In Nothing Terrified by Your Adversaries...the Wayfarer 8/13/17

In Nothing Terrified by Your Adversaries
8/13/17

Philippians 1: 1-6

King James Version (KJV)

1 Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

² Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

³ I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,

⁴ Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

⁵ For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

⁶ Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Confidence in what is begun in us the day of our acceptance of the salvation offered by Christ Jesus and the continuance of what is begun in us through that salvation should go without question in the heart of each Christian throughout the remainder of the life despite the inevitable trials and concerns that follow that salvation.

That confidence comes only though true and unyielding faith in HIM and the promise delivered by HIM to us through His incomprehensible grace that has the ability to sustain us throughout those trials and concerns.

Paul began this epistle with the greetings proffering that grace to those he addressed reminding them of his own thankfulness for their faith as well as his own, while still imprisoned and held in circumstances seldom faced by others, either then or now.

 He spoke of JOY despite those circumstances, a joy that could not be diminished nor taken from him or any other who is a recipient of that grace once having accepted it.

That joy was for the fact that others HEARD and accepted the gospel of Christ Jesus, continuing to practice the teachings of that gospel in adversity as well as in time of peace.

Along with that grace mentioned within his greeting was peace as well, a peace held by both himself and those whom he addressed, a peace that went beyond the common understanding, a peace that also could not be affected by circumstance or location within a world that knew no peace toward either himself nor them, a world that was and is at enmity with that peace given only through the acceptance of Christ Jesus, and the gift given us through Him.

Philippians 1:7-10

⁷ Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.

⁸ For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

⁹ And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

¹⁰ That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.

The joy of that grace, and the knowledge of the salvation of those addressed came through the confidence Paul had in the Philippians to adhere to the teachings of the gospel and their ability to discern that same love commanded by Jesus that provided them the judgment to continue in that gospel despite his absence from them.

Philippians 1:11-13

¹¹ Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

¹² But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

¹³ So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;

Paul reassured the Philippians, and reassures us as well that his trials, theirs, and our own, have purpose, and can only further the gospel of Christ Jesus, that that is also a cause for no consternation, but cause instead for joy.

Philippians 1:14-20

¹⁴ And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

¹⁵ Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will:

¹⁶ The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:

¹⁷ But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

¹⁸ What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.

¹⁹ For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

²⁰ According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Paul noted that his own circumstances emboldened others to preach the gospel, though not all preached the truth of the love of that gospel, some preaching contention in the name of Christ rather than the unity preached by Him.

His reaction to this was that Christ was being preached, and that others were being reached despite the insincerity of those preaching contention for its own sake, and that the defense of the gospel was attained despite that very insincerity.

Philippians 1:21-26

²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

²² But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

²³ For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:

²⁴ Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

²⁵ And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;

²⁶ That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

Paul expressed the wish often expressed by the faithful, that his time of trial be shortened, that he knew that once completed that trial brought the reward of eternal life and the end of all trial and sorrow, but continued on to accept the necessity to continue in that trial until its completion for the edification of others, so that they too could experience the joy held by him through that knowledge of Christ’s ability to deliver what is promised.

Philippians 1:27-30

²⁷ Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

²⁸ And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

²⁹ For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

³⁰ Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

Paul admonished the Philippians, and all of us as well to maintain that faith, to keep in mind that there is never need to fear either, circumstance, nor bonds, particularly when all about us run to and fro in fear of the future, evidence of not having heard and believed the promise.

He reminded them that we are given not only faith that comes through the belief in Christ delivering His promise, but the ability to endure until that promise is delivered as well despite the conflict that exists within us, desiring the joy of attainment, ever wishing the arrival of that attainment, yet meeting the requirement of endurance that will allow others the same privilege of attaining the promise for themselves.

Each day faced is faced with that conflict that is between the natural man and the spiritual man, the natural desiring the joy and peace without the trial, the spiritual recognizing the trial as required inconvenience that cannot overcome the joy and peace, both expected and experienced because of the faith of its expectation.

2 Timothy 1:12

King James Version (KJV)

¹² For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

Like John, in summation at the end of the Revelation, I also pray: Even so, Come quickly Lord Jesus!

Amen and Amen

the Wayfarer