The Power of Joy In The Prison Of Pain in Philippians (part 1)

Joy Comes Through Our Confidence In Christ Phil. 1:1-11

Our Possibilities Through Christ Phil. 1

  Confidence the Stability for Joy   Philippians 1:1-11

Confidence gives us the certainty of conviction.  This is our stability of strength and the steadiness of our potential through Christ’s life in us.  Nehemiah 8:10 describe it this way:

“The Joy of the Lord is our strength”

     Christ’s Provision Of Partnership v. 1-2

       Recognizing God Our Source Of Joy

Provision Comes Through Preference v.1 Paul and Timothy,

Our Recognition as Servants                       the servants of Jesus Christ,

         Provision comes through Participation

           Our Recognition as Separated                    to all the saints in Christ

                                                                                            Jesus, which are at Philippi,

Our Recognition of Skills           with the bishops and deacons:

It is an advantage and freedom to serve Jesus by venting praise to Him.  We develop our joy by departing from irrational feelings of complaining and replacing each unreasonable feeling with loyalty to Christ, accepting Him as Lord of everything that comes our way.  The Spirit will enable us in skillfulness in the Lord.  We grudgingly become venter’s who spout negative feelings and even hostile emotions.  We need a reversal in perspective from sour acridity over what jabs us in pain too the healing tonic of seeing the Lord’s comforting touch in our pain.     

The Psalmist states in Psalm 119:162

I rejoice at Your Word, as one that finds great riches. 

As God opens our eyes in His Word we embrace treasures of truth and gemstones of grace.  We at times have to choose between the wealth of the world and the wealth of the Word, the fading joy of this life or the real joy of Christ’s life. 

The phrase is one who finds great riches or as the KJV renders it “spoil”.   Spoil was the plunder found after a battle where you could rake in pillage from the defeated enemies.  Rejoicing in the bootee of the Word is greater bounty.  

         Provision Comes Through Privilege v.2

           Our Recognition of Strength        Grace be unto you,

Our Recognition of Serenity         and peace

Our Recognition of Sovereignty  from God our Father, and

                                                                             from the Lord Jesus Christ

In the Greek language, the words for grace (charis) the word gratitude (eucharistia) and the word for joy (chara) is tightly woven together.  They all have the same root, (char). 

Here’s how it works: grace, arouses and induces gratitude, and as we express gratitude in growing thankfulness joy within explodes. 

What is joy? It is the personal experience of gratitude being expressed as individual grace is experienced! All three are linked.  

When the Spirit leads us to pray for grace and we grow in the realization of the abundance of the grace we have we express gratitude.  When we thank the Lord in gratitude for His lavish grace we are filled in joy. 

We may not feel the Spirit is leading but He is always speaking as Proverbs states:  

Wisdom cries without, she utters her voice in the streets

There are many phrases in the Word that are is the Spirits voice.      

“In everything give thanks”  “rejoice evermore”

“Consider it all joy”  “glory in trouble”