I have really enjoyed studying Paul’s letters over the last couple of months. This morning, I looked at one more. Paul’s letter to Philemon is the shortest of his letters. He was writing to Philemon and his church to let them know that his runaway slave, Onesimus, is returning home. Paul was in prison while writing this letter and perhaps that is where he met Onesimus. There are two strong messages in Paul’s letter to Philemon, Onesimus’ master – forgiveness and genuine love.

Paul is writing a letter of recommendation, sort of. He is sending Onesimus back to his master to ask for forgiveness and devote himself to him. Paul wants Philemon to see his slave as his brother in Christ and extend forgiveness to him. Paul speaks of Philemon’s faith in the Lord Jesus and his love for all of God’s people. He is trying to help Philemon identify his slave as one of God’s people to be loved in this same way, despite the way in which he has wronged his master.

And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.

That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you…I appeal to you to show kindness to my child, Onesimus…Onesimus hasn’t been much help to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us. I am sending him back to you, and with him comes my heart (Philemon 6-12).

With today being Good Friday, our day to remember how Christ died on the cross for us, my mind goes to His example of forgiveness He displayed while on the cross. Jesus was between two criminals – one shouting out condemnation and insults to him, one begging for forgiveness and grace. Jesus set the bar high for us. Even while dying for this criminal’s sins, as well as for my sins and your sins, Jesus was willing to forgive this man and offer to him eternal life.

Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified – one on his right and one on his left.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:32-34a).

One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself – and us, too, while you’re at it!”

But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”

And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” – Luke 23:39-43

Jesus, thank you for giving your life for me. Thank you for your willingness to die for all of our sins in order that we might experience eternal life. Lord, may your Spirit reveal in me any unforgiveness or unresolved hurt or anger toward anyone. Thank you for forgiving me. Give me the strength to always extend that same forgiveness to others, even if they are not apologetic. Help me to forgive with a Good Friday kind of forgiveness. May my focus always be on You and not on me or on others. I love you, Jesus! Amen.

We have two more letters from Paul to look at – Titus and Philemon. There must have been similar issues going on in the church in Crete, because Paul wrote on many of the same issues. And consistent with all of Paul’s letters, he again touched on the fact that we are saved by grace not by works but saved to do good works and live a holy life.

For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds (Titus 2:11-14).

This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teaching are good and beneficial for everyone (3:8).

“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” – Titus 3:4-7

Last night we attended the Passion Play at Pekin First Church of the Nazarene. During the crucifixion scene, I had to focus on Christ and pull myself away from the actors. To consider what Jesus did for me on the cross, how He gave His life for me… How do we adequately express our thanks for that kind of love?

“not because of the righteous things we had done” and in spite of the large quantity of sins He had to wash away. Christ GENEROUSLY died on a cross so that I can walk away from my old self and allow Him to create within me someone new – a new life through the Holy Spirit. As a way of showing my gratitude and our surrender to His Lordship, I lay my life in His hands with a willingness to do whatever He calls me to do today.

Saved by grace…

Saved to a total commitment to do good deeds!

They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that! – 2 Timothy 3:5

In Paul’s last letter, he speaks again of the holiness to which God has called each of us. He has given us the Holy Spirit, through whom we have the power to stop giving in to our sinful nature and start following the urgings of the Spirit. He warns believers not to live as if they have to sin, as if they cannot overcome sin. As we talked about yesterday, he calls us to recognize that the power of the cross is available to us today through the fire of the Holy Spirit.

In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts (2 Timothy 2:20-22).

God has a purpose for each one of our lives and the pursuit of righteousness is what keeps us ready to be used by Him, for His purpose, in His time, in His way.

But you must remain faithful to those things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teach us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work (3:14-17).

I love this scripture because it reminds me of the change that takes place in me each morning as I sit down with my Bible and my cup of coffee and spend precious time with my God. His words I read on the page and His words I hear Him gently whisper change me each day. I don’t have to trust in my own ability to live a holy life but I can trust in Jesus to make changes in my heart and in my mind. When I read a verse or passage that convicts me, I have a choice. I can say, “That’s me. I’m sinful and I mess this up every day.” Or I can say, “Lord, you know I need your help in this area. Teach me to do the right thing. Prepare me and equip me for every good thing you want to use me for today.” I use grace not as an excuse or explanation for my sin, but as the power to clean me up and make me a “utensil for honorable use.”

It is believed that this is the last letter Paul ever wrote. He puts in one sentence a summary of how he looks back at his life – a testimony that I pray I can give at the end of my life.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me – the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. – 2 Timothy 4:7-9

May the Lord be with your spirit. And may his grace be with all of you. – 2 Timothy 4:22

Be bold. Be strong. In Paul’s last letter, he seems to be passing on the mantle to Timothy and to the other young leaders in the Church. He knew he would die soon for the sake of the gospel and he wanted to encourage those who would still be around to continue the work – not in fear of persecution and death but with strength and power.

This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

Paul used fire as an illustration of power. Have you ever watched a fire closely? We have all watched on the news as fire engulfed a car or a house or an entire community. Some fires are unquenchable and uncontainable. But if a fire runs out of what is fueling it, it will die out. The passion God places inside of us through His Holy Spirit is strong like a fire but also needs fueled or it will burn out. We have to purposefully keep the fire within us burning strongly.

So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News. For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time – to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News (2 Timothy 1:8-10).

Paul gave Timothy the illustration of fire and the example of Christ Jesus. He contrasts shame and strength, showing that God has called us to live boldly – not defeated by sin but overcoming it by the gift of the Holy Spirit. Christ died for us, which shows strength! Christ conquered death, which shows power! The strength Jesus displayed through His death and resurrection shines a light on the path before us that leads to life – eternal life through accepting the Good News of what Christ did for us on the cross.

That is why I am suffering here in prison. But I am not ashamed of it, for I know the one in whom I trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until the day of his return.

Hold on to the pattern of wholesome teaching you learned from me – a pattern shaped by the faith and love that you have in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, carefully guard the precious truth that has been entrusted to you (1 Timothy 12-14).

The fire of the Spirit + the power of the cross = trust in God and a life shaped by our faith and love in Jesus. This kind of bold living is required in order to guard the truth that has been entrusted to us – meant not to hold on to secretly but to share for the sake of multiplication.

Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others (2 Timothy 2:1-2).

Paul doesn’t promise Timothy that this life will come without troubles but he directs Timothy to the authority of the One he is following and the reward that comes to those who are willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation to others and eternal glory in Christ Jesus.

Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them. And athletes cannot win the prize unless they follow the rules. And hardworking farmers should be the first to enjoy the fruit of their labor…

Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen (2:3-6,8-10).

God, we ask for a refueling this morning of Your Spirit in our lives. Fan the flame and fill us with the confidence we receive in knowing that Christ died for us and conquered death so that we might live. May we be soldiers, enlisted by You for the cause of Christ. May we be athletes who throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and may we run this race with perseverance. As hardworking farmers, help us to sow seeds for you so that others will grow and come to know of the salvation they can find in You.

Paul has a few warnings for Timothy and for those in leadership in the church.

1. Don’t get sidetracked from the mission and calling.

Don’t let them waste their time in endless discussion of myths and spiritual pedigrees. These things only lead to meaningless speculations, which don’t help people live a life of faith in God. The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. But some people have missed the whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussion (1 Timothy 1:4-6).

2. Know in your heart that you are right with God.

Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked (1:19).

3. Live a life of integrity.

So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation. He must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must be able to teach. He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money. He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him…In the same way, deacons must be well respected and have integrity…Those who do well as deacons will be rewarded with respect from others and will have increased confidence in their faith in Christ Jesus (3:2-13).

4. Live a godly life.

Train yourself to be godly. “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. This I why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people and particularly of all believers (4:7b-10).

5. Beware of the love of money.

To them, a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy. Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows (6:5b-10).

6. Run from evil and pursue righteousness.

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses (6:11-12).

What great advice for us today. There are so many things this world would love to use to trip us up, so many ways in which the enemy would love to get our focus off of God and onto ourselves. He feeds us with all kinds of lies and temptations but we have a faith that fights for the truth! We aren’t weakly trying to defend ourselves from the enemy. We are strongly pursuing God and His righteousness and the holy life to which He calls us!

As I read through Paul’s first letter to Timothy, I ask myself what God might have for me today. A lot of what Paul is writing about is related to church conduct but I’m wondering if He might have a word for me today hidden in 1 Timothy. Well, as a woman called by God into leadership, I find peace in knowing that God’s love for women is not matching by Paul’s opinions (2:11-15), which speak to the culture of those days as well as to the life that still exists for women today in the Middle East. In fact, being reminded of my call this morning and being humbled by the incredible opportunities God has given me – me, who deserves none of these blessings – I find myself relating to Paul’s testimony in chapter 1, verses 12-17.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen.

What a great opportunity to stop and consider what God has called us to do – what He has uniquely equipped each of us to do according to the spiritual gifts He has given us. Timothy was a young man called by God and Paul urges Him to follow His calling in spite of the meaningless opinions of others around him. As a servant listens to his Master, so we should listen closely to our God and live as He calls us to live – doing what He tells us to do and saying what He tells us to say.

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity (4:12-13).

Do not neglect the spiritual gift you have received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you (4:14-16).

But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed before many witnesses (6:11-12).

Timothy, guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge. Some people have wandered from the faith by following such foolishness. May God’s grace be with you all (6:20-21).

Paul has more great leadership advice for Timothy in his next letter but there’s one more thing that catches my attention in his first letter. Now, I obviously disagree with how Paul did not put women in leadership in the church, but let’s not throw out the good advice that Paul does have for us. If Paul were here today I would remind him that both Adam and Eve messed up in the garden and the result was sin. I know we have all sinned, women and men, and none of us deserves the grace God so generously pours out on us.

I am reminded in chapter two that God calls us to prayer and worship. I agree with the instructions Paul gives us here:
– Pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them (v.1).
– Pray this way for kings [presidents] and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity (v.2).
– In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy (v. 8).
– And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do (v.9-10).

Why do we go to church? Our hearts should be pure and we should go to church to worship God. But how often do we spend more time preparing our appearance for Sunday morning than we do preparing our hearts? How often do we harbor anger or stir up controversy instead of praying for each other and interceding for each other, giving thanks for each other? How often do we pray for the leaders and elected officials in our country or in our church?

Lord, purify our hearts and be pleased with our worship. Help us to always have our focus on YOU and your splendor instead of on others, instead of on ourselves. May we accept Your call today and pursue righteousness, fighting the good fight with faith in YOU. Thank you for the spiritual gifts you have bestowed on us – may we never forget that these are gifts from YOU and not about what we are capable of doing for You. We love you and we lift up holy hands to worship You today! Amen.

Faith, hope and love – Paul opens up his letter to the church in Thessalonica praising God and commending the church on their faithful work, their loving deeds and their enduring hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3). So far we have looked at the faithful work and loving deeds. Today, even though my morning coffee has become my afternoon coffee, I put a halt to my day and stop to consider the enduring hope we have in Christ.

In the midst of suffering and persecution, God’s Church stays strong in their faith and continues living a life characterized by loving deeds, all the while hanging on to the hope that keeps them looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven – Jesus, whom God raised from the dead (1 Thess. 1:10). Paul’s prayer for them is that God continues to make their love grow and overflow, making their hearts strong, blameless, and holy as they stand before God when Jesus comes again with all his holy people (3:12-13). Paul is referring to those believers who have already died.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. So encourage each other with these words (4:13-18).

For years, we have been encouraging each other with these words, finding hope in the midst of our grief and goodbyes when we lose a loved one. We find hope we will see them again and hope we will be together with the Lord forever. Now that’s hope! Paul goes on to describe to them how this will happen.

…the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains. And there will be no escape.

For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing (5:1-11).

So what our hope goes back to is love – the love of a God who chose to save us instead of pouring out his anger on us and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us. It gets better, His plan is for us to live with Him FOREVER! So…

Remain strong in your faith even in the midst of persecution, criticism and suffering.

Continue to let God perform loving deeds through you.

Endure with a hope that knows what our tomorrow holds and who holds our tomorrow.

Faith, hope and love – Paul opens up his letter to the church in Thessalonica praising God and commending the church on their faithful work, their loving deeds and their enduring hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3). Yesterday, I focused in on the faithful work the church continued even though they were experienced persecution and criticism from those around them. Today, I reread both letters focusing in on the loving deeds Paul referred to in his letter.

Notice Paul is not just referring to their “love” but to their “loving deeds” – not just an emotion but an expression of the emotion of love in their actions. So is Paul changing his view on works? No, Paul sticks with the same theology we have heard in the letters we have studied so far. These verses explain what I mean.

May God our Father and our Lord Jesus bring us to you very soon. And may the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow and overflow, just as our love for you overflows. May he, as a result, make your hearts strong, blameless, and holy as you stand before God our Father when our Lord Jesus comes again with all his holy people. Amen. – 1 Thessalonians 3:11-13

Paul is not referring to a love of human efforts or loving deeds produced of our own strength. He is referring to a love that the Lord grows inside of us for other people – not just grows but overflows if we will open up our hearts and allow Him to produce this kind of love. He, then, makes our hearts strong, blameless and holy. It is not something we can do on our own. We need the righteousness of our Savior and the love He gives us in order to live a holy life and produce the kind of “loving deeds” that Paul is referring to in his letter to the Church in Thessalonica. Keep this in mind as you read the verses that come next.

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you…

But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another. Indeed, you already show your love for all the believers throughout Macedonia. Even so, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you to love them even more (4:1-10).

Paul went on with several more short instructions:
– honor your leaders; work hard and show respect and wholehearted love them.
– live peacefully with each other
– warn those who are lazy
– encourage those who are timid
– take tender care of those who are weak
– be patient with everyone
– try to do good instead of seeking revenge
– always be joyful
– never stop praying
– be thankful in all circumstances
– do not stifle the Holy Spirit
– test everything that is taught, holding on to what is good
– stay away from every kind of evil (5:12-22)

And I close today with the same prayer for you and for me that Paul spoke for the Thessalonians.

So we keep on praying…, asking our God to enable [us] to live a life worthy of his call. May he give [us] the power to accomplish all the good thing [our] faith prompts [us] to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way [we] live, and [we] will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 1:11-12).

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort [us] and strengthen y[us] in every good thing [we] do and say (2 Thess. 2:16-17).

May the Lord lead [our] hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ (2 Thess. 3:5).

Faith, hope and love – Paul opens up his letter to the church in Thessalonica praising God and commending the church on their faithful work, their loving deeds and their enduring hope (1 Thessalonians 1:3). In both of his letters to this church he goes into detail about their faithful work in the midst of suffering and persecution. He encourages them to continue to live a lifestyle of love expressed in holy living. He also speaks of the hope we have in the day in which Jesus will return for us.

This morning my focus is on the faithful work God calls us to in spite of the difficulties that lay ahead of us, the persecution we experience from others or the suffering we endure for the cause of Christ. Here are some of the verses that jump out as an encouragement to us when we are going through a hard time.

Joy in spite of…

So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you…As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece – throughout Macedonia and Achaia. And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere, even beyond Macedonia and Achaia, for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God (1:6-8).

How can we have joy in spite of the suffering we are experiencing? Paul explains that this joy is from the Holy Spirit living within us. It is not something we have to create on our own or pretend to be. It is a gift from God and the result is when others see our joy in spite of our suffering and recognize our joy as a product of our faith in God. Paul had set an example to the church in Thessalonica of how he continued to joyfully praise God in the midst of persecution and now they, too, are examples to others who themselves are going through a hard time.

In addition to this, the faith of the Thessalonians was an encouragement to Paul and the other apostles who had invested in their spiritual growth. They had sent Timothy back to the Church to see if they were being shaken by their troubles or to see if their faith was still strong.

So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. It gives us new life to know that you are standing fir in the Lord. How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence. Night and day we pray earnestly for you, asking God to let us see you again to fill the gaps in your faith (3:7-10).

Please God, not people…

For we speak as messengers approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He alone examines the motives of our hearts…As for human praise, we have never sought it from you or from anyone else (2:4,6).

How can we endure the persecutions and criticisms of others? Paul makes it very clear that we are to live to please God and not others. Then when other people express their disapproval of us, it falls on deaf ears because we are only listening for the approval of our God. We don’t seek out human praise but the approval of our Heavenly Father, who calls us to follow Him and who knows our hearts.

God provides justice and rest…

We proudly tell God’s other churches about your endurance and faithfulness in all the persecutions and hardships you are suffering. And God will use this persecution to show his justice and to make you worthy of his Kingdom, for which you are suffering. In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.

And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven (2 Thessalonians 1:4-7a).

It is not for us to get even or to return suffering back to those who cause us to suffer. We can let go of all of the hurt and bitterness and need for revenge. We can simply have faith in our true and just God, who is the only Judge needed. We can also trust that someday our trials will end. At that time, and even now while we are hurting, God will provide comfort and rest for His children.

Yesterday’s encouragement from Philippians comes to mind again this morning and seems like a perfect note to start our day on:

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember the Lord is coming soon.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:4-9).

And I am certain that God, who began a good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns (Philippians 1:6).

We are a work in progress. The more we seek God and draw closer to Him, the more He works in us – molding and shaping us into the person He created us to be. We are “growing in every way more and more like Christ” (Eph. 1:15), being equipped to do His work and built up toward maturity in the Lord (Eph. 1:12-13).

In his letter, Paul teaches the Philippians, encouraging them to grow into the person God calls them to be – bearing the fruit of their salvation for the glory and praise of God (Phil. 1:11). Part of this growth is evident in our relationships within the Church. God calls us to unity as each one of us seeks to have the attitude of Christ.

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess the Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:1-11).

When we humble ourselves as Jesus did, we start loving with the same kind of love He displayed on the cross. Then our lives begin to show the results of our salvation, our obedience that comes out of a deep reverence and fear for God.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people (2:13-15).

This lifestyle is a result of God’s work within us, evidence that we are submitting to our Creator and not a result of our own human effort. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us, not what we can do on our own (3:3). As we grow and mature, our lives begin to look more and more like these words of encouragement to the Philippians:

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again – rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember the Lord is coming soon.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you (4:4-9).