Philippians 2:9-11 The Name of Jesus

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [Philippians 2:9-11 NKJV]

Paul has been talking about Jesus' humility. He transitions by saying "Therefore..." Since He humbled Himself and was obedient, therefore, He has been exalted.

At first glance, it sounds like Jesus was rewarded for making good decisions, and acting on them. But, it seems to me that there was never a scenario where Jesus would not humble Himself, or be totally obedient. And there was never a scenario where He would not be highly exalted.

It has always been Jesus' nature to be humble and obedient. To say that He was rewarded for this is like rewarding me for being human. I am who I am, and He is who He is.

It is Jesus' nature to be both humble and exalted. He is both servant and Lord. He is both man and God. Since He humbled Himself by coming in the form of a man, it is therefore natural that He should be highly exalted above all things; not as a reward for a job well-done, but because it is His nature.

Because He is exalted, His name is above every name. People place a great deal of importance on names. From the very beginning, mankind gave names to things;

Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. [Genesis 2:19-20 NKJV]

Names can have meaning. For example, God named Abraham, "Father of a multitude", and Sarah, "Princess". And He named Jesus, "The Lord Saves".

It is by calling on the name of Jesus that we are saved. It is in His name that we live. By the power of His name we can pray for people to be healed, and by the authority of His name we can drive out demons.

Paul tells us "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth." Those of us who worship Him bow the knee willingly in praise and adoration. Those who despise Him will bow the knee in fear and subjugation, and "confess that Jesus Christ is Lord."

Making it personal, I will gladly bow my knee to Jesus, and I will boldly and loudly proclaim that Jesus Christ is my Lord! 

What about you? Do you bow your knee before Jesus, thereby giving Him authority in every part of your life? Have you confessed Jesus as your Lord?

Join with me in this prayer;

My Lord, You are the exalted one, worthy of all praise and glory. I publicly confess that You are my Lord. I believe that You died, and on the third day, You rose again. I pray that You will glorify yourself, and if You can use me in any way, I pray for grace that I may bring glory to Your name. 

Philippians 2:5-8 The Humility of Jesus

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. [Philippians 2:5-8 NKJV]

Having just exhorted the church to humility, Paul presents Jesus as the ultimate example of humility.

There is no greater ambition than to be God. Megalomaniacs with delusions of grandeur have sometimes claimed to be a god. There are religions in the world that draw people in with promises that they will achieve godhood.

Jesus didn't achieve Godhood. It wasn't something He became. It is who He has always been for all eternity. He didn't have to grasp or strive to be equal with God, because He is God.

John describes the coming of Christ this way;

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. [John 1:1-4 NKJV]

Jesus was not a lesser god, but is God Himself, the creator of all things.

Jesus humbled Himself to become a man. He might have come as a king, or a wealthy land owner, or a priest, or any other person of influence. Instead He came as a servant. He came from a despised family (Mary's reputation was that she conceived Jesus out of wedlock). From the most despised town in the despised region of Galilee.

He humbled Himself even further by dying on the cross. Having lived a sinless life, He took the sins of the world upon Himself with His sacrifice. He became cursed so that we could be free from the curse of sin.

Jesus had nothing to gain, because He already had everything. He gave it all up for our sake, putting our needs above His own.

He considered us to be more important than Himself.

How can we fail to do anything but follow His example. It is our privilege to imitate Him by esteeming others better than ourselves. To put others first is to truly follow Jesus.

Jesus, I give thanks that You, being God, humbled Yourself for my sake. I thank You that You freely share Your Spirit with me. I choose to walk in Your Spirit, that I may know the mind of Christ, and follow You in all things.

Philippians 2:3-4 Humility

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. [Philippians 2:3-4 NKJV]

Paul has just exhorted the church to be of one mind, without all the divisions that are evident in the modern church. Now, he is telling us how this can be accomplished.

In a nutshell, the answer is to remove ambition and conceit from our relationships. If pride causes us to doggedly hold on to our dogma, then humility will allow us let it go, and learn from one another.

Paul said, "let each esteem others better than himself." This defines humility. It is not the "Aww shucks" attitude that accompanies false humility. It is a sincere attitude that puts others first.

The twin enemies of humility are ambition and conceit.

Ambition tries to make you look good to others. The obvious example of ambition is in the business environment. The subordinate acts humble and subservient to his boss so that he can get a promotion or a raise. It has an outward appearance of humility before his superiors, but it is false.

Work isn't the only place where ambition is an issue. It's obvious in church politics where people strive for positions of leadership and authority. It's also more subtle; such as when you do anything to influence other people's opinion of you.

For example a church may have two children's ministry volunteers. They are both faithful and kind to the children. They both tell good stories and listen well. One is there because she loves the children and wants to serve them. The other is there because she loves the praise and gratitude of the parents and children. By all outward appearances, they are the same. The difference is in the heart. One is humble, the other is ambitious; not for advancement, but for recognition.

Again, two people are sitting in the church singing a worship song. One is concerned only with worshiping God. The other is concerned about the people around him; whether they appreciate the talent of his singing and admire his voice. Again, there is no outward difference; only in the heart.

Conceit tries to make you feel good about yourself. 

Two men give a large donation of money to the church. One is concerned with the advancement of the kingdom of God, and how the money will be used to promote the gospel. The other takes pride in his giving, and knowing that he has contributed much. The money will be use the same, and will have the same result. The only difference is the heart of the giver.

The world says that you should feel good about yourself. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." [Matthew 16:24 NKJV] He isn't promoting self-flagellation. Rather, denying yourself means to esteem others better than yourself.

We are not being told to not take care of ourselves. In fact, we are taught to provide for ourselves and our families. But he also says, "Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

There is only one way to gain true humility, and that is by walking close to God. It is an act of grace provided by the Holy Spirit.

You can't work up humility by your own efforts. That would be an act of the flesh, and a source of pride. The Pharisees were very proud of their humility. 

When I was a young Christian, I was told, "Never pray for humility, because God will make sure you get humbled." What a poor view some people have of God. Humility isn't being humbled and beaten down by circumstances. That may crush your soul, but will not produce true humility. It only comes when, by experience, you see your own spirit in the light of God's Holy Spirit. That only happens by spending time in His presence.

Lord, please forgive my selfishness and ambition. Forgive the false humility that I display to the world. Please draw me closer to you and work in me the fruit of Your Spirit. Work out humility in me; not as one who has been beaten down by circumstance, but as one who has been humbled by the presence of God. 

Philippians 2:1-2 One Mind

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. [Philippians 2:1-2 NKJV]

Paul has a request to make of the Philippians, but first he speaks to their motivations. He is saying, "If you have found any comfort in Christ; if you have received the Holy Spirit; if you have any love..." in short, "If you call yourself a Christian, then this is how you should behave."

His request is simple: agree with one another.

I have often heard it said that being united in Christ doesn't mean we have to think the same thing. Yet, that is exactly what Paul is asking of the church; that they think the same thing.

We often create platitudes and excuses to explain away why we don't live up to the standards of the Bible. For example, Jesus said, "Go and sin no more." We say, "I'm just a sinner saved by grace." to explain why we are still sinning. It has a measure of truth in it, yet it denies the power of God free us from sin. The Bible says, "Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." [Galatians 5:16 NKJV] I am not a sinner saved by grace. I was a sinner, but having been saved by grace, I am now a saint (that is, one who has been sanctified by the grace of God).

When we look around us at the church today, we many differences. We have Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Pentecostals, and many more denominations plus non-denominationals, all with differing theological opinions.

We dismiss these divisions by saying that it's just human nature to disagree; but our nature is supposed to be transformed into the image of God. We say that we must have differences because there are many passages in the Scripture that are not clear. But if a doctrine is unclear, why do we fight so strenuously to defend our opinion of it?

Instead of making excuses, we should be repenting before God. These division within the church are sin, and the body of Christ is mostly unrepentant. 

As an individual, I have no influence or power to change the church. I can't heal the divisions, and I can't make people agree. 

There are two things I can do; I can pray, and I can live my life as an example.

I can't change anyone else's mind, but I can find common ground. I have a friend who is Catholic (I don't belong to any denomination). We both know that the other thinks differently about religion, but when we are together, we don't talk about the differences. We agree that Jesus is Lord, and that He died and rose again on the third day. We agree that we both love Jesus, and that He loves us both. I think it would be great if everybody worshiped God in Spirit and in truth without any religious overtones. Since we can't change reality, let us, at least, find the areas where we can be of the same mind with one another.

When we pray, it will be good for us to intercede on behalf of the church. In Matthew 15, a Canaanite woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter. In so doing, she gave us a wonderful example of intercession when she said, "Have mercy on me." She fully identified with her daughter, as you would expect a mother to do, and her request to Jesus was not for her daughter alone, but for her as well. 

When we intercede, let's identify with those for whom we are praying. For the Canaanite woman, when her daughter hurt, she hurt. For ourselves, when the church body hurts, we should hurt. When we pray for the church, let us not say, "Lord, look at them. They are a mess." Instead, by identifying, we say, "Lord, look at us. We are a mess."

Heavenly Father, please forgive us of our sin. We have strayed from the teachings of the Bible, and have allowed divisions to define who we are as a church. We have allowed divisions to weaken our witness in the world.   I pray that you will give us the wisdom and grace to come together in the unity of Your Spirit. Help us to find fellowship with one another, and not conflict. Please open our hearts and minds to receive Your truth. 

Philippians 1:28-30 Persecution

...and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me. [Philippians 1:28-30 NKJV]

Paul faced opposition and persecution during his first visit to Philippi. There was a slave girl in town who was demon-possessed and made her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. She followed Paul saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.” [Acts 16:17 NKJV] 

Although her words were true, their source was demonic, so Paul cast the demon out of her. That meant she could no longer tell fortunes and earn money for her owners. They became enraged and had Paul and Silas arrested. We are given this account;

Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. [Acts 16:22-26 NKJV]

Paul and Silas were delivered from their chains, but the Philippian church continued to face opposition; and it is this opposition that Paul is addressing.

Having just encouraged them to continue striving for the work of the gospel, he now acknowledges that doing so will likely increase their persecution. But he tells them not to fear their oppressors. To be without fear denies the world of their power. It is a token of their ultimate destruction, and of our ultimate salvation. By inference, the opposite is also true; our fear gives them power.

We see this on school campuses where the bully attacks the weak and fearful, but will leave alone anyone who can stand up to him. It is fear that give the bully his power.

For believers, it is more complicated that facing down a bully on the playground. Jesus offers this blessing for those who sacrifice to follow Him; 

So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, “who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. [Mark 10:29-30 NKJV]

He adds persecution as part of the blessing. He said,

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. “Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. [Matthew 5:10-12 NKJV]

It is not just persecution that matters to the Christian, but our attitude when facing persecution. Christians are not the only people in the world who face persecution. But see how they respond; by fighting back if they can. If they see no hope in fighting, then they wail and mourn their fate to be so put upon. When we hear in the news about a Serbian or a Hindu or any other group that feels oppressed, it is always with an expression of outrage that the world would treat them thus.

That is not how it should be with Christians. It is pride that gets our hackles up and makes us want to fight back. It is pride that says, "You can't do that to ME!" "Do you know who I am?" But as believers, we are to humble ourselves in the face of persecution. We are to count it an honor to share the sufferings of Christ.

When we walk with Christ, and face opposition, that should make us joyful. Like Paul and Silas in jail, we should want to sing songs of celebration and worship. Even more, we should do good to those who would oppress us, and pray for them. Even more, we should welcome persecution as a blessing from God.

This is not a natural attitude. It is not something we can "work up" in ourselves. It comes from the Spirit of God, and our close, daily relationship with Him. it is an act of His grace.

Lord, help my attitude to be right when I am opposed for Your sake. If my suffering will help advance the kingdom of God, then I welcome it. 

Philippians 1:27 Worthy of the Gospel

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, [Philippians 1:27 NKJV]

Paul is addressing, not individuals within the church, but the church as a whole. 

The "conduct" he is talking about is a reference to citizenship, and refers to our behavior as citizens of the kingdom of God. He is saying that the church body, as a whole, needs to behave in a way that is fitting for representatives of God's kingdom, and of the gospel.

We are given this concise version of the gospel;

Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. [1 Corinthians 15:1-6 NKJV]

What this means for the church is that we should be of one mind and one spirit in in telling the world what Jesus has done for us and them.

Unfortunately, when I look around me, I see that the church does not behave this way. We have divisions between denominations, different doctrines, and different traditions. Even within a single local church, we see fractures occur, and churches split. We have made religion more important than the telling of the gospel.

As an individual within the church, I can't control how the church at large will act. But I can control how I act. We are told, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." [Romans 12:18 NKJV]

I can live my own life in a manner that is fitting for the kingdom of God; not by my own power, but as I walk in the Spirit of God, His grace gives me that power. If enough individuals live their lives in a manner worthy of the gospel, then perhaps, we can influence the larger church to be worthy. 

Also, we can pray; interceding for the church. Confess the sins of the church as our own, and seek God's healing.

Father, I pray for the church. I confess that we are divided, each with his own spirit, and his own mind. I pray that Your Spirit will move in the church to unite us.  I pray for myself, that You will give me the grace to live in a manner that is worthy of You, and that I may do my part to promote unity in Your Spirit.

Philippians 1:21-26 No Fear of Death

For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again. [Philippians 1:21-26 NKJV]

Paul is referring back to his previous statement, "For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." [Philippians 1:19 NKJV] In his captivity, Paul is facing two possible outcomes; martyrdom or deliverance.

Not only is Paul not afraid to die, he welcomes the prospect of death. This does not make him suicidal, simply free from the fear of death. Although dying is gain, he also sees the advantage of living, which is to continue to produce fruitful labor.

He says, "what I shall choose I cannot tell." There is a chance that this means the Spirit has actually given him the choice; death or life. But it is more likely that he is simply illustrating the his own attitude and desire, confident that the Lord has already made this choice for him. After his release, the Lord gave him another 5 or 6 years of ministry before he was, once again, arrested and beheaded.

We should not fear death because the fear of death is bondage; 

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. [Hebrews 2:14-15 NKJV]

Some people embrace death as a final option. In their despair, despondency and hopelessness, they view death as their only release from pain. This is not faith, and it is not the attitude that Paul demonstrated. 

Our attitude toward death should be a hopeful anticipation based on faith. We are not seeking to be released from this life, but have a glorious expectation of being present with Christ.

Paul told us, "We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord." [2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV] To be absent from the body is to be present with Christ. There is no "soul-sleep", while we wait for the resurrection. There is no purgatory where we suffer to pay for our sins while waiting to enter heaven. Jesus paid for our sins in full, and welcomes us into His presence. Those who die in Christ die in righteousness because He has made us righteous.

While we are eager to be with Jesus, we should not do anything to hasten our death, whether by our will or carelessness. As Paul said, "But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor."

If you are alive on earth, then the Lord has work for you to do. It may not be as grand as Paul's; planting churches and helping to establish the Christian church. You may only be called to touch one life. A single act of kindness from you may make all the difference to someone else. You may never know how God has used you in this life; until you stand before Him, and hear Him say, "Well done."

Lord, I thank you for the promise of eternal life in Your presence. I pray for the grace to redeem the time that I have left here on earth, that I may be able to produce good fruit for Your Kingdom. 

Philippians 1:19-20 Not Ashamed

For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. [Philippians 1:19-20 NKJV]

Paul is referring to deliverance from his imprisonment in Rome, and his confidence that he will be set free. This isn't a baseless hope, as in, "I hope i'm set free." Rather, it is based on the knowledge that he is being prayed for, and that the Holy Spirit will supply the means of his deliverance.

In fact, Paul was released shortly after writing this letter, and was able to travel and preach the gospel for another 5 or 6 years before being imprisoned in Rome again. In this first imprisonment, he knew that he would be released and expressed that confidence. In his second imprisonment, he knew that he would soon be martyred, and said, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." [2 Timothy 4:7 NKJV]

Through it all, Paul's earnest expectation was that nothing he did, whether in life or in the manner of his death, would bring shame to himself or the Lord Jesus Christ.

Like Paul, we should live our lives with the expectation and hope that we will not be ashamed.

I think it is important to note his wording. He did not say, "According to my determination that in nothing I shall be ashamed." He said, "

It is not by the strength of our will or determination that we live for Christ, but by the power of His Spirit. As he says, "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." [Philippians 2:13 NKJV]

Living without shame does not mean that you never make a mistake. In speaking of perfection, Paul admitted that he had not arrived; "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. [Philippians 3:13-14 NKJV]

It means drawing close to God; walking in the Spirit. You choose the Spirit of God rather than the flesh. When you do, the Spirit of God lives through you, and the world sees His righteousness in your life. In this way, He is magnified in your body; not by your effort, but by His grace.

Lord, I pray for grace to live in the Spirit, and to walk with You. I pray that, by Your grace, my life will bring glory to You, and that I will not bring shame to Your name. Please magnify Yourself in me. 

Philippians 1:15-18 Motives

Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. [Philippians 1:15-18 NKJV]

It is not our place to judge the motives of another, even if they appear obvious to us. We see the outward behavior, but only God sees the heart.

I confess that I have been guilty of this; accusing certain preachers of greed or selfish ambition.

Let us keep in mind, though, that there is nothing in this passage that indicates that we should tolerate false teaching. Paul was adamantly opposed to anyone who would pervert the gospel in any way. Regarding those who preached the necessity of circumcision he said, "I wish that those who are troubling you would even mutilate themselves." [Galatians 5:12 NASB]

He also said, "But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed." [Galatians 1:8 NKJV]

In today's passage, he is not speaking of those who spread a false teaching, but those who, for false motives, preach the truth.

There could be any number of reasons for a person to enter the ministry. I have heard people of the world ignorantly claim that all preachers are rich. They have seen a few high profile preachers on TV and don't understand that most preachers in this country have to work another full-time job to support their ministry. They enter the ministry so that they can fleece the flock.

Some enter ministry because it's the "family business". Dad and Granddad preached, so they feel obligated to follow in their footsteps; not because they have any sense of calling, but because of tradition.

For some, it's a matter of social prestige. They get great titles; The Reverend Soandso. And if they are ambitious, they can work up the ranks to be a Bishop, or even an Archbishop or a Cardinal.

It's easy for us to see the signs of greed and ambition, but we have to resist the temptation to judge their motives based on their behavior. (I am speaking to myself.)

Don't judge a ministry based purely on the personality of the minister. Listen to his message to see if it conforms to the Word of God. A greedy preacher can still preach the truth.

I'm not saying that we should support that type of ministry, but we should be glad that he is preaching Christ.

The problem I have seen with some of these ministries is that they start by preaching the gospel of Christ. As time goes on, they place more emphasis on money, and eventually, Christ is not preached at all - only their prosperity message.

As I see it, this comes down to our responsibilities versus God's responsibilities. We are to judge the content and fruit of a ministry. If the truth is being preached, and souls are being won for the kingdom of God, then we can rejoice. 

If what we see is a perverted gospel that denies the Christ of the Bible, then we are to condemn - not the preacher - but the message being preached.

God's responsibility is to judge his motives, and either reward or discipline according to His own wisdom. And who knows, perhaps the Lord will even purify their motivations.

Lord, please forgive my judgmentalism. I thank You that Your word is being preached, and that you can use even insincere people to speak the truth. 

Philippians 1:12-14 When Things Go Wrong

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. [Philippians 1:12-14 NKJV] 

Here's a little background. Philippians was written by Paul while he was under arrest in Rome. Having been taken by the Jews in the temple (they threatened to kill him) Paul was "rescued" by Roman soldiers who put him in chains and led him off (Acts 21). He was taken to Caesarea (on the coast of Israel) where he spent the next two years in local prison (Acts 22-24). Then, having appealed to Caesar, he was taken to Rome, where he stayed for two years (Acts 25-28).

Paul's situation in Rome wasn't as dire as it might have been. Instead of a dungeon and chains, he was able to rent a house. He was under house arrest, with a soldier guarding him. In these circumstances, he was able to receive visitors, and was free to preach the gospel without restraint. As a result, many people heard the gospel and came to Christ, including some of the palace guard, and Caesar's household.

In writing to the Philippians, Paul is letting them know that his imprisonment is working to further the kingdom of God through the preaching of the gospel.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul said, "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." [Romans 8:28 NKJV]

The example of Paul's life illustrates that God's idea of good may not always be our idea of good. Consider that Paul was beaten by the Jews and nearly killed. He was arrested; not because he committed a crime, but because he was the victim of mob violence. He waited in prison in Caesarea for two years while his jailer waited for a bribe. His only reason to appeal to Caesar was to avoid being killed by the Jews. On the voyage to Rome, he was shipwrecked, then bitten by a snake. After finally arriving in Rome, he waited two years in captivity before being able to finally make his case and be released.

I think that many of us, if we went through those trials, would feel like we have a target on our back. We may begin to wonder if God has forgotten about us.

But Paul understood that God works all thing out for the furtherance of His kingdom - not for our comfort. I often hear Christians quote the above verse when things go wrong, fully expecting their circumstances to quickly improve. For example, I recently heard a testimonial from a man who had lost a job, then when he immediately got a better job, it was vindication that the promise was true.

But what about the people who don't immediately see improvement. Maybe the better job doesn't come along. They might have to take a pay cut just to find work. When we are taught that "all things working together" means that our circumstances will always improve, it give the wrong impression of God. He is not a genie granting wishes. He does not promise that things will always be easy. Some lose faith in God because He doesn't meet their expectations.

Sometimes in life, things seem to go from bad to worse, just as it did for Paul. The test for us is to continue to trust in God. Even when things are hard, and we don't see a solution for our lives, we have to trust that God is in control, and working all things for the good of His kingdom.

Father, I thank you that you will work all things for good. Forgive my complaining, and open my eyes to see the greater good for your kingdom, even when it doesn't look good for me. 

Philippians 1:9-11 Prayer for the Philippians

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. [Philippians 1:9-11 NKJV]

There are four parts to this prayer.

The first is that love will grow. In praying this, Paul acknowledges that love is already there, but recognizes that there is always room for more love.

He is not calling us to a blind love. The Hallmark Channel is full of stories of people "falling in love". Because of the love, they are blind to the faults of their paramour. Their delusional love leads to tragedy and a broken heart. This is not the kind of love that Paul is praying for us.

A love that is based on knowledge and discernment loves with eyes wide open. It doesn't leave us blind to a person's faults, but it allows us to forgive those faults. Instead of being deceived or taken advantage of, we can be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves." [Matthew 10:16 NKJV]

This is not a sappy sentiment, but the deep, heart-felt love of God, as He loves through us.

The next thing he prays is "that you may approve the things that are excellent." Approve is used in the sense of testing a metal for purity. We keep that which is pure, and discard the waste. This can apply inwardly, to our own sanctification, as well as outwardly, to the teaching that we choose to hear and believe.

He tells us, "Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil." [1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 NKJV]

Then He prays, "that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ." "Sincere" refers to our inward condition, while "without offense" refers to our outward behavior.

When Paul was arrested in Jerusalem, many of the Jews in the city rioted and threatened to kill Paul because they were offended by his teaching and preaching of the gospel. Some time later, while making a defense against his accusers, Paul made this statement, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.” [Acts 25:8 NKJV]

We see by this example that "without offense" doesn't mean that nobody will ever be offended. The fact is that if you live a devoted Christian life and talk about Jesus, the world will be offended, because they are offended by Christ. To say that you have not offended means that you have acted sincerely in obedience to the will of God.

At the time of his arrest, Paul was in the temple performing a Jewish ritual. We know from his letters that Paul didn't live under the Law, didn't keep the Sabbath, and didn't feel the need to perform temple rituals. He did so to keep peace the Jewish believers who still practiced the Law.

It is not hypocrisy to change your behavior based on the company you keep, if your motives are sincere, and the gospel is not compromised. Paul said,

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. [1 Corinthians 9:19-22 NKJV]

We are free from the constraints of Law, but - out of love - we should live our lives so that we do not offend. "It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak." [Romans 14:21 NKJV]

Finally, he prayed that we would be "filled with the fruits of righteousness." This is not speaking of righteousness as a fruit of the Spirit, but that our righteousness will bear fruit. Paul said, "Awake to righteousness, and do not sin; for some do not have the knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame." [1 Corinthians 15:34 NKJV]

John has this to say about righteousness, "In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother." [1 John 3:10 NKJV]

Righteousness is the condition which is acceptable to God. It is not a state which we can achieve, but is granted to us by God's grace. We are made righteous by the blood of Christ. 

Having been made righteous in God's sight, we are then urged to live righteously - that is, without sin. This is possible, as Paul said, "that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." [Romans 8:4 NKJV]

The righteous life is lived, not by trying to live righteously, but by drawing closer to God, and keeping your mind on Him.

Let's make this prayer of Paul's our own. We can pray it over our own lives, as well as interceding for the church.

Lord, I pray that you will make this prayer a part of my life. Give me the grace to draw ever closer to You, that I may know true righteousness, that I may grow in Your grace, and that I may bear fruit as You give the increase. 

Philippians 1:3-8 Thankful for Fellowship

I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace. For God is my witness, how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ. [Philippians 1:3-8 NKJV]

Paul's prayer for the saints begins with an expression of gratitude the their fellowship in the gospel. This is more than just being thankful for their support, but also for their company and friendship.

We should never take for granted the love and friendship we find within the body of Christ. It's too easy to get our eyes on the wrong things. Church politics can cause some to be ambitious, stepping over others to claw their way into a position of authority. Others see church as a networking opportunity; a chance to enlarge their sphere of influence and grow a business. Others are caught up in doctrine and ritual, judging others who don't measure up to their own high standards.

The word "church" is translated from the Greek word "ekklesia", which literally means "a gathering". That's exactly what the church should be; a gathering of people who share a love of Jesus, and of each other, free from the restrictions of religion. No one has authority over another because we are all equally under the authority of Jesus.

Paul expresses his confidence that Jesus will complete the good work that He began in the saints.

There are reminders throughout the New Testament that our salvation is by the grace of God;

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. [Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV]

And, 

“Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. [Galatians 2:16 NKJV]

 And not just our salvation, but our sanctification is also by the grace of God, and not of works;

This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? [Galatians 3:2-3 NKJV]

And,

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. [Romans 8:1-4 NKJV]

So we see that Jesus began the good work in us when He called us to salvation. It is by grace through faith in Him that we are saved. He continues to work in us as He calls us to a life of holiness, but just as He didn't expect us to save ourselves, neither does He expect us to make ourselves holy. Sanctification is the work that He continues to do for us.

It will do us well to recognize role that other believers play in our lives as they encourage us to keep our minds on Christ, draw closer to the Lord, and grow in holiness.

Father, I thank you for the saints that You have placed in my life, and for the encouragement and joy that comes from these relationships. Thank You that You will complete the work in each of us by Your grace. 

Philippians 1:1-2 Bondservants

Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ,To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. [Philippians 1:1-2 NKJV]

A bondservant is not a servant. He is not like a butler or kitchen staff in great manor, who is employed, receives wages, and may find employment elsewhere at his own discretion. It is a much greater commitment.

Nor is a bondservant a slave as we normally think of slaves. A slave is captured or sold and forced into slavery.

A bondservant willingly gives himself over to slavery. It is giving yourself to a master to whom you owe your life and everything you have. It describes a relationship we should have with Jesus, our Lord and Master.

When Jesus died on the cross, He shed His blood to pay a life debt for us. We were all guilty of sin in God's eyes, and there is no good deed that could ever compensate for that sin. As a result of our sin we faced a punishment of eternal hell.

On the cross, Jesus took all of our sin upon Himself.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. [2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV]

Instead of punishment, we have received adoption.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, [Romans 8:14-16 NKJV]

We owe Jesus everything. Our lives, our possessions, our time, our relationships...Everything.

Yes, we are children of God, and Jesus is our firstborn brother. Yes, we have freedom. But it is not freedom to do all that we desire; that is of the flesh. We have been set free from the bondage of sin.

Once we were slaves to sin. Involuntarily forced into slavery of sin leading to death and eternal damnation. 

We have been set free from slavery, so that we can give ourselves freely to be bondservants of Jesus.

Pray with me;

Jesus, I offer myself to You. I am your slave. I give myself freely to you so that you may control and direct every aspect of my life. 

Matthew 28:16-20 The Nature of God

But the eleven disciples proceeded to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some were doubtful. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [Matthew 28:16-20 NASB]

During His ministry on earth, Jesus set aside His authority as God the Son, and accepted limitations. For example,  He said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” [Matthew 15:24 NASB]

In His resurrection, He is free from limitations. He tells us, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Now He says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations." 

The Old Covenant was made between God and the nation of Israel. The New Covenant is made between God and all the nations of the earth. It was His blood that sealed the covenant. It  was His resurrection that confirmed it.

It is because of what Jesus did that we who are not Jews have been grafted in to the promises of God. As Paul said,

And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [Ephesians 2:17-19 NKJV]

Jesus affirmed the nature of the triune God, and His own place in the Godhead, when He said that we should be baptized "in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

This is important because one of the first things cults will attack is the identity of God. They will deny the trinity.

They may claim that Jesus isn't God the Son, robbing Him of His divinity. If Jesus isn't God, then Christianity is a lie, and our faith is worthless.

They may claim that Jesus is God, but not part of a Trinity. Some say that the Father became the Son, and then became the Holy Spirit. They did not exist all at once. Again, this robs God of His nature. Consider the scene when Jesus was baptized.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” [Matthew 3:16-17 NKJV]

The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit were all individually present.

The problem some people have is that God defies logic. People will logically ask, "How is it possible for there to be only one God, but three persons." They see it as foolishness. Paul said,

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. [1 Corinthians 2:14 NKJV]

Without faith, it is impossible to understand. There is one God, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, eternally existing in perfect unity. It is not a contradiction. It is His nature.

I give thanks to God that He has chosen to reveal Himself to us, and that He has called us to be His children through adoption. We can do no less than to receive His grace, and offer to Him our praise and worship.

Matthew 28:11-15 Fake News

Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’ “And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and keep you out of trouble.” And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread among the Jews, and is to this day. [Matthew 28:11-15 NASB]

When the Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign, He answered,

“An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." [Matthew 12:39-40 NASB]

Jesus fulfilled this sign by being in the tomb for three days. 

The chief priests were confronted with proof that Jesus was who He claimed to be. His body didn't just disappear as if someone had sneaked in and taken it. There was an earthquake. An angel whose appearance was like lightning came down to the tomb and rolled away the stone. Jesus rose from the dead after three days.

The priests were so consumed by jealousy and hate that they refused to see truth, even when they were confronted with it. They hated Jesus so much that they denied God, whom they claimed to serve.

We see the same thing in modern politics. The liberals hate the conservatives and the conservatives hate the liberals.

The conservatives can't conceive that liberals have tender motivations. Nor that some of their ideals may be good. If it comes from the liberal camp, it can't be good.

The liberals are the same towards conservatives. The President is, particularly, the subject of their vitriol. He could end hunger and bring about world peace and they would still find fault.

If we're being honest, we know that there is good and bad on both sides of the argument. There are Christian conservatives and Christian liberals. There are evil conservatives and evil liberals.

What we see in the News and on social media are the extremes. I personally know Christians who will post on Facebook about God's love, then post the most vile, hate-filled political rant. I know non-Christians who do the same. I see it come from both liberals and conservatives. In their mind, there is no middle ground; no meeting of the minds; no compromise.

And in their actions and words, there is no love.

Very few can state why they believe as they do, nor why they support or oppose specific legislation; their reasoning is that they hate the party who proposed it.

Just as the priests and elders spun the news of Jesus' resurrection to their own ends, so we spin the news of the day to meet our own biases. We will not allow ourselves to be persuaded by mercy nor reason. Nor by the truth.

I don't have any answers for the political climate of America. But as an individual Christian, I know how to live because the truth is in the Bible. Jesus is my Lord. His Spirit lives within me. By His Spirit, I can have peace within myself, and live at peace with others. I can love others, and consider them as more important than myself.

I know that my first and highest priority is to love God, and worship Him.

When I consider my citizenship in the kingdom of God, and seek His kingdom first, then I don't get too bothered by the tensions of modern politics.

Let's pray for our nation and its leaders. Let's pray for the News outlets that they will be able to see and report the events of the news instead of their own political views. And let us pray for one anther, that we will be able to see our priorities properly; that is, Jesus and His kingdom first, then fellowship with the saints, then our mission to be a light to the world. Finally, considering others to be more important than ourselves, we consider our own life and sanctification.

Matthew 28:1-10 The Empty Tomb

Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave. And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.” And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and take word to My brethren to leave for Galilee, and there they will see Me.” [Matthew 28:1-10 NASB]

I visited Jerusalem once. While there I went with a tour group to visit the garden tomb from which you can look up and see Golgotha. The tomb was carved out of the rock of the mountain. I had to stoop to enter. Inside was a small room, and to the side was a shelf, also cut out of the rock, where the body would be laid. One of the women on the tour group stepped out of the tomb and began to complain loudly, "There's nothing in there! It's empty!" 

We had to explain to her that that was the point. The tomb is empty because Jesus is risen. Understanding slowly dawned on her face. I imagine that an angel with a shining face might have sped along her understanding.

The problem was that she was expecting to see some kind of sign that Jesus had been there, such as an altar or shrine. 

So many historical sites in Israel have been enshrined. The place where they suppose Jesus was born has had a cathedral built around it. On the spot where they think He was born, the floor is overlaid with an intricate tile mosaic in the form of a starburst. Any actual understanding of Jesus' birthplace is obscured.

Another possible location of Jesus' tomb is in Jerusalem, enclosed within a shrine. The shrine is then enclosed within the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Again, it is completely obscured.

It seems to me that is what religion does. It obscures the truth. Here are some examples.

Jesus said,

“But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. “Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. “And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. [Matthew 23:8-10 NKJV]

By this He means that God is our Father, our priest, our leader, our teacher. He has all authority, and all the rest of us are equal under Him. We are not to claim titles of authority. Yet religion has given us an intricate clergy with priests, fathers, reverends, bishops and so on, all claiming authority over their own flock of sheep. The Pope is considered a world leader of great power. This usurps God's authority, and obscures the unity that should exist among all believers.

Jesus also said,

“In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,Hallowed be Your name. [Matthew 6:9 NKJV]

and,

“In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; “for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from God. [John 16:26-27 NKJV]

also,

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. [Hebrews 4:16 NKJV]

Because of Jesus' redemptive work on the cross, we have the authority to pray directly to God the Father in Jesus' name. But religion gives us priests to intercede to the saints, who in turn will intercede  for us. This all confuses and obscures the simplicity and purity of our relationship with God.

I love that the garden tomb has been left empty and unadorned - in its natural state. Whether it is the actual burial tomb is irrelevant, because Jesus isn't found in the tomb. He isn't found in religion. He isn't found in churches, cathedrals or shrines. Jesus said,

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” [John 4:24 NKJV]

Religion obscures faith. If we rely on ritual, we have no need for faith. If we rely on doing penance for our sins, then where is the grace?

Salvation is simple. "Confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." [Romans 10:9 NKJV] We are save by the grace of God through faith.

Living for God should be just as simple. We live by faith and by the grace of God. I pray for a church that will learn to worship God in spirit and in truth, and set aside the rituals, rules and bondage of religion.

Matthew 27:55-66 In The Tomb

Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the grave. Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, and said, “Sir, we remember that when He was still alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I am to rise again.’ “Therefore, give orders for the grave to be made secure until the third day, otherwise His disciples may come and steal Him away and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” And they went and made the grave secure, and along with the guard they set a seal on the stone. [Matthew 27:55-66 NASB]

Jesus was in the tomb for three days. It is interesting to me that the chief priests and the Pharisees were concerned about Jesus' words, "After three days I am to rise again." They remembered His words while the disciples apparently did not. They acted on His words, while the disciples went into hiding.

It is well known that Satan can quote scripture. There are some atheists who can quote the Bible better than many Christians. Hollywood puts Bible quotes in many of its movies and TV shows; even while they are mocking God and/or glorifying evil. 

There are many movies about the life of Jesus, full of quotes from Jesus. Yet, as you look at the life of the actors, you see no evidence that they are Christian, even though they have been exposed to the life and teaching of Jesus. They merely played a role, and repeated lines.

Hearing the Word of God, apart from faith, doesn't make a person a believer. Being able to quote the scriptures doesn't do it either. Jesus said,

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” [Matthew 7:24-27 NASB]

It is not enough to merely hear the Word; we must act on it. I can quote Paul, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;" [Romans 10:9 NASB] and never be saved. I can quote, but never choose to believe. Or I can say, "I'm a private person" and never make a confession of faith. 

Remember, Jesus said, 

“Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. “But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. [Matthew 10:32-33 NASB]

I am firmly convinced of this teaching;

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. [Ephesians 2:8-9 NASB]

But what does that faith look like? James says,

What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. [James 2:14-19 NASB]

So it is clear that we are not saved by works, but by faith. But true faith will produce good works. Giving to charity will not save you. There are many unbelievers who give generously to some marvelous charities. But if your giving doesn't come from a place of faith in Jesus as Lord, then your giving is ultimately useless.

We are told,

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. [Galatians 5:22-23 NASB]

Most of these attributes of the fruit of the Spirit involve relationships with others. If you love, you will give and help people. You will be patient, kind and gentle. These are not things to be forced, but will grow out of your relationship with Jesus.

Don't rely on scripture memorization and good works for your salvation. Only draw near to God, and He will draw near to you, and all these other things will follow.

Matthew 27:45-54 Jesus Took Our Sins

Now from the sixth hour darkness fell upon all the land until the ninth hour. About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” And some of those who were standing there, when they heard it, began saying, “This man is calling for Elijah.” Immediately one of them ran, and taking a sponge, he filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and gave Him a drink. But the rest of them said, “Let us see whether Elijah will come to save Him.” And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” [Matthew 27:45-54 NASB]

I think that when Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” that was the moment He took our sin upon Himself. In that moment, He felt the separation from God that results from sin.

Although Jesus was tempted in every way like us, He lived a sinless life. 

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. [Hebrews 4:15-16 NASB]

God came to live among us as a man. He was born a baby, grew through childhood and adolescence to adulthood. He lived the complete human experience, and knows what it is like to be human. There was only one thing lacking.

Throughout His life, Jesus never knew the separation from God that all of humanity feels because of our sin. On the cross, He experienced, for the first time, the shame, guilt and fear that accompanies sin. The Father was always present in Jesus' life, but then He felt abandoned. It must have been overwhelming; a torture far worse than the cross. It's no wonder that Jesus cried out.

I don't believe that God the Father ever truly abandoned His Son. Only it was the separation caused by sin that made Jesus feel abandoned.

We are born into this world with a sinful nature. When we confess Jesus as Lord, and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, then we are born again. The Holy Spirit lives within us, and allows us to have communion with God. When Jesus died, the veil enclosing the holy place in the temple was torn in two. Symbolically, this means that God no longer meets people in a temple. Instead, He inhabits our hearts, so that we are all the temple.

When we continue to sin, we bring upon ourselves the guilt and shame of sin, and we experience anew the separation. God doesn't leave us. He doesn't abandon us. But because of sin, we feel separated from Him.

Jesus, our High Priest, knows how we feel. Because of His sacrifice, we need only to come to God in repentance, and we will find that He is there, and has always been there for us.

When we learn that sin has been overcome in our lives, and we no longer live in it, we can walk through life in the Spirit, in communion with God. 

Matthew 27:32-44 The Crucifixion

As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha, which means Place of a Skull, they gave Him wine to drink mixed with gall; and after tasting it, He was unwilling to drink. And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots. And sitting down, they began to keep watch over Him there. And above His head they put up the charge against Him which read, “THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” At that time two robbers were crucified with Him, one on the right and one on the left. And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, “He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. “He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words. [Matthew 27:32-44 NASB]

The phrase "adding insult to injury" comes to mind. Jesus is on the cross. In just a few hours it will all be over. The priests and elders have won.

But winning was not enough. They had to gloat. Even as He was dying on the cross they continued trying to discredit Him through their mockery. They are implying that His death proves that He is not who He said He was.

Of course, they were wrong.

Ironically, in spite of being priests, and knowing the Levitical Law, they did not understand the nature of sacrifice. Their imaginations didn't extend further than the blood of bulls and goats spilled on the altar.

We are told;

Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time,  sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. [Hebrews 10:11-14 NASB]

Under the Law, the priests would sacrifice over and over for the sins of the people. The blood of the bulls and goats were a symbol of the covenant between God and Israel. But the blood of animals could never truly cleanse the sins of the people, and had to be repeated again and again. The Bible teaches that these things were mere copies or types of the original, heavenly reality;

Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; nor was it that He would offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the holy place year by year with blood that is not his own. Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him. [Hebrews 9:23-28 NASB]

In their ignorance, the priests and elders played into God's hands. By killing the Son of God, they played their role in creating a New Covenant that replaces the Old.

For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. [Hebrews 9:15-16 NASB]

Jesus was a willing sacrifice. He could have called legions of angels for His defense. But He did not resist. Instead He allowed Himself to led like a lamb to the slaughter.

He did this for us; so that we would be forgiven. There is no need for us to make a sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins because Jesus was our sacrifice. 

All He asks from us is faith. Paul tells us, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." [Romans 10:9 NASB]

If you are reading this and have never made Jesus your Lord, I would urge you to pray this prayer;

Heavenly Father, I confess that Jesus is my Lord. I believe that He died for me, and has risen from the dead. I ask You to forgive me of my sins, and fill me with Your Spirit. Thank You for your salvation. Amen.