20. THE POWER OF JOY IN THE PRISON OF PAIN IN PHIL.1:21-30 (part19)

THE PROVISION OF A PERSON PHIL.1:21-30

  A PASSIONATE PROPOSITION V.21-23

    CHRIST IS OUR LIFE V.21

OUR SUM TOTAL                   for to me to live is Christ,

OUR SIGNIFICANT TRIUMPH  and to die is gain.

CHARACTER IS OUR LONGING V.22

       OUR PRISON                                     But if I live in the flesh, 

To call our body a prison is not average language.  It’s abnormal to feel like that, but as our body begins to decline with age and weaken with injury, we can drift into a penal attitude about our selves.

To live in the flesh in this context is not referring to our sinful inclinations.  The flesh signifies our physical body.

Being morose and sullen was really not what Paul was feeling.  Yes, he was chained in prison and yes; he was in a lot of discomfort and strain.  He is making a contrast between what he could be facing, if Nero axed his life, or his approach if he’s released miraculously, in answer to prayer.  If this opens up he explains the energetic hopes of his next move.

       OUR PURPOSE                       this is the fruit of my labor:

We should be driven to live lives of impact, to be productive and beneficial to those around us.  Our number one desire is to be effective in meeting others needs.   Our job is to be a source of encouragement and to work at reinforcing the worth of those we cross paths with.

The thought is, if he doesn’t get the death sentence, and if he’s released from prison then he is looking forward to being effective for Christ in their lives.

OUR PERPLEXITY              yet what I shall choose I don’t know

This phrase is unusual.  I think it could be, I don’t know what’s going to happen next.  I don’t know how this will work out.

CHOICE IS OUR LIMITATION V.23

       OUR PUZZLE        For I am in a strait betwixt two,

       OUR PARADISE  having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ

       OUR PRINCIPLE which is far better:

Mystery as to what’s going to happen in our life can be a drawback.  It’s nice to know what is around the corner and to be able to anticipate how things are going to unfold.

Paul was extremely effective and industrious.  He enjoyed life but he’d been beat up and stressed out to the max, physically and emotionally.  Yet he said he had learned how to cope with the extremes of humiliation and exaltation.  Exaltation for him was not a cruise through the Bermuda triangle nor was it tooling along in a convertible in Palm Springs.      

A PERSISTENT PROPOSAL V.24-26

    THE REQUIREMENT V.24

       OUR ACCEPTANCE                 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh

       OUR APPRAISAL                     is more needful for you.

Paul’s tug of war was not based on a chronic difficulty with depression.  His antagonistic enemies viewed him as a problem to humanity that required extermination.  They chased him from city to city.  He was beaten, whipped, and stoned many times.  Now again opponents who hated him for what he stood for had tossed him in jail.

He felt pulled from two sides by a persistent challenge:  One pull was his desire to be with Jesus in glory.  The other side that pulled him was the joy of serving others for the glory of Christ.

THE REWARD V.25

       OUR CERTAINTY     And having this confidence,

       OUR CONNECTION   I know that I shall abide and continue

       OUR COOPERATION with you all for

       YOUR CHANGE        your furtherance and joy of faith;

R.C. Lenski writes: “One often simply yields to his own personal desire over against something that is really more necessary. Paul’s wording shows that he clearly distinguished between the two and does not yield to the former. He adds no undue weight to his personal desire; he subtracts no weight from the special necessity. In other words, if death is to be his lot, he will be happy in having his desire fulfilled, but if life is to be his lot, he will be happy in serving others with the fruit of his further work.”

THE RETURN V.26

       YOUR CHEER      That your rejoicing may be more abundant

YOUR CONTEXT  in Jesus Christ for me

       MY COMING      by my coming to you again.

To be motivated to increase the joy of others is an incredible distinction.  Especially when Paul was in a radically uncomfortable situation.  These people in the Church of Philippi were his children in the faith.  As a father he desired their joy, he wanted to be with them to build them up.  Paul was not self-occupied.  He was a man of self-denial.

We live in an age of shirking in the church where we avoid each other.  Getting involved in the personal details of one another’s life takes patient sensitive transparency.  Caring for others takes time. We’d have to set aside our own schedule of priorities and replace it with people and their unpredictable details.

Paul like Jesus was looking for the lost coin, the pearl of great price, the wounded hearts and the straying sheep.  He was interested in the things that burdened others.  His calendar was never too full for others.  He was not to busy for the sorrow of others.  He wanted to inspire with the joy of Jesus for every need.

In 2Cor. 12:14-15 Paul wrote: I am ready to come to you; and I will not be a burden to you: for I seek not yours, (I don’t want your money or you’re stuff) but you: (I want what’s best for you) for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, (children shouldn’t have to save for their parents needs) but the parents for the children.  And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.

Paul was interested in people, absorbed in their heartbreak, attentive to their needs.  He was involved, alert and available.

We live in strange times in the local church.  Pastors and Elders are

often too busy to notice the heart needs.  There’s avoidance, dodging and circumvention.  There seems to be a peculiar ducking away from the hunger and hurt of people.

Paul was very busy; He wrote lengthy letters, studied hard and also was working at a tent making trade yet his priority was people and their need.

Jesus told His disciples, don’t send the people home.  He said feed them.  The disciples complained that they only had a few loaves and a couple of fish. How in the world were they going to feed thousands of people?  Jesus said to start circulating among the people with what you have.  The people were fed as the Lord worked through the small things.

A PLEASURABLE PROSPECT V.27-30

    APPROPRIATE CONDUCT V.27

       CONSISTENT BEHAVIOR Only let your conversation be as it

                                                            becomes the gospel of Christ:

In Shakespeare’s history play Richard the II, an unfortunate king brings great trouble on himself by failing to live up to his responsibilities. He is a legitimate king; but he is impetuous, passionate, and arbitrary in the administration of justice. Such behavior is unfit for one who wears a crown, and Shakespeare tells how eventually he lost it. Privilege brought responsibility, but Richard II did not fulfill it.

The three Shakespeare plays involving King Henry V—Henry IV (parts I and II) and Henry V—show just the opposite character. In his early youth Henry is irresponsible, reckless and immoral. He spends much time carousing with old John Falstaff.

Then the old king dies, and Prince Henry begins to live as befits his kingly status. He does not hold the crown through any virtue in himself. But having the crown, he vows to live worthy of the possession:

The tide of blood in me

Hath proudly flowed in vanity till now.

Now doth it turn and ebb back to the sea,

Where it shall mingle with the state of floods,

And flow henceforth in formal majesty.

Becoming king produces a change in Henry. From this point on Henry V lives as one of the noblest kings of England.

It is a privilege to be introduced to Jesus Christ.  It’s an advantage to have His Word and books that show us His great life, His loving instruction and details describing His precise principles.  We are blessed with facts of what He has done for us.  We’re surrounded with opportunities to learn His ways.  Are we living up to our privileges?  Are we learning all we can of Christ’s life and His devotion for others?  Are we sharing His life with needy ones around us or are we just wasting our energy to live for personal  thrills and amusing experiences?

       COHERENT BEHAVIOR    that whether I come and see you or

                                                 else be absent, I may hear of your affairs,

The greater the privileges the greater are our obligations.  Paul was not only involved in their inner heart necessities; he wanted to hear that they were continuing in the individual motivation regarding consistent behavior.

       CEASELESS BOLDNESS  that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one

                                         mind striving together for the faith of the gospel

Do we stand together boldly against increasing antagonism?  There is growing hostility all around us, and gospel opposition is unflinching and determined.

The way to unite boldly is to fight by faith.  That means bonding together in determined, incessant, faithful prayer.  We need to meet together in love by supporting each other through fellowshipping in the Holy Spirit.  The only way to be one in mind and purpose is by spending time with each other in the Word and prayer.

Paul said he would gladly spend and be spent for the good of others.  Jesus wants us to spend time with one another, quality moments with each other’s needs and concerns, gathering to comfort and encouragement in our walk in Christ.  Striving together for the faith of the Gospel.

ASSERTIVE CONFIDENCE V.28

       THE SHOCK         And in nothing terrified by your adversaries:

It’s counterproductive and undermining to our faith to let the enemy of our souls alarm us with the entire decadent stir that is whipping up around us.  There is nothing that should terrify us.

The political landscape shouldn’t get us all agitated.  Aggressive faith isn’t all panicky.  We’re not to get petrified or horrified by the times.

Rising wars, slaughters by terrorist, arrogant dictators expanding their tyranny and deception, unreasonable taxes, foolish astronomical spending, out of control inflation, riots, anarchy, perversion, immorality, murder of the innocent and mass senseless killing.  Even the treat of unconscionable drone attacks by our own irresponsible government.  Our security is in the Lord and His ability to calm the storm.

Aggressive, assertive insistent faith arms itself with specific consistent prayer.

THE SECURITY    which is to them an evident token of perdition,

 THE SALVATION but to you of salvation, and that of God.

We can’t surround the wagons and fort up in our shelters. We must bring the battle for human souls outside the borders of our local church.  Into our jobs, our schools, our courts, our malls and stores and our entire world.  We need to share our personal walk and relationship with Jesus, showing others what He has done for us, presenting the claims of Christ, sharing His promises and the great work of salvation from sins He has achieved for us.  We need to live out by the power of prayer and the filling of His Spirit.  This is how Jesus lives His life through us.

Jesus declares the real answers for a world that is on the brink of blowing up in a nation-by-nation collapse.  His solutions are the only things that will bring results.

E. Stanley Jones wrote: “The early Christians did not say in dismay: ‘Look what the world has come to,’ but in delight, ‘Look what has come to the world.’ They saw not merely the ruin, but the resources for the reconstruction of that ruin. They saw not merely that sin did abound, but that grace did much more abound.

On that assurance the pivot of history swung from blank despair, loss of moral nerve, and fatalism, to faith and confidence that at last sin had met its match, that something new had come into the world, that not only here and there, but on a wide scale, men could attain to that hitherto impossible thing—goodness.”

Carl F. Henry wrote: “I am convinced that this offer of abundant life … has a scriptural ability to fascinate the shallow spirit of modern man and to coax him anew to a hearing of the claims of Christ upon his life.” 

    ADJUSTED CONDITIONS V.29-30

       THE PROVISION     For unto you it is given in

                                               the behalf of Christ,

       THE PURPOSE         not only to believe on him,

       THE PRIVILEGE 

         TO SUFFER            but also to suffer for his sake; 

         TO STRUGGLE      Having the same conflict

         TO SCRUTINIZE   which ye saw in me,

         TO SECURE            and now hear to be in me. 

When we live out the life of Christ and let His provision of life dwell in us and allow the control of His Spirit through us we will have a growing purposeful aggressive faith that shares His life and promises with every one we can.

The result of Christ being proclaimed through our live is that some will be attracted to Jesus by our speech.  Others will be aroused to complain and we will have the privilege of rejection and suffering.

D.A. Carson explains: our change in character, our united stand in defense of the gospel, our ability to withstand with meekness and without fear the opposition that we must endure, constitutes a sign. That sign speaks volumes, both to the outside world and the Christian community. It is a sign of judgment against a world that is mounting opposition; it is a sign of assurance that as believers we really are the people of God and will be saved on the last day.

19. THE POWER OF JOY IN THE PRISON OF PAIN IN PHIL.1:21 (part18) 

THE PROVISION OF A PERSON PHIL.1:21-30

  A PASSIONATE PROPOSITION V.21-23

    CHRIST IS OUR LIFE V.21

OUR SUM TOTAL                              for to me to live is Christ,

OUR SIGNIFICANT TRIUMPH   and to die is gain.

Death benefits are a paradox.  This is an inconsistency that disrupts the feelings of our heart.  How can death be a gain when we are losing everything that we are living for?  But maybe this is the issue in death’s profit because of who or what we’re living for.  The only way to prosper from death is to be able to really apply “for me to live is Christ.”

This is not to discount the grief and sorrow of death for we are inter-reliant on each other and the loss of those we’re close to is extremely sad.

Sickness and death are on one side of the paradox and are the work of the thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy.  He is always stalking us with his droves of sycophant underlings, seeking to bite away chunks of our life.  He attempts to destroy our health and comfort, as well as cheat us out of the joy of our loved ones with his myriad of devices.

John 11:3-5 we read of two sisters whose brother was dying of a harsh disease.  His sisters sent for Jesus, saying, Lord, behold, he who you love is sick.

Jesus gives us the other side of the paradox of sickness and death adding a new perspective to our physical losses.  

When Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.  Now Jesus loved Martha, and Mary, and Lazarus.

We feel our anguish in our prison of pain in the weakness of sickness and the loss of death but Jesus adds the joy of His beauty in the divine perception that everything that takes place is that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.  And also that Jesus deeply loves us.  

Jesus doesn’t stoically dismiss our feelings and heartache.  He’s not a fatalist, nor is He apathetic or indifferent to our distress and despair over our pain and the pain of those we love.

John 11:33-36 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 

The word groaned means to be deeply agitated to the point of overload where we sob outwardly in moaning and groaning.  The word troubled means to shake with emotion.  Jesus wept, He burst in to tears, and He feels the same with us.  He loves us deeply and enters into all of our grief and sorrow.

There is wonder in seeing a sobbing Jesus who is touched with the feelings of our infirmity, is moved with our susceptibility and affected in all of our frailness and malady.

Joseph Scriven expresses it so exquisitely as he writes in delicate intricacy:

What a friend we have in Jesus, 
 All our sins and grief’s to bear!

What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
 Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry
 Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
  Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged—
 Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,
 Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our every weakness;
 Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy-laden,
 Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge—
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
  Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
 Thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised
 Thou wilt all our burdens bear;

May we ever, Lord, be bringing
 All to Thee in earnest prayer.

Soon in glory bright, unclouded,
 There will be no need for prayer—

Rapture, praise, and endless worship
 Will be our sweet portion there.

We can declare that:      

CHRIST IS OUR LIFE V.21

       OUR SUM TOTAL                   for to me to live is Christ,

OUR SIGNIFICANT TRIUMPH   and to die is gain.

18. THE POWER OF JOY IN THE PRISON OF PAIN IN PHIL. (part17)

THE PROVISION OF A PERSON PHIL.1:21-30

  A PASSIONATE PROPOSITION V.21-23

    CHRIST IS OUR LIFE V.21

       OUR SUM TOTAL                   for to me to live is Christ,

This phrase “for to me to live is Christ” is more then just an estimation of who we live for.  This isn’t just an assessment of who we’re trying to follow.  Nor is this an appraisal of the one we’re hoping to imitate.

Christ is our life.

We live from Christ as He is our source of existence.

We live on Christ as He is the source of our provision,

He is the one who sustains us and He is the means of our livelihood.

We live in Christ as He is the one who nourishes us by His indwelling.  It is no longer I but it’s Christ who lives in me through the communication of Himself.

We live to Christ, we come from Him being born again spiritually through Him and now He is our aim and our end, which is our real beginning.

Being in prison had to be extremely defeating for Paul.  He was surrounded with pain emotionally, physically and psychologically. Was he overcome, was he beaten and crushed? “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loves us” Rom. 8:37

How could he not be devastated?   The only way he wouldn’t be overwhelmed is “For My strength is made perfect in your weakness” 2  Cor. 12:9; so he gloried in his weakness that the power of Christ would rest in him.

He was living ‘life more abundant’ Christ had come Himself into his being to live there.  Paul is saying, Christ has a deep desire to live His life in us.  Christ is our very source, impetus, and strength.

But how can this be charming if we have to experience various weakening challenges to realize we can’t do life ourselves?  To discover that by these devastating experiences we’re made to wilt and slump in our own ability as our limitations are being exposed in our inadequacy.

What do I find out in my self?  I find that the good I want to do I don’t do.  I find that in me, that is in my flesh there exists no good thing.  I find sin in me that glares out for opportunities to express its self.  I find this sin is stimulated by my greedy insatiable desire to achieve for me.

I know what is right, but I express the opposite and then I feel condemned by the right things I want to do so I can achieve. I feel crumbled by the defeat of my sinful expressions.  I experience an awkward sensation that I’m a failure and a louse.  It’s the guilt of my weakness and failure.  My behavior is baffling.  I loathe my confusion.  It’s draining and depressing.

If I’d do the right things, I’d feel successful and strong.  But my attempts to do what is right end in self-inflating pride.  This is a prison of pain that is agonizing and unbearable.

We dislike weakness, faults, flaws and limitations but it’s in our defeat that we see our need of our Savior.  He doesn’t condemn us but rescues us.  It is not by our own strength but in the power of His life in us.  Our life is not to be lived in the strength of our flesh nature but by faith in Christ’s life.  For us to live is Christ.

There is no hope in feeling bad in our selves.  There is no future in self-loathing and self-denigration.  We can’t get anywhere defaming, deprecating, depreciating or attacking ourselves.  We belittle and slander our failures and faults with derisive abuse.

This is a trick of Satan who is an adversarial accuser.  The title Devil is the Greek term diabolic, which means slanderer and faultfinder.  He lives fully up to his name.  If we live with his hostility ringing in our ears and jangling in our heads we’re allowing him to deny us of the power of Christ living in us.

All our failure, faults, and feeble imperfection are in loving grace forgiven and forgotten in Christ our life.  We can’t earn His love.  There is nothing we can do to deserve His life.  This is where we’ll fall into legalism.  We can only let Christ be our life because He has given His life to us.

Spurgeon wrote: this rich expression “to live is Christ” indicates that Christ is the source of our life. “You hath He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins.” The same voice, which brought Lazarus out of the tomb, raised us to newness of life.

He is now the substance of our spiritual life. It is by His life that we live; He is in us, the hope of glory, the spring of our actions, the central thought which moves every other thought. Christ is the sustenance of our life.

What can the Christian feed upon but Jesus’ flesh and blood? “This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.” O way worn pilgrims in this wilderness of sin, you never get a morsel to satisfy the hunger of your spirits, except you find it in Him!

Christ is the solace of our life. All our true joys come from Him; and in times of trouble, His presence is our comfort. There is nothing worth living for but Him; and His loving kindness is better than life! Christ is the object of our life. As speeds the ship towards the port, so hastes the believer towards the haven of his Savior’s bosom. As flies the arrow to its goal, so flies the Christian towards the perfecting of his fellowship with Christ Jesus. As the soldier fights for his captain, and is crowned in his captain’s victory, so the believer contends for Christ, and gets his triumph out of the triumphs of his Master. “For him to live is Christ.” Christ is the paradigm of our life. Where there is the same life within, there will, there must be, to a great extent, the same developments without; and if we live in fellowship with the Lord Jesus we shall grow like Him. We shall set Him before us as our Divine copy, and we shall seek to tread in His footsteps, until He shall become the crown of our life in glory. Oh! How safe, how honored, how happy is the Christian, since Christ is our life.

THE PROVISION OF A PERSON PHIL.1:21-30

  A PASSIONATE PROPOSITION V.21-23

    CHRIST IS OUR LIFE V.21

OUR SUM TOTAL                          for to me to live is Christ,

OUR SIGNIFICANT TRIUMPH  and to die is gain.

CHARACTER IS OUR LONGING V.22

OUR PRISON                          But if I live in the flesh,

       OUR PURPOSE                       this is the fruit of my labor:

OUR PERPLEXITY                  yet what I shall choose I wot not.

CHOICE IS OUR LIMITATION V.23

OUR PUZZLE     For I am in a strait betwixt two,

       OUR PARADISE having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ

       OUR PRINCIPLE             which is far better: 

A PERSISTENT PROPOSAL V.24-26

    THE REQUIREMENT V.24

OUR ACCEPTANCE          Nevertheless to abide in the flesh

       OUR APPRAISAL              is more needful for you.

THE REWARD V.25

OUR CERTAINTY              And having this confidence,

       OUR CONNECTION   I know that I shall abide and continue

       OUR COOPERATION with you all for

       YOUR CHANGE        your furtherance and joy of faith;

THE RETURN V.26

       YOUR CHEER      That your rejoicing may be more abundant

YOUR CONTEXT  in Jesus Christ for me

       MY COMING      by my coming to you again.

A PLEASURABLE PROSPECT V.27-30

    APPROPRIATE CONDUCT V.27

CONSISTENT BEHAVIOR Only let your conversation be as it

                                                       becomes the gospel of Christ:

       COHERENT BEHAVIOR that whether I come and see you or else

                                                   be absent, I may hear of your affairs,

       CEASELESS BOLDNESS  that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one

                                    mind striving together for the faith of the gospel

ASSERTIVE CONFIDENCE V.28

THE SHOCK         And in nothing terrified by your adversaries:

THE SECURITY    which is to them an evident token of perdition,

THE SALVATION but to you of salvation, and that of God.

ADJUSTED CONDITIONS V.29-30

THE PROVISION   For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ,

       THE PURPOSE      not only to believe on him,

       THE PRIVILEGE

TO SUFFER          but also to suffer for his sake; 

TO STRUGGLE    Having the same conflict

         TO SCRUTINIZE  which ye saw in me,

         TO SECURE          and now hear to be in me.

17. THE POWER OF JOY IN THE PRISON OF PAIN IN PHIL. (part16) 

PRAYER AND OUR PROVISION V.19-20

  THE PROBABILITY OF DELIVERANCE V.20

      INTENSE ANTICIPATION    According to my earnest expectation

Earnest expectation according to the Greek English Dictionary denotes unreserved, uninhibited waiting.  It’s literally anticipation with an uplifted head. 

Lu 21:28 Jesus says: when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draws near.  The etymology of this compound word is to^. Look with an outstretched neck.

Rom. 8:19 for the earnest expectation of the creature waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.

William Hendricksen writes this is yearning, looking forward to something with head erect. 

      IMPERISHABLE ADVOCACY and my hope,

Can we predict the future?  Can we calculate what’s around the corner and support what is going to take place with no doubts in our expectation?

Inextinguishable hope is a concentrated, intense hope, which ignores other interests and strains forward with outstretched head, which was Paul’s attitude of heart.

This is not a hope in surrounding environmental or eco-friendly developments.  Like I hope it doesn’t rain all week. Or I hope the gas prices don’t double in the next year.  Or I hope Seattle wins the super bowl soon.

This is Biblical hope teeming with inevitability and inner conviction because God is God and has guaranteed the future.

      INCREDIBLE APPROVAL  that in nothing I shall be ashamed,

Shame and embarrassment are a terrible feeling to be harnessed with; but disgrace and dishonor are worse.  It’s ugly to live with a haunt that we can’t be transparent because our past behavior will bring discredit and due to our former history our reputation will be smeared.

This muddy feeling and it’s deep roots need to be thoroughly dug out.  It’s a pathetic dishonoring of what Christ has accomplished for us in substituting His life for all our sin.

It’s not our reputation that’s at stake.  If we were all that credit worthy we wouldn’t have need of a Savior.  We should never allow dishonor and disgrace to Jesus, which is what we do when we don’t appropriate His tender forgiveness.

It’s not our reputation we’re praying for but our longing is to see God honored through everything He allows in our life.  We should live with a hope for the exalting credit to go to the good new of Christ.

THE POISE OF DELIVERANCE  but that with all boldness

                                                                  as always

The opposite of being ashamed is unabashed boldness.  Paul exercised himself to be void of offense to God and to man.  But when we’re under the stress of pain and our conscience is cluttered with shadows of our past and stalkers of our reputation we can fade in courage.

This is not to say that we’re to get smothered in a denial of individual suffering in our own life.  We do suffer; Jesus promised we would from the beginning of time.

Christ has settled all our accounts, once for all.  There is a balance between a narcissistic presupposition with our humanness and the relationships we look for needs to be met in, and this allowing of Jesus to be our all.

Tullian Tchividjian writes “When our goal becomes conquering our sin instead of soaking in the conquest of our Savior, we actually begin to shrink spiritually.”

Sinclair Ferguson rightly pointed this out: “Those who have almost forgotten about their own spirituality because their focus is so exclusively on their union with Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished are those who are growing and exhibiting fruitfulness.

Historically speaking, whenever the piety of a particular group is focused on OUR spirituality, that piety will eventually exhaust itself on its own resources. Only where our piety forgets about our self and focuses on Jesus Christ will our piety [be] nourished by the ongoing resources the Spirit brings to us from the source of all true piety, our Lord Jesus Christ.”

The tragic irony in all of this is that when we focus so strongly on our need to get better, we actually get worse. We become even more neurotic and self-absorbed. Preoccupation with our guilt (instead of God’s grace) makes us increasingly self-centered and morbidly introspective. And what are our Original Sin if not a preoccupation with us?

What needs to be rooted out and attacked is not immoral behavior; it’s immoral belief— faith in my own moral and spiritual “progress,” rather than in the One who died to atone for my lack of progress.

Tchividjian, Tullian (2012-10-01). Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free (pp. 68-69)

Christ faced sordid accusations and sleazy allegations when He was arrested, tried and crucified as a criminal.  Paul didn’t want to fall into a condition where his boldness and confidence evaporated in the heat of imprisonment and trial.  Paul was asking that his every expression during his imprisonment would bring credit and honor to the beauty of Jesus.

“Christianity is not first and foremost about our behavior, our obedience, our response, and our daily victory over sin. It is first and foremost about Jesus! It is about His person; His substitutionary work; His incarnation, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return. We are justified— and sanctified— by grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Christ alone. Even now, the banner under which Christians live reads, “It is finished.” Everything we need, and everything we look for in things smaller than Jesus, is already ours in Christ.” Ibid
THE PURPOSE OF DELIVERANCE   so now also Christ shall be

                        magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

J.M. Boice writes, “The Bible is free of error and God has chosen to honor it as he will honor no human words. But God does not dwell in the Bible. God is only magnified as he enters into the life of believers through the Bible and forms their lives in accordance with its principles.^”

J.B. Stony wrote “Our Father has a different line of things for everyone, and each of us has been sent into this world for His special mission. It is not a question whether it is great or small; it may be only a flower to shed fragrance; though this is really the greatest of all. There is no higher service than moral influence; “thy whole body … full of light”; and this, of all the highest moral order, is within the compass of all. “Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death”

“We should remember, that we are not to be expectants from the scene around us, but contributors. A true contributor never complains of want of love. He walks in the Fathers love and manifests His love; magnifying His language, which is, “I have and abound.” —C.H. Mackintosh

“There are two things … in communicating truth.  Certainty that it is the truth from God, but it must also be suited truth to those with whom we share. They might need it all, but they may not be in condition to receive it; and the more precious the truth, the greater the injury, in a certain sense, if it is presented to those who are not in a state to profit by it.”

W. Kelly

The truth of Jesus magnified is always profitable.  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory, which shall be revealed in us.

Romans 8:18 The way J.B. Phillips renders the word “reckon” is that whatever we have to go through now is less then nothing in contrast to Jesus being magnified.  We can’t downplay pain and suffering in this process because our losses and suffering are very real.

Conybeare and Howson wrote: “We can’t look without emotion at that venerable form subjected by iron links to the coarse control of the soldier who stood beside him? How often must the tears of the Church been called forth by the upraising of that fettered hand, and the clanking of the chain which checked its energetic action.”

Paul does not share his heart longing in stoic trivializing of his condition but in joyous eagerness of new opportunities to display the worth of Christ in every condition.

16. THE POWER OF JOY IN THE PRISON OF PAIN IN PHIL. (part15)

PRAYER AND OUR PROVISION V.19-20

THE PRIVILEGE OF DELIVERANCE V.19 For I know that this shall

                                                                               turn to my salvation

THE POWER OF DELIVERANCE                through your prayer,

THE PERSON OF DELIVERANCE              and the supply of the Spirit 

                                                                              of Jesus Christ, 

There is a mystical connection and progression of action between salvation, supplication, supply and the Spirit.  Paul says I know that this shall turn out.  Do we have the same optimism about things turning out?

Anthony Ash writes:  “We are convinced that the Spirit operates in response to human prayer. The Philippians prayed, and God responded through his Spirit.^”

William MacDonald In the Believer’s Bible Commentary writes; “We marvel here at the importance which Paul puts on the prayers of a feeble band of believers. He sees them as sufficiently powerful to thwart the purposes and the mighty power of Rome. It is true; Christians can influence the destiny of nations and change the course of history through prayer.”

We can never overestimate the fact that God works out His purposes through prayer.

In 2 Cor. 1:5, 8–11 Paul emphasizes twice that impossible circumstances are solved through prayer.

“For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us, you also joining in helping us through your prayers, so that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the favor bestowed on us through the prayers of many.”

The principle is undeniable.  The prayers of the saints bring the power of the Spirit.

This word “supply” in the phrase “the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” is the word provision.  It’s described in Vines Greek dictionary; to supply fully, abundantly, to minister, where the present continuous tense speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit in all His ministrations to nourish believers individually and collectively.

It’s in the Spirit of Jesus Christ that we find our bountiful, and sufficient supply of what is needed.

Eph.3:20 says He is the power that works in us; “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us”

No matter what circumstances we find ourselves in it is apparent what our lacks are. The Spirit produces in our lives fruit, more fruit and much fruit. A harvest of spiritual fruit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” Gal. 5:22–23.

I know what I produce in myself and it’s the opposite these character qualities of the Spirit.  In myself there is indifference, sorrow, strife, insecurity, intolerance, disrespect, insult, raw abrasiveness, phony careless disloyalty, betrayal, duplicity, coarse roughness, and an out of control lack of discipline.

But Jesus has promised we will receive power, after that the Holy Spirit is come upon us: and ye shall be witnesses.  Witnesses of the beauty of Jesus Christ, witnesses of His tenderness and He will flow out of our life all the character attractiveness of abundant sufficient provision in the charm of Jesus in us.

The answer to our prayer and the prayers of those who pray with us is the increase of the Spirit’s activity in us, through us and around us. This is the turning out of our salvation.

PRAYER AND OUR PROVISION V.19-20

THE PRIVILEGE OF DELIVERANCE V.19 For I know that this shall

                                                                   turn to my salvation

THE POWER OF DELIVERANCE    through your prayer,

THE PERSON OF DELIVERANCE   and the supply of the Spirit

                                                                   of Jesus Christ,

THE PROBABILITY OF DELIVERANCE V.20

INTENSE ANTICIPATION      According to my earnest expectation

      IMPERISHABLE ADVOCACY and my hope,

      INCREDIBLE APPROVAL       that in nothing I shall be ashamed,     

   THE POISE OF DELIVERANCE but that with all boldness, as always

THE PURPOSE OF DELIVERANCE   so now also Christ shall be

                       magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

15. THE POWER OF JOY IN THE PRISON OF PAIN IN PHIL. (part14)

PRAYER AND OUR PROVISION V.19-20

   THE PRIVILEGE OF DELIVERANCE V.19 For I know that this

                                                                            shalt turn to my salvation

THE POWER OF DELIVERANCE             through your prayer,

In the prison of pain most of us realize we can’t do it on our own, and that without Christ we can do nothing.  We get reduced, or in reality, expanded, to the fact that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  We accept that there is no defeat in Christ.  But how does that work out for us practically?

Do we really believe, and by believe I mean, do we live day by day in the conscious reality that God is coordinating everything and His compositions are perfect.  The orchestrations of the Lord are impeccable, but that doesn’t imply that a few challenges aren’t thrown into our life experiences to test out that that’s what we really believe.

Our real beliefs are demonstrated by how much reliance we put in prayer.  I’m not defining prayer as verbal gyrations into an empty abyss, but prayer as praying to a loving Father who is the aggressor in lifting us up to Himself in our need.

Not just in our own personal prayer but as the phrase renders it;

“ Through your prayer”

We are to surround ourselves in a community of others who believe in the power of deliverance through prayer.

There is a balance between saying everything is going to work out and the striking fact that we have not because we ask not.

I’ve kept an evolving prayer journal for 43 years and through many doubts, uncertainties and suspicions, as to my effectiveness, I keep trying to learn how to pray and walk with God.  It’s a challenge to claim to believe that prayer is the greatest bridge between God and us, and to come up with an explanation for the way certain things have played out from that journal record.  But the last chapter hasn’t been written.  All we have to do is read the book of Revelation to realize that it doesn’t appear right now the way it is all going to end up.

I’ve developed a greedy yearning for God’s best in my life and the lives of those I pray for.  It is horrible to think that we could be missing out on what should be because we haven’t asked for the things that are needed to change; or, am I blocking the blessing through my own inadequate adjustments to impact the alterations.

Asking is not begging and it’s not demanding.  But asking is probing and examining our all-powerful Father for answers and solutions, with a persistent penetration into His will for what we are facing.

When we don’t know what to do it’s actually easy to figure it out.

We need to Pray, and pray again and pray again, until the answer comes.  If the answer is still more impossible burdens, then God is saying, “Keep praying,” and ask for God’s power to be demonstrated and unleashed on the ache of our hearts.

A.W. Tozer writes: “Ask for His power on behalf of His people. The world situation is such that nothing less than God can straighten it out. Let’s not fail the world and disappoint God by failing to pray.”

Lord, I know my faith needs to grow, so please help me to exercise what faith I have and anticipate that growth and stretching.”

We can’t afford to stop praying. We need to pray and seek to get closer to God who has told us to ask and seek and keep knocking on His door with everything.

We read in Acts 12:5 “But prayer…” Peter was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

Peter was in an impossible situation.  He was sleeping between two soldiers, two chains shackled him, plus there were soldiers standing at the door of the prison guarding the outside.  King Herod was reigning.  But the church prayed without ceasing.

What happens:  A light shines into that dark prison that night, an Angel hits Peter to wake him up and his chains fall off as Peter walks out free.

What if the Church decided not to ask?  They wouldn’t have seen the power of a supernatural weapon.  The impossible stuff is not supposed to chain us, darkness shouldn’t hide us, and King Herod shouldn’t scare us.  What happens to Herod?  Worms eat him.  We’re to expect the unexpected and anticipate the unpredictable.

Are we limiting God by not asking?  Did Israel limit God by getting baffled with the giants in the Promised Land?  What a mess making an 11day trip into a 40-year-old graveyard.  When we look at the dimensions of the Promised Land we see that the Israeli’s never possessed their possessions.  The northern border was to be the Euphrates River, which is eastern Turkey and southern Iraq.  Yikes, they still have some possessing to do and all the nuclear arsenals in the world will not stop what God has promised.  We need to ask.  We are to possess what He wants for us.

God says open your mouth wide and I will fill it.  God comes to Solomon in the book of Kings and says; ask what I shall give thee.  He says the same to each of us; ask what I shall give you.

Our prayers are God’s opportunities.

Farrar wrote:  Are we in sorrow? Prayer can make our affliction sweet and strengthening. Are we in gladness? Prayer can add to our joy a celestial perfume. Are we in extreme danger from outward or inward enemies? Prayer can set at our right hand an angel whose touch could shatter a millstone into smaller dust than the flour it grinds, and whose glance could lay an army low. What will prayer do for us? The answer: All that God can do for us. “Ask what I shall give thee.”

“Wrestling prayer can wonders do,

Bring relief in deepest straits

Prayer can force a passage through

Iron bars and brazen gates.”

Does it matter that we pray so little?  Would it make a difference if we spent more time in prayer?  That’s like asking would we understand more if we read and spent more time studying and meditating more in what God is saying to us in His Word?

If you want to get to know me, you’ll need to talk to me and listen to me.  Ask me some questions, spend some time and don’t avoid me acting like you have no interest in me.  I’m sure I’d be more popular if I had more to offer others.  But the more time we invest in each other the better our relationship will be.  Well, God has done His part.  He’s exposed Himself deeply and shared His every thought and feeling.  Now we have to prove that we believe that He has a lot to offer.  We need to ask more.

THE PERSON OF DELIVERANCE   and the supply of the Spirit

                                                                          of Jesus Christ,

THE PROBABILITY OF DELIVERANCE V.20

INTENSE ANTICIPATION     According to my earnest expectation

      IMPERISHABLE ADVOCACY and my hope,

      INCREDIBLE APPROVAL       that in nothing I shall be ashamed,

THE POISE OF DELIVERANCE

                                                         but that with all boldness, as always,

THE PURPOSE OF DELIVERANCE   so now also Christ shall be                 

                        magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.