Far Better

Reading:  Philippians 1:19-30
    
    As Paul languishes in Roman custody, he muses on his fate.  He is confident that “through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance”(Phil 1:19), yet he remains aware that other outcomes are possible.  He shows remarkable poise, given the stakes, when he matter-of-factly discusses the possibility of his death.  “It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death”(Phil 1:20).  Whether he lives or dies, he only wants his life and body to show his devotion to Jesus.  This is not a new perspective for Paul as he stands near death; it is the same “now as always.”  

    Yet which outcome does he prefer?  What does he root for?  “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.  Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.  I am hard pressed between the two.  My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.  But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account”(Phil 1:21-24).  Paul speaks as though this is his choice and he sees that both outcomes have their advantages.  Continuing to live “is Christ” because he will keep serving Jesus by teaching and helping other disciples.  But dying is “gain.”  Why?  “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better”(Phil 1:23).  As sweet as life can be, Paul would rather be with Jesus.  Regardless of the outcome, he wants the Philippians to “(stand) firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel”(Phil 1:27) despite opposition and challenge.

    Departing to be with Christ will mean that we miss countless sports championships, elections, TV shows, and the enjoyment of the nest egg we’ve been saving up.  As much as we love our families, friends, brethren, and work, the day will come when we will depart to be with Christ.  Do I really believe that will be “far better”?

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One Thing to Think About: Am I too attached to this present world?

One Thing to Pray For:  The selfless heart of Paul 
 

Rejoicing in Hardship

Reading:  Philippians 1:12-18
    
    Paul wants to tell the Philippians how he is coping with “what has happened to me”(Phil 1:12).  What he is referring to depends on our interpretation of when Philippians is written, but at the very least he is discussing his unjust imprisonment and the limitations it has placed on his preaching work.  It looks like bad news.  “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”(Phil 1:12-13).  Surprisingly, Paul’s imprisonment has furthered (rather than limited) the gospel.  Now “the whole imperial guard” has a front-row seat to Christian faith.  Now other Christians, bolstered by Paul’s courage, “are much more bold to speak the word without fear”(Phil 1:14).  God has used hard circumstances to spread his word.

    But Paul also knows that some onlookers are less noble.  “Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry”(Phil 1:15), operating from “selfish ambition, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment”(Phil 1:17).  They see Paul’s imprisonment as an opportunity to grow more prominent or gain more loyalty from fellow believers.  This also might discourage Paul, but he will not allow it.  “What then?  Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice”(Phil 1:18).  If they are preaching from evil motives, at least they are preaching!   Paul chooses to see the good in an imperfect situation and find grounds for rejoicing.

    Joy is a major theme of Philippians, yet it is all the more shocking that Paul is rejoicing while wrongfully imprisoned.  Joy feels impossible when we are suffering, when we don’t understand, and when we are disappointed in others.  Paul teaches us to look beneath the surface of our circumstances and seek out the good.  What is God doing?  How is he blessing and sustaining his people?  How can my struggles help others?  How is God being glorified?  It is a mark of maturity to rejoice in hard times.

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One Thing to Think About: Why do we sometimes feel that positivity is naïve?

One Thing to Pray For:  Vision to see the good around us, no matter how disastrous the situation 
 

God Is at Work in You

Reading:  Philippians 1:1-11
    
    Paul writes this letter to the Philippians because they have recently sent some form of aid to him while in prison (see Phil 4:14-18, 1:7); Philippians is an extended thank-you note.  Paul notably addresses the letter to “all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons”(Phil 1:1).  This church had overseers/elders/pastors to watch over the group and deacons to tend to needs.  As is his habit, Paul mentions to them his prayers for them (Phil 1:3-4), specifying that he prays for them “because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now”(Phil 1:5).  “Partnership” (other versions have “participation,” “sharing,” or “fellowship”) is a rich word that implies mutual goals and joint work.  When a church sends Paul money as he preaches the gospel, he sees it as more than a transaction.  It is a sign that we are fully joined in a combined work.  For this he thanks God.

    But he is more excited by what their gift says about them.  “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”(Phil 1:6).   Their gift of kindness is more than cutting a check.  It is an outgrowth of a work of personal transformation God has begun in them.  God is working not just for their individual betterment, but that through them he can bless others (like Paul).  He is further confident that God will continue his work all the way to “the day of Jesus Christ.”  All of this makes Paul very emotional:  “I hold you in my heart”(Phil 1:7) and “I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus”(Phil 1:8).  It makes him pray for their continued growth (Phil 1:9-11) as God continues to work in them.

    Statements like these give us both humility and confidence.  We are humbled as we realize that we are a project God has taken on in which he slowly refines our character.  Any improvements we see, service we render, or wisdom we gain is God’s work, not our own.  Yet we are also confident that “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion.”  When I feel incomplete, insufficient, and insecure, I remember God is at work in me.  He will finish the job.

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One Thing to Think About: Am I confident that God is at work in me—and my fellow believers? 

One Thing to Pray For:  To grow in love, knowledge, and discernment
 

Armor for the Battle

Reading:  Ephesians 6:16-24
    
    Knowing that the devil has “schemes” to attack and destroy us, Paul urges Christians to prepare for the battle with equipment from God.  Some scholars suspect that Paul wrote this letter while chained to a Roman soldier (Eph 6:20), giving him a front-row view of the armor he describes.  “Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace”(Eph 6:14-15).   Satan will attack us using lies, but God has given us “the belt of truth” to recognize and reject them.  Satan will attack us by challenging our moral purity, but God has given us new righteousness in which we now live (Eph 4:24).  Satan will attack us by catching us unawares, but God has given us “the readiness given by the gospel of peace” which prepares us for his schemes.

    Paul goes piece by piece, from “the shield of faith” to “the helmet of salvation” and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”(Eph 6:16, 17).  This equipment stresses our connection to God, which Satan works to undermine.  Our faith and salvation protect us, reassuring us that God is real and that he will deliver us in time of need.  The sword is the only offensive weapon in the list; we use God’s word to fight back as we engage with Satan and his servants.  Paul wants us to keep “praying at all times in the Spirit”(Eph 6:18) through the battle, including praying for him to preach boldly (Eph 6:19).  

    There are two key thoughts here, but one is more important than the other.  First is that Satan’s attacks—using lies, temptation, surprise, and doubt—are the same tactics he has used from the beginning of time.  He is powerful, but not terribly inventive.  We can foresee how he might attack us.  The second is that God is greater than Satan.  He has given us all we need to win our daily and ultimate battles with Satan.  His armor, wisdom, and salvation will always bless us if we choose them.  He will have ultimate victory.  Will we?

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One Thing to Think About: Why do we often forget about God when we are tempted? 

One Thing to Pray For:  God’s help and protection against Satan’s schemes
 

The Schemes of the Devil

Reading:  Ephesians 6:10-15
    
    Paul takes us to the battlefield.  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil”(Eph 6:10-11).  He reminds the Ephesians that they are in a battle against a powerful enemy; they will need “strength” and “armor” to withstand his attacks.  Yet he warns that the enemy has carefully planned “schemes” to deceive, entrap, and defeat us.  This term implies that the devil has a battle plan engineered to attack me specifically.  

    “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places”(Eph 6:12).  The challenge of the battle is that the fight is not what it appears.  Though we seem to battle people who oppose God or tempt us to sin, Paul stresses that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood.”  In reality, we are pawns in the battle between God and Satan.  There are dark forces at work in the world (“cosmic powers over this present darkness”) and their sights are set on the people of God.  These grim words are intended to motivate us to prepare for the battle.  “Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm”(Eph 6:13).  Just as we would not wander out onto a battlefield unprepared, so we need to cling to the tools God has given to equip us for the battle.

    This text begs a question:  What is Satan’s plan for me?  What areas of my life is he trying to attack?  What people will he use?  What arguments, what temptations, what times of weakness?  And much more importantly, what do I have from Jesus to combat these attacks?  How will I resist?

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One Thing to Think About: If I were Satan, how would I attack me?  My local church?

One Thing to Pray For:  Daily awareness of the battle in me and around me