, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Philippians 2:1-5 NIV

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

An elderly preacher once told me, “Craig, it’s not the ‘hard to understand’ parts of the Bible that give me trouble, it’s the clear, ‘easy to understand,’ parts that give me the most trouble.” And, I don’t think he is alone in that.

In this passage, Paul gives us an if/then appeal, and then some instruction. Apparently, he had become aware of some division in the Philippian community, so he offered his thoughts on what they need to do to fix the problem.

The Appeal

IF you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,
IF any comfort from his love,
IF any fellowship with the Spirit,
IF any tenderness and compassion,

Now, who – that is born again – doesn’t have some of that? Before you object, notice that Paul quantifies those things with “any.” He’s not saying those who have obtained complete fullness of encouragement, comfort, fellowship or compassion. He’s speaking to those who have ANY, of any of those things. And, if you do: Here comes the THEN.

THEN make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

There it is: the clear but hard part. Be like-minded? Have the same love? Be one in spirit and purpose? “But we’re different people!” we might object. We have different likes and dislikes, different tastes, different backgrounds, different cultures. Lots of differences. On and on we go, with our objections to Paul’s “then.” How can we blend together in unity when we’re so different?

Paul’s Instruction

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

The only reason to comment on that is to find a loophole.

The Test

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.”

How did you do?

Filed Under: New Testament, Philippians

Confidence and Joy in Prayer

April 16, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Philippians 1:3-11 NIV

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 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.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

This short passage answers at least two questions:

1. Why does Paul pray with confidence and joy for the saints at Philippi?

Because “HE who began a good work in [them] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

In other words, when God starts something, he finishes it.

2. For what does Paul pray?

That [their] love may abound more and more in
A. knowledge, and
B. depth of insight.

So that [they] may:
1. be able to discern what is best, and
2. be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, and
3. be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-

To the glory and praise of God.

Paul’s prayer for the saints at Philippi has one goal in mind: the glory and praise to God.

Filed Under: New Testament, Philippians, Prayer, Sovereignty, Supremacy of God

A Great Truth, A Great Hope

April 11, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Filed Under: Death, encouragement, Evangelism, Flowers, Gospels, Matthew, New Testament, Passover, Photography

This Should Be Every Believer’s Prayer

April 7, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Ephesians 6:19-20 NIV

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Notice that Paul mentions two concerns: fear of man and content of the message. I think both of these issues are heavy weights on the shoulders of most Christians; and one often proceeds from the other.

Most Christian groups that I have spoken with about these topics affirm that they are generally afraid to share the message of their faith because they are afraid that someone will ask them a question to which they don’t know the answer.

The truth is, no one knows the answer to every possible question, and it’s okay to say, “I don’t know, but I’ll try to find out.” Besides, if Paul had concerns about these two issues, and he wrote much of the New Testament, let’s be modest enough to say that it’s not dramatically weak to have the same concerns.

Action Point: Let’s commit to study God’s word so that we will have more to draw from when we are sharing the mystery of the gospel, and let’s also commit to pray for each other that God will give us the right words and a measure of courage. Deal?

Filed Under: Ephesians, Evangelism, New Testament, Prayer

Now You Are Light: Be Light!

April 2, 2009 by Leave a Comment

Ephesians 5:8-11 NIV

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

One of the things that was missing from my discipleship as a new believer is found in the verses above: “Live as children of the light . . . find out what pleases the Lord.”

I’m afraid that among Baptists there continues to be an erroneous pride in being known for what we are against over and above what we are for. In other words, we often have an unbalanced emphasis on verse 11: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.”

In these verses, Paul surely tells us to be separate from wickedness, but he also gives us balance. Notice the pattern: dark, light, light, dark. His instruction isn’t only a message of “don’t do”; there is also the positive imperative to “do.” Holiness isn’t just not doing fruitless deeds of darkness; that’s only one side of the coin.

Some might portion these verses out as a measure of theology followed by a dash of the practical.

The theological: First Paul reminds us that we were once darkness, then he contrasts that with what we are after salvation: light in the Lord.
The practical: First Paul tells us to live as children of the light by finding out what pleases the Lord (and by implication) to do that! In contrast, he says that fruitless deeds of darkness are not how we do what pleases the Lord. Stay away from them, and do the other!

Filed Under: Ephesians, Holiness, New Testament
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