This is a video post. For my e-mail subscribers who cannot see the video, click here.

Philippians 3-4 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Philippians 3:1-4:23.

“I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:2-3).

Sadly, even among Christians discord arises. This reminds me that we are being perfected; we aren’t perfect yet. Since Christianity is about growth, some of that old man will rear its ugly head at times and cause discord even among fellow laborers.

But I am really struck by Paul’s final statement in this paragraph: “…whose names are in the book of life.” I wonder if Euodia and Syntyche recognized that about each other. I know when I get into discord with someone, I can criminalize and evilize them. Because they are in discord with me, they must be wicked, evil people who can’t really be a real Christian like me. I know, I know, I’m not perfect. But I tend to judge myself based on intentions and not on actions, while I judge others based on actions and not intentions.

I wonder how many people I’ve had discord with began to think my name must not be written in the book of life? I don’t want that. Which means I need to offer my brothers and sisters the same courtesy. Perhaps if I can remember that their name is also written in the book of life, I will learn to work harder at resolving the discord. After all, we are both in the Lord. We ought to be able to come to some harmony within Him.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

——————————————-

*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Philippians 1-2 (ESV) by Wordle*

Today’s reading is Philippians 1:1-2:30.

“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” (Philippians 1:6).

This passage just smacked me this morning. Who is Paul convinced will complete this good work in the Philippians? He doesn’t say, “And I am sure of this, that you who began this good work will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” Instead, he is convinced God will do it.

What freedom. What comfort. What joy. What peace. I don’t have to put my confidence in me to complete this good work, which only leads me to despair. I can put my confidence in God to complete it, which leads to peace and hope. That sets me free to quit worrying about where I’ll be at my death or when Christ returns. All I have to focus on today is doing the next right thing. God is working on the outcomes. He will bring this good work in me to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. No need to despair when God is the one who is at work within me both to will and to work for His good pleasure (cf. Philippians 2:13).

Praise God!

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading? Click here to add your input.

PPS. Thanks to all of you for the positive comments you gave me here, on Facebook, via e-mail, and person to person about this blog. That was very encouraging and uplifting.

——————————————-

*Today’s illustration was generated by the creative tool at Wordle.net. You can find all my wordles here.

Today’s reading is Philippians 3:1-4:23.

I’m glad to read Philippians 3:7-11 today. It reminds me of what is most important for me today. It is not most important that I make money today or that I sell any books today. It is not most important that I rub elbows with some important person today. It is not most important that I pass on some great knowledge and education to my children today. It is not most important that I solve some great problem facing our world. What is most important is that I get to know Jesus just a little bit better today. If that means I have to give up something else, then so be it. 

Only by knowing Jesus will I attain the resurrection and have my lowly body transformed to be like his glorious body. 

I think I’ll go spend a little bit more time reading His word and praying. Perhaps I should spend some time with His other brethren. I will probably also take some time to do some meditating on what I learn of Him through the word. All of these things can help me know Him better and draw me closer to Him. That is what is most important today. Maybe God will use me to do some other things today as well, but most importantly, I need to know Jesus.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Philippians 3:1-4:23.

It often seems we ride the pendulum at the extremes. I hear people argue, and have been involved in the arguments where everything seems like polar opposites. For instance, if someone says salvation is by faith we immediately conclude they think what we do doesn’t matter at all. On the other hand, if someone says we have to do something, we immediately conclude they think we must work really hard to earn salvation and faith in Jesus’ work doesn’t matter. Sadly, of course, some folk really do fit those two extremes. Sadly, sometimes we’ve allowed ourselves to be polarized into extremes as we argue against something we think is clearly erroneous.

On many posts, I’ve pointed out that I’m learning we will not be saved by keeping even Christ’s law and that I won’t be saved by establishing my own righteousness through holding to the pattern. Gratefully, no one has gotten too upset with me. I hope that means they have understood my point and not simply decided to write me off. I fear that some will view me as another extremist that says, “It’s about what we believe, not what we do.” That couldn’t be further from the truth and today’s reading reminds me of that.

Both of those other posts were based on Paul’s writings. He was the one who taught us that no law has been written that could give us life. He was the one who taught us we cannot be saved by establishing our own righteousness. He was the one who taught us that the righteousness that saves comes by faith in Christ (he says that in today’s reading-Philippians 3:9). He was the one that explained that we are justified by faith (Romans 5:1).

However, having taught all of this, in Philippians 3:12 Paul claims that he hasn’t already obtained the resurrection or become perfect. Rather, he is pressing on. Understand the great significance of this statement. he is the great proponent that our righteousness won’t come because we’ve worked really hard and established our own righteousness. He’s the one who teaches that we only have righteousness if God gives it to us through our faith. If what he meant was at a moment of faith, salvation was suddenly and irrevocably his because it didn’t matter how he lived and worked, he couldn’t say this in Philippians 3:12. If he really was teaching the extreme that salvation is about mental assent and not a faith that impacts action, then he had already attained the resurrection. It didn’t matter what he did or even if he continued on, he would have life. But Paul said he hadn’t attained it yet. And he is definitely no just speaking about reaching that moment in time. He’s not saying, “I haven’t gotten to the moment of the resurrection but I keep putting one foot in front of the other until I get there.” No. He’s saying based on where he has been and what he has done, he hasn’t attained the resurrection. He can’t coast on his past. He can’t coast on the faith he has had. Rather, he must continue to press on. He must continue to walk by faith or he’ll miss out on the resurrection.

This is where we need to walk down the middle instead of hanging out in the extremes. We can’t establish our own righteousness. If we are going to teach the extreme of trying to be good enough to go to heaven, we’ll fail miserably. On the other hand, we can’t say salvation is only a matter of mental assent to some facts. If those facts didn’t change our lives, then we don’t have faith. Faith in Jesus saves us, when we live by that faith. When our faith is a surrender of our control to Jesus and we begin to walk the path of progressive victory over sin by the power and grace of Jesus Christ, then we’ll attain the resurrection in the end.

At no point can we say, “I had enough faith yesterday, I don’t have to keep living by it. I can do what I want now.” On the other hand, at no point do we have to say, “Oh no, I just messed up and sinned, I’m not perfect, maybe I won’t go to heaven.” If we are growing in Christ, pressing on for that goal by our faith in Him, then the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus will be ours and we will attain the resurrection. Not because we were good enough, but because Jesus Christ is good enough.

***Question: What do you do to help you live by faith each day and press on for the resurrection to life?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

Today’s reading is Philippians 1:1-2:30.

I don’t have much to say today. Philippians 1:19 really convicted me.

“For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance” (ESV).

What got me as I read this was Paul’s assurance that the Philippians were actually praying for him. He doesn’t ask them to pray for him. He assumes they are praying and has faith that through those prayers he will be delivered. 

I am convicted to ask, can anyone have that kind of faith about me? Can anyone assume and have assurance that I’m praying for them? I need to work on that.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What did you get out of today’s reading?

I’m not sure that there is a more comforting set of verses than Philippians 3:12-14.

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (ESV).

Wow! You mean Paul, the apostle, wasn’t perfect? He didn’t do everything right? I mean I know before he became a Christian he did some really bad things. I’ve always been certain he did become great the first day he was a Christian. But here he is writing letters to let people know how to live in their service to God and he claims he is still not perfect. He still has to grow. 

That just comforts me. I’ve been a Christian now for 22 years. That is hard for me to imagine. When I consider how badly I still mess things up spiritually I get very discouraged. Some days I even am willing to just throw in the towel. Why keep trying? 

Surely Paul felt that way sometimes. Yet, his response was to just keep pressing on. Think about it. If Paul could say he wasn’t perfect, then just like me, he could pinpoint somethings that had just happened that demonstrated his imperfection. Instead of allowing that to make him stop, he pressed on. He kept going. He understood that serving God is not about where we are, but about where we are growing.

If you’re like me, you can pinpoint a dozen things and more that have happened in the past few days to remind you how imperfect you are. Don’t let those get you down. Keep looking forward. Keep pressing forward. Keep running the race. As long as you don’t quit, you will win the prize.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

DEATH!

The word strikes fear in the hearts of most people. Yet, it didn’t strike fear in Paul. In Philippians 1:21, he said “to die is gain” (ESV). Why? Because death was the doorway to being with Christ for Paul (cf. Philippians 1:23). Paul has accomplished here what few seem to be able to do.

We hear so much about living by faith. We also need to learn to die by faith. No doubt, I could probably write reams and reams and reams on what it means to live and die by faith. However, Paul actually gives us the key in Philippians 1:21. He wrote, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (ESV). He saw two options. If he died, he would have personal gain, going to be forever with Christ. If he lived, that would benefit Christ and Christ’s plan because he would have fruitful labor helping the lost be saved and the saved be strengthened.

The fact is, the only reason “to die is gain” for Paul was because “to live is Christ” for Paul. If the first half of that statement were not true, then the second half would not be. If we want our death to be gain, then we need our life to be Christ.

Therefore, we need to ask, “What is my life? Is my life about Christ?” If living is not for Christ and has no fruitful labor for Him, then dying will not be gain for us. We can’t have it both ways. We can’t live our lives totally for ourselves pursuing our own goals, following the desires of our flesh, seeking our own pleasure and entertainment and then expect death to be about Jesus. It just won’t work.

If we want our death to be gain, then our life has to be Christ. What is your life about today?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC