Philippians

Weekly Reader 4: Devoted to the Proper Gains
 

Reading: Philippians 1:20-27, Galatians 2:20, 1 Timothy 1:12-16

I was recently asked by a friend who doesn’t believe in the possibility of a loving, good and all-knowing God, where I believe people go when they die.  The quick and simple answer is Heaven or Hell, but I knew that wouldn’t help him in anyway come closer to believing in Jesus.  So I said, “I believe we’ll all either be with Jesus or we won’t”.  You see, the hope we have because of Christ’s resurrection shouldn’t be centered in believing we go to Heaven,  but that we’ll live eternally with our father and savior.  One is simply about a place while the other is about a deep and eternal connection to the God who created us for the sole purpose of living in relationship with him.  True, the joys of Heaven will be something we cannot comprehend until we’re there…but Heaven wasn’t the point of the cross.  In fact, Heaven isn’t even mentioned in the New Testament (Jesus refers to paradise once in Luke 23:43).

The question is, while we’re still living here on earth how do we joyfully anticipate our coming eternal relationship with Jesus?  With the world’s distractions, the ups and downs of life and the absolutely painful and bottom of the bucket times in life…how do we live the way Paul did?  When we read Philippians it’s awfully clear that Paul was in a heap of trouble.  He was alone, shackled in prison, possibly facing death and yet full of joy and faith in Jesus!  Talk about tough times!  Yet, what we can learn from Paul is that as Christians we are to understand that Christ now lives in us.  Our lives are now not our own, but for Christ and his purpose.  Paul had such devotion to Jesus, the Kingdom of God and to people that it’s hard to read his letters and not be challenged by them.  The question for us is; are we moving towards a deeper devotion to these things?  Purpose, hope and joy are only found in the life that Jesus offers.  It’s a free gift…are we accepting it?

Questions:

In 1 Timothy 1:12-16 Paul talks about God’s patience.  How is God’s patience being put on display in your life?  What is keeping God’s patience from being put on display in your life?

In this 4th of July week where our American freedom is celebrated…do you live more for your American identity (temporary), or your identity in Christ (eternal)?

What might it look like to view our own suffering not as a problem to be fixed but as a doorway through which God can breathe new life?