The Helper

The passage for February is Philippians 1:3-11: 
  

  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 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. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 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, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (ESV)

If you are new to this reading plan, follow the instructions on the right side of this page or click here to read the "Why Just One Letter" introduction article.

Throughout each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of understanding regarding our text (see the archive links on the lower right of this page for review). Today we will discuss...

The Helper

This month has drawn to a close and with it, we will soon move on to the next passage in Paul's letter to the Philippians. We pray that this has been a fruitful month of studying God's Word. And we will close up February by revisiting the topic of LOVE in the Christian life.

While the part of the passage that we are looking at today doesn't have the word LOVE in it, you may have realized by looking at your life - in response to the last two articles - that God calls us to a lot IF we are trying to reflect the affection of Christ to our church family and to the not-yet-believers around us.  

In fact this goal of reflecting the affection of Christ is not just asking a lot from us, it is asking the impossible 

                                 - if we try to do it on our own.

So, we will find the help we need as we study Paul's desire for us to be "filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ..." 

If you remember, to show the LOVE that matches Christ's, we need to see that Jesus first DEMONSTRATED what love looks like and then He EMPOWERED us to love in the same way.
Paul's words here are pointing us to the EMPOWERING piece.

You see, the fruit of righteousness is synonymous with the fruit of the Spirit that Paul talks about in Galatians: 

"...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control..." (Galatians 5:22-23 ESV) 

Don't miss that it is fruit of the SPIRIT. This kind of righteousness - including LOVE - is not something we can produce by our own strength or virtue. If we only have our sinful human ability at the root, then we will only produce sinful-human love. Even at it's best, human love in the broken world is... BROKEN.

But, our God is well aware of our limitations. The Psalms remind us:

"...He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust." (Psalm 103:14 ESV) 

And at the end of His earthly ministry, Jesus - who was all too familiar with the shortcomings of His disciples - promised the EMPOWERING help that they (and we) would need to fulfill His plan. He said:

"I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." (John 14:16-17 ESV)

And,

"...I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7 ESV)

It was the anointing of the Holy Spirit that ushered in Jesus' earthly ministry of Love (Luke 3:21-22; 4:1-21).
It was the anointing of the Holy Spirit that ushered in the church age (John 20:21-22; Acts 1:8; 2:1-41).
And it is the anointing of the Holy Spirit that ushers in our ability to LIVE and LOVE for Christ today (John 15:5).

The point is, when this passage is read as a whole we see that Paul has a Christ empowered love for the Church in Philippi. And Paul prays that the Philippians would grow in a Christ empowered love for each other and the lost. That love is shaped by sound doctrine and is protected by discernment against false teaching. And, that love is nourished by the Living Water of the Holy Spirit. 

May Christ continue to bless us richly with the Living Water rushing like a river from our transformed hearts into the world that needs to see Him and may we do all things "to the glory and praise of God."

Amen.

Protected by Love

The passage for February is Philippians 1:3-11: 
  

  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 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. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 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, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (ESV)

If you are new to this reading plan, follow the instructions on the right side of this page or click here to read the "Why Just One Letter" introduction article.

Throughout each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of understanding regarding our text (see the archive links on the lower right of this page for review). Today we will discuss...

Protected by Love

In a previous article, we saw how Paul was in constant prayer for the Philippian Church. And while his prayers were prayers of thanksgiving, they were also prayers for growth and protection. Today we will look at the verse where Paul writes, "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..."

The result that Paul hoped for...

It was Paul's desire that the Philippians would be able to approve what is excellent. The Apostle knew that the Philippians had been as sinful as the rest of humanity before they came to faith. He also understood that they were living in the midst of a corrupt and twisted culture that was at odds with Jesus on every front.
Paul prayed for the believers' love to grow with knowledge and discernment in order to help them battle against drifting back into sin or approving of others' sins (see Romans 1:28-32).

Closely connected to their approval of what was excellent, Paul prayed for their love to grow with knowledge and discernment so that the Philippians would be found to be pure and blameless for the Day of Christ. 

We have already seen in past articles that this Day of Christ, or Day of the Lord, points us forward to the day when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead. Those without Christ will be on the hook to receive the judgement due for their sins - this will be the group that is cast out into Hell. For those of us who have taken Christ as our Savior and Lord, this will be the day when we see our sins fully paid for by the work of Christ on our behalf and we will be given entrance to His Kingdom to live with God forever. 

When Paul writes that he desires to see the Philippians as pure and blameless on that day it is not that he expects that they will be seen that way because of their own merit, but only because of the great exchange in which God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin - so that in Him (covered by Jesus sacrifice on our behalf), we will become the righteousness of God. 

On that day, it will be Jesus' pure blamelessness that we will be clothed in, if we stay in the faith.

How do we get that result?

Just like the Philippians, the way that our church is able to make it to the end of this life and enter eternity with Jesus is by growing in LOVE with knowledge and discernment.  

Paul prayed this way because he knew that the most dangerous thing that a Christian could encounter was NOT an enemy's sword. The most dangerous thing that we face is a lesser thing fighting to take our our affection off of Jesus. 

In another letter Paul described this as worshipping the created thing rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). Paul's method of protecting the church from this sin was to pray for a LOVE that was shaped and grown by sound doctrine. 

While "Doctrine" is a bad word in some circles, the genuine Christian faith is built upon what we believe about who God is, who we are, what God has done for us in Christ and what it takes to receive His gift of Salvation. Those are all doctrinal issues. 

So, while we should have an emotional attachment to Jesus, we should feed that Love by constantly learning more and more about who He REALLY is as He has revealed himself in the Bible. 

As we grow in our knowledge, we will be able to discern when false teaching comes at us - whether it comes from advertisers and the media, or from smooth-talking preachers or teachers who try to simply tickle our ears with lies or half-truths. 

Is Your Love Growing?

A way to gauge whether or not you are growing in your love in knowledge and discernment is to look back over the course of the last six months or so and see if there has been a noticeable difference in the way you have been: 

- Loving God (through repentance of sin, Christ-like living, prayer, Bible reading, etc)

- Loving the Church (through service, prayer, interaction with the local church in weekly services and daily life, giving, etc) & 

- Loving the Lost (through helping the "least of these," sharing your faith, demonstrating hope and gentleness, etc).

If you find yourself drifting in any of these three areas, don't beat yourself up, just repent and believe the Gospel. Talk to a Christian brother or sister where you see your love lacking and ask them to remind you of God's greatness, gloriousness, goodness and graciousness. 

And your elders will join Paul in praying that OUR 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.

The Affection of Christ Jesus

The passage for February is Philippians 1:3-11: 
 

  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 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. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 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, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (ESV)

If you are new to this reading plan, follow the instructions on the right side of this page or click here to read the "Why Just One Letter" introduction article.

Throughout each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of understanding regarding our text (see the archive links on the lower right of this page for review). Today we will discuss...

The Affection of Christ Jesus

There is love, and then there is LOVE, and then there is LOVE.  

In our language, there is hardly any word that is used in as many different ways as the word LOVE. As one pastor points out, we use the same word to express our emotion toward our spouse and children as we do for our favorite food or sports team. 

Obviously, or at least hopefully, you don't mean the same thing when you say you love your husband as you mean when you say you love pizza. 

Today, we are looking at two things that Paul writes in this passage, "I hold you in my heart." And, "I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus."

This is the kind of LOVE that we need to understand before moving on to the next article, where we will look at Paul's hope that the Philippians' "LOVE may abound more and more." 

The kind of Love that Paul is going to talk about is not a matter of preference like - I LOVE this school, I LOVE this soda, or I LOVE this song. 

The kind of Love that Paul is going to talk about is not the fickle and fleeting love that is all too common in many relationships today where a couple LOVE each other only as long as it is exciting or mutually beneficial or as long a nothing better is available.  Sadly, even in the church, we have bought into that cultural misrepresentation of love. It is a damaging counterfeit to the real LOVE that Paul is going to point us to. 

The kind of LOVE that Paul is going to talk about - the kind of LOVE that Paul feels for his brothers and sisters in Christ - is "The Affection of Christ Jesus." 

The Affection of Christ Jesus needs to be understood from two different angles. These two should never be separated if we want to see it change our lives, our church and our community. 

The Affection of Christ Jesus was 1st a DEMONSTRATED LOVE and The Affection of Christ Jesus is 2nd a Holy Spirit EMPOWERED LOVE. 

DEMONSTRATED LOVE
Jesus Christ is our standard setter for LOVE. We see in the Gospels a LOVE from Jesus that was patient, gentle, merciful, compassionate, selfless and sacrificially forgiving. 
So, when we think about how we are to love other Christians - both here in our church and across the globe - we too must always strive to love each other with patience, gentleness, mercy, compassion, selflessness and with sacrificial forgiveness. 

Think for a moment of ANY rift or hurt you have experienced in your church family. Can that hurt (or those hurts) be explained without recognizing a lack of Christ-like LOVE between the Christians involved?  

But, we cannot leave it at that. We cannot see the Affection of Christ as ONLY a good and Godly example. We have to see it also as an ...

EMPOWERED LOVE 
Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to LOVE in the way that he showed us by uniting us with Him through our faith in His perfect life, death and resurrection on our behalf AND then by sending His Holy Spirit to guide us, encourage us and empower us to love that way. 

On our own - in our own power - there is a limit to our patience, gentleness, mercy, compassion, selflessness and sacrificial forgiveness. But, what is impossible with us alone is more than manageable for us when we operate by His power and by His design. 

Paul got that early on and Paul not only wanted the Affection of Christ to control him, He wanted that Affection of Christ to control him in such a way that it became contagious - spreading like a virus among the churches he planted. That's why Paul writes several times in the New Testament about imitating his life example - AS PAUL IMITATED JESUS. 

And, despite many times when some people would have thrown in the towel and given up on the messy people that make up the church, it was the example of Jesus and the Power of the Holy Spirit that motivated Paul to keep fighting the good fight of faith and to serve the church with all of his heart.    

The Faith and Works Connection

The passage for February is Philippians 1:3-11:

  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 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. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 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, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (ESV)

If you are new to this reading plan, follow the instructions on the right side of this page or click here to read the "Why Just One Letter" introduction article.

Throughout each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of understanding regarding our text (see the archive links on the lower right of this page for review). Today we will discuss...

The Faith and Works Connection

We've previously discussed Paul's Thankfulness and Prayer for his partnership with the Philippians in the Gospel. And we have discussed how Faith was the foundation of Paul's assurance in that partnership. 

Jesus starts the partnership by bringing us individually together by faith. Jesus unites us in the Spirit and Jesus will bring our partnership into perfect harmony when we are glorified. 

We are justified, sanctified, unified and ultimately GLORIFIED by faith in the gracious work of Jesus Christ on our behalf. 

Whenever Christians lose sight of that foundational truth we end up getting into a big mess. 

The good and correct slogan of our faith is that We are saved by grace through faith - NOT BY WORKS. In another letter Paul writes, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV)

But - and this is a very important BUT - while we are saved by faith alone, our Scriptures make clear that true saving faith never stands alone, it always produces fruit. 

James says it this way, "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." (James 2:14-17 ESV)  

In other words, if we say we are Christians, yet there is NO evidence of Gospel transformation in our everyday life - in our generosity, in our hatred for sin in our heart, in mourning over the sin in the world around us, in a love for Jesus and His church, etc..., - then we cannot confidently say we are in fact Christians.

One pastor says it would be like a pear tree claiming to be an apple tree. The fruit just doesn't match the profession. This doesn't mean that once you become a Christian then you are instantly holy, sin free, grateful, generous and gracious. But it does mean that your life should immediately begin the transformation process that Jesus promised, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 ESV) 

This freedom is a freedom FROM the enslavement of sinful lust, greed, bitterness, fear, resentment and hate, selfishness and the like. 

This freedom is a freedom TO live for others, resist temptation, and increasingly submit all of your life to the rule and empowerment of your good, glorious, gracious and great king, Jesus.
  
Or as Paul simply said it:
After he wrote that "...by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." 
He followed that up immediately with this famous line, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV)

If we say we have been saved, yet are not growing and walking closer with God to do the good that we were created for by Jesus, then we may need to ask if we are the pear trees trying to convince everyone (even ourselves) that we're apple trees.

So, what does all of this have to do with the February passage of Philippians? 

It has to do with the link between Paul's assurance of God's faithfulness to the Church in Philippi and Paul's confidence that their faith is actually genuine. 
Paul says, "It is right for me to feel this way...," it is right for me to believe that "He who began a good work in you WILL bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ..." because the Philippians have been partakers of grace with Paul, "...both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the Gospel."

You Philippians didn't just claim Christ when it was easy, when you saw me (PAUL) released from the Philippian jail by God's power in the early days of the church (Acts 16:25-40), but you've also stood by me and followed Christ when things have gotten much more difficult, "in my imprisonment."

And, you've not only supported me (PAUL) from afar through prayer and financial assistance, but you Philippians have also been partakers of grace with me through your own, "defense and confirmation of the Gospel."

Paul has faith in God's work in the Philippians and God gives Paul evidence that Paul's faith is correct by the fruit of faith that the Holy Spirit is producing in the lives of the Philippians. 

This matters today.
At the level of personal holiness, we must not simply go on living like the world - sinning without remorse or repentance or conviction - and still claim to be in Christ. Our growth will sometimes come in spurts of advancement in spiritual maturity and at other times we will be growing so slowly (as slow as an actual apple tree) that we may wonder if we are actually being changed. But, we should be able to look back over the course of time since first coming to faith and be able to say, "Yes, God is changing me and has changed me here, and here, and here."

Paul warns us, "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5 ESV)  

If, for some reason, you do feel like you've failed the test, this is no time to give up. Simply do what Christ has called you to do from the beginning Repent and believe. Give your life to Christ, live in community with other Christians whom you can confess your sins to, live in community with Christians whom you can receive correction and encouragement from and whom you can love and serve in the power that comes through the Spirit. 

Don't give up because of who you have been. Live in the freedom of who you will be if you abide in His word.

At the global level, there has never been a more dangerous time to be a Christian than right now. Martyrdom, imprisonment and other atrocities await those who give their lives to Christ in many regions of the Earth. 
And even here in America, loss of family and friends, public mocking and character assassination and more awaits many of us who will live according to Jesus' lordship in our lives and for those of us who will refuse to violate our Christian conscience in order to toe the line of our culture and the laws of a morally bankrupt government.

In this era, when persecution comes, will we support those who like Paul, are imprisoned for their faith? In this era, if persecution and hardship continues to mount at our own doorsteps, will we give a loving, gentle honest reflection of Jesus' love to those who hate Him? 

I am sure that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way because you are partakers of grace with Paul - both in his imprisonment and in the confirmation and defense of the Gospel.

Are You Sure of This?

The passage for February is Philippians 1:3-11:

  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 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. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 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, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (ESV)

If you are new to this reading plan, follow the instructions on the right side of this page or click here to read the "Why Just One Letter" introduction article.

Throughout each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of understanding regarding our text (see the archive links on the lower right of this page for review). Today we will discuss...

Are You Sure of This?

We are living in uncertain times. 

The culture is far from alignment to God's design. Political factions become more and more polarized with every new election cycle, while neither side fully represents Christ. There is an undeniable gap between the rich and the poor in our culture. Illness and tragedy still reaches into every family. And, in many communities and many local churches - division between Christians hampers our ability to reach the lost. 
 

While nearly two thousand years have passed since The Apostle Paul wrote this letter, his first century readers would have been able to relate to every part of the paragraph of problems above. 

And just as was true in Paul's day, with all that is happening around us, some Christian leaders would have us run for the hills, while others would have us take up arms and fight, and still others would have us give in and reshape our convictions in order to match the culture. 

But Paul, writing from a Roman prison because of His faith - Paul writing to a young church who knew religious persecution better than many of us in the Church in America can imagine - Paul did not start his letter by bemoaning the obvious problems that come with living in a fallen world. 

No.

He reminded the church of their Redeemed Reality and their Promised Restoration. 

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.

 

Paul says, "I am sure of this..." 

When a child is growing, one of the factors that determine whether she will thrive or not is how secure she feels. If a child is unsure if they will eat today, other concerns like studying, developing social skills and the like all become less important. 

In the same way, if we Christians are going to thrive and excel in our ability to glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment, we need to feel secure that we have all we need. 

If a Christian is unsure of his standing before God, or about the outcome of his life, then other concerns like studying the Word or growing as a disciple maker will become less important. 

So Paul, roots the Philippians (and us) in the solid assurance that "he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." 

And Paul starts assuring us by reminding us that "He began the good work in you...."  

It was by God's grace you were saved through faith in Jesus. It was not of your own doing. It was a gift of God. This is good because 1) He get's all the glory and we are saved from the destructive power of pride. And 2) We know that God doesn't start something that He doesn't finish. 

Trials are going to come. You will be mocked and persecuted. In this life you will face hardships and suffering. You will be tempted. You will struggle against sin. But, IF you are His, then He who began a good work in you...

"...Will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." 

Christians long for the day when all is made new. We long for the day when the presence of sin and suffering is cast away and we can bask in the warmth of God's glory once and for all. That day is coming and it is called the Day of Jesus Christ, or the Day of the Lord. 

Paul points to this day of completion as the ultimate assurance that these light and momentary afflictions that we face on this side of eternity will not be the end of our story. Because Jesus lives, we can face tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, until the day of Jesus Christ. 

But, not-yet-believers might point out: Some people - even non-Christians have it so rough here on this broken side of eternity that THEY also look forward to an end to their suffering or misery. Does that hope require Jesus? 

Others assume that the end of life brings NOTHING - and that NOTHING seems better than their current reality. 

While others assume there may be some sort of heavenly afterlife, and they assume everyone gets to go and that vague idea of paradise is certainly more attractive than the brokenness they are dealing with right now. So they long for the end too.

If Jesus didn't teach so much about Hell and the narrow road to Heaven through Him, than we might want to agree with our lost friends.

However, in Joel 2, we see that The Day of the Lord will not be what some are expecting. For those of us who believe, it is our salvation made complete (Joel 2:32). But for those who choose the way of the World, it is a day of utter destruction (Take a moment now to read about the day of the Lord in Joel 2). 

With all of that said. Paul wants our view of the Day of Jesus Christ to be a source of hope and assurance. That hope - the knowledge of the FACT that we are on the winning side of the Spiritual battle - enables us to live the life God called us to live with courage. 

Do you live courageously for Christ? If not, don't try to correct the problem by just doing something courageous - or Radical before you remind yourself of who you are. 
Ask God and other Christians to remind you of what God began in you. And remember that what He began in you will be completed on the Day of Jesus Christ. YOU WIN, Go live now in the victory that has been guaranteed.

Thankful and Prayerful for Gospel Partnership

  The passage for February is Philippians 1:3-11:

  I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 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. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 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, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (ESV)

If you are new to this reading plan, follow the instructions on the right side of this page or click here to read the "Why Just One Letter" introduction article.

This may seem like a long passage compared to January, but do not be intimidated, just take it in according to the plan and before you know it, it will be stored up in your heart. 

Throughout each month, we will post short articles to give some depth of understanding regarding our text (see the archive links on the lower right of this page for review). Today we will discuss...

Thankful and Prayerful for Gospel Partnership

In this article we will kick off our new passage in the One Year 1 Letter reading Plan with the first sentence:

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

The Apostle Paul seems really excited about this "Partnership in the gospel."
Partners - not only in the Gospel, but in any venture - have a common goal. That is what brings them together. That is what binds them. That is what gives focus to their mission.

Some partnerships are short term. 
- Politicians make temporary alliances to pass a piece of legislation that they both believe in.
- Nations partner with one another to overcome a common foe.

Others partner for a longer period. 
- Husbands and wives partner to live for the betterment of one another and life long companionship. 
- Parents partner with schools, or home-school co-ops to educate their children.
- Workers in a factory partner together with management, to produce goods quickly, efficiently and with the highest possible quality.
 
One partnership is eternal.
Christians are in partnership to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout our lives. And we’re in partnership to worship God eternally. Look around you, the Christians you work with, live with and gather at our services with, these are the people who are going to be with you forever. 

Paul is really excited about this Partnership in the Gospel, because, when it is working, it is the unstoppable work of God that is reclaiming the world - one heart at a time - for Jesus. 
While Philippi was not a PROBLEM FREE church, in comparison with many of the early churches - especially in Corinth and Galatia - the Philippians had been able to continue without as many areas needing correction. 
So, what is Paul's reaction to this partnership?

Paul can say that: he "thank(s) my God in all my remembrance of you..."
Whenever Paul thinks about the Philippians, he gives gratitude to God. In every Christians' life there will be people whom we mourn over because of their damnable lack of faith, and there will be times when we have genuine concern for a backsliding believer. And sometimes God graces us with people in our life who've faith that strengthens and encourages us each time we get to share life and serve with them. The Philippians seem to fit into that third category for Paul, so much so that EVERY TIME he thinks of them, he thanks God for them. 

And, Paul says that, "...always in every prayer..." of his for the Philippians, that he makes those prayers, "...with joy."
Two important points can be seen here, first is the obvious fact that every prayer for the Philippians is made with joy. But the second Point is more important. While I would be happy to hear that a persons prayer for me was made joyfully, I am OVERJOYED to hear that they are praying for me - and my church at all. 

Paul didn't become complacent with God when he thought about the Philippians. He didn't just set things on cruise control and focus all of his energy on the "problem child" churches that needed more correction. 
No, Paul realized that EVERY THING that was good and praise worthy in Philippi, up to that point, was in thanks to God's grace - so he gave "Thanks to God in all remembrance" of them. 
But, knowing that things can go off the rails, even among God's people in this broken world, Paul was diligent in praying for their continued faithfulness and success. 

As you finish reading this article, 
I would ask you to pray - right now - for your church, for the servant leaders, and for the faithful membership of saints. I hope that you can pray with thanksgiving to God in all of your remembrance of us. And, I hope that you can pray with joy for our continued faithfulness and success in spreading the gospel in our local community and beyond. 

And, since we have not always done everything right, I hope that you can forgive us our past faults and partner with us in the gospel as we continue on from here. 

Just like the Biblical pictures of the church as a family, and the church as a body can show weakness in light of broken families and unhealthy bodies - so too, can the picture of Partnership be broken if we do not keep the Partnership centered on the GOSPEL. 

No matter where you have come from, or where your allegiance used to be - God takes us from where we were and sets our eyes ahead to the prize of seeing the lost be found, of giving sight to the blind, of bringing slaves of sin into freedom in Christ. If you are committed to that, let's partner together - in thankfulness and prayer - and let's watch what the Lord will do.