Beloved, I am glad to share have with you today the above theme from Ph 4.1 and following. Indeed, Paul declares, “Rejoice in the Lord.” Yet he does not lack the causes of tears (Phil 3:17-21). An unfortunate discord opposes two sisters, Évodie and Syntyche, and disturbs the Assembly. Paul exhorts – or rather begs – each of them personally. Let them learn – and so do we – the great lesson of Phil 2:1-4 (Pr 13:10). Is our sweetness known to our brothers and sisters, to our comrades? How many quarrels would cease if we were aware that the Lord’s return is imminent. How many worries too! Through prayer, let us unload our hearts from all that torments them. But to be immediately answered? Not necessarily, but so that God can pour his perfect peace into it. And how to avoid bad thoughts? By cultivating the good ones. Let us use verse 8 as a multi-grid screen. What is currently occupying my mind, is it true?… just?… pure?… kind?… edifying?… Thoughts thus filtered and purified can only be translated into acts of the same nature (v. 9). And what will be the consequence? Not only the peace of God, but the God of peace in person living “in our home” (John 14:18-24).
Paul probably remembers his first visit to Philippi, the prison, and the hymns he sang there with Silas (Acts 16:22-25). Prisoner again, nothing takes away his joy because nothing can take Away Christ from him. The same is true of its strength. “I can all things,” he said, “despite his chains, in the One who strengthens me” (2 Cor 6:1-10). Like him, we learn to be happy whatever the circumstances: success or difficulty, health or illness, good or bad weather… if we are “content with the Lord.”
Although very poor, the Philippians had just sent a new help to the apostle through the hands of Epaphrodite (2 Cor 8:1-6). He tells them according to his own experience: “My God will make up for all your needs” – but not for all your lusts. He engages the responsibility of his God, as if he were wearing a blank check knowing how to have for himself and his friends unlimited credit: nothing less than “His riches in glory” (v. 19; Eph 3:14-19). May God give us to experience the secret of the Blessed Apostle – the full sufficiency of the Lord Jesus Christ – until the sigh of the psalm is finally fulfilled: “I will see your face… I will be satisfied with your image” (Ps 17:15).
For to speak of lack and deprivation leads the apostle to give us a wonderful insight into how he faced his suffering and imprisonment. These tragic circumstances had become a source of practical instruction for him, as he had learned to be happy. Being happy in the present circumstances, whatever they may be, was no more natural to Paul than to us. But he had learned it, and learned not in theory, but by experience through the most unfavorable circumstances, his heart being full of Christ as we see in chapter 3. He was therefore able to face the most violent changes. Lowering or abundance, full self-sufficiency or hunger, abundance or the worst deprivations, everything was the same for Paul because Christ is the same, and all of Paul’s resources and joys were within Him.
For in Christ Paul had the strength to face everything, and the same strength is available in the same way to each of us. If only we exploited all that is in Christ for us, we could do everything. But Paul does not simply say “I could,” but “I can.” It is easy to admire the wonderful courage and serene superiority over the circumstances, which marked the apostle, and it is not difficult to discern the source of his power, but it is something else to walk in his footsteps. This is hardly even possible, unless you go through your circumstances or similar circumstances. Hence our obvious weakness. We conform to the world, we lack spiritual vigor and aggressiveness, we avoid suffering, and we lack spiritual education. We can’t say “I learned… I know… I am taught … I can,” as Paul could say. It would be good for us to face in all simplicity these defects that characterize us, lest we think that we are “rich and satiated with goods”, that we are selected as Christians of the twentieth century, and that therefore, as for spiritual intelligence, we are almost the last expression of what Christians should be.
The apostle did not depend in any way on the gifts of the saints of Philippi or elsewhere, and he wanted them to know this; but, though so it was, he assured them, in a very delicate and beautiful manner, that he was fully aware of the love and devotion to the Lord and to Himself that had prompted them to make this gift. He recognized that the Philippians shone particularly in this grace, and this from the first moment they had been touched by the gospel. They had thought of him in the past, when no other assembly had done so, both in Macedonia and Thessaloniki, and now in Rome.
The dedication of the Philippians in this regard was enhanced by the fact that they were very poor. This is what 2 Corinthians 8:2 reveals to us. They themselves had gone through great affliction, and they had experienced great joy in the Lord. All this is very instructive for us. Very often we are indifferent and petty because our own experiences of suffering and spiritual refreshment are very superficial.
Having received their gift from Epaphrodite, Paul wanted them to know that he was now well supplied and in abundance. But their gift had not only met his needs; it was in its nature a sacrifice pleasing to God, like those sacrifices of good smell of which the Old Testament speaks. It was something even bigger. But what about the Philippians themselves? They had become even poorer, they had further reduced their already meagre resources by their donation to an elderly prisoner who could not reciprocate or help them. Paul felt it, and in verse 19 he expresses his trust in them.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
Rejoice in the Lord:
- Book of life
Ex 32:33 Forgive their sin now! If not, delete me from your book you wrote. Ps 69:29 Let them be erased from the book of life, and let them not be inscribed with the righteous! Dn 12:1 At that time will rise Michael, the great chief, the defender of the children of your people; and it will be a time of distress, such that there has been no such time since nations existed until that time. At that time, those of your people who will be found inscribed in the book will be saved. Lk 10:20, however, do not rejoice that the spirits are submitted to you; but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. Phil 4:3 And you too, faithful colleague, yes, I beg you to help them, they who fought for the Gospel with me, and with Clement and my other companions, whose names are in the book of life. Hb 12:23 But you have come near to the mount of Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to the myriads that form the choir of angels; Rev 13:8 And all the inhabitants of the earth will worship him, those whose name was not written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the lamb who was slain. Rev 20:12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. Books were opened. And another book was opened, the one that is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, according to what was written in these books. Rev 22:19 and if anyone removes anything from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will remove His share of the tree of life and the holy city, described in this book.
- Honesty required
Dt 25:15 You will have exact and just weight, you will have an exact and just epha, that your days may be prolonged in the land that Jehovah your God gives you. Pr 11:1 The false scale is in horror to the Lord, but the right weight is pleasing to him. Rom 12:17 Do not return evil to anyone for the sake of evil. Look for what is right in front of all men. Rom 13:8 Owe no one anything except to love one another; for he who loves others has fulfilled the law. Phil 4.8 For that matter, brethren, let all that is true, all that is honorable, all that is just, all that is pure, all that is lovable, all that deserves approval, that which is virtuous and praiseworthy, be the object of your thoughts.
- The Duty to Tell the Truth
Pr 12:19 The truthful lip is strengthened forever, but the false tongue remains only for a moment. So 3:13 The remnants of Israel will not commit iniquity, They will not tell lies, and there will not be in their mouths a deceptive tongue; But they will graze, they will rest, and no one will disturb them. Za 8:16 This is what you must do: tell the truth each to his neighbor; judge in your doors according to truth and for peace; 2 Cor 12:6 If I wanted to glorify myself, I would not be a fool, for I would say the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may have an opinion of me superior to what he sees in me or to what he hears of me. Eph 4:25 Therefore, renounce the lie, and let each of you speak according to the truth to his neighbor; for we are members of each other. Eph 6:14 Stand firm, therefore: have the truth to your loins as a belt; put on the armor of justice;
- The Duty of Charity
-The order of Moses Dt 15:12-14 If one of your Hebrew brethren, male or female, sells himself to you, he will serve you six years; but in the seventh year you will send him home free from home. 13 And when thou shalt return him free from your home, thou shalt not return him empty; 14 Thou shalt make gifts to him from your small cattle, from thy area, from one’s press, from what thou shalt have by the blessing of Jehovah, thy God.
-The counsel of the wise man Pr 25:21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; If he is thirsty, give him water to drink. Ec 11:1 Cast your bread on the face of the waters, for in time thou shalt find it again;
-The words of the prophet Isaiah 58:7 Share your bread with the hungry, and bring into your house the unfortunate without asylum; If you see a naked man, cover him, and do not turn away from your fellow man.
The commandments of Christ Mt 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Luke 3:11 He answered them: Let him who has two tunics share with him who has none, and let him who has enough to eat do the same. Lek 12:33 Sell what you have, and give it as alms. Make yourself purses that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where the thief does not approach, and where the ringworm does not destroy.
Paul’s exhortation Acts 20:35 I have shown you in every way that it is by working in this way that one must sustain the weak, and remember the words of the Lord, who said himself: There is more happiness in giving than in receiving. Gal 6:10 So, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all, and especially to the brethren in the faith; 1 Tim 6:18; Hb 13:16 And do not forget beneficence and liberality, for it is in such sacrifices that God takes pleasure.
From all of the above, we note that God should make up for all the needs of the Philippians. Notice how he speaks of Him as “My God”—the God Paul knew and had experienced himself in practical. This God would be their Provider of resources, not according to their needs, or even according to Paul’s ardent desire for them, but according to His riches in glory in [or: through] Christ Jesus. It would have been wonderful enough if God had undertaken to supplement their needs according to His riches on earth in Christ Jesus; but His riches in glory are even more wonderful. The Philippians, or ourselves, may never be rich in the things of the earth, and yet be enriched with riches of glory. If this is so, we will effectively respond by attributing glory to God our Father centuries past the ages. It is interesting to note in the final greetings, that there were saints even in the house of Caesar. The first chapter had told us that his bonds had been manifested as being in Christ throughout the courtroom, or according to the English version throughout the palace, and if they had been manifested throughout the palace, it is assumed that they had been manifested to Caesar himself. But with some of his employees and servants, things had gone further, and some had been converted. In one of the great fortresses of the power of the enemy, souls had been transported from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the Son of the Father’s love. Such triumphs are indeed the effects of grace. How the final wish comes about! “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit! Amen”. Our prayers are with you all.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite every person who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me the following prayer:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I admit to having sinned against you and ask your forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as Lord and personal Savior. I recognize that you died on the cross of Calvary and rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me every day to the eternal life that you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal yourself to me and strengthen my heart and faith, so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus for accepting me into your divine family, so that I may also contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterhole to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All adoration, power and glory are yours, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you tomorrow “Thanksgiving and Timothy.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.