The Attitude Of Christ

Philippians 2:5-11

Introduction

If you have ever had the privilege of telling a children’s story, you know what it is like to see the children with their faces turned up waiting with anticipation for the story.

I imagine a similar picture in Luke 10:39. Mary, the sister of Lazarus was sitting at the feet of Jesus listening attentively. The verse says that “Mary…sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.”

There was another time when some women were paying close attention to Jesus, watching what was happening to Him, watching Him. Matthew 27:55 says, “Many women were there, watching from a distance. They had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs.” The context was that Jesus was hanging on the cross. What were they thinking of? What were they learning as they looked at Jesus?

What happens when we watch Jesus? What do we see when we sit and wait expectantly for Him to speak? What happens when we contemplate His life, His ministry, His death? What do we learn in the presence of Jesus? What impact does it have to sit quietly, in anticipation gazing upon our Lord?

This morning we want to gaze at Jesus. Please open your Bibles to Philippians 2:6-11 and join me in looking at Jesus.

I. He Humbled Himself

The words of this passage speak about Jesus. They have been debated a lot and there is more written on these 6 verses than much other Scripture. It is a passage filled with theological truth and with divine mystery and is a wonderful passage which leads us to contemplation on Jesus.

A. As God – He Was Selfless Philippians 2:6,7

1. Being In Very Nature God

First of all it says that Jesus was “in very nature God” and that he had “equality with God.” KJV says “who being in the form of God.” A lot of theological debate has arisen around this word, “form.” Some have taught that this says that Jesus was not really God, but only in the outward form of God. The NIV, which I quoted first, gives us the true meaning of the Greek, which is that it expresses the true inner reality of who Jesus was. It is a strong expression of Christ’s divinity. It is hard, logically to understand how God could be God in heaven and at the same time that He could come down to earth. Yet, this is one verse which very clearly shows that Jesus was in fact God - that He was not only a human being, but also a divine being.

The story of Jesus begins in heaven. He existed in the heavenly glories and held a position as God.

2. Did Not Grasp

But as we read on we find that Jesus “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” This is a further powerful theological statement. What does it mean that Jesus did not grasp at being God? The word here means robbery and some have suggested that unlike Adam who wanted to be like God, Jesus was a man who did not want to be like God. That does not explain at all what happened, however. What this phrase means is that Jesus did not consider equality with God something to be taken advantage of. He did not hold to His position in heaven. He did not hold to the power of being God.

Right now in Manitoba we are watching our premier announce some welcome spending on road repair and so on. However, it is obvious to all political observers why this is happening. He is trying to set himself up for the next election, hoping that he can hold on to power. Jesus did not do that. He was willing to let go of position and power in order to demonstrate His love for us.

3. Made Himself Nothing

Instead of grasping onto his position as God, the text says that “he made himself nothing” and became a human being and as a man, a servant of men. The Greek word here is often translated “emptied” and has raised all kinds of debates about what this means. Did he stop being God? What aspects of being God did he let go of?

Some of you may have read the book, “The Prince and the Pauper” by Mark Twain. It is the story of a poor young fellow who changes places with the prince of England. They are the same age and look similar. The story relates the adventure of how the prince has to live like a pauper while trying to get back into the palace and how the pauper lives like a prince. Although the prince wears the clothes of a pauper, he nevertheless is still the king. Perhaps the coming of Jesus to earth is similar. He never ceased being God, but he took on himself the limitations of being human.

I think that the real idea is that Jesus left the glories of heaven in order to pour himself out for us. The idea of emptying is a metaphor for sacrifice. Wright says, “The real humiliation of the incarnation and the cross is that one who was himself God, and who never during the whole process stopped being God, could embrace such a vocation.”

What a sacrifice He made! R.T. Kendall writes that Christ “was dependent, deprived, discredited, degraded and demeaned.” The Lord of the universe became dependent. While on earth he said in John 5:30, “I can do nothing on my own” and so indicated His dependence on the Father and the Spirit. He was deprived which is revealed when he indicated in Matthew 8:20, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He was discredited when they lied about Him in Matthew 26:60, which says, “many false witnesses came…” He was degraded when they spit upon him, as recorded in Matthew 26:67 and demeaned as they treated him with rudeness and contempt while the soldiers mocked and beat him in Matthew 27:27-31. This is what happened to Jesus because he did not grasp on to heaven, but was willing to become a man and a servant of humanity.

We see the real heart of God in what Jesus was willing to do. We see the compassionate heart of God sacrificing himself in order to redeem us. He gave up His rights. He gave up his authority. He acted in complete selflessness for our sakes.

B. As A Man – He Humbled Himself Philippians 2:8

As God, he was selfless and became a man. As a man, He also manifested a tremendous humility. Verse 8 tells us, “He humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.”

Adam disobeyed God unto death. When he sinned, the consequence was death. Jesus, on the other hand, obeyed God unto death. This is an amazing contrast. Jesus could not die because He was without sin. Jesus’ obedience disqualified him from death and it was only an act of obedience, an act of willingly humbling himself that could result in His death on the cross. Gordon Fee says, “in the cross God’s true character, his outlandish, lavish expression of love, was fully manifested.”

The emphasis is magnified when it says, “even death on a cross.” We have become used to the cross as a symbol of Jesus, a symbol of Christianity, or for many just a decoration or a piece of jewellery. We need to see it for what it really is. The cross was and is the most cruel form of death. It was nothing less than a gallows. It was scandalous because only the worst criminals and most hated peoples were crucified. Jesus humbled Himself to that lowest of all places and did so for our sake.

This passage shows powerfully that “God is love and that his love expresses itself in self-sacrifice.”

What we see here is the strategy of God which in His infinite wisdom, His all knowing love, He enacted in order to forgive our sins. God did not choose to redeem a people by giving them lots of gifts and hoping they would be nice. He did not redeem a people by forcing them into the church. God’s plan, made from the beginning of the world, made in the infinite wisdom of God was to sacrifice Himself, to offer His own life for those he wished to save and inviting them to respond to that amazing love. God had no other plan. His plan was to win by losing.

II. God Exalted Him Philippians 2:9-11

And it worked!

The strategy of God became the victory of God. Christ’s self sacrifice and humbling resulted in His exaltation.

The next section of the text, 2:9-11, records how God exalted Jesus. The first thing it says is that he “gave him the name that is above every name.” Which name is that? The two possibilities from the text are “Jesus” and “Lord.” If it means that he exalted the name “Jesus,” it means that he lifted up the ordinary human name of Jesus as the most highly regarded name of all. Certainly for those who know and believe in Jesus this is true. We reverence the name of Jesus and hold above any other name. If “Lord” is the name that was given, it means that Jesus would be known as Lord. He left the glories of heaven and, following His obedience, He once again became Lord of all. In the one case, it is the exaltation of the name by which we know Him. In the other case, it is the exaltation of Jesus to the highest position possible. In either case, through His resurrection and ascension, which are not mentioned, but implied, Jesus has become the Lord of all the universe. The strategy of God to win by losing has resulted in winning – not only for Jesus, but for all who believe in Him.

The final phrase exposes what will be the eternal reality in the universe. Every being in heaven, on earth and under the earth will acknowledge the exalted position of Jesus. The low, voluntary humiliation of Jesus will result in the highest acknowledgement of His great position and power. Everyone will bend the knee before Him. Although it is already true now that He is in that exalted position, it is not complete. The day is still coming when every living being in the universe will do homage to Jesus by bowing before Him and every living being in the universe will acknowledge that He is Lord. This is not to say that all will be saved. Rather, it means that all will know the truth about who Jesus is and what He has done. If you do not now acknowledge that, you will some day. Why not accept Jesus today?

The exaltation vindicates the selfless and humble strategy of Jesus as the way to the greatest and the ultimate victory. The exaltation is God’s “yes” to Jesus’ selflessness and humility. The exaltation of Jesus also assures us of the certain future that exists for all who put their hope in Him.

III. The Selfless Life

These verses tell us the story of Jesus from His pre-existence to His final Lordship. As we look at Jesus in this passage – His sacrifice for us, His willingness to humble Himself, His victory and His exalted position, we stand in awe of Jesus. We are called to a celebration and a cry of “glory” for what God has done and for who Jesus is. These verses invite worship that comes out of the depths of our heart.

These verses also reveal the amazing plan of God – a plan which is completely unusual in terms of the way things work in this world. In this world victory is gained by power, not by sacrifice. In contrast, God chose to gain a victory by sacrifice and it worked. The exaltation of Christ is a declaration of that victory.

However, the wonderful revelation of who Jesus is and what he has done is set in the context of Philippians 2:5 which says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” That tells us that Jesus’ way of coming and living and dying is not only unique to Him, but also a model for us.

When I have been involved in building projects, I have sometimes heard the saying, “don’t force it, just use a bigger hammer.” That is the way we like to do things. In the 1970’s there was an advertising campaign by McDonalds with the slogan, “You deserve a break today.” We live by the philosophy of pampering ourselves whenever we can.

The group Bachman, Turner, Overdrive had a song, “Looking Out For Number One.” Some of the words of the song are, “…And you'll find out every trick in the book, That there's only one way to get things done, You'll find out the only way to the top, Is looking out for number one…” It is our mindset to believe that the worthwhile life is the life of putting ourselves first.

Jesus did not do things that way. Jesus showed us gentleness, humility, sacrifice and dependence on God. In this verse, we are not called upon simply to “imitate God” by what we do, but to have this very mind, the mind of Christ - willing to sacrifice and to humble ourselves. We are called to a life of giving up instead of powering up. This is not a suggestion or a good idea. It is the way in which we are commanded to live in community and in the world. How do we do so?

As I began to think about this, I was convicted by the way in which selfishness is so pervasive in my life and way of thinking. I realized quickly that I am fully steeped in self-centred thinking. The pampering we expect from spas and get-aways, the right of privacy and personal time we try to protect, the pressure to have all the tools and gadgets are all a manifestation of self-centred living.

A Travis Tritt and Troy Seals song reveals the frustration of living with a self centred person, but concludes that the only recourse is to act in a self centred way. The words are:
”No matter what I do I can't make you happy
Though I go to great lengths to do your will
If you say hurry, girl I make it snappy
Trying hard to keep your wishes filled
But I'm getting tired and feeling real discouraged
From being pressure underneath your thumb
So here's a message you can give your mama
Starting now I'm looking out for number one
Lord everyone around me
I've tried so hard to please
Till the only one unhappy
Feeling broken down is me
But things are gonna change
With each new setting sun
Starting now I'm looking out for number one.”

Dennis Bratcher in commenting on Philippians 2:5-11 says, We live in a society dominated by rights-activism, permeated with the philosophy of "me first," and moulded by the corporate ideals of efficiency and success. The Church must be called to remember that demanding one's rights and privileges may be popular, even necessary in some cases, but if it does so at the expense of Christian unity and love, it is not Christian!"

How can we live what Jesus modeled?

For example, what will it mean to be selfless and humble in our marriages? I have a friend who is a pastor. He completed his assignment in his church and I asked him if he was going to move back to his farm. He replied that his wife had moved numerous times for him and that, since she now had a good position in the city, they were going to stay there. He has understood what Paul says in Ephesians 5 about husbands being the head of the wife. He has understood that headship means that we love our wives as Christ loved the church, by giving “Himself up for her.”

I knew a woman who deceived a guy she was dating into attending a Christian function. Even though they got married and he became a Christian, she admitted that this was not the way to do evangelism. We do not do the work of making Jesus known by deception or by forcing people. We rather follow I Peter 3:15, which says, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

Power politics have no place in the church. I have seen factions try to manipulate a vote, I have seen people use the gimmicks of the world to get their way in a church program or policy. I have likely been guilty of the same thing myself. Paul grew to realize that God does not want us to work through power, but to allow Him to work through our weakness. In II Corinthians 12:10 he says, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Dennis Bratcher says, “Perhaps the Church needs to see itself in a new light. Maybe it needs to see itself less as the proclaimer and defender of divine truth, and more as the servant of humanity, the foot-washer who expresses his love by humble service

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who poured out his own life at the hands of the Nazis because he refused to allow the church to be the tool of oppression, wrote: “The church is the church only when it exists for others. . . . The church must share in the secular problems of ordinary human life, not dominating, but helping and serving. . . . It must not underestimate the importance of human example which has its origin in the humanity of Jesus.”

Although I don’t partake and don’t think it is a wise thing to do, I believe that there is nothing wrong with having an occasional alcoholic beverage. However, for the sake of our witness and for the sake of not causing alcoholics to stumble, why would we not give up our right to partake? That too is an act of selflessness. The Bible calls us to this kind of self sacrifice when it says in Romans 14:13, “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.”

Conclusion

It is hard for me to preach this. One sometimes assumes that the preacher better have the lessons mastered before he tells others to do them. I do not have this mastered. It is a good thing that it does not say in Philippians 2:5, “have this mind in you which was also in George Toews.” I am not the example of humility and selflessness, Jesus Christ is. We are called to imitate Him and I want to imitate him.

I invite us all to keep on contemplating the face of Jesus, the life of Jesus and the deeds of Jesus. As we contemplate them, there is no doubt that we will be moved to worship. But I also hope that we will be moved to imitation of Jesus – in his self sacrifice and in his humility.

C. C. Meigs expressed this attitude in the song "Others":

Others, Lord, yes others!
Let this my motto be!
Help me live for others,
That I may live for Thee!

Be Like Minded

Philippians 2:1-5

Introduction

The International Day of Peace was established by the United Nations in November 1981. It has set September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace. The resolution states, “…that the International Day of Peace shall henceforth be observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities for the duration of the Day...”

In March of this year the Mennonite World Conference decided to encourage churches that “The Sunday nearest to September 21 would be designated as a Peace Sunday to be observed in our churches around the world.”

In our study of Philippians, we come today to Philippians 2:1-4 which calls us to be peacemakers in the church. Please turn to this passage.

As you may recall, Philippians 1:27-2:18 is a passage in which the primary concern is the spread of the gospel. The importance this Scripture gives it encourages us to be a gospel proclaiming church. Therefore, I want to encourage us to be involved in Operation Andrew and to take the opportunities we have to make the name of Jesus known. It is our privilege and indeed our responsibility to let others know about Jesus.

As Paul speaks about this, he writes about how this task can be done well. He mentions that if we are going to make the name of Jesus known, we will face opposition and he encourages us to be strong and faithful in that opposition. We examined that two weeks ago. He also speaks about the importance of a life lived in a worthy way. If we are not living what God has done in us, we will not persuade others to embrace the faith, in fact we will confuse them. In a few weeks we will think about that. Then, in the section we are going to look at today, Paul recognizes the critical importance that if the church is going to be a light in the world, the people who are part of the church will have to live together in unity. When the world sees a divided church, it gets confused and misses seeing Jesus. Several times in the section we are looking at Paul makes mention of this call to unity. In 1:27 he says, “stand firm in one Spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.” In 2:14 he says, “Do everything without complaining or arguing…” and in 2:17,18 he writes, “I am glad and rejoice with all of you.” Each of these passages either directly or indirectly mentions the concept of unity in the body of Christ. Let us take a more careful look at Philippians 2:1-5

The Basis Of Unity

When our children were small, we had a tape of a children’s story. In the story, a brother and sister are fighting and their little sister admonishes them in a cute little voice by saying, “you got to love each other.” Why do we got to love each other? What is the basis of the unity we can and must have in the body of Christ?

Philippians 2:1 begins with a conditional clause. The word “if” appears four times in this verse. The Greek word can just as well be translated “since” and as such becomes an indication of the basis for the unity we have in the church.

Although the NIV does not show it, it is possible that there is a Trinitarian flavour in the passage. Christ and the Spirit are mentioned in the first and third item. Is it intended that the Father is associated with love in the second item? If so, it is in itself a powerful call to unity. Father, Son and Holy Spirit exist in unity and their example is the encouragement to our unity as well.

Encouragement From Christ

The first conditional clause is, “since you have encouragement from Christ.” The previous section has already revealed that life is not easy. We face temptations, testing, persecution and all kinds of difficulties. But, in Christ, we also receive everything we need for life. We receive forgiveness, abundant life, comfort in suffering and eternal hope. Strife often comes when we lack something, but in Christ, we lack nothing. We are fully blessed in relationship to Him, so we have every reason to be one in Him.

Comfort From God’s Love

Furthermore, we have also experienced, as one writer translates it, the “solace of love.” Whose love? As I suggested earlier, it could be a reference to God’s love. Romans 5:5 says, “…God has poured out his love into our hearts...”

Gordon Fee says, “if our common experience of comfort from God’s love has anything going for it at all…then we ought to live in unity with one another.”

Often disunity comes because we are insecure and not sure that we are accepted. We seek acceptance and when we don’t get it, we are tempted to attack others. But when we know that we are loved by God, and thus accepted by Him, there is every reason to live in unity.

Fellowship With The Spirit

We also have a good basis for peace because of the fellowship we have in the same Spirit. The Spirit is the basic foundation for all Christian unity. Ephesians 4:3,4 speaks about that unity when it says, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit…” That is why we sing “We are one in the Spirit.” It is the Spirit of God who joins us together because if we are all indwelt by the same Spirit, and are all listening to that Spirit, then there is no reason to be disunited.

Fellow Feeling

The last conditional clause speaks to the feelings we have toward one another. The words, “compassion and mercy” use the language of inner feeling. Sometimes when we experience deep emotions, we have actual physical feelings way down deep inside. We talk about a gut feeling. We talk about butterflies in our stomach. These are all images which are behind the word compassion in this verse. KJV actually translates it “bowels and mercies.” It sounds funny to our modern ear, but it communicates well the deep feelings we have towards one another in the body of Christ. Because we are loved by God, experience comfort in a relationship to Christ and are indwelt by the same Spirit, we have every reason to be filled with a deep feelings of care towards one another. This is the basis of the unity that can and should be ours in Christ.

What Unity Looks Like

In Philippians 2:2, Paul goes on to say, since these things are yours, “make my joy complete by being like minded.” He doesn’t simply say be united. He says, make my joy complete. That is the imperative, but the way that they would give him joy was if they would be united with one another. This is the call to unity that he extended to the church in Philippi and also to all Christian believers. What does this mean? How do we have unity in the church? How do we live in unity in the body of Christ? Paul goes on to talk about what unity looks like.

Being Like Minded

Although he says that they should be like minded, he does not mean by this that they should all have the same opinions about everything. If robotic uniformity is what God intended, he would not have made us so different. There are churches which try to force everyone to think the same way. They may think that they are obeying this command, but if that is what unity means, why did God create us with minds? Why did God create us with different stories? Why are we all so unique? If God wanted all of us to have the same opinions about everything, why did He create everything in such a unique and varied way? In fact, it is absolutely essential that we think deeply about what we believe, hold tightly to what we learn about God and His truth and not be easily swayed from it. Yet all the while we must listen to others and think about God’s truth further. I have heard someone say that if two people think the same thing, one of them is redundant.

Yes, God wants us to be like minded, that is clear, but uniform thinking is not what being like minded is all about. What then does it mean to be like minded? The next words in verse two help us understand.

Having The Same Love

Being like minded means that we have “the same love.”

What happens when we disagree with another person? I have seen what happens to fans of another team that are watching their team play against the Bombers in Winnipeg. They are booed and everyone sitting around them hates them. We are tempted to the same feelings against people who disagree with us about some theological or Biblical or church issue.

This is where we have the opportunity to be very different than the rest of the world. We are called to unity, to “the same love” even with people we don’t agree with.

I have a close family member who was part of a Pentecostal church. They believed that it was necessary to have a second experience of the Spirit marked by speaking in tongues. I did not see it that way and felt strongly about it. Although we discussed it and it wasn’t an easy discussion, it was more important to both of us to have a good relationship than to be right. We were not thinking the same things, but a desire to have one heart allowed us to be like minded.

In our church ministerial, we often discuss things and don’t always see things the same way. But, I always feel that we have worked together long enough and well enough that we are of one heart. Our one heart is the work of God in this church and we care for and respect each other. If we are like minded, it means that we can have a love for one another that transcends needing to have the same opinion as everyone else.

Sometimes we are tempted to become angry with those we don’t agree with. When that happens it is an occasion to remind ourselves that because we both love God, we ought to have the same love for one another.

Being One In Spirit and Purpose

The other day, I was at the Franklin Graham office and was involved in helping choose counsellors for the Festival. We received the yellow applications that a number of you have handed in. By the way, I would encourage more of you to apply to be a counsellor. It will be a great opportunity to share your faith at a time when someone is ready to listen. What better way to learn to share the gospel. Well, we were sorting these applications according to whether they would be a counsellor, children’s counsellor, supervisor and so on. One of the instructions we were given was that if, on the application, someone expressed strong opinions related to how their particular church or denomination did things, we should reject that application. The reason was that those comments revealed that that person was not there to focus on sharing the gospel, but on stating their opinions.

That is the point of the last phrase here. Unity means that we are united at the centre. We are focussed on the same purpose. If Jesus Christ, knowing Him and making Him known is the central purpose of our life, then we will have a common purpose and we will be united.

Earlier in the year when I attended the Billy Graham School of Evangelism, we were taught that unity happens when we keep the main thing the main thing. Once again, that does not mean that we don’t have and hold strong opinions about things, but we cannot let those opinions supersede the primary task we have on this earth and that is making Jesus name known and being a light and in a dark world.

How Unity Acts

So, if that is what unity looks like in the body of Christ, how do we live such unity? The answer to that question is given in Philippians 2:3-5 and involves two things.

You may recall that I have previously spoken about a Biblical literary device called a chiasm. A chiasm is a way of writing in which one thought is given, then a second thought, then the second thought is repeated and then the first thought is repeated, in the pattern ABBA. That is what we have happening here.

A (3)(negative) – do nothing out of selfish ambition

B(3)(negative) – or vain conceit

B (3)(positive) – in humility consider others better than yourselves

A (3,4)(positive) – you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others.

So you can see that in these two verses, he is really talking about only two things, selflessness and humility.

Selflessness

The “A” thought of Paul is, “do nothing out of selfish ambition,” rather, “you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interest of others.”

If we have selfish ambition, what will be the motivating factor in the decisions we make? It will be that which helps us and supports our causes. We see selfish ambition between churches - when one church is out to build its kingdom at the expense of other churches. We see it in ministries when SS is recruiting for its program and AWANA is recruiting for its program and they compete for the same people. When we are self centred in this way, we forget that it is God’s work, not our work; it is about what God wants to do and not about our program. I know that there are opinions and feelings between people of the different churches in Rosenort. I want you to know that John and Darren and I get together every week to talk and pray because we believe that we need to be selfless and not selfishly protecting our ministry. We believe that God is at work in our community in each of the churches and as we work together. Gordon Fee says, “it is only as a people of God together that God’s people fulfill his divine purposes.”

Humility

The other characteristic that will make it possible for us to have unity is humility. Before Christian times, the Greek word for humility always had a bad meaning, it always referred to grovelling. In Christ, we find in humility a new and powerful, indeed an important concept which characterizes Christian living.

Humility begins as we recognize who we are in the presence of God. He is the creator and we are dependent on Him. He is the only one who knows everything and we need to place ourselves under His powerful authority and wisdom. As we place ourselves under God, we begin to learn what humility means.

The next step in learning humility is to have a proper estimation of ourselves. There is a false humility and a true humility. If we know that we are creatures, we know that we are weak and dependent – on God and on others. However, if we understand that we are made in the image of God, we also know that we are creatures of glory. Once there was a band of believers in Russia who roamed all over the country, going, they said, in search of truth. Believing strongly in humility, they were at first called "The Holy Wanderers." In an effort to get people to scorn them, the band of believers pretended to be insane. Soon men called them "The Holy Fools.” We do not have to be mistreated to prove that we are humble. False humility is a device of pride. True humility means that we do not think so highly of ourselves that we think we know everything and can do it all ourselves, nor do we think so lowly of ourselves that we believe we have nothing to contribute.

True humility will allow us to build unity. If we think too lowly of ourselves, we will not contribute to the work of God. If we think too highly of ourselves, we will take away from the ability of others to contribute to God’s work. Humility allows us to be peacemakers. The attitude of “I’ve got it right” does not help. Humility recognizes that I might not have it right. This kind of an attitude does not undermine our convictions, nor make us wishy-washy, it respects the mind and opinion of others and acknowledges that we have things to learn. If that is our attitude, we will have a peace building humility.

Christ’s Example

In the final verse, Paul points to the example of Jesus. Philippians 2:5 says, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” If we want to learn to be one by being selfless and humble, then Jesus is the greatest example of all. He was willing to leave heaven and to come to earth. He was willing to give up His life in order to become a sacrifice for us. If that isn’t humility from the person who was the greatest ever, I don’t know who is humble. If that isn’t selflessness, I don’t know what example would be greater. Next week, we will examine this in more detail. Jesus is a paradigm of how unity works.

Why was Jesus able to humble himself? He did not grasp position, even though he had a right to it, but rather, He made himself nothing. He made a choice to submit for the sake of the purpose of bringing people to God. That is the example we must follow.

Conclusion

The United Nations identified last Thursday as a day to think about being peacemakers. The Mennonite World Conference has encouraged us to mark today as a day to think about being peacemakers.

We certainly need peace in our world. With what is happening in Lebanon and Israel, Thailand, Iraq and Afghanistan, we know that we need peace.

We desire peace in our country. Political conflicts abound - from the issue of smoking on native casinos to the debate on the issue of gay marriages. We need peace in some of these difficult conflicts in Canada.

We desire peace in our families. We hear about marriages that are breaking up, emotional and physical abuse destroying family relationships and about parents and children who never speak to each other. We need to pray and learn how to be peacemakers in our families.

The principles of peacemaking pertain in all of these situations and we need to learn and apply them. We also need peace in the church. This is the one we have focussed on today and it is critical. How can we expect to be a light to the world if we do not have peace here?

We are people who are in Christ, loved by God and indwelt by the same Spirit. The ground of peace is strong and so we are encouraged to be like minded by having one heart and one purpose. We can do this as we are selfless and humble.

This morning, I would like to invite you to make some decisions about what it will mean for you to live in unity with the people of God in this congregation, in other churches, with the people of God elsewhere and even in your family.

What will you need to do in order to obey this part of Scripture. Do you have to change your attitude about someone? Do you have to forgive someone? Do you have to ask someone’s forgiveness? If we are really serious about the purpose for which we exist as a church as described on that banner – “We proclaim, follow and serve Jesus to the glory of God - then let us seek unity in this church.

Suffering For Christ

Philippians 1:27-30

Introduction

I read an article this week in an EFC publication that reported that, “On August 16, Artur Pawlowski was arrested for sharing the Gospel with tarot card readers at the Fringe Festival in Calgary. Pawlowski told these practisers of "sorcery" that the Bible condemns these practices. Organizers of the festival asked him not to talk to the vendors and he agreed. But when he stayed in the park praying and reading the Bible, the organizers called police. The police arrested Pawlowski for obstruction and he was taken in a police car in handcuffs. He was also charged with trespassing and causing a disturbance. Amazingly, Pawlowski's brother videotaped the entire sequence of events.

“On the videotape Pawlowski can be heard explaining to the police that he emigrated from Poland so that he could enjoy rights such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion as guaranteed by the Charter. He was to appear in court on September 7.”

“The CBC and the Winnipeg Free Press broke a story on August 23 that seems to date back to May. The Manitoba Human Rights Commission appears to have decided to review mission statements from all school boards across the province, after receiving "complaints." It took on the Garden Valley School Board for its 100 year-old mission statement that referred to the schools as a "partnership with home and church" in promoting Christian principles.

“Janet Baldwin, commission chairwoman, said in an interview with the Winnipeg Free Press that she gave the school board a "little lecture" about human rights law. And ultimately told them that the reference to church and "Christian principles" creates a "poisoned environment" in the schools.

“This is a bit jaw-dropping. The language "poisoned environment" was used by the Supreme Court of Canada in a New Brunswick Case where a teacher who was a public holocaust denier created a poisoned atmosphere for Jews in the schools because there was evidence of a burgeoning neo-Nazi movement. It is also used when there is sexual harassment of a nature that the victim feels afraid to go to work. It is hard to believe that a mission statement promoting Christian principles could create a poisoned environment. The school board has responded that "100 percent of parents" have petitioned the school to have opt-in religious exercises before the school day starts.

“The human rights commission has not said that any "complaints" have related to the Garden Valley School Board. So, is this just a modern day witch hunt (where the "witches" are Christians)?”

These are just a few instances in which Christian perspectives and Christian people have been restricted in their expression of faith. Is this common? Is it increasing? What does it mean for us as Christians in the future? Will we have to learn to deal with persecution?

In our study of Philippians, we will examine Philippians 1:27-30 this morning. We have suggested in the last few messages that this letter is a friendship letter written by Paul to the church in Philippi. We noticed last week that Paul wrote to the Philippians about “what has happened to me.” In verse 27, the focus changes to what is happening to the Philippians. In verses 12-26 the dominant pronoun has been “I” and in verses 27 – 30 the dominant pronoun is “you.”

There are three concerns that Paul addresses in the larger section from 1:27-2:18. The basic concern is “the gospel” as he says in 1:27 and in 2:15 where he reminds them that they “shine like stars in the universe.” As people who must make the gospel of Christ known Paul indicates, in this section, that there are three things that are important in that responsibility. They are woven throughout this section. The first concern is that they be people who live worthy of the gospel, the second that they live in unity with each other and the third that they not be frightened by those who will oppose them. These three concerns are still critical for any church and any individual who is willing to take up the God-given mandate to make the name of Jesus known. Over the next four messages, we will examine each of these aspects. The last one we will examine will be the matter of being worthy. In the second last one we will take a little side trip to think about how Jesus came and carried out his ministry. In the next message, we will think together about the matter of unity and today, I would like to speak about how God’s children face opposition. The particular focus of the message today will be on 1:29 in which we are told that “it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him…”

The Reality Of Suffering For Christ

The Bible Says We Will Suffer

This is a theme that is repeated many times in the Bible. We are citizens of heaven who are living on earth and, therefore, we will face suffering and persecution. Jesus himself indicated in John 15:20, “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.” He said the same thing in other places.

Revelation 12 tells the cosmic story of God and His work in the world and the opposition of Satan. In the final verse, we read, “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” The war the dragon makes against “the rest of her offspring” refers to the persecution of believers.

In Philippians 1:27, Paul speaks about “contending for the faith of the gospel.” This is a recognition that as Christians we are in a battle. The word “contending” is a word that was used to speak of the battle which often took place in the Roman amphitheatre in which gladiators fought with each other or with wild animals. As Christians, who are citizens of the heavenly kingdom, but live in the earthly kingdom, we are in a battle and sometimes those in the earthly kingdom will oppose us and we will find ourselves in a battle for the faith.

The Church Experienced Suffering

In verse 28, Paul encourages them not to be “frightened in any way by those who oppose you,” indicating that there were those who opposed them. Then in verse 30 he says, “you are going through the same struggle…” The reason he mentions suffering is because it was a reality for the church in Philippi. This city, although a Greek city, was a Roman colony and, as such, had the special privilege of Roman citizenship. The display of such citizenship would have been important to the residents there, which included acknowledging that “Caesar is Lord.” As Christians, they were unable to say this because for them, Christ was Lord and that may be why they were persecuted.

Persecution certainly wasn’t something surprising for Paul. As we read on in verse 30, he talks about the “struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.” The church in Philippi was planted by Paul and the story is described in Acts 16. As soon as the church was planted, there was opposition. One of the first experiences Paul had in Philippi was being arrested and spending the night in prison. Now he is in prison again because of Jesus and so is speaking about what he has personally experienced.

For many years, we have ignored these passages and the many verses that speak about persecution and suffering. We have not suffered. Life has been pretty easy for us. We have been aware that in other times in the history of the Christian church such suffering was a reality. We have been aware that in our own history, in my own family history there have been experiences of suffering for Christ. We have been aware that in other places in the world suffering is taking place, but it has not touched us and so these passages have been somewhat strange to us. That was not the case for the church in Philippi. They were experiencing opposition. It is beginning to change for us and so we need to recognize that this kind of an experience is not surprising.

The Reason For Persecution

Why in the world are God’s people opposed?

A Sign Of Salvation

One reason is given in verse 28 where Paul says, “This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved – and that by God.”

Persecution is evidence that a line has been drawn in the sand. It shows that there are two sides and that there are people on both sides. On the one side, is God and all those who follow him. On the other side is Satan and those who follow him. On this earth, we are in Satan’s territory and will, therefore, experience opposition. Although Romans 12:18 says that we should live at peace as much as we can, when it comes to our relationship with God, there are some things we can’t compromise. Those are the things that will put us at odds with those who oppose Christ. Persecution reveals that line. From the eternal perspective, it affirms that we are on the side of God and will win and that those who persecute us are on the side that will be destroyed. Thus suffering for Christ serves the purpose of revealing those who belong to him and those who belong to the world.

A Gift Of Grace

Philippians 1:29 makes another striking statement about the reason there is persecution when it says “…it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him.”

If we dissect this verse a little bit, we can begin to understand the unusual and amazing thing it teaches us. If we read only part of the verse, namely, “it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ to believe on him,” it makes perfect sense. It tells us that salvation in Christ is a gift. God has given those who believe in Christ a relationship with God in which we receive forgiveness and eternal life. What a blessing! We accept it gladly as a gift from God.

However, that is not all the verse says. It says that the gift we have been given from God, the grace we have received from God is not only to believe, but also the grace to suffer with Christ. What this says is that suffering is not an accident, not a sign of God’s anger, but a sign of his favour, a gift of his grace. One writer says, “suffering should not surprise or overwhelm them; it is rather evidence that ‘God looks upon you with favour.’”

How is suffering a gift of grace? I think that II Corinthians 4:11 gives us a good answer to that question. There we read, “For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.” The reason God has allowed us to suffer for Christ is so that God’s power can be revealed through us. Suffering drives us to Christ. When we suffer, we come to the end of our resources and we are forced to rely on Christ. When we suffer, the life giving, resurrection power of Jesus makes itself known in our lives. In that way, it is a gift of grace.

Identification With Christ

A third reason why we are persecuted is contained in the little phrase “on behalf of Christ” in verse 29. God has granted that in persecution we are closely identified with Christ. II Corinthians 1:5 says, “For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” The life of Jesus was a life of suffering. When we suffer because we are Christians, we share in His suffering and are closely identified with Him. If we love Jesus, as we looked at last week, this kind of close identification with Him will be a badge of honor. If we are that closely identified with Jesus in our suffering, we can begin to understand how it is a gift of grace to be persecuted.

Responding To Suffering For Christ

Janet Epp Buckingham is the Director of Law and Public Policy for the evangelical Fellowship of Canada. She wrote, “Over the last several years there has been a marked increase in incidents of intolerance to religious perspectives in various public schools in Canada. In Saskatchewan, students were told that it was offensive to ‘pray around the flagpole’ and requested to stop. In New Brunswick, students in one class were instructed to write a ‘Christmas story’ but were told that it was ‘illegal’ to mention Jesus in the story. In an Ontario school, students were told that 100 years ago people believed in the Bible but that ‘no one takes the Bible seriously now.’ When a student objected to this, she was singled out as an out-of-touch oddity.”

We have been living in a bubble of exception, but that is changing, so we need to know not only that persecution is normal, not only that we are in enemy territory, but that this is a gift of God’s grace. We also need to know how to face what is coming.

Don’t Be Terrified

In Philippians 1:28 Paul encourages them by saying, “without being frightened in any way.” The word for frightened is the same word as is sometimes used to describe an “uncontrollable stampede of startled horses.” This is the sudden fear of something which is only partly known and which strikes terror and a sudden reaction.

We have a distinct advantage because we know the enemy is coming. Therefore, there is no reason for sudden fright. We can have this perspective if we have the life purpose given in 1:21 where Paul says, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” If we know that we are in God’s hands at all times and if we know that our eternal destination is secure, then we do not need to fear any suffering or persecution which may come upon us. Instead, we can glorify Christ whether by life or death.

Endure Patiently

Instead of becoming frightened, the Bible, in many places, encourages patient endurance. I Corinthians 4:12 says, “when we are persecuted, we endure it.” Jesus, “who for the joy set before him, endured the cross,” as Hebrews 12:2 says, is our example of endurance. He knew what suffering would accomplish and because of that joy endured it. It is like enduring getting your teeth cleaned or having surgery. It is hard to face, but you know that it will make things better and so you choose to endure it.

Such endurance involves patience. James 5:10 says, “…as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” Consider Jeremiah who was put in a hole in the ground, who was constantly slandered, but who knew that he was doing God’s will and so was patient in all his suffering. Such a response is commendable for us as well.

Rejoice

We are encouraged to do even more than endure patiently, we are encouraged to rejoice in suffering. I Peter 4:13 says, “But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ…” Why can we not only endure, but also rejoice in suffering?

We can rejoice because, as Romans 8:35-39 says, we can never be separated from the love of God. There is nothing that will happen to us that God does not know about and that is not within His loving purposes for us.

We can rejoice because as the rest of I Peter 4:13 says, “so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” The eventual outcome for those who endure is so great that it will make our suffering seem as nothing. If we remember what is yet to come, we can rejoice in our present suffering.

Defend Yourself

One of the questions which may come up as opposition of Christians increases is the question of whether or not we can defend ourselves. Paul did use his rights as a Roman citizen to defend himself on several occasions. In Philippi, after spending a night in jail, he was released, but when released, he confronted them by questioning their right to arrest and imprison a Roman citizen without good cause. In Jerusalem, he defended himself from the attacks of the Jews by appealing to the Roman laws.

Janet Epp Buckingham speaks about this in a recent article. She advises that “in Canada we have legal processes that are for the benefit of all in our society. We can use these processes to ensure that everyone in Canada enjoys religious freedom. It is not offensive to Canadian government authority to write a letter to a politician or even to start a legal action. There may be times when God calls us to refrain from taking action, however. This is where prayer and discernment within the Christian community are very important. And a particular note of caution is found in 1 Corinthians 6:1. Christians should not be taking one another to court. But this does not restrict Christians from using the courts to ensure that religious freedom is respected.”

Bless Those Who Persecute

When Paul indicates in Philippians 1:29 that it has been granted to us to suffer, “on behalf of Christ” it raises another issue. If we share in the sufferings of Christ it means that we ought to respond to suffering in the same way that Christ did. One writer says, “Through ‘death on the cross’ he not only ‘saved us,’ but modeled for us God’s way of dealing with the opposition – loving them to death.” Later in Philippians 3:10 Paul says, “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”

In an article in the MB Herald called Taking it on the chin, Dan Harder compares the reaction which many Muslims had to the cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad and a cartoon which blasphemed Jesus in the campus newspaper of the University of Saskatchewan. He writes, “The response in Saskatoon was immediate. The Saskatoon Christian Centre issued a news release asking University of Saskatchewan president MacKinnon “to close The Sheaf and withdraw all public funding until the current editorial staff are dismissed.” Other reactions followed, including calls to boycott the university paper. In the end, the editor resigned although the cartoonist remained unapologetic.

“As I observed the outcry over the cartoon, I saw that the response from the Christian community was strangely similar to the response from the Muslim community about the cartoons offending their prophet. The Sheaf had put Christians in the position the Danish papers had put Muslims earlier and we were reacting the same. But should we have been?

“During his crucifixion, Jesus was mocked, spit at, crowned with thorns, and ultimately killed for something he did not do. Followers of Jesus can expect this type of behaviour from people who are not followers of Christ; it comes with the territory. The cartoon was in bad taste but was nothing new; Christianity has always been attacked and will continue to be. Christians cannot expect Christian behaviour from those who are not Christian. Rather, we must love them, and forgive them, even if an apology is not forthcoming.

“That’s what makes Christianity attractive, I think: we take it on the chin, we turn the other cheek.”

Conclusion

So far in my life persecution has been minimal. In many other parts of the world, however, suffering is present in the Christian church. In many other times in the history of the church, suffering has dominated the life of the church. So in the grand scheme of things, we have been living in a bubble of exception. It will not stay that way. Signs, as we have seen, are already indicating that changes are on the way. Will we be ready?

If we understand that persecution has always been a part life for Christians and if we understand that suffering is a gift of God’s grace that He has given and if we learn all that the Bible has to say about not being afraid, but enduring patiently and even rejoicing, if we learn when and how to defend ourselves and when to love our enemies, then we will be well equipped to face these times. The Bible is certainly not silent on this issue, so I invite you to study it and to be ready to love Christ even when persecuted.

A Singular Passion

Philippians 1:12-26

Introduction

Have you ever talked to Trevor Dueck about NASCAR, or Margaret and Charlotte about quilting, or Eric Eidse about hockey or hunting or any mother about their children? Our passions show don’t they. Some people have so many things that they get excited about that they are always going from one thing to another. Sometimes our passions change. I can still remember when I turned 12 and was old enough to go duck hunting with my dad. I don’t get excited about hunting any more, but I am excited about going canoeing with my sons in a few weeks. I remember a lady I knew who was passionate about gambling. She didn’t admit it out loud and it was a problem in that it was an addiction and created financial and relational problems. Some passions are like that, they are hurtful and destructive. There is a degree to which all of us are passionate about ourselves, but some people are really passionate about themselves, to the point of being conceited, boastful and even controlling. So not every passion is a good thing. I have met people who do not seem to be passionate about anything. They are boring and uninteresting because they just don’t seem to care at all. At the other extreme are people who want to be elite athletes or professional musicians. If they want to perform at that level they have to have a singular passion. When they do, much time is spent in engaging that passion. What are you passionate about?

A few weeks ago, we began our study of the letter of Paul to the Philippians. I suggested at that time that it was a friendship letter. One of the things which identifies it as a friendship letter is that it discusses the situation of the author and that of the readers. That is much like what we do in letters which we write to friends or relatives. We tell what has been happening to us and write about what has been happening to them. Please look at the next section - Philippians 1:12-26. Please note in verse 12 that Paul says “I want you to know…what has happened to me…” He is telling them about his situation and commenting about what they have heard and about what has been happening to him. They had sent him a gift and so they obviously cared about him. He wants to relieve their anxiety about him. A moment ago we talked about passions. In the process of Paul’s discussion about what is happening to him, the passion of Paul is revealed. Paul had a singular passion and that was Jesus Christ. As we see his passion, it is an example for us of how we ought to live. It is a story which invites us to examine our passions.

The Important Thing – Christ Is Preached

What would you think about if you were in prison? I imagine that I would think about “how can I get out?” About “where is my next meal coming from?” About “Are the other prisoners going to hurt me?” About “How can I sleep on this hard floor?” Perhaps about “How many diseases are those rats carrying?” And I might well feel sorry for myself and consider that I am suffering so badly.

Paul was in prison in Rome at this time. He had gone to Jerusalem several years before and while there, the Jewish leaders tried to kill him but he was protected by the Romans. After several trials, he was sent first to Caesarea and then later Paul appealed for justice to Rome and was sent there. On the way, he experienced shipwreck and other hardships, but finally got to Rome and was put in prison and that is where he was now. Although the charges which were against him were about things that had happened in Jerusalem, there was a growing opposition towards Christians even in Rome and a few years later, that opposition became open and violent persecution. The conflict stirring in Rome was different than that in Jerusalem. In Rome, the issue which would become a cause of persecution was the declaration of who was Lord, Caesar or Christ? This was the situation in which Paul found himself as he shared with the Philippians in verses 7, 13,14 and 17 that he was in chains. What did he think about in prison? I suspect he may have thought about all the things we would think about, but he did not write about them or complain about them to his friends in Philippi.

We have a record of what he thought about. Please check your Bibles and see what he had on his mind. The first thing on his mind was what he says in verse 12 – “what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.” What was uppermost in his mind was the progress of the gospel.

How had his imprisonment served to advance the gospel?

As we read on, we find an answer to that question. He indicates that everyone, including “the whole palace guard” had found out that he was in prison because of Christ. It is likely that he had several guards with him at all times. As they rotated through their shifts, many of them would have had much time to listen to Paul and Paul had made sure that he had talked to them about Jesus as the reason for his imprisonment. The guards would have told others until a whole regiment would have heard, not only that Paul was in prison for religious reasons, but also about who Jesus was and what He had done and could do for them.

A second way in which the gospel was spread because of Paul being in prison is through his very reason for being there. Paul was there to defend the gospel in Rome as he mentions in vs. 16. Fee says, “From Paul’s point of view, the gospel itself is on trial, and his imprisonment is a divinely appointed ‘defence of the gospel’ at the highest echelons.”

The other way in which the gospel had been advanced is because the believers in Rome “have been encouraged to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.” As they saw the courage of Paul to face imprisonment and as they had to admit that they knew and believed similarly to such a high profile prisoner, they had gained courage to speak about Jesus. Now Paul does mention that some of them were not preaching Christ for good reasons. For some reason, there were believers who did not like Paul. They thought that if they preached about Christ, they would stir things up and make things worse for Paul, but no matter what their motives were, they were preaching Jesus.

As Paul speaks about these things, we see what was uppermost on Paul’s mind. As he shares his experiences, he also shares his heart.

In verse 18 he says, “what does it matter.” What does he mean by that? He means that if people are speaking about Christ because they love him and want people to know about him, or if they speak about Christ in the hopes that they will make trouble for Paul, Paul does not really care. Why?

In verse 18 he goes on to say why. He says, “the important thing is that in every way Christ is preached.” This is the heart of Paul. He cares first of all and most of all that the name of Jesus will be proclaimed. He doesn’t care how it happens. He speaks about the gospel being proclaimed “in every way.” In I Corinthians 9:19-23, Paul spoke about how he was willing to become all things to all men so that in some way he might reach many. Once again all of this reveals the heart of Paul – the important thing to him is that the name of Jesus and the work of Jesus should be made known so that people will be saved.

What makes us rejoice? Is it health?, happiness?, friends?, family? What made Paul rejoice? As he says in verse 18, it is when Jesus is proclaimed. I know that we also care about this. A few weeks ago when it was mentioned that a member of this community had became a Christian, we all shared this kind of joy. Paul’s joy is not over his imprisonment, but that even in his imprisonment, the gospel is preached.

So as he shares with the Philippians what is happening to him, he reveals the deepest concern, the most important thing in his life and that is that Jesus be made known. Do we also care about making Christ known?

I spoke with someone a while ago who goes to the same restaurant at least once a week. He told me, “I’m on a first name basis with the New York Fries guy.” How many people do we know in casual, friendship contacts? Do we care not just to be “on a first name basis” with them, but also to share Christ with them?

I have to confess that sometimes I avoid contact with people because I like to be alone and don’t want to invest energy in more relationships. I ask myself, if making Jesus known is important to me, would I behave that way?

I guess the question I am asking myself and all of us is, “how would my life be different if making Jesus known was as important to me as it was to Paul?” At some times in my life, I have been made to feel guilty because I was not witnessing enough. As we see Paul’s life, it does not raise guilt in me. I do not want to promote making Jesus known as an obligation, but rather because it is such good news. If we love to make Jesus known, it will happen. We will not have to promote Operation Andrew because we will all want to engage in relationships which introduce people to Jesus. We will not cajole people into inviting others to the Franklin Graham Festival because we will want to give friends every possible opportunity to meet Jesus.

When Paul shares his heart by saying, “the important thing is that Christ is preached” in verse 18, may we see this as an encouragement to also see it as important.

Now As Always Christ Will Be Exalted

As we read in 1:18, making Jesus known caused Paul to rejoice. As we read on in verse 18, he says, “Yes, and I will continue to rejoice…” Why such great joy in his life? What was it that caused Paul to love making Jesus known?

It is fun to watch a new romance budding. Even though the people falling in love sometimes deny it, other people often see it, sometimes even before the couple is fully aware of it, because you can’t hide love. What we love will come out. The reason he rejoiced was because of his singular passion. As we continue in the context of this passage, we come to understand what Paul’s singular passion was. What was that passion?

Paul was in prison for charges which came from incidents with the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem. As we have already mentioned, there were issues beginning to surface in Rome which would eventually make it impossible to avoid persecution as a Christian. Paul was aware of the charges, his innocence and the dangerous situation which was just beginning to brew. He was aware that prison had two possible outcomes. He would either be released or he would face the death sentence. A tribunal was coming which would decide his case. Although a strongly democratic and quite just society, he was not certain that the outcome of his trial would be release because of the justice of the issue. So as he was in prison, he was aware of two possibilities. He would either face life and deliverance and release, or he would face death. As we read on, we find that he is musing about these two possibilities. What was he thinking? When we muse about life and death issues, our deepest passions are soon revealed and as Paul meditates on life and death, his deepest passion is clearly displayed for us to see.

One hand, he was hopeful towards release and further ministry. He is not being a Polly-Anna as he is hopeful toward release, nor is he hopeful because there is no real case against him. His hope is based on sound God oriented reasoning. He is hopeful towards release because the believers are going to pray and the Holy Spirit will do his work. Notice in verse 19 that it is “through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.” What a great lesson we find in this statement. It reinforces the importance of prayer and reminds us of the power of the Holy Spirit to work because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. As we realize the challenges to faith we are experiencing in our church and community, we are encouraged to prayer and realize how significant it is to do so.

He is also hopeful towards release because he is aware that his remaining will mean fruitful labour. He knows that there is work that he has to do yet. His life is a life dedicated to the work of Christ. If he dies, he will not be able to continue to do that work and he is confident that it is necessary that he continues to work. Indeed, he believes that for the sake of the Philippians themselves, it is necessary for him to remain. They need to progress and learn about joy in the faith and he believes that he has something to contribute to that.

However, in that hope, he is not arrogant. He is fully aware that it could turn out differently. He knows that the tribunal could hand out a sentence of death. The passion of Paul is fully revealed as he contemplates that uncertain future. He says in these verses that if he remains, it is a good thing – it will mean fruitful ministry. But he also says, if he dies, it is also a good thing because then he will be with Christ. He has total peace about what will happen to him. No matter what his circumstances, it is all good. Why? Because of his singular passion and that is Jesus Christ. He loves Jesus more than anything else in the world. That passion is revealed powerfully several times in this text

In verse 20 he says, “now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” Then in verse 21 he says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” To die is gain is not a death wish, it does not arise out of a dissatisfaction with life and it is not there because of a desire to be done with troubles and trials. Rather, it is the clear assertion of one whose life is uncertain, but “whose ultimate future is both certain and desired.”

Why this singular passion for Jesus Christ? Because he knows that he is the recipient of a powerful love which comes to him in Christ. Because he knows that his very life is found in Christ. Because he knows that he has a clean slate because of Christ. Because he knows that he has eternal life because of Christ. All he is, all he has, all his hopes are found in Christ and so he is deeply in love with Him.

Do we so love Christ?

What we notice about Paul and what is a model for us as well is that if Christ is the singular passion of our life, then we can live in the same hope. Paul is ready to engage in future ministry because Christ is his passion. Paul is anticipating heaven because Christ is his passion. Paul’s greatest joy and desire is to introduce others to Jesus because Christ is his singular passion. Gordon Fee says, “Such singular focus does not make him otherworldly; rather, it gives heart and meaning to everything he is and does as a citizen of two worlds.”

Not that it is all clear and easy for Paul. He mentions in vs. 20, “I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage…” The only thing that would shame Paul is not his own imprisonment or trouble, but if Christ’s name was slandered because of him. As he says this he reveals that it is possible to fail. The words “hope” and “courage” reveal that his ongoing desire is the singular passion of his life – Jesus Christ, but this statement also indicates that a measure of seeking and striving for this is important.

Conclusion

As I read this, I ask myself, “Is Jesus the singular passion of my life?” Fee says, “One wonders what the people of God might truly be like in our ‘post modern’ world if we were once again people of this singular passion.”

I have to confess that there are a lot of things that I care about. Sometimes those things distract me. Sometimes other things than Jesus are my passion. Sometimes I am my passion, but deep down, I know that I love Jesus. I love Him because He has forgiven my sins, because He has given me life that is abundant and eternal and because He guides me in life by His Spirit. I deeply desire to live a life completely in love with Jesus. The singular passion of Paul expressed in this passage moves my heart and speaks to a longing deep in my soul. I do not feel condemned by this passage, it calls my heart. It raises in my soul a desire for a singular passion. Not that I would stop enjoying many of the good things God gives us, but, over and above everything I enjoy, I desire to have this singular passion for Jesus.

What are you passionate about? I invite you to a singular passion – a passion for Jesus.