Partakers of Grace
Notes
Transcript
Last week:
Paul begins this greeting, letting them know why he has joy in his circumstance
He first tells them why he has joy because of them. First, because of their participation in the gospel, and secondly, but maybe more importantly, he can have joy in the Philippians because of Christ.
Paul knows that what the Lord has begun, The Lord will complete, and that is why Paul can have so much joy in the Philippians.
Today, we see the final reason he can have joy, and we will go through this quick prayer he has for them.
Illustration:
In 2 Chronicles 14-16 , we see one of the kings of Judah that did good and right in the eyes of the Lord. His name was King Asa, and he made reforms in his country and saw the hand of the Lord in victories in difficult times.
But King Asa, in his 36th year, he would come against the King Israel, King Baasha. And instead of relying on the Lord, King Asa turned to the King of Aram, Ben-hadad. Asa was rebuked by the Lord.
But then at the very end, King Asa dealt with something horrible. We read in 2 Chronicles 16:12
12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians.
What King Asa did, was he stopped being a partaker of God’s grace, and he turned to other things to help him out. Today, Paul is going to commend the Philippians for being partakers of grace with him, but is also going to pray for them that they don’t fall into the same trap that King Asa had fallen into, the trap that things would be better outside of Go’d grace, when the truth is, the only place we will find joy is by being partakers of grace, not straying away from it.
V.7
7 For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me.
To feel this way about you:
Not everyone has responded as the Philippians have.
We remember in Corinth, Paul had trouble because people were coming in and undermining the work he did. But not here.
Paul was in prison, Paul was defending the gospel, yet, the Philippians were partakers with Paul.
When we partake with people in the ministry, it really strengthens the bonds and relationships we have.
Going on mission trips
Partakers of Grace:
Not only were they evangelists, they were partakers of grace.
Unlike the Ephesians, who had trouble thinking they could earn favor and positions because of their hard work, the Philippians were partakers of grace.
These are the wonderful people to partake with, those who have a grasp on grace. Not works, not their efforts, not what they have done, but grace, God’s grace, and to enjoy that.
V.8
8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.
God is my witness:
The word for “witness” is the greek word “Martus”, the word we get “Martyr” from.
To bear witness for, to testify
Paul is not saying this lightly, but rather, that God Himself, the highest authority, can testify for Paul
How I long for you:
Paul has a deep love for the Philippians
He knows their struggle, that they are concerned about his circumstances, and that makes Paul long for them even more.
Affection:
Literally means “inward parts”, speaking of his entrails
Paul has a longing for them that is deep within. He loves the Philippians, and any discomfort for them is a discomfort for him.
Think of when your kid is going through a difficult time… your heart, your gut aches for them. You want to come in and make everything better, you want to bring comfort and make it all right, but you also know this is something they have to go through.
V.9
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
That your love may abound:
This is the same prayer that Paul has for the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 3:12
12 and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;
Love is not static, love grows, it deepens.
How does love grow?
First, look at Romans 5:5
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Love abounds the work of the Holy Spirit.
Love isn’t merely a feeling, but spiritual in nature. That is why the world can not understand the love of God.
Look at the reality of love that John explains in 1 John 4:7-13
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
If we love one another, we are born of God (V.7)
God is love (V.8)
God’s love was manifested through Jesus Christ (V.9-10)
When we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected (V.12)
We know God abides in us because of His Spirit (V.13)
The second way love abounds, is look back here at our scripture:
in real knowledge:
Remember Ephesians 4:15, we are told to speak the truth in love? Now, we are essentially told to love in truth.
15 but speaking the truth in love…
What does Paul mean by real knowledge?
Think of what Paul says in Colossians 1:9
9 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
That we would know His will from a spiritual perspective.
How does this effect abounding in love?
Again, put into perspective who God is… Look at these verses:
5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful; Slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
God is abounding in love, it is part of His character. It is His nature. And for those who would know His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, remember what Paul says in Ephesians 5:1
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
What am I saying real knowledge is?? We abound in love because of who God is, abounding in love Himself
all discernment:
Love needs to be discerning
The word means to perceive, or to judge.
The ability to perceive things spiritually, whether things are good or bad. As we abound in love, it isn’t a blind and sloppy attempt to accept everything, but rather…
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
V.10
10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
So that:
The reason to abound in love in real knowledge and discernment
approve things that are excellent:
Not to approve of evil, but what is excellent, things that are good and right.
Many have used love as a reason to approve of things that are far from excellent, Paul doesn’t want the Philippians to fall into that trap.
So why does Paul bring this up in light of joy and suffering?
In order to be sincere and blameless:
The word for sincere means “pure”
It is a word for working with precious metals, like gold and silver.
The word means to be unmixed, or distinct and separate.
This is the echo for God’s people, that we would be holy, just as He says in Leviticus 19:2
2 .’..You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
The word for blameless means “Clear”
or other ways to define it would be “undamaged”
Paul doesn’t want the Philippians to be damaged.
He says this in Colossians 2:8
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.
If we want to stay pure, to stay clean, to stay undamaged, we need to abound in love in real knowledge and discernment, not worldly philosophy and empty deception.
When things begin to go wrong, when times get tough, the sad reality is that we often turn to worldly means to help us, and we see too many people become damaged, become impure, become unclear.
V.11
11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Fruit of righteousness:
This can probably be easily explained in James 3:18
18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Righteousness is the fruit.
Righteousness, in simple terms, just means, being right with God. How are we right with God?
Which comes through Jesus Christ:
Righteousness only comes through Jesus.
Remember 1 Corinthians 1:30
30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,
And then there is 2 Corinthians 5:21
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Don’t forget Romans 1:17
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”
and then also Romans 3:21-22
21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction;
Later, Paul will say in Philippians 3:9
9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
Conclusion:
As Paul finishes this small prayer, I don’t want us to miss his heart. He is in a difficult circumstance, and he wants the Philippians to know and understand the joy that is in the Lord. But as he prays, it is clear, that joy comes through Jesus Christ, not through our efforts, not through man made ideas or philosophies.
And if we are going to be holding fast to the joy that is in the Lord, Paul wants to make sure we continue in partaking of grace.
