Hello Friends!
I hope you had a wonderful Easter, celebrating the power of the resurrection and what that means to us today. We often forget that Christ paid the price, and that the price paid paved a way to our freedom.
I am currently writing a new book that takes a walk through the book of Philippians, learning what it means to live in the meantime places of life. I hope you will join me as I just jot down thoughts here and there as God continues to teach me the Word through the Apostle Paul. One thing is for sure, Paul knew the power of the resurrection and that power changed the way he lived his life, viewed his circumstances, and his response to daily disappointments and hardships.
The Apostle Paul writes Philippians from a prison cell. Unlike the prison cell of today, his cell was a literal hole in the ground. Dark, dingy, small…sounds terrible to me. But even though his present circumstances were terrible, he demonstrated joy and rejoiced. This type of attitude change, would change everything for us. Our circumstances are often out of our control, but our reaction, response and the way we view them is possible to control.
Let’s Begin our walk through the letter to the Philippians.
Today: Phil 1:1-6
Paul and Timothy servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in your will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Paul begins his letter as a friend writting to friends. He makes no note of his apostleship but begins with a tender and informal salutation which defines he and Timothy as Christ’s slaves, servants, or those who are surrendered to Christ’s life in them. In this way Philippians is different than the other letters, as in the others Paul calls attention to his apostleship, but in Philippians the attention is drawn to his defining title as servant.
The word translates ” servants” is the word for those slaves who are totally possessed by another. The central thought is that of belonging to God. ” You are not your own, you have been bought with a price.” 1 Cor 6:19
And, lets stop there…isn’t that what the resurrection is all about? We have been bought through the death of Christ, this death paid our entrance into a new life in the Spirit. WE are not our own, though formerly we were, and lived the lives of those who owned themselves. But this very ownership piece of truth is THE truth that we are to embrace to the point of it making a very big difference in every area of our lives. As we move through the teachings in this letter, we will see someone very different than us. We will see Paul, as one who had the ability to view life through a different lens.
May I suggest that we too can have the difference of life that we will see in Paul. This difference begins with the foundation of a proper identity. It is vital to our view of things to understand that we do not belong to ourselves, but that our lives are now God’s and that we belong to Him, as His servants, His people, surrendered to His purposes.
How does this translate to today in a relevant way that changes us? Simply, it is a statement daily of surrender, trust, and purpose. If daily we remind ourselves the truth that the day really isn’t about US, but more about His work and way IN us, our attitude will change.
You see, Paul is confident of Christ’s ownership of us, and is encouraging us that because of that ownership the Work of God will be completed in us. What began in Christ will be finished by Christ.
Our part? Surrender as servants, as His, as ones that are being completed by the power and purpose of God.
Where are you at today? What defines you? If it is not Christ IN YOU, then stop now and ask God to make the truth that you are HIS your greatest reality. Don’t expect magic wand response, just ask God to begin this work of setting the standard for WHO you are and WHOSE you are.
I hope you will join me as I journey through the letter that will teach us how to live in the meantime places of life.
Thanking God each time I think of you!
Debbie
PS. I love to get your comments, thoughts, your processing of God’s word to you. Stop by and visit.
