Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
I lead Sunday School last week in 1st Thessalonians. We only made it about half way through what I had prepared, but the main lessons in that book are love one another, let faith ring out, and grow your faith and love for one another.
And this is how I know God knows what we studied. Philippians 1:3-11 is on the lectionary this week. It sounds very familiar. Slow down and read carefully. This is it in the NIV.
Paul says:
“I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”
First let’s talk about the first paragraph. “I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you,”
His joyful prayers are because they still believe.
“Because of your sharing in the gospel from the first from the first day until now.”
“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.”
Yes, He will. He’s promised it in John 6. (MSG)
39-40 “This, in a nutshell, is that will: that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed—not a single detail missed—and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole. This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time.”
And Psalm 138:8
The Lord will perfect (complete) that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
John 6:35
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6 is an amazing collection of Jesus words. But back to Philippians 1. Now let’s look at the next paragraph.
“It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.”
You hold me in your heart. Aww.
You share in God’s grace with me
And through that, the gospel is defended and confirmed.
“For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.”
Paul’s heart is so soft. Longing is apparent here though not as much as it is in 1 Thessalonians. Compassion, we could all use a little more compassion.
“And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.”
Consistency. Paul is always praying that love may overflow, abound, grow, be apparent so visible that the world around us can see and might wonder why we have so much love for one another, who is this one who commands that we love? (John 15:12 & 17 – My command is this: Love one another.)
It’s that love that leads to knowledge and insight and to know what is best. And we will be pure and blameless (Ephesians 1) and the crown of righteousness will be given to us. (2 Timothy 4:8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.)
Blessed be the holy name of Jesus.