Where Hope Reside

Recap

Romans 5…Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Background

Paul wrote this epistle while under house arrest in Rome to the church at Philippi. Early in his ministry Paul had visited Philippi and returned years later. When the Philippians heard of Paul’s house arrest, they sent a messenger Epaphroditus with supplies to minister to him. The messenger returns with this epistle, expressing Paul’s gratitude and love. As one of the few books in the New Testament not written for correction, this letter contains encouragement and thanksgiving and is full of joy despite Paul’s impending death.

Not in the Flesh

Philippians 3:1–3 “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—”

Philippians 3:4–6 “though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”

Philippians 3:7–9 “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—”

Philippians 3:10–11 “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

We must accept finite disappointment, but never loss infinite hope…Rev Dr Martin Luther King JR