This
week, we have been looking at a section of a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote to early followers of Jesus that is recorded for us in our Bibles called
the book of Philippians. And it is in this section of this letter that we have
discovered the timeless truth that our joy grows when we respond to what Jesus
has done for us by living in obedience to Him. In Philippians 2:12-18, we see
the Apostle Paul reveal three different ways that our joy grows when we respond
to what Jesus has done for us by living in obedience for Him. So far, we have
discovered that our joy grows as our obedience provides the evidence of our
salvation. As followers of Jesus, when we carry out the salvation that we have
received from Jesus in such a way that results in submission and obedience to
Jesus and the message and teachings of Jesus as One who is worthy of awe and
reverence, we provide the evidence of our salvation for the world to see.
Second, we have seen the Apostle Paul reveal for us the
reality that our joy grows because our obedience is the result of God’s ongoing
activity in our lives. As followers of Jesus, God is actively at work in our
lives to empower us with the desire to live our lives in way that follows the
message and teachings of Jesus and that accomplish His purposes in a way that
pleases Him. And God is actively at work in our lives as followers of Jesus to
give us the desires and the ability to become more like Jesus as a result of
the relationship we have with Jesus.
Third, the Apostle Paul revealed for us the reality that
our joy grows as our obedience reveals and reflects Jesus to the world. As
followers of Jesus, our obedience to Jesus is to be without any behind the
scenes murmuring or any disputes that lead to disunity. As followers of Jesus,
our obedience to Jesus results in us being blameless and purely innocent in the
sight of others.
And as followers of Jesus, our obedience to Jesus results
in us revealing our relationship as a child of God to the world around us. A
relationship that is to be morally blameless in the midst of a morally bent and
twisted world; a relationship that reveals and reflects Jesus to the world; a
relationship that maintains a grasp on the message and mission of the gospel; A
relationship that makes others proud when Jesus returns. A pride that one’s
effort and work was not without result. Today, we see Paul conclude this
section of his letter by addressing the current circumstances that he found
himself in Philippians 2:17:
But even if I am being poured out as a drink
offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my
joy with you all. You too, I urge you,
rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
Paul uses a word picture of a sacrificial offering that would
be conducted a part of the Jewish religious system to reveal the reality that
regardless of how his current circumstances turned out, he would rejoice and he
wanted to express the joy that he had over what God was doing in the lives of
the members of the church at Philippi. Even if Paul was going to lose his life
as a result of his imprisonment for proclaiming the claims of Christ and the
message of the gospel, he would rejoice in the impact that the claims of Christ
and the message of the gospel had in the lives of the members of the church at
Philippi. Even if Paul lost his life, Paul would rejoice for their confident
trust in Jesus. Even if he lost his life, Paul wanted the members of the church
to rejoice with him for their confident trust in Jesus.
You see, Paul could experience growing joy in his life
because his joy was not tied to his circumstances but transcended his
circumstances. Paul could call the members of the church at Philippi to rejoice
with him because Paul experienced an attitude of delight in life that took the
long view of God’s activity in the lives of the members of the church at
Philippi in spite of his current circumstances. The Apostle Paul understood
that joy is a mind-set that produces a quality
of life that recognized the eternal significance and impact that the obedience
of the members of the church at Philippi revealed. Paul found an growing
attitude of delight in life because Paul recognized that the obedience of the
members of the church at Philippi provided the evidence of their salvation and
the ongoing activity of God in their lives so that they would become more like
Jesus in character and conduct and so that they would reveal and reflect Jesus
to the world.
And in
the same way today, our joy
grows when we respond to what Jesus has done for us by living in obedience to
Him. Our joy grows as our obedience provides the evidence of our salvation. Our
joy grows because our obedience is the result of God’s ongoing activity in our
lives. And our joy grows as our obedience reveals and reflects Jesus to the
world.
So here is a question to consider: Are you still trying
to experience joy by trying to earn God’s favor through your behavior? Are you
still trying to find joy based on your performance for Jesus instead of the joy
that flows out of your relationship with Jesus? Or are you responding to what
Jesus has done for you by striving to live in obedience to His message and
teaching?
Are you experiencing the growing joy that comes as a
result of living in a growing and maturing relationship with Jesus? Are you
experiencing the growing joy that comes as a result of your obedience to Jesus
providing the evidence of your salvation by Jesus? Are you experiencing the
growing joy that comes as a result of experiencing God’s activity in your life
as you are used by God to reveal His Son Jesus to the world?
Because our joy grows when we respond to what Jesus has
done for us by living in obedience to Him...
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