Philippians 1:7 - “... in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.”

Writing from his detention house in Rome, Paul expressed his confidence that God would continue to bless the church until they met Christ (v. 6). What gave him that confidence was his compassion for them (7a). His compassion, in turn, was rooted in their love for him, which was evidenced in their walking according to the pattern of his life. They spoke boldly the gospel of salvation, and encouraged those who were in bonds for doing the same. Living like Paul lived they received the benefit of God’s grace as Paul did. In our modern age strong desire often substitutes for proof, and motivates behavior (“I don’t see anything wrong with it,” and therefore it’s right). The philosophy has invaded the church. It is common now to find in the fellowship of Christians those who make no effort to preach or defend the gospel, yet lay claim to the grace of God. Paul said that the Philippian church shared alike with him the grace of God because they defended and confirmed as he did. Are you sure that God will bless you with strength to endure, and Heaven after a while, if you don’t follow Paul’s example? How is it possible take an opposite road and end in the same place? The way to God’s blessings is through faithful service to Him. “Faithful” means according to what is written. Is His Book your guide in life, or are you following a different way?

Philippians 1:20 - “...Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

Paul’s epistle to the church in Philippi is a touching personal letter of the joy we have simply being in Christ, but also to serve in His Kingdom. It is also a letter of repeated admonition to continue faithful to the Savior in obeying the word that is preached, and in following the example of Paul and others like him (1:27; 3:16; 4:2). With the admonition to follow his example (3:17; 4:9) Paul declared to them his own commitment to Jesus Christ (1:17,21; 3:8-14; 4:11). Paul’s “earnest expectation” was that he would have nothing about which to be ashamed when he stood before the Lord because he was determined, in thought and in deed, that “Christ shall be magnified” in Paul’s life. We don’t often use the word “magnified” in that way, but it means about what we might expect as we use it in other contexts. The word in its basic sense means “to make great, magnify,” but as a metaphor (as it is in this epistle) it means “to make conspicuous.” Wow. Really? You want me to be like you, and you are determined that Christ will be conspicuous in your body? Yep, that’s what he said. And he said it by the inspiration of God in Heaven (II Tim. 3:16), using words chosen by the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 2:13). And God left the letter in the Bible to admonish us as he admonished, by the same epistle, our brothers and sisters in Philippi. So, is Christ conspicuous in your Body? When are you going to make him so?