Theological Commentary: Click Here
Today we
take a short jaunt into the New Testament and the letters of Paul. In the
opening chapter, we can see the deep theme of mission at work. Clearly, Paul has come and worked among the
Philippians in the past. He is also
suffering persecution because of his ministry.
That’s the past and present of this passage.
Look at Paul’s
endgame, though. What’s the purpose and
point of Paul’s ministry? What is his
focus for the ministry? What is the critical
value that Paul is trying to accomplish?
Paul’s
ultimate focus is what happens when Christ returns. He wants to make sure that when Christ does
return that the Philippians are still walking with Christ. For Paul, salvation is the endgame. Paul wants to know that the Philippians will
be pure and blameless in the presence of God.
Naturally, this purity comes through Christ, not through their own
works.
That’s a
very significant lesson to learn, because that focus can help us at every
moment in life. If the relationship between
God and the other person is my focus, then I should naturally avoid many
sins. If I truly am concerned about my
wife and her relationship with God, why would I ever do anything that angers
her? If I truly am concerned about the
people around me and their relationship with God, why would I ever do anything
selfish such as speeding on the roads or behaving selfishly in the grocery
store?
The point is
that we can learn much about the heart of a person by watching their
actions. When a person acts only for themselves
and what’s best for them, their focus shines brightly. In such a case, the person’s focus is not God
and His relationship with others. This
is why Paul says that he hopes the love of the Philippians abounds more and
more with knowledge and discernment.
<><
No comments:
Post a Comment