October 1, 2014
Paul warned the Philippians against the Judaizers who would have the Christians live under the law of circumcision once again, rather than the law of the Spirit. He taught them to “rely” on Christ’s finished work on the cross, rather than their own human effort. When we have acknowledged and accepted the finished work of Christ, we are able to have the complete joy and freedom that we are fully accepted by God. Our confidence, and therefore our joy, is in Christ alone!
October 2, 2013
Paul knew that he belonged to Christ, yet he pursued knowing all of Christ that belonged to him. We come to Christ saying, “I am His and He is mine.” Yet, we don’t fully understand either. Perhaps we partially grasp that we are His to some degree. But that Christ is ours, is mine? That all that Christ is and owns is now mine? His love, His wisdom, His relationship with the Father, His future in heaven, His resurrection, His … all mine? Like Paul, “I press on to make it my own.”
October 2, 2012
This is what we believe, that the Resurrected One will return and our bodies will be changed to be like His. Christ is the firstborn (prototokos) from among the dead, the prototype. Those who believe will have a glorious body like His! Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!
August 2, 2009 | Philippians 3:12-17 |
In the book of Philippians, the apostle Paul said that he had put following Christ first. Paul didn’t say, “These 100 things I dabble in.” No, he said, “This one thing I do.” We can make following Christ our first thing. The text gives three rocks we can put into our lives in order to make following Christ our “one thing.”