Philippians 2 is another of the key chapters that all Christians must know well.
Read / Listen to the chapter:
Read the chapter in an outlined format
Previous DIG DEEPER posts on Philippians
Philippians 2 Summary
You've gained so much from Jesus - encouragement, comfort, Spiritual fellowship, affection & sympathy. But all of these benefits come with an obligation: to love Christ and be in one accord, that is in full alignment with Christ and His Church.
In demonstrating what it means to have the same mindset of Christ, this passage is one of the Bible's clearest christologies; meaning it's a fantastic resource to understand who and what Jesus is:
He's by nature God, but He then also assumed the nature of man.
Having successfully completed His mission, God exalted Christ above all things.
Atheism is a temporary condition. So says v11 - every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord - even the atheists will need confess this truth.
But in order to gain the everlasting benefits that come from confessing Jesus as Lord, you need to confess it here and now.
Paul ends this chapter with some 'housekeeping' details regarding visits from Timothy & Epaphroditus and hopefully even Paul. Even though that doesn't seem relevant to those of us living 2000 years later, these seemingly mundane details show us the importance of fellowship with Godly people in the church.
Dig Deeper
After the beautiful hymn illustrating both the full humanity and deity that Jesus is, Paul writes out something totally unexpected:
work out your own salvation with fear and trembling... (v12)
Certainly Paul's not contradicting his very clear doctrines that Christians are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone! Rather it's because of that salvation that you are equipped to work it out in every facet of life!
In fact, the rest of that sentence explains that even your hard work is a product of God's sovereignty:
... for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (v13).
AAA Prayer:
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: The one who is above all things and to whom all glory is due (v9 & 11)
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Ask God to give you the same love and purpose that Jesus did because you are united to Him (v2)
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
