PHILIPPIANS 1 - - THE SINGLE MIND of CIRCUMSTANCES ROB JOY
Verses 19 - 30
Paul is in prison in Rome for preaching the gospel. The two possible outcomes of his trial are his execution or his release. We have seen that he is not focused on the immediate circumstances of his physical situation, nor is he fretting over those who have wrong motives.
When he was persecuting the church, Saul had one mission in his life. His reputation was known far and wide and every Christian feared him. When he converted, he wanted to make such a statement about his changed life that he even changed his name. The contrast between his old life and his new life is about as drastic as I can imagine. He must have been one of those very intense personalities and the people around him were either for him or against him.
There were plenty of people from his old life who were now against him. So much so that some were willing to "preach" the gospel just to keep things stirred up and with the hopes of making it harder on him. The government had arrested him for the impact he was having and they would surely be trying to squelch anyone else who was preaching the same gospel. But Paul did not try to dissect their motives or concentrate on the great betrayal this was to his life purpose. He focused on the gospel instead of the circumstances and found that "peace that passes all understanding."
Now Paul makes a shift in his writing to show us what is on his mind as he faces these two possible outcomes of his trial. "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." These words are not written out of despair but out of JOY! If he is released from prison he will be able to go on and give glory to his Savior. If he is killed he will be able to join his Savior. Either way he will be happy.
Paul, being human, did not know which of the two he would choose. When he says in verse 22 "I wot not" it means "I do not know" what I would choose. His life had that singular focus of Christ and he did not have a preference of how that purpose should be fulfilled. He had not planned out his whole life and made dreams. He lived each day as it came to him and was NOT trying to accomplish a certain "script" that he had manufactured in his own mind.
I imagine Paul's dilemma felt alot to him like we feel when we think of being with our Savior in Heaven or being with our families and loved ones here. Especially as a mother I have a hard time envisioning how life could possibly go on if I were not here! But I know that God would take care of my family and because He is the focus of their lives also, He would be glorified. I sometimes create the reality in my heart that my kids just couldn't go on without me or that my husband would just flounder without me by his side. But with Christ as their focus, they would not be destroyed by the circumstance of losing my influence in their lives.
Verses 25 and 26 say "...I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy and faith; That your rejoicing may be be MORE ABUNDANT in Jesus Christ for my by my coming to your again." Paul sums up this little discussion by saying that he is confident that he will not be executed by will remain on earth in order to encourage and strengthen his fellow believers.
In verse 27 the word "conversation" is not limited to talking. It actually refers to a person's very lifestyle and behavior. You know the old saying "Your talk talks and your walk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks"? Paul was encouraging these believers to put actions to their words. "...that ye stand fast in ONE spirit, with ONE mind striving together for the furtherance of the gospel." He is telling them and us to stick to the one purpose that we all have in common - - the gospel. He is instructing them to keep the main thing the main thing.
Verse 28 is full of Heavenly perspective. "And in nothing terrified by your adversaries..." Paul was the expert on what the Roman government could and would do to Christians. And he does not qualify this statement but leaves it open to apply to every single person. He does not say "don't be terrified if you are having your business destroyed in the name of Christ" or "don't be terrified if you are being arrested and sent to prison." In fact he implies that everyone will have some kind of adversity from their enemies. And, of all things, he tells these Christians not to let it bother them. The enemy sends difficulties to discourage us and get our attention on the wrong thing....our circumstances. Tough circumstances are actually allowed to be sent to us so that we have an opportunity to glorify God! Adversity looks like a negative to the world, but to the Christian it is a positive!
"Heavenly logic" (so to speak) says that if Christ suffered such betrayal and physical destruction for us, it should be obvious that we as His followers will also suffer. If I like or dislike a certain person, it follows that I will either like or dislike their close friends just by association. Christ is more than just a friend to me; He is my Savior and I have made it clear that I am associated with Him. Those who are against Him will automatically be against me. The enemy is actively fighting against Christ, so he will actively be attacking me. But these attacks are just part of the circumstances of my life and if I focus on them I will be robbed of the joy my Savior bestows. And "greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." The giver of my joy is greater than the distractor of my joy!
"The enemy is fighting, fighting, fighting . . . but the Savior is faithful, faithful, faithful!"
Song: "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus"
Right on daughter in law.
ReplyDelete