by Larry Ferrell | January 5, 2018
In the last four verses of the first chapter of Philippians and in the opening verses of chapter two, Paul speaks of a need for close relationships among believers. It’s a matter of unity, and there are two reasons why it’s necessary. The first is that it’s necessary in time of war. Christians are often besieged by the forces of this world, and they must draw together if they are to defend the gospel successfully and second, to advance the claims of Christ in the midst of their environment. It is what Paul means when he says that we are to “stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel” (1:27).

In the opening verse of Philippians 2 Paul says that there are four solid legs for Christian unity: (1) because there is “encouragement,” (2) because there is a “comfort from His love,” (3) because there is a “fellowship with the Spirit,” and (4) because there is an experience of the “tenderness and compassion” of God. Because of these four things you and I are to “like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose” (vv. 1-2). It is because we are members of God’s family, and has learned from Him, that we must live in peace and unity with one another. Let’s be honest at this point. We will always be tempted to divisiveness in ways that will injure our witness. But in such situations our natural reactions must constantly be overcome. There are constant pressures from sin within Christians. These will eventually destroy Christian unity and render our witness useless unless they are offset by the supernatural realities of Christian comfort, fellowship, love, mercy, and compassion. Have you found these things real in your relationship to God? Of course, you have, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. In that case you are also to allow them to become realities in your relationship with other Christians.

Paul has been speaking to the Christians at Philippi about proper Christian conduct. He has told them that they are citizens of heaven and that they should be united in an aggressive proclamation of the gospel. He now applies these themes to the conduct of the individual believer. The principle that Paul is stating here is found throughout the New Testament. The unbeliever naturally puts himself first, others second, and God last. He thinks he merits the order. The Bible teaches that we should reverse the series: God is to be first; others must be second; we must come last (see Gal. 6:2; 1 Cor. 9:19, 22; Rom. 12:10). This is the heart of Christian conduct. Jesus gave Himself for others. Followers of Christ are also to give themselves for others. Jesus said that His own would feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the prisoner, and make welcome the one who is lonely (Matt. 25:31-46), and He added, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me”.

If you are to live for others, at least three things must happen. First, you must admit that in yourself you do not care for others and left to yourself, your choice will always be Satan’s choice rather than the choice of Jesus Christ. Your way will always be harmful to others. The second step is to humble oneself before God (see 1 Pet. 5:5-6). Maybe you will think that such a relationship is odd. You imagine that if you humble yourself before God, admitting His worth, you have every right to expect that others should be humbled before you. But it doesn’t work this way at all. To see God aright is to admit your total unworthiness. The final step involves a daily fellowship with Christ. He is the source of our life, and we must stay close to the source if we are to realize the self-giving life he advocates. Without Him we can do nothing. On the other hand, says Paul, “I can do everything through Him, who gives me strength” (Phil. 4:13).

Philippians 2:1-4 Reflection Questions:
Do you fail to show compassion to those who also confess Christ’s name, even though they might have offended you and disagreed with your interpretation of Scripture?
How does the matter of Christian unity stand with you? Are there divisions that ought not to exist? Are there hard feelings? Are there rationalizations for divisive, non-Christian conduct?
Can you live for others? At work or at home? With friends, enemies, or relatives?

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by Larry Ferrell | December 29, 2017
Paul’s confidence that he would be acquitted at his trial and set free (vv. 25-26) inevitably fell short of an absolute certainty. He apparently so judged the needs of the church that he was as near sure as anyone could be that he would again visit Philippi. Nevertheless, he must prepare the church for either eventuality. Strikingly, one set of instructions was enough: absent or present, he required that their life should be worthy of the gospel of Christ (v. 27). The requirement was both exclusive and absolute. Paul said, “This one thing and this only”; nothing else must distract or excuse them from this great objective. Christians are to live worthy of their spiritual possessions. If you are a Christian, you do not hold your possessions in Christ through any virtue of your own. What you have, you only have from Him who is the King of kings. But having it, you must live worthy of your calling. Old things are to be put away; all things are to be new. Being a citizen of heaven, you are to live by the laws of that citizenship.

At this point Paul turns to two practical expressions of proper Christian conduct, expressions that follow logically upon his reference to citizenship. How do you live as a citizen of heaven? First, Paul says that we are to “stand firm in one spirit,” and second, with one mind we are to “strive together” for the advancement of the gospel. The first distinguishing mark of Christian conduct is that we stand together. We are ‘to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). Christians are not to divide along doctrinal or sociological lines. They are to be one. Unfortunately, evangelical churches are not known for “standing together.” In fact the opposite is true. This dishonors Christ. Moreover, it hinders the preaching of the gospel. In the place of these divisions Christians should know a unity that is visible and has practical results.

The second practical expression of true Christian conduct follows naturally from the first. If believers will conduct themselves in a manner that leads to Christian unity, then they will find that this also leads them to strive together to advance the Christian gospel. The result will be an aggressive Christianity. The Christians at Philippi knew what it meant to stand fast as Romans at the frontiers of the Roman world. They knew the obligation that was theirs to advance Roman rule in the face of barbarism. In the same way, Paul would have them united for an aggressive advancement of the faith. How we need to recover an aggressive faith today!

Paul has been emphasizing the need for Christian conduct. A Christian must be like Christ. No sooner has he mentioned this, however, that a sequence comes to mind. This prompts him to talk about a side subject in verses 28-30. The sequence is this: Wherever Christians will live as they ought to live in this world, where they will live righteous lives and aggressively seek to spread the gospel, in that place there will be persecution. This is true for all Christians. If you bear a proper witness for Jesus Christ, as God intends you to do, there will be persecution for you. It will not always be physical persecution as it was in Paul’s day, but you will suffer persecution of some sort nevertheless. It will be the natural result of your confession.

Sometimes it will be ridicule by the crowd. Sometimes our conduct will lead to persecution in business. The greatest example of persecution suffered for the sake of righteousness is in the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus came into the world as the Light of the world. But the world was in darkness. Where there is darkness, people do the works of darkness, and they do not want their deeds to be brought to light because their deeds are evil. When Jesus appeared, His life cut like a knife into the human conscience. People could get along with hypocrisy between one another, for humans are alike in their hypocrisy; but when Christ stood in their midst He exposed the hypocrisy, and they hated Him for it. People could get away with pride, dishonesty, sexual perversion, and legalism among themselves, but they could not do it in Christ’s presence. Consequently, those who rejected His standards eventually crucified Him.

Now I know that at this point you may be asking: Why does God allow persecution? What is its purpose? Paul gives two good reasons. One is that it is a token of salvation for the Christian. The other is that it is a token of destruction to the one who fails to believe. It’s not possible for a Christian to stand firm under persecution and for the world to dismiss it as nothing. It is evidence of a supernatural power. Consequently, it is a token of salvation to the Christian and of destruction to those who will not believe.

It may be that God will call you to bear a testimony like that of the prophets in the Old Testament. It may not be as dramatic as the prophets, but it may result in persecution. You may do it in a quiet way, and no one may ever hear your witness. No one will know of your courage. But God knows. And your witness will go down in the books of eternity as evidence that you were a Christian who lived as God called you to live and who bore the testimony God called you to bear. History will bear out that the things spoken by you were true, and your conduct will be vindicated. If you will see persecution in this light, then you will see it for what it really is a gift from the hand of God. Paul refers to persecution as a gift twice in the last two verses of this chapter, given by God as a token of His grace! How wonderful that persecution can be received in that way by Christians.

Philippians 1:27-30 Reflection Questions:
Do you believe that the church today is aggressive in advancement of the gospel? How might you help?
Have you experienced ridicule or prejudice for Christ’s sake?
Do you see persecution as a gift from God?

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by Larry Ferrell | December 22, 2017
There is a great deal of disappointment in this life, and everyone has experienced it. Yet there is no disappointment with God. The verse in the Epistle to the Philippians to which we now come is a great expression of this truth. Paul had carried the gospel of Jesus Christ through much of the Roman empire and now he was imprisoned in Rome itself. From a human point of view, everything seemed to be going against him. But despite this, Paul remained confident that God’s purpose for his life would not be shaken (vv. 19-20).

Many Christians divide their lives into two compartments. One they label “sacred,” and the other they label “secular.” The sacred part of life consists of what they do on Sundays and when they are praying, witnessing, or reading their Bible during the other days of the week. The secular part of life involves nearly everything else. There is almost no connection between the two. Jesus Christ knew no division of His life, for everything He did pleased His heavenly Father. Jesus said, “I always do what pleases Him” (John 8:29). So it was with Paul. Paul knew that the child of God is called to live all of life under the eye of his heavenly Father and to do all things to His glory.

The second half of Philippians 1:21 moves from the subject of life in Christ to death in Him and teaches that there are great benefits in death for Christians (v. 23). How vividly those words express the triumphant outlook of Christians as they look toward eternity. Unfortunately, it is necessary to say that although death holds benefits for Christians, it certainly does not hold benefits for unbelievers. A Christian may experience much hell on earth – although in God’s grace it is always mingled with a taste of heaven. But beyond that is the bliss of heaven and unbroken fellowship with God. On the other hand, all that the unbeliever will know of heaven is the heaven he makes for himself on earth. After that his future is condemnation and suffering. Subconsciously the non-Christian knows this. Thus death looms large as a dreadful enemy.

Death for the Christian is never pictured in the Bible as a gain over the worst in this life. Instead it is portrayed as an improvement on the best. Certainly it is in this sense that Paul intends his words to the Philippians. We might imagine that Paul was suffering in prison and was anxious for a speedy release, even by the portal of death. But this is just the opposite of what Paul experienced. Paul’s life was full; he had been enriched by fellowship with Christ (v. 21). He was confident that Christ would be magnified in the way he led his life. He speaks of his earnest expectation and hope that “as always Christ will be exalted in my body (v. 20). He was filled with delight that his work at Philippi had prospered; he even saw evidence of the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ at Rome. These facts fulfilled his deepest desires. Consequently, the statements that surround his circumstances at Rome are optimistic. What are the benefits of death to those who trust in Jesus? There are at least these: freedom from evil of this world, conformity to the image of Christ, and fellowship with Jesus Christ forever.

The first great benefit of death for Christians is that death brings a permanent freedom from evil. The unsaved person may not desire this, preferring to wallow in his sin, but the Christian who has tasted the delight of God’s righteousness longs for purity that he will never have on earth. He longs to be free of sin, pain, care, and anxiety. And he knows that death brings freedom.

The second great benefit of death to believers is that they will be like Jesus. It’s not enough to say that death brings freedom from evil. It is true, but it is a negative thing. The Bible teaches that death brings a final perfection of the sanctification of the believer that has begun on earth. We shall be like Him. That means we shall be like Him in righteousness, for Paul speaks of the “crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8). We don’t know that righteousness now; we have only tasted is slightly. But the day is coming when we shall be what we should be. We also shall be like Him in knowledge. Now we see things imperfectly. We know in part, and our knowledge (even of spiritual things) is always mixed with error. In that day we shall know as God knows us, and all that has puzzled us in this life will become clear. We will also be like Christ in love. What a joy to be like Him in this. There is so much of self in everything we do, but Christ’s love was selfless and self-sacrificing. It was a love that reached to us when we were sinners and saved us for this life and for eternity. How wonderful that God’s love stooped low enough to reach us and that it will yet carry us beyond the highest star into His presence.

Death is always a separation, even for the Christian. For the unbeliever, death is the separation of the soul and the spirit from God. For the Christian, death is the separation of the soul and the spirit from the body. But there is one respect in which death is no separation at all for those who trust Jesus: there is no separation from Him. You and I can look forward to that union, but we must live for others now. It is true that death holds benefits for believers, but this was never intended to make Christians flee from duties of this life, as some has claimed. In a few brief words Paul acknowledges that if in God’s wisdom he remains in this life, then that is more needful for others (vv. 25-26). So it must be with us. We must lift our minds to contemplate the joys of heaven, but if we see them rightly we will turn back once more to those for whom our life in Christ and our witness to Him are needful.

Philippians 1:19-26 Reflection Questions:
Do you divide your life into two compartments or do you do all things to the Father’s glory?
Do you remain confident of God’s purpose for your life when disappointments come?
How are you doing on living a selfless life? Are you fleeing from your Christian duty in this life?

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by Larry Ferrell | December 16, 2017
Every now and then we hear that someone wishes that today’s church was like it was back in the “good old days”. If we look closely at the New Testament we will find that they had the same problems we have today. Paul wrote about problems in the churches in Corinth and the churches in Galatia. There were also problems at Rome. Even though some of the members of the Praetorian Guard had been converted, and those who were already Christians were encouraged to bear witness for Christ, there was also a darker side to the situation. Paul writes that some Christians preached the gospel out of partisanship, hoping to make life more miserable for him (vv. 15, 17). Think of it! Some preached Christ to add affliction to Paul’s bonds. Such were the “good old days” in the Christian church at Rome.

If we are to get an idea of the full impact of Paul’s experiences in Rome, we need to remember that it was Christians who were trying to get Paul into trouble by their preaching. The verses we are studying tell us that these Christians preached Christ out of unworthy motives – jealousy, strife, and partisanship. This was deplorable. But what does Paul say? Strangely enough, he points to the fact that even in the midst of such conditions Jesus Christ was preached and the gospel was spread, and in that, he says, he rejoices. If we are honest, we must admit that all the envy, strife, and partisanship that was present in the church at Rome is present in our churches also.

What should our attitude be toward those who are responsible for it? It is easy to speak up against it. It is easy to dismiss all those who are unpleasant in their preaching of the gospel. But if Paul’s example is to count for anything, it must teach us to rejoice if Christ is proclaimed, even by those who do it out of less than worthy motives and who seem to dishonor the gospel in their methods. You should say, “The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Phil. 1:18).

Never in the history of the world have the opportunities been greater for the proclamation of the gospel. Yet never has the believing church been more irrelevant or more divided. Paul gives the solution to this situation in the next chapter. First, he says that we are to develop a low opinion of ourselves. This is often hard to do, but it should be easy. We are merely to see ourselves as God sees us, and this will happen as we study His Word. Second, we are to have a better opinion of others, especially those who are troublemakers. Paul says, “Consider others better than yourselves” (Phil 2:3). This will come about as God makes us sensitive to the work of His Holy Spirit within other believers. Third, Paul says that we are to posses the mind of Christ. He challenges the Philippians, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). We develop this mind through fellowship with Him as He works in us, gradually molding us into His own image.

I know that someone is going to object, “Oh, but that is hard. First you say that we are to rejoice when people preach the gospel, even if they do it in a nasty way and try to hurt other Christians. You say that we are to think highly of them for the sake of God’s work within them. Then you say that we are not to be like that ourselves. That is unreasonable. Are we to go against all that is most natural within us?” Yes, you are. That is God’s way, and God will give you strength to do it. You are to see His hand at work in the lives of other Christians, even those who are obnoxious to you, and you are to think highly of God’s work in them. Moreover, you are to work with them, as far as possible. For in this way the gospel is spread, believers are strengthened, and Jesus Christ is honored.

Philippians 1:15-18 Reflection Questions:
Why do you think there is strife in churches?
What can you do when you come across some of it?
Have you had some Christians come against you? If so, how did it make you feel?

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by Larry Ferrell | December 9, 2017
We are always interested in the circumstances of our friends, and Paul knew that the Philippians were concerned to know how he was faring. Consequently, having greeted them and thanked God for them, and having expressed his prayerful hopes for them, he turned to tell them about himself. The verses are no less absorbing to us than they must have been when they were first read to the Philippian church. How much we owe to Paul and how grateful we are for such a window as this, not only into his experiences but also into his mind! The result we find here is an example of true Christian living; this is a statement of principle for the guidance of the saints. Paul is giving us his testimony and he displays himself in three typical situations. He is faced by personal suffering (vv. 12-14), a divided church (vv. 15-18), and an uncertain future (vv. 19-26). Over the next three weeks we will study each of these three headings.

Suffering (Phil. 1:12-14): We must remember, first, that the things that had happened to Paul were quite different from the things Paul had planned for himself. For years Paul carried the gospel to the various parts of the world. He had traveled through Syria and Crete, through most of what is now Turkey, and through Greece. Somewhere along the way he conceived the plan of taking the gospel to the far west, to Spain, after returning once more to Jerusalem and stopping for a visit in Rome. These plans were not fulfilled. Instead of this he found himself a prisoner on trial for his life. At the time of writing Philippians he could have no real confidence he would ever be free again. Think of it! All the frustration, all the delay, all the physical suffering; yet this is overshadowed by the fact that it has served to spread the gospel.

Have you experienced anything like that in your own Christian life? Suffering is of different kinds, and God has different purposes in permitting it to come upon us. Some suffering is corrective. It is intended to get us on the right path when we have gone astray. Some suffering is intended to awaken us to the needs and feelings of other people. It is intended to mold us into the image of Jesus Christ, for we learn through the things that we suffer. Paul’s suffering was neither corrective nor instructive. It was simply a suffering permitted by God so that the gospel might be spread to others.

I don’t think that many of us have experienced what Paul experienced, certainly not myself. But some have. Perhaps not as consistently as Paul but in ways equally bitter and equally filled with anguish. If this has happened to you, you must know that God has greatly honored you with this suffering, and you must take joy even in the midst of it as you see how your suffering has brought salvation to others. This is a joy won through vales of tears, but it is one of the choicest prizes of the Christian life.

A question that Paul’s statement raises is this: How did the things that happened to Paul result in the spread of the gospel? The first answer is that through them Paul was able to bear a remarkable witness to the Praetorian Guard. This guard was the official bodyguard of the emperor, which took charge of all imperial prisoners. We must visualize the scene at this point. Paul is imprisoned in Rome, chained to a Roman guard. Ever since his arrest in Jerusalem he had been chained to a guard, except for moments on the ship carrying him to Rome. He is now in care of the picked troops who guard the emperor. Paul has some freedom of action. He may have visitors. For a while at least he lived in a private home. But always there was the guard.

What did Paul do in this situation? He might have complained, but that was never Paul’s way. He himself was a soldier for Christ and the guard at the end of the chain represented a person for whom Christ died. Paul bore a witness not only to this soldier but the one who replaced him for the second watch and the one who replaced him for the third watch and so on throughout the days and years. In this way in time Paul reached most of the imperial guard. Think how Paul must have lived to have this effect upon a corps of tough Roman soldiers. Here was a man who had every right to be thinking about himself, but instead he spoke of Christ, even in prison, and even the soldiers listened. The witness of a life lived for Christ even in the midst of suffering also spreads to others. Paul triumphed over his circumstances, and the result spread through Rome.

There is a further way in which Paul’s suffering for Christ served to advance the gospel. It had an effect on other Christians (v. 14). Christians moved from fear to boldness as a result of Paul’s example. They learned to testify. Has your life ever had that effect on other Christians? Someone is going to say to me that Christians should always be bold in their witness for Jesus Christ, that Christians should “always be ready” to testify. This is true. However it is equally true that many Christians are shy and afraid. They may simply lack an example. It may be that God has placed you in a position where your witness can move one of God’s shy witnesses to boldness.

Philippians 1:12-14 Reflection Questions:
What kind of suffering have you been through in your Christian life? Looking back on it, was it a platform to show the glory of God?
In what ways are you witnessing a life of Christ?
Are ready to testify?

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by Larry Ferrell | December 2, 2017
One of the reasons why God has saved us is that we might be fruitful Christians. He has not saved us merely that we might be free from judgment and go to heaven when we die, but that the character of Jesus Christ might be reproduced in us while here on earth. We are to live in the flesh but not of the flesh. We are to do good works that Christ might be glorified and that many might be brought to faith in him. God is somewhat like a father who is raising a large family. He is pleased to have the family, and he is delighted you are a member of it. But he is not satisfied only with that. He also wants you to grow us to be a good citizen spiritually speaking. He wants productive children. He wants your life to be fruitful with good works. This is the message of Philippians 1:9-11.

In praying for the Christians at Philippi, Paul asks for three things. The first thing that Paul says the Christian needs is abounding love (vv. 9-10). The Christian must be filled with Christ’s love. This must be a love according to knowledge. The word used here is a special word (epignosis) that refers to advance spiritual knowledge. It is a knowledge that comes to the Christian through a study of God’s Word. The Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, so the Holy Spirit enables us to discern how love should operate. The love with which the Christian should be filled must be discriminating. We are to discern what is best. The Christian life must be motivated and informed by love. Without love we are only clanging symbols. But this was never intended to be a wishy-washy, undefined, sentimental love. It is the love of Christ. Hence, it must be a love governed by biblical principles and exercised with judgment.

The second prerequisite of a fruitful life is that the life must be pure or free of obstructions. The word Paul uses means “oven tested.” This doesn’t mean we must be perfect, for none of us is. But it does mean that our lives must be open before God and before others. There must be no hypocrisy. Our lives are not perfect. In this life we will always have flaws, but we must not disguise them artificially. We must be sincere. God’s love will not flow through a Christian whose life is a sham. Hypocrisy will stop the flow. Fortunately, however, we may also say that God’s love will flow through an honest Christian, no matter how marred the vessel.

This leads to the fact that we must be fruitful Christians (v. 11). This does not refer to internal righteousness: love, joy, peace, and so on; these are the fruits of the Spirit. It refers to what is seen externally. The fruit of righteousness is the fruit that righteousness produces. This is to be seen in the innumerable acts of kindness and service to which every believer in Jesus Christ is called. We need to note also that the Christians are not only called to bear fruit, they are called to be fruitful. That is, to bring forth much good fruit. How is this to be done? It must be done by depending on Christ. This will involve a more faithful study of the Bible, for it is through the Bible that we know Jesus. The first psalm contrasts the way of the ungodly man with the way of the man whose life is fruitful (Ps. 1:3). Why is he like this? The answer is in verse 2: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” What a difference there could be in many lives if Christians would learn to let Christ flow through them as they seek him in Scripture.

Christ’s parable about the vine and the Gardner makes one more point about fruit-bearing. You not only need to be joined to Christ in order to be fruitful, you also need to be pruned. This is actually the way that Jesus’ parable begins (John 15:2). Have you felt God doing this with you? He wants to, for your life has many things in it that are not bearing spiritual fruit. They may be hobbies, habits, relationships, aspects of your occupation. They may even be things that you consider so precious that you think you would die if they were removed. Yet they should be, and God will work to do it. It’s true of course, that not all hobbies, habits, or relationships require pruning. God may be using them now in marvelous ways. They are not sinful; they may be what God wants you do. Nevertheless, each of us holds to things that God will remove that we might serve him better (v.6). The cutting may hurt. You may think that God is killing you. But the result will be good for you, for it will result in good works, done by Jesus Christ in you, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9-11 Reflection Questions:
It what ways do you feel God is doing some pruning in your life? Are you fighting it?
How is your study of the Bible doing? What will you do to enhance it?
Is your sincerity showing daily or is hypocrisy hiding it?

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