I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. (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...
Why Do YOU Serve the Kingdom?
Okay, so I may have lost some readers with the title of this article. It starts with the assumption that you ARE serving the Kingdom in the first place. Some readers may wonder whether they are doing enough for God's redemptive plan. Others may be against God and want nothing to do with His Kingdom work.
Let me assure you.
Let me assure you.
If you are a Christian, you ARE serving the ultimate purpose of God. This is true if you are "all-in," pouring your life out from dawn to dusk for the mission. It is also true if you have seen seasons when it has appeared that you have been totally off track. Wherever you find yourself on that spectrum, IF you are in Christ, you ARE serving the ultimate purpose of God.
And, let me assure you.
If you are NOT a Christian, you ARE serving the ultimate purpose of God.
The chief end of man, or the point in which we are all heading, is to the final day when WE WILL - without exception - WE WILL ALL glorify God. Some of us will glorify God by being poster children for His perfect mercy and grace. Others will glorify God as the recipients of His perfect and righteous judgement.
The difference between the two camps is not so much a difference of our behavior. It is the difference of our hearts.
The difference between the two camps is not so much a difference of our behavior. It is the difference of our hearts.
The portion of the passage that we are unpacking today is this:
"Most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will. The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice."
Paul distinguishes between two groups here, both seem to be doing GOOD things.
They are both "preaching" and "proclaiming" Christ. The Gospel is going forth. Paul says about both groups, "I Rejoice!"
So this isn't a seemingly easy, clear cut division between those who preach Christ and those who commit adultery and murder. No this is much more subtle.
It is the kind of distinction that we often don't spend too much time on in the church (to our shame). If someone wants to serve - anyone - we're so excited that we usually jump at the chance to have them serve without any deep and abiding concern with that servant's salvation (or lack of salvation). But Paul directs us to take notice, not only of the actions, but also the heart. Kinda like Jesus:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matthew 7:21-23 ESV)
and
You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me; (Matthew 15:7-8 ESV)
You see. We are not saved by our works, not even our good works. Not by our gospel proclamation, not by our baptism, not by our diligent Bible reading, not by our charity, not by caring for our brothers and sisters in the church.
Works without faith - even things we are told to do by Jesus - are sin if they are not flowing out of our Faith in Jesus, who did all of the Work perfectly in our place.
But, if we do the good things BECAUSE OF what Jesus has done and IS STILL doing in our hearts and in the world, then those same acts can be beautiful offerings of praise to our Lord.
So, back to Paul's two groups here in Philippians.
GROUP ONE: They are confident, not in themselves or in their works. They are confident in the LORD. They are emboldened by their brother, Paul's faith and steadfastness in the trial of imprisonment. That boldness helps them speak the truth of Christ in a fearless way. Everything they do, they do out of Love.
Love for who? I believe, a love for Jesus, love for Paul and love for the Lost. I say so, because I know when I am thinking about my love for Jesus, my love for my brothers and sisters in Christ and about my love for the lost, I am more encouraged and more bold in my evangelism (but I may be reading too much of my story into this one with that point so take it or leave it).
GROUP TWO: They are motivated from self, not from their savior. Paul says they preach Christ from envy (wishing they had Paul's influence/wishing to gain glory for themselves instead of glory for God). They preach from a place of rivalry, hoping to gain more disciples than other leaders have (as though the lost were just notches on their spiritual conquest belt).
They preach from selfish ambition (possibly for their own financial gain - and surely for their own prestige). They hope that they can afflict Paul by stealing away his disciples while he is in jail and then somehow rubbing that in his face.
They preach from selfish ambition (possibly for their own financial gain - and surely for their own prestige). They hope that they can afflict Paul by stealing away his disciples while he is in jail and then somehow rubbing that in his face.
And, THIS IS IMPORTANT, the reason I think Paul is talking about unconverted, hell-bound church folk is that at the end of the thought he says that Group Two preaches without sincerity and with pretense. They are pretending to be holy, Jesus-loving disciples, but their hearts are so inward focused that they cannot see Jesus at all. "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me..."
But, this isn't just a history lesson about the early church. This is a chance to run a diagnostic test on YOUR heart, right now.
The question is not, how many times have you gone to the church building for an event this week, or how much you've tithed, or whether or not you said a four-letter-word, or if you've helped the orphans and widows this week. For myself, it's not only even a question of "Did I share the Gospel? Did I preach my heart out?"
(all of those are important evidences of faith, but they are not what our eternity hangs onto)
The question is WHY? WHY do you serve the kingdom of God? Is it because He saved you? Is it because He loves you? Is it for HIS GLORY, or yours?
If you've been serving, but for the wrong reasons, don't beat yourself up. Repent. Believe the Gospel and have eternal life.
