WORD From The Woods
Philippians 1:1-11
"Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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."
Philippians is a letter written by Paul to christians in the Roman colony of Philippi, which is actually the first church that Paul started in Europe. I love how Paul addresses the readers of his letters. He always starts by giving thanks, praying for and encouraging the believers that he is writing to, to keep fighting the good fight faithfully until the end. I wish that we, in this day and age, could learn to have a heart like Paul for our brothers and sisters in Christ! I really like how Paul tells the Philippians that they are "partners in the gospel," we, as believers today, are still partners in the gospel of Christ! Verse 6 is one that most of us know by heart, "He who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ," what this means is that when we placed our trust in Christ as our savior and Lord, He began the work of sanctification in our lives. Sanctification is a process in which we are changed into a person that is set apart to be used by God, this is not of our own doing, it's something that God is doing in us through the power of the Holy Spirit and it’s a process that won't be fully completed until Christ returns. This is what Paul is talking about when he says that it's his prayer that love may abound more and more, with all knowledge and discernment. As partners in the gospel and partakers of grace we will grow more and more in these ways (which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit living in us) and become more like Jesus Christ and more bold in spreading the gospel of His Kingdom. As you head out into the world this week, keep your eyes on Christ and seek to become more like Him in your daily life and share the good news of salvation with the world around you!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-
Philippians 1:1-11
"Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 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."
Philippians is a letter written by Paul to christians in the Roman colony of Philippi, which is actually the first church that Paul started in Europe. I love how Paul addresses the readers of his letters. He always starts by giving thanks, praying for and encouraging the believers that he is writing to, to keep fighting the good fight faithfully until the end. I wish that we, in this day and age, could learn to have a heart like Paul for our brothers and sisters in Christ! I really like how Paul tells the Philippians that they are "partners in the gospel," we, as believers today, are still partners in the gospel of Christ! Verse 6 is one that most of us know by heart, "He who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ," what this means is that when we placed our trust in Christ as our savior and Lord, He began the work of sanctification in our lives. Sanctification is a process in which we are changed into a person that is set apart to be used by God, this is not of our own doing, it's something that God is doing in us through the power of the Holy Spirit and it’s a process that won't be fully completed until Christ returns. This is what Paul is talking about when he says that it's his prayer that love may abound more and more, with all knowledge and discernment. As partners in the gospel and partakers of grace we will grow more and more in these ways (which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit living in us) and become more like Jesus Christ and more bold in spreading the gospel of His Kingdom. As you head out into the world this week, keep your eyes on Christ and seek to become more like Him in your daily life and share the good news of salvation with the world around you!
God bless and have a great week! -Terry-