Tag: Philippians

(KJV) Philippians 2:15

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Jesus, and those He worked through by the Holy Spirit to deliver His written Word, emphasized that the world we live in is an “unbelieving and perverse generation” (Matthew 17:17; Matthew 12:39; Acts 2:40). Apart from God, the people of the world are living in spiritual deception and darkness, which causes them to have twisted and misrepresented views of life, values and religion. As a result, they follow their own immoral ways of life, rejecting the truth of God’s Word. In contrast, followers of Christ have a different worldview and values, which stand out from the ungodly beliefs, behaviors and lifestyles that are common in the rest of society (1 John 2:15). Out of loyalty to Jesus, His followers strive to be blameless, pure and without fault so they can effectively show and communicate Christ’s message of hope and life to those who do not know Him. In a spiritually dark world, Christ’s followers must “shine like stars in the universe,” reflecting God’s light and showing others the way to Him (Matthew 5:14-16).

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1. GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU / PHILIPPIANS 2:13
2. WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION – FEAR AND TREMBLING / PHILIPPIANS 2:12
3. MADE HIMSELF NOTHING – NATURE OF A SERVANT HUMAN LIKENESS / PHILIPPIANS 2:7
4. BEING IN VERY NATURE GOD / PHILIPPIANS 2:6
5. YOUR ATTITUDE SHOULD BE THE SAME / PHILIPPIANS 2:5
6. IN HUMILITY / PHILIPPIANS 2:3
7. THEY WILL BE DESTROYED … YOU WILL BE SAVED / PHILIPPIANS 1:28
8. STAND FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT / PHILIPPIANS 1:27
9. TO DIE IS GAIN / PHILIPPIANS 1:21
10. THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL / PHILIPPIANS 1:16
11. PURE AND BLAMESS / PHILIPPIANS 1:10
12. BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS / PHILIPPIANS 1:6
13. LOVE MAY ABOUND … IN KNOWLEDGE / PHILIPPIANS 1:9
14. JOY / PHILIPPIANS 1:4
15. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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(KJV) Philippians 2:13

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

God works by His Spirit within the lives of Christ’s followers to produce in them both the desire and the power to do what is good and right and to fulfill His purposes for their lives. However, God’s work is not forced, and His grace (His undeserved favor, love and spiritual help) can be resisted. That is to say, we can reject God’s help and guidance and go our own sinful and destructive way if we so choose. God’s work within us (Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; 2 Timothy 4:18; Titus 3:5-7) is always dependent on our faithfulness and cooperation (Philippians 2:12; Philippians 2: 14-16).

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1. WORK OUT YOUR SALVATION – FEAR AND TREMBLING / PHILIPPIANS 2:12
2. MADE HIMSELF NOTHING – NATURE OF A SERVANT HUMAN LIKENESS / PHILIPPIANS 2:7
3. BEING IN VERY NATURE GOD / PHILIPPIANS 2:6
4. YOUR ATTITUDE SHOULD BE THE SAME / PHILIPPIANS 2:5
5. IN HUMILITY / PHILIPPIANS 2:3
6. THEY WILL BE DESTROYED … YOU WILL BE SAVED / PHILIPPIANS 1:28
7. STAND FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT / PHILIPPIANS 1:27
8. TO DIE IS GAIN / PHILIPPIANS 1:21
9. THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL / PHILIPPIANS 1:16
10. PURE AND BLAMESS / PHILIPPIANS 1:10
11. BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS / PHILIPPIANS 1:6
12. LOVE MAY ABOUND … IN KNOWLEDGE / PHILIPPIANS 1:9
13. JOY / PHILIPPIANS 1:4
14. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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(KJV) 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,

Though we are spiritually saved by God’s grace – His unearned favor and love and enablement – we must continue to work out our salvation to the end (Matthew 24:13; Hebrews 6:11). We must finish our race (1 Corinthians 9:24-27) and faithfully complete our journey on earth. If we fail to do this, we will lose the salvation given us. 

1. This does not imply an attempt to gain salvation or favor with God by works. Rather, it is an expression of our salvation through ongoing spiritual growth and development. Salvation is not simply a gift received once and for all; it is lived out and fulfilled through a continual process of surrender to Christ and following His purposes. This often takes great determination if we are to remain steadfast and continue to mature spiritually (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; 2 Peter 1:5-8).
2. Just as we are not saved by good works (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5), we do not work out our salvation by mere human effort. Rather, we must continue to rely on the same things which brought us salvation in the first place: God’s grace (unearned favor, love and help) and the Spirit’s power given to us.
3. In order to work out our salvation, we must resist temptation and sin (our own God-defying ways) and follow the desires of the Holy Spirit within us. This involves a sustained effort to use every God-given means available for defeating evil and experiencing Christ’s life. This is part of the process of sanctification – the process of being spiritually purified, refined and set apart for God’s possession and purposes through ongoing spiritual growth and development (Galatians 5:17).
4. We work out our salvation by continually growing closer to Christ (Hebrews 7:25). In doing so, we take on His character and desires as well as the power to fulfill God’s purposes for our lives (Philippians 2:13).
5. Working out our salvation is so necessary and important and, at times, so emotionally involved that it must be done “with fear and trembling.”

In the process of living out our spiritual salvation through faith in Christ, there must be an element of “fear and trembling.” This does not refer to an attitude of fright, doubt or anxiety, but a serious reverence and vigorous pursuit of God’s purposes. Yet, the fear (Greek phobos) of the Lord is more than merely “reverent awe and truth,” as it is often defined; it includes a deep awe and sober awareness of God’s power, holiness and judgment against sin (Exodus 3:6; Psalms 119:120; Luke 12:4-5). All of God’s people must possess a holy fear that grows out of our true awareness of God’s supreme power and authority and our deepest sense of accountability to Him. The Lord describes someone with this attitude as “the one I esteem … who is humble and contrite in spirit, and temples at my word: (Isaiah 66:2). The fear of the Lord is not a destructive fear, but a redeeming (rescuing, liberating, saving) fear that brings people closer to God by causing them to turn away from all evil (Proverbs 3:7; 8:13). Godly fear leads to blessing, moral purity, life and salvation (Psalms 5:7; 85:9; Proverbs 14:27; 16:6).

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1. MADE HIMSELF NOTHING – NATURE OF A SERVANT HUMAN LIKENESS / PHILIPPIANS 2:7
2. BEING IN VERY NATURE GOD / PHILIPPIANS 2:6
3. YOUR ATTITUDE SHOULD BE THE SAME / PHILIPPIANS 2:5
4. IN HUMILITY / PHILIPPIANS 2:3
5. THEY WILL BE DESTROYED … YOU WILL BE SAVED / PHILIPPIANS 1:28
6. STAND FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT / PHILIPPIANS 1:27
7. TO DIE IS GAIN / PHILIPPIANS 1:21
8. THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL / PHILIPPIANS 1:16
9. PURE AND BLAMESS / PHILIPPIANS 1:10
10. BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS / PHILIPPIANS 1:6
11. LOVE MAY ABOUND … IN KNOWLEDGE / PHILIPPIANS 1:9
12. JOY / PHILIPPIANS 1:4
13. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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(KJV) Philippians 2:7

rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

This phrase in Greek is ekenosen (from kenosis), which literally means He “emptied Himself.” This does not mean that Jesus gave up His deity (His nature as fully God). It means that He voluntarily laid aside the privilege of His limitless existence as God, including His heavenly glory (John 17:4), position (John 5:30; Hebrews 5:8), riches (2 Corinthians 8:9), rights (Luke 22:27; Matthew 20:28) and the use of His attributes as God (John 5:19; 8:28; 14:10). This “emptying himself” also meant taking on human suffering, misunderstanding, mistreatment, hatred and, in the end, the curse of death on the cross.

For passages in the Bible dealing with Christ taking the nature of a servant, see Mark 13:32; Luke 2:40-52; Romans 8:3; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Hebrews 2:7, 14. Although He remained fully divine (fully God), Christ took on a human nature with its temptations, humiliations and weaknesses; yet He endured all of these without sin. This means that He never offended or defied God or did anything wrong by God’s perfect standard (Philippians 2:7-8; Hebrews 4:15). That is why He was able to make the perfect sacrifice and pay the ultimate and complete penalty for our sin once and for all (1 Peter 3:18).

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1. BEING IN VERY NATURE GOD / PHILIPPIANS 2:6
2. YOUR ATTITUDE SHOULD BE THE SAME / PHILIPPIANS 2:5
3. IN HUMILITY / PHILIPPIANS 2:3
4. THEY WILL BE DESTROYED … YOU WILL BE SAVED / PHILIPPIANS 1:28
5. STAND FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT / PHILIPPIANS 1:27
6. TO DIE IS GAIN / PHILIPPIANS 1:21
7. THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL / PHILIPPIANS 1:16
8. PURE AND BLAMESS / PHILIPPIANS 1:10
9. BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS / PHILIPPIANS 1:6
10. LOVE MAY ABOUND … IN KNOWLEDGE / PHILIPPIANS 1:9
11. JOY / PHILIPPIANS 1:4
12. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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(KJV) Philippians 2:6

Who, being in very nature^[a] God,
    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;

Jesus Christ is God the Son, “in [His] very nature God,” and therefore equal with the Father before, during and after Jesus’ time on earth (John 1:1; John 8:58; 17:24; 20:28; Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1: 17; Mark 1:1; John 20:28). That is to say, Jesus was, is and always will be God. That Christ “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped” means He willingly let go of His privileges and glory in heaven in order to live on earth as a man and eventually give His life that we might be saved.

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1. YOUR ATTITUDE SHOULD BE THE SAME / PHILIPPIANS 2:5
2. IN HUMILITY / PHILIPPIANS 2:3
3. THEY WILL BE DESTROYED … YOU WILL BE SAVED / PHILIPPIANS 1:28
4. STAND FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT / PHILIPPIANS 1:27
5. TO DIE IS GAIN / PHILIPPIANS 1:21
6. THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL / PHILIPPIANS 1:16
7. PURE AND BLAMESS / PHILIPPIANS 1:10
8. BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS / PHILIPPIANS 1:6
9. LOVE MAY ABOUND … IN KNOWLEDGE / PHILIPPIANS 1:9
10. JOY / PHILIPPIANS 1:4
11. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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(KJV) Philippians 2:5

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Christ’s attitude was what Paul has just described – one of complete selflessness, servanthood and sacrifice that puts the needs of others before himself. Now Paul begins to describe specifically how Jesus showed this attitude toward us. Paul stresses how Jesus left unequaled glory in heaven and took the humiliating position of a servant. In doing so, He obeyed God’s plan to the point of giving His own life for the greatest benefit of others (Philippians 2:5-8). His sacrifice gave us the only opportunity we have for freedom from spiritual death, and it provides the final gift of eternal life for those who accept His forgiveness and entrust their lives to Him. As followers of Christ, we must show His humility by living unselfishly and sacrificially, caring for others’ needs and concerns and doing good to them. (1 Corinthians 2:16).

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1. IN HUMILITY / PHILIPPIANS 2:3
2. THEY WILL BE DESTROYED … YOU WILL BE SAVED / PHILIPPIANS 1:28
3. STAND FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT / PHILIPPIANS 1:27
4. TO DIE IS GAIN / PHILIPPIANS 1:21
5. THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL / PHILIPPIANS 1:16
6. PURE AND BLAMESS / PHILIPPIANS 1:10
7. BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS / PHILIPPIANS 1:6
8. LOVE MAY ABOUND … IN KNOWLEDGE / PHILIPPIANS 1:9
9. JOY / PHILIPPIANS 1:4
10. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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(KJV) Philippians 2:3

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

One of the primary enemies of unity among Christians is the natural tendency of individuals to promote their own interests and not give way regarding their own views and opinions. Part of our sinful, rebellious nature is self-centeredness (Galatians 5:20), which is encouraged because the world does not usually reward humility. Yet humility is a primary part of Christian unity because it is a key quality of Jesus’ character (Philippians 2:5; Matthew 11:29). The Bible’s God-centered view of humanity and spiritual salvation places the highest importance on humility. 

1. To be humble means to be conscious of our weaknesses and inadequacies and quick to give credit to God and others for what we accomplish (John 3:27; 5:19; 14:10; James 4:6). It involves not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to (Romans 12:3), but instead having the right attitude toward ourselves, God and others.
2. We must be humble because, apart from Christ, we are sinful (opposed to and separated from God, spiritually dead, Luke 18:9-14) and have not right to boast about anything (Romans 7:18; Galatians 6:3) except the greatness of the Lord (2 Corinthians 10:17). We are dependent on God for our worth, purpose and productivity; we can accomplish nothing of laying value without God’s help and the help of others (Psalms 8:4-5; John 15:1-16).
3. One of God’s primary requirements for His people is humility (Micah 6:8). 
4. God lives with those who humbly follow Him (Isaiah 57:15). God gives more grace (unearned favor, mercy and help) to the humble, but opposes the proud (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Christ’s most passionate and devoted followers serve “the Lord with great humility” (Acts 20:19).
5. As Christ’s followers, we must live in humility toward others, giving them more honor than we receive for ourselves (Romans 12:3, 10). This follows the example set by Jesus Himself (Philippians 2:5; Matthew 11:29).
6. The opposite of humility is pride and arrogance – an exaggerated feeling of self-importance. Pride often gloats over one’s perceived merit, superiority and accomplishments. The inevitable tendency of human nature and the world is toward pride, not humility (1 John 2:16; Isaiah 14:13-14; Ezekiel 28:17; 1 Timothy 6:17).

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1. THEY WILL BE DESTROYED … YOU WILL BE SAVED / PHILIPPIANS 1:28
2. STAND FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT / PHILIPPIANS 1:27
3. TO DIE IS GAIN / PHILIPPIANS 1:21
4. THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL / PHILIPPIANS 1:16
5. PURE AND BLAMESS / PHILIPPIANS 1:10
6. BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS / PHILIPPIANS 1:6
7. LOVE MAY ABOUND … IN KNOWLEDGE / PHILIPPIANS 1:9
8. JOY / PHILIPPIANS 1:4
9. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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(KJV) Philippians 1:28

And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

Continual opposition to the church, the message of Christ and the truth of God’s Word is a sure sign that people are headed for eventual destruction since they are rejecting the only way to spiritual salvation (John 14:6).On the other hand, when God’s people endure opposition, rejection and persecution for the cause of Christ, this is a sure sign of the authenticity of their faith and the assurance of their salvation (2 Thessalonians 1:5).

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1. STAND FIRM IN ONE SPIRIT / PHILIPPIANS 1:27
2. TO DIE IS GAIN / PHILIPPIANS 1:21
3. THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL / PHILIPPIANS 1:16
4. PURE AND BLAMESS / PHILIPPIANS 1:10
5. BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS / PHILIPPIANS 1:6
6. LOVE MAY ABOUND … IN KNOWLEDGE / PHILIPPIANS 1:9
7. JOY / PHILIPPIANS 1:4
8. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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(KJV) Philippians 1:27

Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

The true essence of the unit of the Holy Spirit among Christians consists of living in a worthy manner (appropriate to the standards and purposes of God’s Word and Christ’s message; Ephesians 4:1-3) and standing firm in one spirit and purpose (Philippians 2:2; Ephesians 4:3). This involves joining together in defense of Christ’s true and original message as found in the Bible (Philippians 1:16; Ephesians 4:13-15) and guarding that message against those who are “enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18). When it comes to advancing Christ’s purposes and defending His cause, Christians need each other and must stand together.

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1. TO DIE IS GAIN / PHILIPPIANS 1:21
2. THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL / PHILIPPIANS 1:16
3. PURE AND BLAMESS / PHILIPPIANS 1:10
4. BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS / PHILIPPIANS 1:6
5. LOVE MAY ABOUND … IN KNOWLEDGE / PHILIPPIANS 1:9
6. JOY / PHILIPPIANS 1:4
7. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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(KJV) Philippians 1:20-21

According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. ²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Paul’s life was completely occupied and filled by his relationship with Christ; that relationship was the source and focus of all of his joy and purpose in life. The “gain” that death would bring is literally being with Christ. True followers of Christ, living in the center of God’s purpose for them, need not fear death. They know that God has a plan for their lives and that death, when it comes, is simply the end of their earthly mission and the beginning of a greater life with Christ (Philippians 1:20-25; Romans 8:28).

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1. THE DEFENSE OF THE GOSPEL / PHILIPPIANS 1:16
2. PURE AND BLAMESS / PHILIPPIANS 1:10
3. BEING CONFIDENT OF THIS / PHILIPPIANS 1:6
4. LOVE MAY ABOUND … IN KNOWLEDGE / PHILIPPIANS 1:9
5. JOY / PHILIPPIANS 1:4
6. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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