July 20-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:12, Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
Observe what it is saying.
The most committed athletes continually work out. They do not do so in order to become an athlete but because they are already athletes who want to stay in great shape so they can be the best version of themselves. They know that working out is required so they do not lose ground but remain strong for the tremendous endurance that is required to play the game well. In the same way, we do not work out in order to be saved. Please note the wording of this verse. It does not say work for our salvation but work out our salvation. Because we are followers of Jesus, saved by grace, not by works, we lovingly want to become more and more like Him. This is what Paul has just spoken in the previous passage. We are to be like Jesus in humility and total obedience just as He modeled becoming a servant who laid down His life for us at the cross. Because Christ obeyed to the point of death, we choose to obey God’s call to selflessly live for others. Awareness of our own inadequacy moves us to fear and tremble as we go about becoming mature and whole in our faith. We take our workouts seriously. We know we are not playing a game but are in a life and death struggle with the enemy. So, we choose to continually do all the practices of the faith that will make us stronger so we can endure to the end.
Relate it to your life.
Out of love for Jesus who has redeemed me by His precious blood, I choose to work out and grow up as I walk with Him.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, give me the motivation and discipline to work out each day so that I can grow strong and persevere to the very end. Amen.
July 21-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:13, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Observe what it is saying.
This connects with yesterday’s thought of working out our salvation. Not only are we saved by God’s grace but God continues to work in us as we work out our salvation to become mature and complete. God is always acting in our salvation. We believe God woos us to Him through prevenient grace. God redeems and makes us righteous through justifying grace. God continues to work through sanctifying grace to empower us through the Holy Spirit to choose to act in a way that fulfills His purpose for our lives. We do not believe, like some, that God does all of this whether unilaterally. We believe we have free will and must cooperate with God’s grace by responding in faith and by following His lead. The Lord loves us and wants us to freely love Him in return. Out of His extravagant love, the Lord is actively engaged taking out the old person and bringing in the new person. Out of love for Him, we welcome and respond to the Holy Spirit’s refining work so that we become more and more like Jesus and fulfill the great purpose God has for us in His kingdom. So, we could say God is our workout partner who motivates and strengthens us to become a brand-new person.
Relate it to your life.
Because Christ continues to shape my life into His likeness, I will choose to follow His lead.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being my workout partner. Help me to see and hear You in my life today. Give me a willing spirit that is responsive to Your leadership to make me more like You. Amen.
July 22-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:14, Do everything without grumbling or arguing,
Observe what it is saying.
Continuing the thought of working out our salvation, we are to do all things without grumbling and arguing. When we are able to do this, then we know we are in a place of total surrender where we have placed our lives into the hands of God trusting Him for our outcomes. This also flows from the truth that God is working in us to will and act to fulfill His good purpose. So, “doing everything” in this context, means acting in accordance with God’s will. If we find ourselves grumbling in His holy work, then we have become discontented with God’s will. We believe we are being asked to do something that is unfair, difficult, or undesirable to do. Such grumbling is actually an expression of unbelief that keeps us from doing what pleases God. In 2 Corinthians 10:10, Paul wrote to Christians telling them not to do what God’s people did in Moses’ day, “And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.” Grumbling against God’s way is a serious offense in the eyes of God. In the same way, we are not to argue over non-essential points of the faith that do not have to be settled for the church to thrive. Paul told Timothy the young pastor, “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.” (2 Timothy 2:23) He also wrote to Titus, “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” (Titus 3:9) An arguing and divided church is a poor witness to the world.
Relate it to your life.
When I am totally content in doing the Lord’s will, I will not have the desire to grumble or argue.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, help me to be so consumed with trusting You and doing Your will that I lovingly serve in everything You have called me to do. Amen.
July 23-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:15, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky
Observe what it is saying.
We do not grumble or become angry in doing God’s will for the purpose of being blameless and pure in the presence of God. It is our goal to be His children who are wholehearted with an unmixed devotion to doing His will. This is unlike unbelievers who represent a warped and crooked generation. The original word for warped means corrupted or crooked. It is the word in which we get our word scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine. In other words, it is not a straight path. The second word is also translated as crooked but actually means to pervert or turn from the truth. It disregards and does injustice to God’s holy way. Because we have the presence of Jesus, through His Spirit dwelling within us, we have a dynamic power to transform us out of this crooked and perverted culture. Because we will be so unique in the way we think, speak, and act, we will brightly shine just as stars do in the night sky. Because Jesus is living and breathing within us, we shine forth His holy and loving nature beckoning others to come join us.
Relate it to your life.
Because of Jesus in me, I will shine forth His glorious nature.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, I surrender myself and ask that Your Spirit continue to transform me and make me like You in every possible way. Amen.
July 24-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:16, as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
Observe what it is saying.
Paul continues his thought that we are to shine forth the nature and character of Christ in a dark world. We do so as we hold on tightly to the word of life, to God’s holy word, as have preserved in Scripture. We cannot be a potent witness for Christ without knowing and practicing the word which reveals the will and way of God. As culture changes, as we get older, we cannot let go of our “first love” as John speaks about in Revelation. Paul says we can guard against this as we hold firmly to Christ’s teaching. Hold on tightly as you would on a fast roller coaster with all of its sharp turns. Unfortunately, there are many who let life’s experiences and the influence of others loosen their grip on the truth and eventually fall away from the faith. If we want to persevere to the end, we must be diligent and focused. We need to know the enemy is at work tempting us to weaken our grip so that we will fall prey to him. Paul tells the Philippians that if they hold on then his ministry among them will not have been for nothing. He has invested much in them and understands that they must persist to the end for his ministry to have been effective and their eternal salvation to be secured.
Relate it to your life.
My salvation is a gift that is to be held on to tightly so that I can finish the race having kept the faith.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, keep me focused on Your word that gives life so that I will persevere in the truth and enjoy the eternal blessings that You so generously offer. Amen.
July 25-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:17-18, But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Observe what it is saying.
Paul makes reference to the Old Testament daily sacrifices. As daily morning and evening sacrifices at the sanctuary were accompanied by drink offerings, Paul has in mind here how his own suffering and possible death join with the sacrificial suffering and giving of the Philippians to make a sacrifice pleasing to God. Because his captivity may result in his martyrdom, he characterizes his life as being “poured out.” Paul has already set out his reasons for rejoicing in chapter 1, and nothing—not even his “chains” and his suffering can rob him of his joy in Christ. Paul is giving the Philippians a model to follow. Because he can have joy in the worst imaginable circumstances so can they in their suffering. Paul reveals that living at the deepest spiritual level does not allow our joy to be taken away when we suffer for following Jesus. Paul wrote a similar message to the Thessalonian Christians, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7) Paul revealed that this joy-filled attitude in the midst of suffering is from the Holy Spirit. This remarkable attitude is spiritually imparted when we fully surrender our lives into the hands of Christ.
Relate it to your life.
I have some serious surrendering to do to get to this kind of spiritual joy in suffering.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, I surrender myself under Your loving leadership so that I can maintain joy at all times. Amen.
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:12, Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
Observe what it is saying.
The most committed athletes continually work out. They do not do so in order to become an athlete but because they are already athletes who want to stay in great shape so they can be the best version of themselves. They know that working out is required so they do not lose ground but remain strong for the tremendous endurance that is required to play the game well. In the same way, we do not work out in order to be saved. Please note the wording of this verse. It does not say work for our salvation but work out our salvation. Because we are followers of Jesus, saved by grace, not by works, we lovingly want to become more and more like Him. This is what Paul has just spoken in the previous passage. We are to be like Jesus in humility and total obedience just as He modeled becoming a servant who laid down His life for us at the cross. Because Christ obeyed to the point of death, we choose to obey God’s call to selflessly live for others. Awareness of our own inadequacy moves us to fear and tremble as we go about becoming mature and whole in our faith. We take our workouts seriously. We know we are not playing a game but are in a life and death struggle with the enemy. So, we choose to continually do all the practices of the faith that will make us stronger so we can endure to the end.
Relate it to your life.
Out of love for Jesus who has redeemed me by His precious blood, I choose to work out and grow up as I walk with Him.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, give me the motivation and discipline to work out each day so that I can grow strong and persevere to the very end. Amen.
July 21-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:13, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Observe what it is saying.
This connects with yesterday’s thought of working out our salvation. Not only are we saved by God’s grace but God continues to work in us as we work out our salvation to become mature and complete. God is always acting in our salvation. We believe God woos us to Him through prevenient grace. God redeems and makes us righteous through justifying grace. God continues to work through sanctifying grace to empower us through the Holy Spirit to choose to act in a way that fulfills His purpose for our lives. We do not believe, like some, that God does all of this whether unilaterally. We believe we have free will and must cooperate with God’s grace by responding in faith and by following His lead. The Lord loves us and wants us to freely love Him in return. Out of His extravagant love, the Lord is actively engaged taking out the old person and bringing in the new person. Out of love for Him, we welcome and respond to the Holy Spirit’s refining work so that we become more and more like Jesus and fulfill the great purpose God has for us in His kingdom. So, we could say God is our workout partner who motivates and strengthens us to become a brand-new person.
Relate it to your life.
Because Christ continues to shape my life into His likeness, I will choose to follow His lead.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, thank You for being my workout partner. Help me to see and hear You in my life today. Give me a willing spirit that is responsive to Your leadership to make me more like You. Amen.
July 22-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:14, Do everything without grumbling or arguing,
Observe what it is saying.
Continuing the thought of working out our salvation, we are to do all things without grumbling and arguing. When we are able to do this, then we know we are in a place of total surrender where we have placed our lives into the hands of God trusting Him for our outcomes. This also flows from the truth that God is working in us to will and act to fulfill His good purpose. So, “doing everything” in this context, means acting in accordance with God’s will. If we find ourselves grumbling in His holy work, then we have become discontented with God’s will. We believe we are being asked to do something that is unfair, difficult, or undesirable to do. Such grumbling is actually an expression of unbelief that keeps us from doing what pleases God. In 2 Corinthians 10:10, Paul wrote to Christians telling them not to do what God’s people did in Moses’ day, “And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.” Grumbling against God’s way is a serious offense in the eyes of God. In the same way, we are not to argue over non-essential points of the faith that do not have to be settled for the church to thrive. Paul told Timothy the young pastor, “Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.” (2 Timothy 2:23) He also wrote to Titus, “But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless.” (Titus 3:9) An arguing and divided church is a poor witness to the world.
Relate it to your life.
When I am totally content in doing the Lord’s will, I will not have the desire to grumble or argue.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, help me to be so consumed with trusting You and doing Your will that I lovingly serve in everything You have called me to do. Amen.
July 23-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:15, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky
Observe what it is saying.
We do not grumble or become angry in doing God’s will for the purpose of being blameless and pure in the presence of God. It is our goal to be His children who are wholehearted with an unmixed devotion to doing His will. This is unlike unbelievers who represent a warped and crooked generation. The original word for warped means corrupted or crooked. It is the word in which we get our word scoliosis, a sideways curvature of the spine. In other words, it is not a straight path. The second word is also translated as crooked but actually means to pervert or turn from the truth. It disregards and does injustice to God’s holy way. Because we have the presence of Jesus, through His Spirit dwelling within us, we have a dynamic power to transform us out of this crooked and perverted culture. Because we will be so unique in the way we think, speak, and act, we will brightly shine just as stars do in the night sky. Because Jesus is living and breathing within us, we shine forth His holy and loving nature beckoning others to come join us.
Relate it to your life.
Because of Jesus in me, I will shine forth His glorious nature.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, I surrender myself and ask that Your Spirit continue to transform me and make me like You in every possible way. Amen.
July 24-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:16, as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.
Observe what it is saying.
Paul continues his thought that we are to shine forth the nature and character of Christ in a dark world. We do so as we hold on tightly to the word of life, to God’s holy word, as have preserved in Scripture. We cannot be a potent witness for Christ without knowing and practicing the word which reveals the will and way of God. As culture changes, as we get older, we cannot let go of our “first love” as John speaks about in Revelation. Paul says we can guard against this as we hold firmly to Christ’s teaching. Hold on tightly as you would on a fast roller coaster with all of its sharp turns. Unfortunately, there are many who let life’s experiences and the influence of others loosen their grip on the truth and eventually fall away from the faith. If we want to persevere to the end, we must be diligent and focused. We need to know the enemy is at work tempting us to weaken our grip so that we will fall prey to him. Paul tells the Philippians that if they hold on then his ministry among them will not have been for nothing. He has invested much in them and understands that they must persist to the end for his ministry to have been effective and their eternal salvation to be secured.
Relate it to your life.
My salvation is a gift that is to be held on to tightly so that I can finish the race having kept the faith.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, keep me focused on Your word that gives life so that I will persevere in the truth and enjoy the eternal blessings that You so generously offer. Amen.
July 25-Philippians-The Journey of Joy
Write out the Scripture.
Philippians 2:17-18, But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Observe what it is saying.
Paul makes reference to the Old Testament daily sacrifices. As daily morning and evening sacrifices at the sanctuary were accompanied by drink offerings, Paul has in mind here how his own suffering and possible death join with the sacrificial suffering and giving of the Philippians to make a sacrifice pleasing to God. Because his captivity may result in his martyrdom, he characterizes his life as being “poured out.” Paul has already set out his reasons for rejoicing in chapter 1, and nothing—not even his “chains” and his suffering can rob him of his joy in Christ. Paul is giving the Philippians a model to follow. Because he can have joy in the worst imaginable circumstances so can they in their suffering. Paul reveals that living at the deepest spiritual level does not allow our joy to be taken away when we suffer for following Jesus. Paul wrote a similar message to the Thessalonian Christians, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6-7) Paul revealed that this joy-filled attitude in the midst of suffering is from the Holy Spirit. This remarkable attitude is spiritually imparted when we fully surrender our lives into the hands of Christ.
Relate it to your life.
I have some serious surrendering to do to get to this kind of spiritual joy in suffering.
Do something.
Lord Jesus, I surrender myself under Your loving leadership so that I can maintain joy at all times. Amen.
Posted in Daily Devotionals