Joy Of Philippians Lesson #6

Last lesson we finished the intimacy of Colossians and now part two of the series is the Joy Of Philippians

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Philippians 1:1  Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi , with the bishops and deacons:  2  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the fourth Pauline epistle we have studied.  The thing they have in common is all four of them Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians were written from a jail cell.  These four books contains some of the greatest revelations of the gospel of Jesus Christ we can find.   Paul declares himself to be a bondservant of Jesus Christ.  Philippians is know is the book of joy in the new testament.  It refers to joy, rejoice or some form of joy at least 17 times.  As Paul has written these four books from jail, we must say that Paul was selfless!  While he was in a miserable jail cell his heartbeat was to make the mystery of the gospel clear.  Christ in me the hope of glory, the Father blessed you, the Father chose you, the Father qualified you, and the Father justified you.  These were just of few of the intimacies we have learned going through these books.  One way Philippians stands out as different, Paul wrote to the saints but also included the bishops and deacons at Philippi .  This book of joy is for the mature who want to walk out the fullness of the grace message.

Philippians 1:3  I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,  4  always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy,  5  for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now,

Remember from a jail cell Paul is thinking of the churches.  It starts with thanksgiving for the church.  If we want to walk in the fullness of joy we will have to start with a thankful heart.  From imprisonment Paul was making request joyfully for the Philippi church.
What was he thanking God for?  That the church had fellowship with the gospel from the first day of their salvation to the moment he penned the letter.  Every believer needs a revelation that they have fellowship with the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.  The greater the revelation of the gospel the greater the joy we  can walk in!

Philippians 1:6  being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Paul was confident, that when God begins a new work in the believer He will finish the work in the believer.  Can you believe God is not done with you; whatever He has started He will finish it!  That is some great news.  Don't quit; God will finish what He has started.  Don’t quit, you can make it; God will complete it!

Philippians 1:7  just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.

We are standing on solid ground if we will walk in confidence that God will finish exactly what He has started in us.  Paul declared it is right to think that way.  God calls us to walk in the kingdom mindset.  The enemy of your soul may whisper God is done with you because of what you have done; however it is time to exalt the word of God above the lies the enemy is selling us!  He who has begun a good work in you will carry it to completion!  This my brothers and sisters is the mindset of the kingdom.   So many mindsets to change so we can walk in the strength of the truth of word of God.

Paul makes another mindset of the kingdom statement.  We are partakers of grace!  We indeed have the divine influence of God at work within us!  We have fellowship with this precious gospel and like Paul and the Philippians we are partakers of grace

Philippians 1:8  For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.

Remember from the jail cell Paul is writing, “I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ.  Why was Paul able to speak life from such awful circumstance.  He was indeed influenced by the affections of Jesus Christ.   From that same affection of Jesus Christ He longed for their fellowship.  The mature can walk in a fullness of joy because they are driven by the affections of Christ.

The greater the revelation of the Father’s love for us the greater the joy we will walk in!  Behold what manner of the love the Father has bestowed upon us that we might be called the children of God!  In fact, John wrote of knowing the love of God to such a degree that we would have no fear of judgment on judgment day!  Oh that we might know the greatness of God’s love toward us and live life in the overflow of that love.

Philippians 1:9  And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10  that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ,  11  being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

I pray that your love may abound still more and more.  More and more, and more and more…  May our love walk grow so strong that we gain our knowledge and all discernment from that very love.  Some have gained discernment minus the love.  It only results in a very critical spirit!  Discernment birthed out of love knows the fellowship of the gospel and partakes fully in the divine influence Jesus brings.  When the love factor has grown great enough we are able to approve the things that are excellent.  This love factor can grow so great we can be people who are without offense till the day of Christ.

Without offense is a true key for the joy factor in our lives.  Paul from the jail cell could have easily walked in offense and he would not have been the life speaker that he was.  The enemy of our soul would love for us to walk in offense.  Only the love of the Father compelling us can overcome the power of offense.  Surrendering to the affection of Christ will make us bear fruits of righteousness.  Walking offended prohibits fruit bearing.  Indeed walking free from offense is the will of God for every believer; this will bring God glory and praise.