Philippians 2:12-18
Reflect
Coming off what is one the most profound passages in all of Scripture in which Paul makes it clear that a follower of Jesus must have a discipleship of the mind, today Paul identifies that following Jesus cannot simply be a cerebral exercise. True discipleship takes what is discovered in the study and then absorbs it in a deeper manner through following Jesus in practice.
“A Deeper Joy” is experienced as we joyfully trust and obey (v12). The scholar in Paul has seen that though the Israelites are long past Egyptian slavery, they are still slaves to a way of life that, though religious, does not lead to pleasing God (v12). Paul’s desire is that the church then and now would live out a better story and have both tender and courageous hearts. He implies that we should be in the midst of the wretched dark culture (v15) as people that “shine as lights” when we authentically express ourselves with wholesomeness and purity; characters that reveal the One that reconciled us to God and whose Spirit lives within us.
On your own, you don’t have what it takes to “work out your own salvation (sanctification)” and that is why God is working in you (v13). Our ”part” is to be aligned with Him through seasons of gladness and through struggle (v17).
You are blessed so that you can go into a dark generation and “shine like stars”. Who will receive that today from you?
Pastor Dan
Pray
- Pray for our Prime Minister and Premier, Mayor Sohi, your MP, your MLA, and any other government officials God brings to your mind.
- Pray for Karen Alksne, our Congregational Life Ministry Associate.