Philippians 1

Verses 1-7

• Verses 3-5. Pray for other believers with joy in your heart.

• Verses 6-7. Have joy and confidence about other believers, and yourself, knowing that God, by His grace, will surely finish the work of perfecting us. Since He saved our spirits, He will also save our minds and bodies. When Christ returns this work will be complete, as our bodies will be perfected.

  • There is no hopelessness for believers. We can always have hope that God's work in us continues (Psalm 138:8). By the Spirit we can always change and mature! Encourage believers with this!

 

Verses 8-11

• Desire and purpose to love other believers deeply, and with the same affection that Christ has for them. This will motivate you to pray.

  • Pray to have great love, knowledge, and discernment, sincerity, sinlessness, and all the fruit of the Spirit.

• Verses 9-10a. We should have great love, but love requires knowledge and discernment to be great.

  • We need knowledge and discernment to love well because these things allow us to love appropriately—to “approve the things things that are excellent.” We need to know howand when to apply love, so that our actions are excellent. Love is more than caring for a person in your heart. It is taking action for a person as an extension of that care.

    • For one, love could mean strong rebuke. For another, it could mean gentle affection. For one, love could mean giving. For another, it could mean taking something away. Love is selflessly providing what a person needs with their best interest in mind, and this looks different from person-to-person. This is why we need knowledge and all discernment in order for “love to abound.”

    • Think about what a person needs in order to know how to love them appropriately, and take action accordingly.

• Verses 10b-11. We should make it our goal to walk without sin, and to be filled with all the qualities of Christ (Galatians 5:22).

  • Pray for this, both for yourself and other believers, and work towards this kind lifestyle. God's grace is sufficient to make this a reality!

 

Verses 12-14

• See every circumstance as an opportunity to preach Christ to more people. 

  • Even prison is a chance to share Christ with people in prison.

  • Having this attitude will help other believers to have the right attitude, and greater boldness, in their own circumstances. 

 

Verses 15-18

• Even in circumstances where others are acting insincerely, remember that God brings good out of it.

  • Some are preaching Christ for the wrong reasons, but be happy about this too! The fact that the Word is being preached at all will bring good for the kingdom.

 

*Overall, through verses 12-18, Paul shows that he found reason to rejoice and be thankful, no matter the situation he was in. And because he was focused on Christ, and how he could bring glory to Christ, he always had joy. 

• Keep your focus on how Christ can be glorified, how He is being glorified, and you too will have joy!

 

Verse 19

• Pray accomplishes tasks for the kingdom, as the power of the Spirit meets with our prayer. Never neglect prayer!

 

Verse 20-21

• No matter the circumstance you're in, do not be ashamed or discouraged. God has never failed you. 

  • There is always a way to magnify Christ, no matter where you are. Focus on this, and you will not have to be ashamed.

  • For Paul, this meant that whether his imprisonment ended in release or execution, he would still glorify God.

    • Even in death, we get to be with Christ in heaven, so don't fear death!

 

Verses 22-26

• Wherever possible, always choose life—choose to keep living, and desire to live as long as possible. Why?

• Your life is meant to be for the purpose of serving Christ and serving others for the sake of Christ.

  • Live your life to help others progress in their faith and in their joy—to become more obedient to the Word in everything. Desire this more than you desire to go to heaven!

 

Verses 27-30

• Knowing the excellence of the gospel you believe, and the kingdom you are a part of, live in a way that represents the gospel and the kingdom well. (Ephesians 4:1).

• To do this, be unified with believers, work together to strengthen your faith in the Word and to spread the Word to others. 

  • Believers that are unified glorify God most and bring the most to salvation (John 17:21-23).

• Also, don't fear opposition, suffering, or persecution, as these are gifts from God to strengthen your faith.

  • Endurance through persecution shows how serious you are about your faith, and it strengthens you as you see what you're able to endure, through the power of Christ.