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Daily Bible thoughts 856: Wednesday 15th April 2015: Philippians 3:17-4:1

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Resurrection!

Good examples (17): The best examples to follow are those Christians who, like Paul, are ‘’straining’’ after holiness; those whose minds and hearts are set on things above, and whose hopes are all centred in Christ. ‘’Let my example be the standard by which you tell who are the genuine Christians among those about you.’’ J.B.Phillips. Bill Hybels says ‘’Speed of the leader, speed of the team.’’ In days before the New Testament was written down, Christians needed living examples of what would eventually be put into writing. Emulating good examples and constantly living in the light of the Lord’s return is the way to ‘’stand firm in the Lord.’’ (4:1)

‘’It was as much necessary for Paul to live the kind of Christian life that others could follow as it was for him to preach a pure gospel for them to believe…Our situation is not exactly the same today, as the NT is people’s basic guide to Christian life-style, but it is still the case (as Paul puts it in 2 Cor.3:1-3) that the Christian is called to be like ‘a letter from Christ’, ‘known and read by everybody’, including many who would not turn to the Scriptures.’’ Francis Foulkes: ‘The New Bible Commentary, p.1257

Bad examples (18, 19): ‘’There are many out there taking other paths, choosing other goals, and trying to get you to go along with them. I’ve warned you of them many times; sadly, I’m having to do it again. All they want is easy street. They hate Christ’s Cross. But easy street is a dead-end street.’’ The Message.

It seems that the people described by Paul were professing Christians, but I think we would call them ‘backslidden’, or ‘worldly’ at very least. The big problem was that ‘’Their mind is on earthly things.’’ They didn’t like the cross. The cross is central for our understanding of discipleship, but they were not inclined to take it up and die daily! They didn’t want it getting anywhere near their flesh life, and slaying it. They weren’t into self-denial. Rather, they wished to give free rein to their carnal natures. Be careful about which ‘Christians’ you spend a lot of time with. Deliberately choose friends who will be ‘firelighters’; who will inspire you and spur you on in the life of faith and holiness.

Great expectations (20): Somebody wrote about ‘living in the future tense.’ True Christians have their minds set on things above, for that is where they really belong (Colossians 3:1-4). Philippi was a colony of Rome in the heart of Greece. Its citizens were Roman citizens. Philippi was ‘Rome from Rome, you might say. It was a little bit of Rome found elsewhere (just as an embassy is a piece of one country located in another.) This idea surely forms the background to Paul’s words here: that of citizenship elsewhere. I often like to think of the church as heaven’s ‘embassy’ here on earth. When people come in among us they should experience a little bit of heaven; sense it, feel it, encounter it. Heaven is where we really belong.

‘’He’ll make us beautiful and whole with the same powerful skill by which he is putting everything as it should be, under and around him.’’ The Message.

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Daily Bible thoughts 855: Tuesday 14th April 2015: Philippians 3: 12-16

 Philippians 3: 12-16

Reaching!

‘’I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.’’ The Message.

Paul had not yet fully experienced all that was his in Jesus, but he was certainly reaching for it. (Note that there was no ‘sinless perfection’ in this life; not even for Paul.)We have seen Paul ‘the accountant’ and here we see Paul ‘the athlete’, running for the prize; straining and stretching to hit the tape (see also Hebrews 12:1, 2).

But although Paul was not yet ‘’perfect’’ he was ‘pressing on’ to become everything God wanted him to be. He knew that Jesus had taken hold of him for this purpose (12b). He would not settle for moral mediocrity. His heart said to him, ‘I want to have everything Jesus wants me to have.’

‘’…I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward – to Jesus. I’m off and running and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us.’’ The Message.

There was single-mindedness about Paul’s approach to living the Christian life: ‘’But one thing I do…’’ (13). He also realised that Christianity takes effort. He uses the word ‘’straining’’ (13) and he twice employs the expression ‘’I press on’’ (12, 14). (It literally means ‘pursue’, the same word he used for his persecuting activities in verse 6. At one time he went after Christians; now he was going after Christ!) Paul did not think that anyone could live the life of discipleship in their own strength. The effort he expended was God-enabled (Colossians 1:29). But he did know that it takes work to be a good Christian, and he was prepared to roll up his sleeves and labour. He went after God’s best with every fibre of his being, all the while leaning on God’s ability. Do you? Do I?

He believed that ‘’mature’’ believers would see things the same way as he did about progressing in the life of holiness (15). So sure was he about what he was saying on this point that he believed God would put right anyone who disagreed him. ‘’If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision – you’ll see it yet!’’ The Message.

Here, then, are two key challenges from this passage:

  • ‘Press on’ to enjoy everything that is yours in Christ;
  • ‘Live up’ to what you already know (16); keep on doing those things you know you’re doing right. There is the idea in this verse that we should do this together and not just individually.

Prayer: Lord help me to live this Christian life with an appropriate intensity of desire. Enable me, please, to go hard after all you have for me.

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Daily Bible thoughts 854: Monday 13th April 2015: Philippians 3: 4b-11

 Philippians 3: 4b-11

Repenting!

In terms of Judaism, Paul was as good as it gets (4b-6). He was a prize specimen of a Jew. He had first rate credentials, religiously speaking. He worked hard to get right with God and believed he was accepted by Him. If anyone was ‘in’ it was surely Paul. He’d totted up lots of ‘brownie points’. Probably everyone who knew him thought it, and he certainly did. Paul belonged to ‘’the tribe of Benjamin’’. This was a prized heritage among the Jews. Israel’s first king, Saul, came from this tribe (1 Samuel 10:20-24). The tribes of Benjamin and Judah were the only two tribes to return to Israel after the exile (Ezra 4:1). He was also ‘’a Pharisee’’: a member of a very devout Jewish sect that scrupulously kept its own numerous rules in addition to the laws of Moses. He felt he had so much going for him.

But ‘’After showing that he could beat the Judaizers at their own game…Paul showed that it was the wrong game.’’ ‘The Life Application Study Bible.’ There came a point when Paul repented (7). He changed his mind about the things that matter most. He saw everything in the light of Christ and so came to see everything in its true perspective. It’s been said that in this seventh verse he is like an accountant. Everything that was at one time ‘’profit’’ to him, he now put down in the ‘’loss’’ column.

‘’All I once held dear, built my life upon, All this world reveres and wars to own. All I once thought gain I have counted loss, spent and worthless now compared to this.’’ Graham Kendrick.

Paul came to see that knowing Jesus matters more than anything. Nothing comes anywhere near in value and worth. The things Paul once valued he now considered ‘’rubbish’’ – and I understand that here he uses a strong word that our translation may not fully convey.

For Jesus’ sake he had ‘’lost all things’’ (8) Compare this with chapter 4 verse 12. He had not literally lost everything, but the point is it cost him dear to be a Christian. He lost everything that had been most important to him in his pre-conversion life. None of these things mattered to him anymore; not compared to knowing Jesus (8b-10). He had tasted the sweetness of Christ, and could not want more – or be satisfied with less. Everything he now wanted was wrapped up in Jesus, even if that meant suffering, along with resurrection life and power. Jesus was the only way to be right with God.

 ‘’’The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.’’ The Message.

‘’Knowing you, Jesus, knowing you; there is no greater thing. You’re my all, you’re the best. You’re my joy, my righteousness, and I love you Lord.’’

Prayer: ‘’The greatest thing in all my life is knowing you; I want to know you more.’’

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Daily Bible thoughts 853: Friday 10th April 2015: Philippians 3: 2-4a

Philippians 3: 2-4a

Recognising!

Paul’s steps were frequently dogged by certain people we refer to as ‘Judaizers’ (2). They were Jewish legalists. They wanted to supplement the simple message of trust in Christ. They said, ‘You need Jesus plus certain other things in order to be saved.’ They were into additives. In particular they said, ‘You need to be circumcised in order to be saved.’ That’s why Paul calls them ‘’those mutilators of the flesh’’. He also pulls no punches, calling them ‘’dogs, those men who do evil’’. Paul was never in doubt that false teaching is dangerous and viciously harms and even destroys people. We must similarly ‘’Watch out’’ for any form of warped teaching that might encroach on the church. We must guard our hearts and minds against any erroneous thinking. Only the truth which set us free will keep us free! ‘’Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busybodies, all bark and no bite. All they’re interested in is appearances – knife-happy circumcisers I call them.’’ The Message

True Christianity is so simple (3). It is:

  • Christ-centred;
  • Spirit–led; and
  • Grace-filled. It is ‘’not by works, so that no one can boast’’. (Ephesians 2:9). The gospel of grace tells you that your good deeds can’t get you into heaven and your bad ones won’t keep you out, if you’re trusting Jesus to save you (see also 9). ‘’I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ – God’s ’’ The Message.

A book title proclaims ‘Jesus plus nothing equals everything.’

But at one time Paul was a stranger to grace (4a). He was full of self-confidence before God. However, a meeting with the risen Lord Jesus on the ‘Damascus Road’ was to puncture his pride.

His wonderful story is coming up next

Prayer: Lord, deliver us from a performance based mentality and the pride that goes with it. Help us to feel and know what is so amazing about grace.

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Daily Bible thoughts 852: Thursday 9th April 2015: Philippians 3:1

 Philippians 3:1

Rejoicing!

Paul says ‘’Finally’’ then continues for a further two chapters – rather like some preachers! But he is beginning to pull things together. He’s coming in for a landing.

This is a command, so it can’t be primarily about feelings. The rejoicing is ‘’in the Lord’’. In Him we will always find reasons for rejoicing, and we need to ensure that our focus is continually on Him. An Argentinian pastor, Juan Carlos Ortiz, wrote a book entitled ‘Disciple’. It came out in the 1970’s and created quite a stir. He filled it with some outstanding and thought-provoking lines. I seem to remember him saying that if he preached a sermon, and it clearly wasn’t obeyed in the congregation, he would preach it over and over until he did see it being lived out. It is a fact that preachers will need to repeat familiar truths (even if not always in consecutive sermons! But I could understand why he did that.) It seems obvious that Paul had said this before, and he would say it again (Philippians 4:4). Here is a message we believers need to hear, i.e. that we can choose a stance of joy before God. ‘’I don’t mind repeating what I have written in earlier letters, and I hope you don’t mind hearing it again. Better safe than sorry…’’ The Message.

Rejoicing in the Lord is a ‘’safeguard’’ against many things – like, for example, pessimism, low spirits, bitterness and ‘poor me’ ism! But in the context it is specifically presented as protection from false teaching. It seems to me that the more our vision is taken up with who God is, the more we will be guarded against error. How could you be seduced into some pitifully small erroneous view of God while the truth of who He is shines so brightly in your heart?

So how might you ‘’rejoice in the Lord’’ today? Well, there’s nothing exhaustive about what I’m writing, but here are a few suggestions:

  • Think about Him: meditate on the Person of God. Reflect on His nature and attributes. Read Scripture and good quality Christian materials;
  • Thank Him: count your blessings (How about taking a day, or part of a day to simply thank the Lord?);
  • Sing to Him: you may or may not have a good singing voice, but God delights in love songs that come from sincere hearts. What’s more, it will do you good;
  • Play Christian music; listen to Christian music; watch (some!) Christian T.V. (Be selective!!) But have a God-filled atmosphere around you;
  • Do every needful thing you can do to absorb yourself in God.

The challenge, of course, is to do this in bad times and on difficult days. But it may help to remember that ‘the epistle of joy’, as Philippians has been described, was written from prison by a man who did not deserve to be there. He spoke from experience, and maybe he was even reminding himself. (The first person to preach to is yourself!)

Again, this not principally about your emotions. Make a decision today to ‘’Rejoice in the Lord always.’’ (4:4). Probably your feelings will eventually catch up with your commitment. But even if not, it’s the right thing to do.

Prayer: Lord I choose to thank you and count my blessings.

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Daily Bible thoughts 851: Wednesday 8th April 2015: Jeremiah 3:21-25

Jeremiah 3:21-25

The passionate call to ‘’Return’’ goes out again (22a). (It has been estimated that it occurs over 40 times in the book.)

People who have drifted (or turned) from God; those who are backslidden, can return, and will do so:

  • Where there is conviction of sin (21): where there is sadness and sorrow over wrong-doing and penitent tears are shed: ‘’A cry is heard on the barren heights, the weeping and pleading of the people of Israel…’’
  • Where there is recognition of who God is (22b), and what He can do for us (23b): ‘’for you are the LORD our God…surely in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.’’
  • Where there is willingness to return (22b): ‘’Yes, we will come to you…’’
  • Where there is recognition of sin’s deception (24, 25): ‘’All that popular religion was a cheap lie, duped crowds buying up the latest in gods…The Fraud picked us clean, swindled us of what our ancestors bequeathed us, Gypped us out of our inheritance – God-blessed flocks and God-given children. We made our bed and now lie in it, all tangled up in the dirty sheets of dishonour.’’ The Message.
  • Where there is humble confession of sin (25). People have to ‘come clean’ with God and honestly confess their true state, without pretence or excuses.

‘’ The people’s confession of sin seems genuine and complete (verse 25). However, we must assume it is the faithful ‘’remnant’’ that is confessing here, because the majority of Israelites never did repent. It is likely that Jeremiah described the repentance of the northern kingdom in order to provoke the people of Judah to repent also. Surely God longed to hear these words of repentance from His people, both from Israel and from Judah. And He longs to hear our words of repentance today, whenever we have strayed from Him.’’ Tom Hale: ‘The Applied Old Testament Commentary’’, p.1082.

‘’returning is the only remedy for backsliding…Backsliding is like sickness (22). It begins with a secret ‘’infection’’ of sin, which leads to loss of spiritual appetite, gradual decline and, if not attended to, death. God heals our backsliding if we honestly accept His diagnosis and humbly return to Him.’’ Warren W. Wiersbe: ‘With the Word’, p.499.

Prayer: Lord, you know how ­________ has slipped away from following you. Please draw them back.

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Daily Bible thoughts 850: Tuesday 7th April 2015: Jeremiah 3:19, 20

Jeremiah 3:19, 20

“I planned what I’d say if you returned to me:
    ‘Good! I’ll bring you back into the family.
I’ll give you choice land,
    land that the godless nations would die for.’
And I imagined that you would say, ‘Dear father!’
    and would never again go off and leave me.
But no luck. Like a false-hearted woman walking out on her husband,
    you, the whole family of Israel, have proven false to me.”
God’s Decree.’’ The Message

All our sin and backsliding is a sin against love.

It is also irrational. It is like a woman leaving a good and loving husband for another man, or other men who have proved false. She has come to see ‘’where her bread is buttered’’. She knows that at home she has the kindest of men and the best of providers, yet she will not return. It’s the triumph of hope over experience, but she would prefer to take her chances ‘playing the field.’

God had always been a good and faithful Spouse to His people; the best of Husbands. But still they abandoned Him. None of this makes sense, but it’s what we do.

If you have slipped away from God, or if you have never come to Him, please hear and heed the pleading words of longing in Jeremiah 3.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us our trespasses.

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Daily Bible thoughts 849: Monday 6th April 2015: Jeremiah 3:14-18

 Jeremiah 3:14-18

‘’What’s the world coming to?’

There are prophecies in the Bible that seem to relate to a time beyond our time (although they could be fulfilled in our lifetime). This is one of those passages.

I remember our scholarly and godly Director of Studies at my training college saying that there are verses in the Bible that seem to point to a literal rule of the Messiah over this world: the so-called ‘Millennial Kingdom.’ Many Bible teachers believe that passages such as this teach that Jesus will come back to the earth and rule over it from His ‘’Throne…in Jerusalem’’ (17).

When He comes again:

  • Israel and Judah will be re-united (18). They will recognise that Jesus is their true Messiah and worship Him together;
  • The whole earth will come to worship the Lord in Jerusalem (17). At that time Jesus will be universally honoured and not rejected. What a day!

‘’The time will come”—God’s Decree!—“when no one will say any longer, ‘Oh, for the good old days!… It won’t even occur to anyone to say it—‘the good old days.’ The so-called good old days of the Ark are gone for good.’’ The Message.

Even the best of the past will pale into insignificance when Christ returns. The Easter celebration, reminding us of His first advent, also tells us that Jesus is alive and will one day come back.

We are living through very dark days. It has become more and more painful to watch the news over the last year or so (in my view). More and more people are asking, ‘’What is happening to the world? ’What is this world coming to?’’

But the real question is: ‘’Who is coming to the world?’’ The Bible’s clear answer is ‘Jesus’. Are you ready to meet Him?

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you are in control, and you are the Beginning and the End of all things. Help me to join your team, and not be kicking against you.

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Daily Bible thoughts 847: Thursday 2nd April 2015: Jeremiah 3:6-10

Jeremiah 3:6-10

‘When will they ever learn?’

‘’Her flighty sister, Judah, saw what she did. She also saw that because of fickle Israel’s loose morals I threw her out, gave her her walking papers. But that didn’t faze flighty sister Judah. She went out, big as you please, and took up a whore’s life also. She took up cheap sex-and-religion as a sideline diversion, an indulgent recreation, and used anything and anyone, flouting sanity and sanctity alike, stinking up the country. And not once in all this did flighty sister Judah even give me a nod, although she made a show of it from time to time.’’

We must learn from the sins (and mistakes) of others (6). Life furnishes us with many salutary object lessons. We can learn from the pain and misery of others, let alone our own. Such hard-bought lessons should not be wasted. As we read the Bible we find that there are numerous warnings to heed as we read the stories of ordinary sinful people just like ourselves.

Judah had much to learn from the sin and punishment of the northern kingdom, Israel (7, 8). Israel fell first and was taken into captivity first. This happened around 100 years earlier. But Biblical history teaches (and history in general) that we are slow to learn important lessons.

‘’The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history.’’

‘’There are none so blind as those who will not see.’’

It was like God gave Judah a front seat in the stalls. They ate their popcorn and watched what was played out on stage. It was a powerful drama, as Israel was disciplined and the people were ‘divorced’ by being sent into captivity. The Judeans, however, thought they could put on the same play without facing the same devastating ending.

To change the image: Israel played with fire and got burned; Judah thought she could play with the identical fire and not get burned. ‘’The only thing we learn from history…’’

Verse 9 refers to Judah: ‘’Israel’s immorality mattered so little to her’’. They totally played down what the Israelites had done. It seems that we face a similarly serious situation in our land with sin mattering ‘’so little’’ to many people. We who are Christians are in danger and we’d better recognise it. We live in the same environment, populate the same culture and breathe in the same air, and we need to be careful that we are not infected with this ‘bug’. We can’t afford to become careless about sin. Yes, we may be forgiven; yes we get right with God through faith in Jesus. But this does not mean that we can live casually. Someone observed that ‘’sin is never less than serious in a Christian.’’ (See Romans 6.) It is true that we continue to sin, but our attitude towards it is to be one of implacable hatred and hostility and fierce resistance, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Judah only pretended to return to God. That sham front can never escape the scrutiny of the One who has X-Ray vision (Revelation 1:14b).

Prayer: Lord, you know my heart. I want to hate all sin, and love righteousness. I recognise that sin can never matter little to those who see what it did to Jesus. The cross tells me to hate evil and love you. I do so want to side with you against all sin and evil. Deliver me from its power, even as you have set me free from its penalty. I praise you that one day I will be rescued from its very presence.

 

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