Philippians 4:1: Tight bonds!
Devotions based on week 9 of Joy in the Journey: Peace (WATCH HERE)
Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
The bond was tight.
Look at the words that are used.
“My brothers…”
“Whom I love…”
“Whom I long for”
“My joy”
“My crown”
“Dear friends”
The connection Paul had with the Philippian Christians was much deeper than “belonging to the same church.” The relationship was built much stronger than “we can spend one hour together.” The place the Philippians had in Paul’s heart was deep.
How many people can you say this about?
Your spouse? Your children? Your best friend? Your coworkers? Your fellow church members?
It’s quite a list.
It’s quite a description of relationships built on something stronger than a common interest or a passing interaction. This is the reflection of one who has been touched by the grace of God and has felt and experienced it with others. Look at this list again…
“My brothers”…because we share the same Father:
Galatians 3:26 In fact, you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
“Whom I love” because I have been loved:
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
“Whom I long for…” because he was the object of Christ’s heartfelt longing for him:
Acts 22:14 “Then he said, ‘The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear the sound of his voice. 15 For you will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard.
“My joy…” because he knew the joy of being the lost sheep that was found!
Luke 15:7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who do not need to repent.
“My crown…” from one on whom the crown of mercy and compassion was placed
Psalm 103:2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who pardons all your guilt, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with mercy and compassion,
5 who satisfies your life with goodness, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
“My friend…” of one who knew he was a friend of God!
John 15:14 You are my friends if you continue to do the things I instruct you. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything that I heard from my Father, I have made known to you.
The bond that Paul felt for the Philippians is the bond that he knew and experienced with his Savior. It’s a bond that only God’s people can have, enjoy and share.
Apply: Consider your relationships with people. How many of these phrases would you use for that person? How might your relationship with the Lord be strengthened to strengthen your relationships with others?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for having a caring, meaningful, personal relationship with me. Enable me to show similar to the people in my life so they might see you! AMEN.
Philippians 3:20-21: Growth leads to glory!
Devotions based on week 8 of Joy in the Journey: Growth (WATCH HERE)
Philippians 3:20-21 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
I have only visited a foreign country. For the few days that we were there, we were able to learn a few phrases that enabled us to catch a bus, find a bathroom, or buy some food. We felt at times a bit out of place and regularly had to try to find someone who understood and spoke English to help us out.
When you are in a foreign country, you know you are not a citizen there. It is not home.
For those that live for a longer period of time or make the commitment and move to a foreign country, eventually the language, the customs and the way of life become familiar. Perhaps at some point one applies to the country for citizenship to participate in all the legal benefits and responsibilities of being an official citizen of that country.
Paul uses this picture to describe the ultimate shift in our heart and mind as we “forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead.”
He wants to move our thinking from being a citizen of this world to a citizen of heaven. He wants the heart and mind and word of God to be the normal, not feel weird and out of place. He invites us into all the blessings and privileges of being a citizen of heaven and challenges us to let go of the appeal and trappings of this world.
Instead of chasing after with eagerness all the things this world has to offer, we eagerly await all the blessings that come from being gifted the status of citizen in heaven. Paul lists two key things we have to look forward to.
Seeing Jesus face to face.
The one we have read about, heard about and placed our trust in will finally be a reality that we can see with our own eyes. The one that we know in part will be known to us in full. It’s like 100x the excitement of meeting a celebrity you have admired but not met, is seeing Jesus the one we praise but have not met in person.
Our lowly bodies will be transformed like his glorious body.
What will this be like? We can compare notes when we get there. But we know that our earthly bodies are affected by sin and the consequences of it. We get sick. We have pain. We have suffering and eventually we die. We are bound by physical limitations and have to sleep, eat and exercise to maintain our bodies. Revelation 21:3-4 captures this reality:
3 And from the throne I heard a loud voice that said, “Look! God’s dwelling is with people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.”
It’s no wonder Paul desires us to shift our citizenship from earth to heaven. The blessings are many and the full experience of the goal is glorious.
So forget what is behind and strain to what is ahead…the fullness of citizenship in heaven!
Apply: Be intentional today about embracing being a citizen of heaven. How does it change your interactions at work, with your family, or with your friends? What barriers get in the way of embracing your citizenship in heaven? Use the Word and the work of the Spirit to move your heart from attachment to earth to the anticipation of heaven!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gift of citizenship in heaven. Thank you for providing your Son to do all that was needed to secure our home in heaven. Keep my heart and mind always grounded in my citizenship in heaven! AMEN.
Philippians 3:18-19: Discern the deceptions!
Devotions based on week 8 of Joy in the Journey: Growth (WATCH HERE)
Philippians 3:18-19 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
Spiritual growth is a spiritual battle!
Every Christian will probably agree with the statement, “I want to grow spiritually.”
However, not all would agree with the statement, “I am growing spiritually.”
Wanting and doing are two different things.
Like with every goal we might set, setting the goal is the easy part. Actually accomplishing it is the difficult part. Losing weight means daily discipline to eat the right thing and get adequate exercise. Graduating debt free from college means discipline in spending and curbing impulse outings with friends. Building greater intimacy and romance in your marriage means investing in your spouse on a daily basis.
But each one of these has obstacles that get in the way…most of them from our own mind, our own narratives, our own weaknesses.
Just one brownie, just one concert with friends, just one moment of selfishness and the goals we set are challenged.
Spiritual growth is, as Paul wrote, like an athlete training for competition. It’s easy to WANT to win the race. It’s hard to actually WIN the race.
To add to it, Satan is working hard on every Christian who desires to grow spiritually to get them to give up, question the value, or simply to get them to feel its too hard and not worth it.
Paul saw people give up on growth. But it wasn’t just growth, they were giving up on the goal, heaven. With tears he points out what is happening. It was emotionally hard for him. But his heart for people leads him to write what was happening…so we can know the enemy and with God’s help over come his lies and temptations.
What gets in the way of growth?
We dismiss forgiveness in Christ and live in guilt. An “enemy of the cross of Christ” is one who moves away from the saving grace of Christ and to his own effort and performance. This shift leads one to self-centered pride or deep despair. Going at heaven on our own will leave us way short. Satan wants us to oppose the cross. The Spirit invites us to live in the joy of full and free forgiveness found in the cross.
A second thing that gets in the way of growth is living for personal pleasure or personal prestige. Our goals become simply to build our pride or build our prestige. These may be satisfying in the moment, but always leave the appetite for more. Satan loves to lead us to think the time we are reading the word, in church, or fellowshiping with other Christians has minimal value compared to investing all your time in career, running your kids to any and every extracurricular event or trying to gain the sales person or parent of the year award. Paul points out that Satan loves to get us to be driven by our stomachs and propelled by self-promotion. All of these take us away from what matters most, growing in the grace and truth of Jesus and his Word.
The third thing that gets in the way is the earthly mindset and cultural pressures that surround us. In many ways the Christian faith and life runs contrary to much of what the world proposes. Satan leads us to believe that the ways of the world are more acceptable than the Word of God. He gets us to believe that following the ways of the world will gain us more friends, more wealth, and more happiness. It’s a lie as nothing of this world carries the benefits and blessings as walking as a child of God each and every day.
So don’t buy the lies. Satan will seek to get us away from “straining to what is ahead” and get us focused on everything but Christ.
Seek the Spirit of God to discern the deceptions and stay focused on the heavenly prize!
Apply: What are you glorifying that is only focused on yourself or worldly ambitions? How can you ensure you are shaped by the cross rather than your cravings? Take a moment today to ask God to shift your mind and your heart. To live as a friend of the cross is to live with eternity in mind.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the cross that saves me from myself. I confess that I have often chased after comfort, pride, and earthly things. Forgive me for living with a shallow focus. Fix my eyes on You. Lift my heart to long for heaven. Teach me to glory in grace, not shame, and to live as a true friend of the cross. In Your name, Amen.
Philippians 3:15-17: Keys to Keep Growing!
Devotions based on week 8 of Joy in the Journey: Growth (WATCH HERE)
Philippians 3:15-17 All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.
Growth doesn’t happen by accident.
Paul has given the encouragement to forget what is behind and strain to what is ahead. Enthusiasm can get us started, but what are key things to sustain our growth? Just like a tree needs sunlight, water, and good soil, faith must be cultivated. Paul points us to three mindsets that will help us keep on the path of growth: maturity, consistency, and mentorship. These three are essential ingredients to keep growing in faith.
- Cultivate a Mature Mindset
Maturity doesn’t mean perfection. It means humbly recognizing we are works in progress and being open to correction and change. Growth in faith begins in the mind—a heart and mind that says, “I haven’t arrived, but I’m not staying where I am.”
Sometimes we resist growing because we think we already know enough. Paul warns against that kind of spiritual stagnation. A mature Christian welcomes ongoing input and direction from the Lord. Maturity consistently seeks God’s wisdom for areas that are unclear and decisions that are not obvious. Maturity is recognizing when we are off in our thinking or missing the mark in our lives and turning to the Lord to guide and to bring clarity to us. Growth takes time as we allow the Spirit of God to work in our hearts and minds.
2. Don’t Regress—Live Up to What You’ve Attained
Staying healthy and fit is a daily challenge. A week of doing nothing leaves your muscles atrophying. The same is true for our spiritual growth. Paul’s challenge here is simple: keep walking forward. Don’t let what you’ve gained be lost by apathy. If you’ve grown in prayer, don’t stop. If you’ve overcome a struggle, don’t go back. Don’t drift away from the habits or convictions that brought you closer to Jesus.
Spiritual growth often feels like walking uphill. If we stop moving forward, we start sliding backward. Paul’s charge is to continue walking in the light God has already given you. Even small steps make a difference.
3. Imitate Faithful Examples
Growth often requires examples. Paul knew this. That’s why he says, “Follow my example” and “keep your eyes on those who live as we do.” He wasn’t pointing to himself out of pride, but because he knew believers need tangible models of faith in action.
In our individualistic culture, we often try to grow alone. But God designed the Church so we can learn and grow together. Having a mentor, a small group, or godly friends can keep you on the path of growth. We grow faster and stronger when we grow together.
Apply: Who are your spiritual examples? Are you actively following anyone’s godly example—and are you setting one? Ask God to put faithful role models in your life and help you become one to others.
Ask God to shape your mindset to match His. Be teachable. What area of your life is God calling you to mature in right now—your attitude, priorities, generosity, forgiveness?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank You that You are not finished with me. I want to grow in faith, to press forward with purpose and maturity. Shape my thinking, increase my hunger for You, and keep me walking in the truth You’ve already shown me. Surround me with faithful believers who inspire and challenge me. And help me to be that kind of example to others. In Your name I pray, Amen.
Philippians 3:13-14: Focus forward!
Devotions based on week 8 of Joy in the Journey: Growth (WATCH HERE)
Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
No one wins a race by looking over their shoulder.
To win a race, one must stay focused on the goal.
Looking over your shoulder slows you down. If you have competed in a track event, you perhaps have experienced or witnessed the detriment of a runner looking over their shoulder to see who was coming, only to lose stride and lose the race. In that same context, you see the effort of the athlete to give their best effort to cross the finish line, sometimes at sheer exhaustion and collapse after they finish.
Paul uses this picture for our life as Christians.
The amazing difference is that it doesn’t matter when you finish as the goal and prize are already secure in Christ. It matters THAT you finish!
Paul offers one key with two parts:
Forget what is behind.
Stop looking over your shoulder and allow the distractions of the past to hamper your spiritual growth and momentum forward!
What are those things that we see when we look behind? All the things Satan wants us to see to distract us from the race of faith.
He wants us to see past sin and feel like God will never forgive us for them. He wants guilt and insecurity and feeling of doubt to keep us ineffective as a Christian.
He wants us to see our past and regret that we didn’t spend more time in the Word or live out our Christian life in a more intentional way.
He wants us to see the people we hurt with our sins and when we lived according to our sinful nature that only thought of ourselves. He wants us to feel like God’s grace would never be enough to cover all that.
He wants us to see a path so cluttered with sin that we try to go back and fix everything with our effort and performance rather than relying on the forgiveness Christ gives.
FORGET what is behind!
Why? Because our present is not defined by our past sins and failures, but by the every present and real grace of God. Reread the first part of Philippians 3. Grace is real. Grace enables us to do the second part of the key to finishing:
STRAIN to what is ahead!
This phrase indicates very intentional and very intense effort to put into practice every gift of grace and live out every purpose of grace. The Christian life is one of joy and blessing, even in challenges and discouragement. We don’t give up. We keep moving even when tired. We know that the Lord Jesus and faithful Christians are cheering us on (Hebrews 12). We know the goal and we stay focused on it.
Over the years, I have run a few Tough Mudder events. These events are not timed, but simply a challenge to finish. The race is filled with obstacles that test your mental capacity, your strength and your courage. But even when tired, you strain forward. Why? Because a headband is waiting at the end for you, given only to those that finish.
A Tough Mudder finish is nowhere close to the motivation of experiencing heaven. But life is filled with obstacles that test our faith, our minds, our courage and strength. Finish exhausted, but finish. The welcome in heaven is well worth the intentional and intense effort.
Apply: What of your past must you let go and leave behind you? What does it look like for you to strain to what is ahead? Find one way today to put the focus of heaven in your heart and mind so you don’t give up the race of faith!
Prayer: Lord, give us strength and courage to run the race of grace well with intentionality and intensity. We keep focused on heaven and look forward to the day we fall exhausted into your arms in heaven! AMEN.