Phil. 3:15-17 - Have This Attitude

15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;
16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.
17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

Follow My Example

Vs. 15 - “Let us... have this attitude” - Which attitude? Which of the several Paul has proffered? Here’s a sampling from this letter:

To live is Christ, to die is gain.
Live in a manner worthy of Christ.
Have the same attitude as Christ’s, putting the interests of others first.
Don’t grumble
Rejoice in the Lord.
Grasping the surpassing value of knowing Christ.
Press on!

The attitude Paul had in mind is the last one. Press on! Reach for all the others! The process of ‘working out your salvation’ will help you to surrender every facet of your life to the empowering of the Holy Spirit.

“as many as are perfect” - Maturity is the concept here. New believers need to mentored by mature Christians. As you live out your faith, you will learn and grow, making fewer mistakes as you mature. See: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” (Heb. 5:12-14)

“And...if you have a different attitude” - Paul is encouraging us to listen to God when He pokes our conscience. Respond to that nudge from the Holy Spirit by changing your behavior to conform to God’s will - to be transformed.

Vs. 16 - “keep living by that same standard” - Living by faith in Jesus Christ. Again, Paul says it best: "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” (Gal. 2:20)

Vs. 17 - “Join in following my example” - Interesting verse: three English words - join, follow, example - are the same Greek word. (How do they do that?) I think the sense of this verse is: “Christ held back nothing. I am living my life like that. You would do well to do the same.”

“Observe those who walk according to the pattern“ - Paul repeats this admonition. Look to the believers around you who are living for Christ, and have also followed our example. See the following quote from “The Little Book of Talent”, by Daniel Coyle, from Tip #1 (i.e.: Chap. 1): “If you were to visit a dozen talent hotbeds tomorrow, you would be struck by how much time the learners spend observing top performers. When I say ‘observing,’ I’m not talking about passively watching. I’m talking about staring—the kind of raw, unblinking, intensely absorbed gazes you see in hungry cats or newborn babies. We each live with a “windshield” of people in front of us; one of the keys to igniting your motivation is to fill your windshield with vivid images of your future self, and to stare at them every day.” (See: Note 1)
Stare - intently - at the person you want to be like. Figure out what they do that makes them so successful. Do that thing. Do you want to know how make sourdough bread? Download an tutorial from the internet. (A tutorial is one of the few blessings of the Internet...) Do you need help in knitting a complicated cable stitch for a sweater? Click on an internet lesson.
Flip back to chapter 2, verse 5, the exhortation is to have the same attitude as was Jesus Christ’s. What better model could you have? He died for you. He lives for you. He empowers you to live for Him.

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Note 1: “The Little Book of Talent”; Coyle, Daniel; 2012; Bantam Books
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Phil. 3:12-14 - Press On

12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

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Strive to Reach the Goal

Vs. 12 - “Not that I have already obtained it” - Look back to verse 8 - “the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”. Paul is saying there is so much to know, to learn about Jesus. Knowing Him as Savior is only the first step! Complete knowledge will not happen until we see Jesus face-to-face in glory.

“Or have become perfect” - Paul had not accomplished complete knowledge of Christ Jesus. Who knows if we ever will do that, even in eternity - God is so far above and beyond anything we know or can imagine. I think we get a sense of what some call “progressive sanctification”, (See note 1, below). The ultimate goal is for we believers to be exactly like Jesus, therefore acceptable to God the Father, and suitable to spend eternity in His presence. This is all done through the power and grace of Jesus. It is Christ about whom we can brag, not ourselves. Jesus gave Himself so we would become perfect (Jhn 17:23). Because the Law made nothing perfect (Heb. 7:19). By the one offering (Jesus Christ) we have been perfected - acceptable to the Lord (Heb. 10:14).

“I press on” - Run, Paul, run! See Paul run for the prize! Do not give up until you have the goal gripped in your hands. I once read a comparison of amateur versus professional athletes: “Amateurs practice a task until they get it right. Professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong.” I’ve also read that “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” We have also have heard of the “10,000” metric. That is, you can hone a skill if you are willing to do it 10,000 times (some have said 10,000 times a year!).
No half-hearted measures here. The goal - being like Jesus - is worth working toward.

“That I may lay hold of...” - Paul understood that Jesus called him to salvation. He answered the call. Now he wants to continue to grow in his faith, in order to please the one who called. (See: Acts 9:4-6) We are called to believe. “The Screwtape Letters”, by C. S. Lewis, notes that God does not coerce, He only woos. Christ ‘lays hold of us’ in that the Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit. We are called to come to Him, to believe in Him, to be saved by Him, and to live our lives for Him. Living our lives worthy of the calling is what Paul means by “that I may lay hold of”

Vs. 13 - “but one thing I do” - Paul is singularly focused - “One thing I do!” Note: Paul persecuted the church of Jesus Christ. Forget about it. That’s behind him. Paul committed crimes, hunting down and in some cases condemning believers to death. He’s not worried about that! That is in the past!

“Reaching forward” - This is another way of saying “Press on!” The 100 meter dash competitors always lean forward at the finish line. Why? You need every possible millimeter to be there first! At the climax of the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” the villainess strained to reach out for the Grail where it had fallen in the crevasse. Paul wants us to strain forward for life, unlike her reaching backward to death.

Vs. 14 -“I press on” - See the fervor in Paul’s exhortation: I press on (v. 12, 14); lay hold of it (v.12); one thing I do (v. 13); reaching forward. (v. 13).
He wants to obtain it (v. 12); lay hold of it (i.e., grab hold with both hands) (v. 12).
What is he after: a goal (v. 14); a prize (v. 14); an upward call (v. 14).
Paul uses sports images and military images in this letter. It is only in U-8 soccer that winning is denigrated - participation prizes are rampant, and totally unimportant. How many times have you seen athletes weep because they lost the World Series, or the Super Bowl? They have poured their life into attaining that goal, and it eluded their grasp.
The object of a battle or a war is to win. Failure means subjugation. There were people who complained to Abraham Lincoln that U. S. Grant was a drunkard. Lincoln’s response was that he wished he had more generals who drank and won as much. Grant’s nickname was “Unconditional Surrender Grant” - because his campaigns were unrelenting. He pushed and drove the enemy until they broke. That is the attitude we need to have - an unrelenting drive to attain the maturity of pure Christian living, waiting with joy for the return of Christ, or going to be with Him.

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Note 1: Three phases of progressive sanctification: Phase 1 - “Positional” (or, instant) - when you accept and believe Jesus is your Lord and Savior you are instantly a child of God whose destiny is eternal life with Jesus (see Rom. 8:29).
Phase 2 - “Experiential” - as you live out your salvation, you grow to know more and more about Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit (See: Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 1:14-16).
Phase 3 - “Ultimate” - when you die, or when Christ returns, you will see Him just as He is, for you will be like Him (see: Eph. 1:13-14).
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Phil. 3:7-8 - Christ is Gain

7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

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For the Sake of Christ

Vs. 7 - “But... “ - Paul is not ashamed of his background. He also is fully aware those things listed in verses 5 and 6 (above) have no bearing on his salvation. It doesn’t matter that he is a Jew, a Hebrew, or a Pharisee! Christ died for Jews and non-Jews alike, for Pharisees and pagans. The advantage Paul has over the rest of us - he was immersed in Judaic history, prophecy and scripture. He understands how the sacrifices and rituals have all been fulfilled in Christ.

“those things I have counted as loss” - And that being said, he says, “It’s all been a waste of my time and energy!”

“For the sake of Christ” - Paul didn’t just decide these things were rubbish on a whim. He made a value comparison. What is worth more: Accomplishments and accolades or Salvation through Jesus Christ? What is more lasting: earning an honor or position, or freedom from sin and eternal life?

Vs. 8 - ”I count all things to be loss” - Paul is adamant. He wants you to know he has considered all the information available. He has compared all the pros and cons. All things considered, nothing is more important than...

“The surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,” - The value of this knowledge is far beyond anything else. I am not referring to “knowing about” Jesus - the kind of information you get when to study the Bible as literature, or an article in Wikipedia. (I just saw a magazine, in the grocery check out line, about the historical Jesus and the beginnings of Christianity by National Geographic.) Jesus taught about the worth of the kingdom. In Luke 15:8ff, we see a woman looks desperately for a lost coin. And in Matt. 13:44ff, a man sacrifices everything he has to buy a field in which a treasure is buried. In both examples the value of the item is worth more than anything else to those people.
Jesus warned that nothing else is as important as following (knowing) Him (See: Luk. 9:60ff; Matt. 8:22ff). Paul echoes that theme in 2 Cor. 10:5, emphasizing that everything else is subservient to knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior. Knowing Jesus Christ is eternal life - not just a method to get to eternal life, but life itself. (John 17:3) True godliness comes through knowing Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 1:3)
See the emphasis Jesus placed on knowing: He knows God the Father, because the Father sent Him to us (John 7:29). Jesus knows God (John 8:55). He knows His followers (John 10:27). Conversely, the world does not know Jesus or God, so the world rejects Him (John 15:21).
You can see why being a Christian is a very personal faith. The Savior knows you and loves you. He knows all your faults, all the good things about you, all your sins. He knows, and died for you so you could be with Him. Loving and believing in Jesus is not just emotions. Our love for Him is also mental, scientific so to speak, because we have evidence of His love for us. Our faith is based on nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness.

Paul is saying, very clearly, jettison anything standing between you and belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Don’t let honors, accolades, science, hobbies, or any other thing stop you from accepting Jesus. Nothing is worth eternity separated from God!

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Phil. 3:5-6 - Paul’s Personal

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

You Want Credentials? I Have ‘Em!

Paul expands this theme more fully in the letter to the Galatians 1:13-2:21.

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Vs. 5 - “Circumcised... Israel... Benjamin... Hebrew... Pharisee.” In Paul’s mind, there are no better credentials than those listed here:

• He is from the same tribe as king David and Jesus - Benjamin.
• He was born in Bethlehem, just as was king David and Jesus (1 Sam. 17:12; Matt. 2:1).
• He is a descendant of Jacob (a.k.a. “Israel” ) (Gen. 32:28). The twelve tribes rescued from Egypt were descendants of Israel.
• He is a descendant of Abraham - the ancestor of the promise (Gen. 14:13).
• And he was a Pharisee - someone who closely associates himself with strict observance of the Law in order to avoid influences of Greeks or other pagans. (“Pharisee” - means, at least in part, “separated”.)
• His “badge of honor” - circumcised, as commanded by the Lord. (See: Gen. 17:10-14; Exo. 12:48; Lev. 12:3; John 7:22, 23) The Jews were very proud of being circumcised, even to the point of ‘looking down’ on those who did not observe or practice this ritual. (Judg. 14:3, 1 Sam. 14:6; Isa. 52:1.) Conquering nations tried to prevent them from observing it. Guess what, the Jews refused to submit!

Vs. 6 -“as to zeal” - Paul was not content to rest on his ancestry (Take that “23-and-me”! In your face!). This man was driven to live his life according to his beliefs. One of our pastors mentioned in a sermon, “How you conduct your life shows what you believe, not just what you say you believe.” Paul believed the church of Jesus Christ was blaspheming against the Holy God of Israel. This could not stand! (See: Acts 7:59-60; 8:3; 9:1-2; 22:4,5; 26:9-11) He was not content just to denounce these blasphemers. He went after them! (See: Gal. 1:13, 14)

“As to righteousness... in the Law” - See Phil. 3:5, Paul was a Pharisee, a strict follower and keeper of the Mosaic Law. If anyone - in Judah or the rest of the known world - anyone, could claim to have attained righteousness through the Law, it would be Paul. Blameless! And proud of it.

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Phil. 3:2-4 - Beware

2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;
3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,
4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:

Put No Confidence in the Flesh

Vs. 2 - “Beware of the dogs” - We are thinking, “Awww. That’s not a nice thing to say about pets.” In those times, in that area, dogs were not pets. Dogs were mostly feral, running in packs, and were scavengers. The dogs ate dead things, dead bodies and therefore were unclean. One famous incident concerned King Arab and Jezebel (a truly evil king and queen). She was killed and her body was thrown off the wall of the city. They went out later to get her and bury her (she had been queen, after all), and all they found was her skull - the dogs had picked her clean! (See: 1 Kings 14:11; 16:4; 21;23; 2 Ki. 9:33-35). The Jews treated Gentiles like they were dogs. This may be part of the reason they could see no reason to share the gospel with Gentiles - why waste this message on dogs, on the unclean? (See: Matt. 15:26).
Paul draws on that imagery. False teachers are unclean in Paul’s estimation - no better than the carrion eating dogs. Following false teachers prevents you from joyfully following Christ, just as being unclean meant you could not come into the temple and do sacrifices.
We are to be pure, just as Christ is pure. Christ and Christ alone provides that purity, (See: Jude 24). His blood purifies us of all sin. (1 John 1:7) 

“beware of the false circumcision” - This is the first mention of the problem they are facing. The first and second chapters are reminding them of their salvation and joy, of Paul’s love and concern for them. This warning is not as severe as that given in the letter to the Galatians.
Circumcision is similar to Christian baptism in that it is a physical announcement, or symbol to the world that you belong to God and Jesus. Circumcision did not save the Jew, but it showed the world their life was committed to God. Baptism does not save. Being baptized tells the world you have made a commitment to Christ as your Lord and Savior. It is faith in Christ, His sacrifice and resurrection, that will give you the inheritance of eternal life.
Adding circumcision to the requirements to be ‘saved’ will NOT save you from your sins. This means false hopes. Basing your life on false information takes you further away from certainty and hope.

Vs. 3 - “We are the true circumcision” - What is Paul writing about, “True circumcision?” Physical circumcision has no impact on your salvation, just as it did not save the Jews. It is therefore “false” if you place your hopes on it.
So, what is “true circumcision?” Paul addresses the effectiveness of circumcision in Rom. 2:25-29. The outward evidence is of little value if the inner quality of the man is not centered on Christ. He reminds us that Abraham’s righteousness was accorded him before Abraham was circumcised. His faith that was rewarded. (See: Rom. 4:10-12.)
Our bodies are dead to eternity. We are literally “The Walking Dead.” God does not repair these bodies, but provides us with new bodies that will be just like Jesus. - we will be just as He is. (1 John 3:1-3) The flesh, the old nature, means death. (Rom. 8:10, 13; 1 Cor. 15:42; 1 Pet. 1:15) Living in the Spirit means life. (2 Cor. 3:16) The difference between the flesh and the Spirit is that of death and life. (See: Rom. 7:5, 8:6,13; 1 Pet. 3:18) Compare Rom. 7:4 with Rom. 8:13.

“Worship in the Spirit of God...” - Christ said, “But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24) The Jews gloried in their relation with Abraham - they were his ‘children’, and so by extension they were ‘children of God’ because of the promise made to Abraham. The personal physical evidence of that was circumcision. Apparently no other nation or tribe did this. The Jews were unique in this matter.
However, this claim has no more validity than a person claiming they are ‘Catholic’ because they are born to Catholic parents. Each person is responsible for their own decisions. (See Ezek. 18:20)
What is the key to being the ‘true circumcision”? Jesus said,”If you abide in My word, then truly you are disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” See Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 16:31. His word: confess that “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Matt. 16:15). Love God. Love others - just as God in Christ has loved you.

Vs. 4 - “might have confidence in the flesh.” - In verse three above, Paul puts “no confidence in the flesh.” He says that if anyone, anywhere, anytime could be confident in personal performance and accomplishments, it would be Paul. If anyone is going to boast, it would be him. (See: 2 Cor. 11:18) He explains in the next two verses.

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Phil. 3:1 - Rejoice in Jesus

1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

Rejoice!

Vs. 1 - “Finally” - You would think Paul is summing up, and closing the letter. (This would be a really long closing - 46 verses.) I think Paul is saying, “After all the things I have told you and shared with you, remember to rejoice in the Lord! Don’t worry about me. Your confidence is in Christ Jesus.” This applies to us as well. Our salvation is in the Lord. Our hope is based on Him, and His resurrection. Heaven awaits, no matter what is happening to us! Don’t worry about circumstances! Focus on Christ!

“To write the same things again is no trouble” - He didn’t mind sharing the gospel message. He didn’t mind helping them focus on Jesus. Paul’s reason for existence is to share Christ and make disciples. He also knows the more they seek Christ in their lives, the more abundant their lives will be. (John 10:10b)

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Phil. 2:25-30 - Return to Sender

25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and minister to my need;
26 because he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick.
27 For indeed he was sick to the point of death, but God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, so that I would not have sorrow upon sorrow.
28 Therefore I have sent him all the more eagerly so that when you see him again you may rejoice and I may be less concerned about you.
29 Receive him then in the Lord with all joy, and hold men like him in high regard;
30 because he came close to death for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was deficient in your service to me.

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Our Friend, Epaphroditus!

Vs. 25 -“I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus” - Until Timothy is available, Paul is going to have Epaphroditus return to his home church in Philippi.

“who is also your messenger” - Epaphroditus was sent from Philippi to Rome with aid for Paul.

Vs. 26 -“he was longing for you all” - Homesick. Also, we do not know how long Epaphroditus was in Rome serving Paul for the church.

“(he was)... distressed” - He did not want the church to be worried about him.

Vs. 27 -“he was sick to the point of death” - There is no information about what ailed him. Remember, there were no doctors, no modern medicine - almost any illness could be fatal. Also, news travelled slowly - no telephone, no internet, no 24-hour news service. News sent from Rome to Philippi may take days or weeks. The request for more info would require even more weeks. All the while, worry and concern mounts. Epaphroditus was a valued member of the church - they trusted him enough to send him to Paul in Rome with whatever aid they had gathered.

Vs. 28 -“when you see him again you may rejoice” - Now that Epaphroditus has recovered, Paul is overjoyed to be able to send him home. He will bring news of Paul’s ministry.

Vs. 29-30 - “Receive him then in the Lord with all joy” - Honor Him because he risked his life on your behalf.

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End of Chapter
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Phil. 2:19-24 - Help is on the Way

19 But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition.
20 For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.
21 For they all seek after their own interests, not those of Christ Jesus.
22 But you know of his proven worth, that he served with me in the furtherance of the gospel like a child serving his father.
23 Therefore I hope to send him immediately, as soon as I see how things go with me;
24 and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.

Timothy!

Vs. 19 - “so that I also may be encouraged” - Paul is concerned for the welfare of the Philippian church no matter his circumstances. He ‘knows’ it is more important for him to remain on earth to minister to their spiritual needs rather than be in heaven with Jesus! (Phil. 1:23-24) He understands they are being buffeted by false teachings and opponents of the gospel (1:27-28) They need additional encouragement and instruction, as do we all, so he is going to send Timothy to lead and teach them. Timothy would report back to Paul about the spiritual condition of the church.

Vs. 20 - “no one else of kindred spirit” - When I first read this, my reaction was, “Whoa! The only one?” Some of Paul’s fellow workers included Silas, Mark, Luke, Titus, and Epaphroditus (2:25-30). None of these guys had the same desire for the well-being of the church? Timothy appeared to be a very capable young man and devoted to evangelism, whether due to the teachings of his mother and grandmother, or the leaders of his home church. He also got along splendidly with Paul.
According to Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Paul sent Timothy to churches several times to minister, or to deal with issues and report back to Paul. Eventually, Timothy ended up in Ephesus to lead the church there (1 Timothy).

Vs. 21 - “seek after their own interests” - Again, this seems to be dismissing the other workers and helpers around Paul. It is more likely that Silas, Titus and the others are out on missions to churches for Paul. Those left with him are local believers and helpers, not called to be evangelists. They are not called to serve Christ in this way. Without Paul’s regular crew, he would definitely feel alone.

Vs. 22 - “you know of his proven worth” - Timothy has served Christ and Paul well. Timothy served the church at Philippi, and later at Berea with Silas (Acts. 17:14); then went from Athens to Thessanolica (1 Thess. 3:2). From there he went to Corinth, where Paul mentions Timothy in his letters to Thessanolica (1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1). Paul relies on Timothy to start new churches and shepherd existing bodies.

Vs. 23 -“Therefore” - Timothy has the same and attitude about caring for the new believers, so Timothy is the obvious choice of someone to send.

Vs. 24 - “I myself also will be coming shortly” - Paul hopes his imprisonment will end soon, and he will be free to travel. Then he will see for himself, and personally care for this flock.

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Phil. 2:14-18 - Crooked, Perverse People

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing;
15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.
17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.
18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.

You Are to be a Light in a Dark World

Paul ‘fleshes out’ his exhortation “work out your salvation” in the next paragraph.

Vs. 14 - “Do all things” - Whatever we do in our Christian lives should be done heartily, not grudgingly. (Col. 3:23,24).

“Grumbling and disputing” - Referring to secret displeasure (maybe without speaking up); deliberating and questioning what is true. It is symptom of pride and disobedience. Grumbling is a sure sign you are not getting you way. God is not doing what you want Him to do. Disputing is questioning what is going on, questioning the decisions being made - again substituting your own personal vision of ‘the way it should be done’. Anger or displeasure when you are not getting your way is symptomatic of an over-generous valuation of your self-worth. See Rom. 12:3.

For example, in Num. 16 , we see one of the most famous incidents - a group of Israelites, led by Korah, seemed to be plotting a coup against Moses and Aaron. They were angry they were not in the Promised Land. They were angry with Aaron as high priest and demanded to be priests also. They grumbled and disputed Moses’ decisions. They accused Moses of incompetence - after all, they weren’t in the Promised Land! Why should they accept Moses’ leadership? Moses pleaded with God not to wipe out the whole assembly. It does not end well for them.

Go back to Phil. 2:3, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit”, or Phil. 2:5, “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus”.

Vs. 15 - “you will prove yourselves” - Show the world your nature, the new nature given you by Christ Jesus. If you follow Jesus’ example (v. 5) - putting others ahead of your personal wants (v. 8) - you will become what God has planned (v. 12, 15).

“blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach” - Jesus will present His church to God the Father free from fault or defect. God determined we, the believers, would be perfect in Jesus. We will stand before His Glory confirmed blameless. God in His sinless perfection provided the perfect answer to our sin - Himself! We who are guilty of sin against God - it is our nature - will be pronounced innocent. (See: Jude 24, 25; Psa. 32:1,2; 1 Cor. 1:8, Eph. 1:4, 5:27; Col. 1:22; 2 Pet. 3:14; Jude 1:24 )

I love the verses in the letter, 1 John: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” (1 John 3:2-3) We will like Him! We will be pure! Without spot or blemish. Free to walk and talk with God, face-to-face, without fear, without shame. Above reproach - no one, no man, no angel, even God Himself finds no fault in us.

“a crooked and perverse generation” - This describes all generations, in all parts of the world, for all time. Some like to say people are basically good. While it is true that all people have a conscience (provided by God), not all people follow that conscience. Just consider the political shenanigans in the United States in the last two or three years - ‘nuff said. However, even the most perfect and considerate person is crooked and perverse when compared to God.

God is too glorious, too much for humans to face. See Isaiah’s and Ezekiel’s reaction to their visions of God. (Isa. 6:5; Ezek. 1:28) They thought they were going to die - it was too magnificent. Moses, who probably had more interactions with God than any other human (excepting Jesus!) desired to see God’s glory. He was told no human could see God and live! (See: Exo. 33:18-23).

Vs. 16 — “holding fast the word of life” - Pay attention to Jesus’ words; cling to them; apply them to your lives. Have them always in ‘front’ of you so you can heed them as you go through life. This is similar to the exhortation in Proverbs, "Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands so that you will live. Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding; do not forget and do not turn aside from the words I speak. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will guard you. Wisdom is supreme - so acquire wisdom, and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding! Esteem her highly and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place a fair garland on your head; she will bestow a beautiful crown on you." (Pro. 4:4-9)

“So that...” - Paul is looking forward to eternity. When we all face Jesus, Paul will be rejoicing with the angels, the saints, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the believers saved by the blood of Christ. Paul will know that the gospel shared with the Philippians bore fruit - lives saved.

When someone rejects the saving grace of Jesus, it is their personal decision. Paul is making their success - salvation - personal. He has worked so hard to clearly tell the message. If they turn their back on Jesus, he sees that as a personal failure. See Rom. 10:13-14. He came, he preached, and they believed. Praise the Lord. But some do not believe, and Paul wonders how he failed them. Was he not clear enough? If the believers are lured away by false teachers, Paul wonders did he not work hard enough to show them the way?
On the other hand, should God cut you some slack, and forgive you even when you have rejected Him and His grace? You must make that decision, and no one else. (That is a rough paraphrase of Job 34:31-33)

Vs. 17 - “drink offering” - Paul looks back to the sacrifices and offerings of his Jewish upbringing. This may not have had much significance to Gentiles. The ‘drink’ offering was always wine. Seldom was it offered by itself, but with another type of offering or sacrifice. We might consider it a tithe, returning to God what is already His.

“Sacrifice and service” - The sacrifice is the object offered; the service is the act of offering. Christ is the one in whom we believe and are saved. His death is the sacrifice that pays for our sin. We offer our faith to God, believing in the Son and the efficacy of His death and resurrection. The evangelist or preacher is not the sacrifice, but offers himself as a tithe to God. Returning to God that which He has provided, a life blessed and sent out for the lost.

A couple of commentaries indicated the ‘drink offering’ along with ‘sacrifice and service’ were Paul’s reflections on his upcoming execution when convicted in Roman court. I am not sure I buy that premise. There are a couple of reasons: (1) This letter was written about 61 A.D. during Paul’s first imprisonment. (2) Paul was not executed until his second imprisonment, about 68 A.D. (3) Paul thought he was about to be set free, and planned to come to Philippi.

“I rejoice and share my joy” - And I am happy to do it! My joy comes from knowing Christ as Lord and Savior. I want you to have the same joy. Our joy is not circumstance dependent. Do we confuse happiness with joy. I think it is very probable.

Vs. 18 - “rejoice in the same way” - Our joy is in the Lord, and what He has done for us.

***

Phil. 2:12-13 - Obey

12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Without Me Looking Over Your Shoulder...

Vs. 12 - “So then... work out your salvation” - The heart of this sentence is right here. Read carefully - it does not say ‘work for your salvation’, i.e., earning your salvation. “Work out” is a busy word in the NT, and it always seems to be about action! Here is just a few thoughts:

• Tribulation produces perseverance (Rom. 5:3; Jam. 1:3)
• Sin is manifested in what I am doing (sometimes even though I don’t want to be doing it) (Rom. 7:13, 15, 17, 18, 20)
• Jesus worked through me (Rom. 15:18)
• Affliction produces glory (2 Cor. 4:17)
• The world produces death (2 Cor. 7:10);
• Having done everything, stand firm (Eph. 6:13)
• The salvation provided in you from Jesus Christ will be demonstrated by your actions. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)
• Believers are not to be passive. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations...” (Matt. 28:19)

Does this mean you are to whip out your copy of the “Four Spiritual Laws” (an booklet for sharing Christ) to everyone you meet? No. (But have it memorized so you can be ready to share!)
Christ working in you should be obvious to everyone - it will be out there.

“With fear and trembling” - Always being aware that it is Christ whom you serve - the Lord of Lords, the King of Kings, creator and sustainer of the universe. “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men.” (Col. 3:23) Christ working in me, will show in my actions - which is where the ‘fear and trembling’ comes to bear. Is my life pleasing to God? Am I living out my salvation in such a way that others will want the same?
These are not rhetorical questions!

“Just as you have always obeyed” - The things they learned from him they have followed, whether he was there or not. Paul commends the church family and exhorts them. (See: 2 Tim. 2:2, Phil. 4:7)

Vs. 13 -“it is God who is at work in you” - One of the beautiful things about living the Christian life is that you are not on your own! The command to work out your salvation is not sending out on a solo mission.

We can do nothing without Christ. (John 15:5)
He has provided a “helper”. (John 14:6, 26; 15:26; 16:7)
God works in us that we may be successful! He has given us gifts - over and above salvation! (Rom. 12:3)
God works in each of the believers. (1 Cor. 12:6, 3:6)
When we work out our salvation it is by God’s grace. (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 3:5)God equips us (sets everything up, provisions us, prepares us, strengthens us, etc.) for what is pleasing to Him (not our will, but His will). (Heb. 13:21)

It is our surrender to Jesus’ and the Father’s will that empowers us. We can do nothing of worth on our own power. It is ALL GOD, and none of me.

A quote from Dr. Tim Keller: “Helplessness, not holiness is the first step to accessing God.” Accessing God is to be in His will, filled with His power.

***

Phil. 2:9-11 - Christ Glorified

9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Every Knee will Bow to Him

Vs. 9 - “For this reason” - Jesus carried out God’s plan for the redeeming of the world, and the salvation of mankind. (Note: it is Jesus’ plan also - He is God!) He voluntarily took on a humble position, that of a human. He agreed to step out of the glory of heaven on to sinful earth. Jesus agreed to die for us - death to the point of being separated from God the Father. This death is not like a patient ‘dying’ on an operating table for a few minutes - technically, clinically dead - and then being revived. Jesus was dead for three (3) days. There is no doubt he was completely dead, not almost dead.
As an example, see the story of Lazarus in Luke 1:1-44. When Jesus arrived people tried to dissuade Him from going to Lazarus. “He’s been dead for four days. He’s going to stink!”
Most of His followers were thinking, “If Jesus was dead after three days, He was going to be dead forever.” Jesus had been buried in a rush in order to get it done before the Sabbath started that Friday evening. After the Sabbath, which ended Satuarday evening, several of the women followers went to the tomb, hoping to get inside and properly prepare the body for burial. They were expecting a dead body inside the borrowed grave.

Except.
That is not what happened! Go to Matt. 27:59-66. The Jewish leaders completely understood Jesus’ reference to His coming resurrection. (I am not sure the disciples understood it as well as the Pharisees.) The Sanhedrin asked Pilate to set a guard, a Roman military unit, over the grave site. They didn’t believe Jesus would be raised from death, but thought His followers would fake it. Jesus’ followers would kidnap the body and then claim Jesus was raised as He said would happen. They knew a few fishermen could not take out a Roman guard. This would kill the upstart religion - its leader was dead and would remain so.

Except.
God flattened the Roman guard, rolled the grave stone away from the entrance. Jesus was raised to life - life eternal. The stone did not have to be moved. The burial clothes did not have to be left in the tomb. Those evidences were for our benefit. You want proof? “Come. Look! The grave is empty!” You want more evidence? “He is no longer wrapped in the funeral clothes! He no longer needs them, for He is Risen. He was dead, and is now alive!”

“God highly exalted Him” - The highest honor possible has been given to Jesus. The United States gives medals to honor our military servicemen and women - Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and Distinguished Service Medal to name a few. There is one honor that is above all others - the Congressional Medal of Honor. Many Congressional Medals of Honor are awarded posthumously. A living honoree is saluted by generals!
Christ died to free us from sin. He paid the ultimate price for us - he gave His life that we may live eternally with Him. (See: Rom. 5:8; 1 Pet. 3:18) The honor Jesus received: His name is the only one that will save. (See: Acts 4:12) Those who believe in Him are recorded in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Jesus is the one who can say, “This person is mine, and can be with Me in glory.”

God’s perfect justice was satisfied. Jesus’ death was for God, to pay for sin. His resurrection is for us. How do we know that ‘Jesus’ sacrifice was more than sufficient? If the price was not paid, Jesus would not have been resurrected! Our sins no longer keep us from God. He is alive; we will live with Him. We will see God face-to-face and rejoice. We can come “boldly to the throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16) because of Jesus. We can come without fear; we come rejoicing! Compare this to the warning in Eccl. 5:2 to “not be hasty” as you approach God’s throne. God’s love for us eliminates fear (1 John 4:18).

“bestowed on Him the name” - There are certain people that when you meet them or are introduced, you are immediately respectful. When someone says, “The President of the United States” you are respectful (if you have been raised right, you will show respect even if the President is not in your political party). Whether it is a mayor, a governor, the head of a college, a Nobel Prize winner, a Hall of Fame athlete, etc, these people have earned respect.

Jesus has done so much more. He saved you from eternal death, He provides the only way to salvation (Rom. 1:16; Acts 4:12). Almighty God. Omnipotent Lord. Lord of Lords. King of Kings. Forever and ever. The Lamb Who was slain. The Alpha and Omega. The First and Last. The First-born of all creation. Any one of those names is higher and greater than any President or athlete. The One above every other: He is Savior. Jesus.

Vs. 10-11 - “so that at the name of Jesus” - Jesus means: “Jehovah is Salvation”. While interesting, it’s not what is important to this discussion. Think of a convention or conference, when the main speaker is introduced all the people in the room clap or cheer. No one else in the world cares, the world trudges on. The picture painted here is entirely different: Jesus is announced to those around the throne of God. Everyone immediately bows to Him, goes down to one knee with head bowed, acknowledging He is Lord. Everyone, alive or dead, everywhere stops and surrenders to Him.

“who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth” - There is no place in all creation, there is no being - physical or spiritual - who will not acknowledge that Jesus is Lord.

“every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” - There will be some who may want to give grudging acquiescence. When Christ the Lord is revealed, the awesome power and glory will overcome them. An example: I played a round of golf with a guy who had played on scholarship for a college. On the first hole he almost drove the ball onto the green on a 300 yard hole! He did it so smoothly, I knew at that moment there was no way! I was along for the ride, not for competition.
When we see Jesus in heaven there will be no doubt who is in charge - Jesus! Throughout scripture the appearance of God, or an angel of the Lord, causes awe and fear. Look at Exodus 19 an 20. Even when angels from the Lord appear to people, one of the first things said is, “Don’t be afraid.” These are angels, not God Himself. The visions that Isaiah and Ezekiel, or the apostle John, had indicate the scene is vastly overwhelming.

“to the glory of God the Father” - What does this mean? It is something we hear in church all the time, so commonly heard that there is almost no impact. However, the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write this (See: 2 Tim. 3:16, 17) so let’s think about it. God is already glorious, as evidenced in other scripture. (See: Exo. 19, 20; Isa. 6:1-6; Ezek. 1:4-28; Rev. 15:4ff; 20:11) The verses from Revelation are pictures that give us a better understanding of this phrase - Giving praise to God for what He as done. One of my favorite hymns has a line, “To God be the glory. Great things He has done.” (see note 1)

From Francis A. Schaeffer, “ ‘The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.’ It would be scripturally false to leave out the second phrase - ‘and to enjoy Him forever.’ Nevertheless, the first phrase is the first phrase: ‘The chief end of man is to glorify God.’ And in Christianity we have a non-determined God who did not need to create because there was love and communication within the Trinity, and yet having been created, we as men can glorify God. But we must feel the force of both sides of the issue. If we fail to emphasize that we can glorify God, we raise the whole question of whether men are significant at all. We begin to lose our humanity as soon as we begin to lose the emphasis that what we do makes a difference. We can glorify God, and both the Old and New Testament say that we can even make God sad. That is tremendous.”

Why Wait to Rejoice? Rejoice Right Now!

Giving glory to God is you and I standing in the presence of God and proclaiming, “You, O Lord, did it! You alone saved me! You alone had the power! You alone made the sacrifice!” When a team wins the World Series, or the Super Bowl one player gets honored as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) acknowledging his contribution to the victory. Jesus is the MVP here. But let me be clear, it is all Him and none of us. We made no contribution to His victory over death.
Perhaps that is why we cast our crowns to Him on the throne. Our crowns have been given to us by Him, and are His. We are saved and are with Him - forever. We are not in hell. What rejoicing that will be.
But why wait to rejoice? He has saved you now. You are His now, not just in the glorious future. Paul makes it clear in the first letter to the Corinthians, our hope is in heaven and is sure because Jesus is raised from the dead. We have hope for the future. We also have hope for here and now. “For if only in this life we have hope in Christ, we should be pitied more than anyone.” (1 Cor. 15:19) Clearly, Paul believes Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10), in the here and now. If release from the shame and guilt of sin in our life here on earth is all there is, it is pitiful. Pitiful in the respect that God has so much more planned for us. “But just as it is written, ‘Things that no eye has seen, or ear heard, or mind imagined, are the things God has prepared for those who love him.’ God has revealed these to us by the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” (1 Cor. 2:9-10) Wonderful, majestic things await us in heaven! Wonderful things are with us now - joy, the peace of God, joy, peace with God, joy!

Our pastor Jeremy T. gave a great sermon Sunday (28-Oct-18) on Worship. He said, (I am paraphrasing it) “How you worship shows what you believe.” This echoes a line from a sermon given a few years ago by our senior pastor Jerry B., “How you live and act shows what you believe, not what you say you believe.” Do you believe that Jesus saved you from death and hell? Rejoice and glorify Him!

*** Note 1: “To God Be the Glory”, Fanny Crosby, & William Doane. (page 363, right there in the front of the hymnal). ***

Phil. 2:5-8 - Christ is Obedient

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Christ is Our Model

Vs. 5 - “Have this attitude in yourselves” - Putting others first is a different attitude than what we see in our society, “You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others.” Jesus said He came to serve an save. (See: Matt. 20:28; Mk 10:45; Luk 12:37) He emphasized to His disciples that the person who would be ‘first’ must serve others and be ‘last’. (Matt. 19:30, 20:16; Mk 9:35; Luk 13:30) Whoever wants to be looked upon as first among many is putting personal interest and aggrandizement ahead of all other people.

Put the needs of others ahead of your own. So the question may arise, “How do I look out for the interests of others” or, “How do I regard others as more important?” These may sound like stupid questions. The answers seem obvious, yet they are big concepts, and people will want to know procedures, actions to be taken in order to do these concepts. Rather than just concepts, show me what you want me to do. What do you mean by that?
Paul says, “Here is a perfect example. Follow Christ’s behavior.”

Vs. 6 - “did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped” - This seems like a weird statement, because Jesus is God, was God, will always be God. God the Father is wholly God. God the Holy Spirit is wholly God. God the Son is wholly God. If Jesus is God ( He is! ) (John 1:1; 8:58; 10:28-30, 36-38; 14:9), why would He have to ‘grasp equality’?
There may be a feeling that Jesus becoming a human would make Him “less” than God. I am not saying that Jesus was less than wholly Holy God. One of the great theological mysteries is that Jesus was wholly human and wholly God at the same time. The triune God had a plan for salvation of the world, and its humans. That plan involved Jesus the Son of God coming to earth and dying for our sin. If Jesus had balked at that plan, He would be placing His Godship above the needs of the world - placing His position and Himself above the need for salvation of the world. Jesus has equality with God. He chose not to demand to keep it.

Grasping for equality with God has been the basic sin that has led to this point. Satan, a created being (perhaps a cherub), a beautiful and powerful angel desired to be like God. That temptation gave way to evil desire, which led to sin, and a rebellion. (See: Isa. 14:12-20; Ezek. 28:12-19; Rev. 12:7-9) That rebellion, an attempted coup, was put down by God’s army of angels led by archangel Michael. (See note 1)

Satan lured Eve and Adam with the idea they could be just like God if they ate from the forbidden tree.(See: Gen. 3:4, 5.) Fast forward to the 17th and 18th century - one of founding principles of the Enlightenment is that man is the ultimate judge of all things. In other words man is a god. Man is the “captain of his soul, the master of his fate” (See note 2).

Replacing God on the throne of your heart and life with your own ego and spirit is ‘grasping equality with God.’ You are declaring you can run your life better than an all-powerful, all-knowing God who loves you and wants the best for you.

Vs. 7 - “emptied Himself“ - Going from Heaven and being in the presence of God the Father to being fully human has to be a BIG STEP DOWN. We have no idea, cannot imagine, what heaven is like. We only have glimpses, hints and allegations. Jesus became a human to save sinners; I am one He saved. Jesus voluntarily laid aside His privileges as the Son of God, when He became a human. (See: John 1:14, 10:17, 18; 12:48-50; Rom. 8:3; Gal. 4:4)

“taking the form of a bond-servant” - See the paragraphs about bond-servant in previous discussion about Phil. 1:1. Jesus God was not forced to be the sacrifice for our sins. We are not forced to accept His sacrifice.
God offers. We accept or not. See: John 3:36. Our salvation is conditional - we are saved if we accept and believe. Just as the bond-servant became a servant for life, Jesus became the propitiation for all who believe. (Propitiation: Christ became our substitute, took our penalty, paid the price for our sin.)

Vs. 8 - “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient” - I like the way Heb. 2:17 says Jesus had to be made like us in order that all things pertaining to God (justice and mercy, forgiveness and eternal life) would be possible for us. Under the Old Covenant, sins were covered by sacrificing an animal - lamb, goat, bullock - its blood was poured or sprinkled on the altar in the tabernacle or temple. Those sacrifices were not permanent - they only covered what happened between the previous sacrifice and this one. The Jews had to have faith that God accepted the blood of the sacrifice.

Jesus’ sacrifice paid it all - all of our past sin, all of our present sin, all of our future sin - all of our sin. Note: We commit sin because of our sin nature. Our sin nature is not the result of our sins. Our sins are the manifestation of our sin nature. That sinful nature is inherited from Adam because of his disobedience in the Garden of Eden.

“to the point of death” - This needs no more explanation than He sacrificed Himself for us, that we might spend eternity with Him. “While we yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:8.

***

Note 1: (Some have posited that Gen. 1:2 where the earth was formless and void (a jumbled mess) was a result of the battle that raged between the warring angel armies. I am not sure about that, but it makes an interesting thought to ponder.
Note 2: paraphrased from “Invictus”, W.E. Henley

***

Phil. 2:3-4 - Nothing from Conceit

3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
4 Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.

Interests of Others

Verses 3 & 4 provide a guideline for the phrases from verse 2, above: “being of same mind”, “maintaining the same love”, “united in spirit”, and “intent on one purpose”. Verses five through eight will give us an example for which to follow.

Vs. 3 - “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit” - Almost self-explanatory. As Christians we are not to be focused on ourselves. We have nothing for which we can be proud.
Proud of our sins? Isn’t that why we try to hide our sins from others? Isn’t that why we try to hide them from God?
Proud of what we have done to attain righteousness? Can we say we have earned our salvation?
We are warned about putting too much hope in our self-worth. (See Rom. 12:3)
Thinking too highly of ourselves will lead to problems. (See: 2 Tim. 3:2; Jam. 3:14, 16)
Jesus had few kind words for the self-righteous and conceited Pharisees. (See Matt. 27, especially 27:27, 28.) If that chapter was one speech - no wonder the leaders were furious. If it was a collection of statements about the Pharisees’ leadership - He didn’t let up on them, at all!!

“with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves” - Sometimes when playing golf with buddies, and they hit a great shot, we tease them saying, “We are not worthy...” That obviously is fake self-abasement. Paul is telling the Philippians, “Realize your deep sense of your moral littleness.” We owe it all to Jesus, to God’s grace and His mercy

Vs. 4 - “do not merely” - Same thought as in verse three, above, stated differently. The ideas expressed by the repetition are for emphasis (Yup. I just repeated the thought). We see this technique used throughout the Bible, especially in Proverbs. “Selfishness” = Personal interests. “Interest of others” = others more important than yourselves.

***

Phil. 2:1-2 - Encouragement

1 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
2 make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

If There Is ...

***

Vs. 1 - “Therefore” - He is saying to them, “Based on what I have just told you...” Go back to chapter 1:25-28. There five things on which the ‘encouragement’ is founded:

• They are progressing in their faith and joy
• Paul knows they can be proud of that progress,
• Conducting themselves in a manner worthy of Christ,
• They are standing firm,
• They are not intimidated by opposition.

“If there is” - A big “If-Then” statement follows. A similar ‘if-then’ is in the letter to the Galatians. The ‘if’ portion is also seen in Gal. 1:1, and is followed with the ‘then’ portion in Gal. 2:2.
Any of these four following items being true in their lives means they will bring joy to Paul:

Encouragement in Christ - Jesus promised He was preparing a place for us in heaven. (John 14:1-4) Jesus also appeared to the disciples, reassuring them of the resurrection and giving them the Great Commission. (Matt. 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-20, Luke 44-53) Believe in Him and you will be saved!

Consolation in love - We are to demonstrate Christ living in us by our love for one another. (John 13:34, 35; 14:21, 23; 15:9, 10, 12, 17)

Fellowship in the Spirit - We have a common bond that draws us closer together - the Holy Spirit - given to every Christian (i.e., believer in the Lord Jesus Christ). (See: Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 1:9; 2 Cor. 13:13; 1 John 1:3, 7).

Affection and compassion - Paul tells us in Col. 3:12 to be compassionate with each other.

Vs. 2 - “Make my joy complete” - Paul will be overjoyed they are demonstrating growth and solidarity in Christ. They can build their fellowship because of the encouragement, love, and compassion with following characteristics.

Being of same mind - This is not “Stepford Wives” type of same mind. We are not mind-numbed robots, little holy automatons. (See: Rom. 12:16, 15:5; 1 Cor. 10:10)
The one mind is: us focused solely on Jesus Christ and what He has done for us, “so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 15:6)

Maintaining same love - Loving each under in Christ. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another” John 13:34. I think there are few commands laid down for us as Christians. We are given lots of guidelines and directions. The most important commands:
Love Jesus.
Love each other.
The worship song from the 70’s says “They will know we are Christians by our love”.

United in spirit - Recognizing we are joined in the Holy Spirit. “What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ... If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:3, 6-7)

“Intent on one purpose“ - the world would see Christ living in us. To live a life worthy of Him. (Col. 1:10)

***

Phil. 1:29-30 - Granted for Christ’s Sake

29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
30 Experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and hear it to be in me.

Suffer for His Sake

Vs. 29 - “For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,”

“For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake” - The reason you need not be alarmed when attacked by Christ’s enemies (they are now also your enemies) is three-fold:
(1) You are saved. They are lost, eternally, from God. (See discussion in vss. 1:3-5 Posted 2-Jul-2019)

(2) You believe in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit by God’s grace to Christ’s glory. Each individual who believes (comes to Christ) is cause for joy in heaven. Everyone there (I mean EVERYONE) says, “You did this, Lord! Worthy art thou our Lord, and our God.” See the following from Revelation:
"Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, Who was and who is, and who is still to come!" (Rev. 4:8)
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals because you were killed, and at the cost of your own blood you have purchased for God persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation.” (Rev. 5:9)
“And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say: "Come!" And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge.” (Rev. 22:17)
“Then I heard what sounded like the voice of a vast throng, like the roar of many waters and like loud crashes of thunder. They were shouting: "Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the All-Powerful, reigns!’” Rev. 19:6

(3) You will suffer persecution because of your faith to Christ’s glory (See the discussion below next).

“to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” - This does not sound like something to look for in our lives. Christ warned His disciples that His followers would suffer persecution, because the world will hate them. The world will hate us, because the world hates Jesus (and God the Father, and the Holy Spirit.) See: Acts 5:41; Rom. 8:17; 1 Thess. 3:4; 1 Pet. 3:14; 1 Pet. 4:19; Rev. 2:10. Also, fear, awe, or respect for God has a higher potential for return than fear of mankind, See: “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matt. 10:28)
“Whoever, then, acknowledges me before people, I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven.”Matt. 10:32, 33.
Satan is the prince of this earth (world) (Eph. 2:2) and he rebelled against God. Basically it was an attempted palace coup (Rev. 12:6-9). Satan lost.

Rejoicing erupts in heaven at the announcement of another soul saved. There is rejoicing when a Christian stands firm in the gospel in spite of persecution. Hallelujahs ring out! Again, those present glorify Jesus because one of His own remained true and faithful to the end. He is glorified because He provided the power and strength. The martyrs are not successful by their own might or strength, but by His Spirit. (Zech. 4:6)

Vs. 30 - “Experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and hear it to be in me.”

“Experiencing the same conflict” - That is: which do I hope for, work toward? Stay here on earth fulfilling Christ’s mission for me? Dying and being in heaven with Jesus? Same dilemma Paul faced. We know we are instructed to preach the gospel and see people saved. We know we would be far better off seeing Jesus face to face, because we will be just like Him (1 John 3:1-3). The Philippians know from reports and communications with Paul what he was telling them.

***
End of Chapter
Philippians 1:1-30 (NASB)

Phil. 1:27-28 - However comma

27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
28 in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.

Don’t Be Alarmed

Paul expressed confidence in the Philippians in the previous verses. He was willing give up heaven for the time being - not permanently, mind you - in order to care for them, pray for them, disciple them so they would know and experience Christ as did Paul. Yet he worried for them since he was not there with them.

Vs. 27 - “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel”

“Only” - Nevertheless, whether I am there or not, be worthy of the price paid! Always.

“I will hear of you that...” - If Paul comes to them, (he may not if the Roman emperor doesn’t free him) they can rejoice with him in person. If Paul is detained by Rome, then he will rejoice when he hears they are not drifting from the Gospel. He will hear from messengers an witnesses they are holding to the truth.

“Standing firm in one spirit, with one mind” - When we are ALL focused on Christ as Lord and Savior, we can hold each other accountable. We are in a spiritual battle. Christian soldiers in a war against the forces of Satan. (See: Eph. 6:12-17)
The people of Philippi would clearly understand the military implications of standing firm. Warfare in the first century was very up-close and personal, i.e., mostly hand-to-hand. The foot soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder, shield in one hand, sword in the other. They had to stand firm agains the charge of the enemy, to keep them from breaking through. No army wants the enemy at their defenseless backs.
The one spirit we have is the Holy Spirit. The one mind comes from correctly understanding our salvation and spiritual growth. The Holy Spirit also will teach and lead us to the truth . When we grow in knowledge and understanding we all come closer and closer to the true path.

As an example, when a pilot is learning to fly a plane he doesn't have the knowledge or acquired skill to keep the plane on the correct glide path. The plane will drift above and below the path until the pilot gets familiar with the controls and their effects are various airspeeds. A student pilot may operate the plane when flying well above the ground. As they begin to touch down, the teacher, or senior pilot takes the yoke to steady the plane and bring it down smoothly. Similarly, when a teenager is learning to drive a car, the first goal is to learn to keep the car in the lane. All these skills, braking, steering, parking, etc., must be learne and practiced until they become habits.

Vs. 28 - “in no way alarmed by your opponents--which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.”

“in no way alarmed by your opponents” - You, the church, will never be without opponents (at least while the church is on this earth). Don’t worry when enemies of Christ try to bring down the church. This will happen until the end of time. Remain strong and true in the faith. Your stability, your strength, your peace in Christ will only serve to show the enemies how they are losing the battle.

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Phil. 1:21-26 - Here or There

21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.
23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better;
24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,
26 so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.

To Live Is Christ

Vs. 21 - “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain”

One of Paul’s most famous sentences. See also: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” Gal. 2:20
Our whole Christian life is to be centered in Jesus - not in church, not in worship in church, not in baptism or communion, Sunday school or growth groups. We live to serve Christ the Lord.
Even so, Paul knows that when he dies, he will be with the Lord in heaven! That is the “gain’ of which he writes! This is the dilemma for Paul - while living he serves Christ as he has been called to do; and if dead, he lives with Christ, face-to-face in joy and continuous light. He is joyful serving Christ. He looks forward with joy to being with Christ!

Vs. 22 - “But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose.”

“this will mean fruitful labor for me” - Paul sees his life mapped out. As long as he is alive, he has work to do. He is a missionary, an evangelist, a preacher and teacher for Christ. And he is in “a target rich environment”! He knows that as long as he shares the Good News people will come to a saving knowledge of Christ - his labor will be fruitful! See: “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14) As long as Paul is alive, they will hear the message. He will be working. “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 15:58). Serving the Lord is not ‘busy-work’ or spinning wheels - people will be saved.

“I do not know which to choose.” - I think this could be read, “I’m not sure which I would choose.” Paul really does not get to make that kind of choice. It’s not similar to saying, “What shall I have for lunch - hamburger or tacos?” He knows his life is in God’s hands. He doesn’t know for which he should pray - a continued ministry in Rome, or going home to heaven with Jesus. One is obediently fulfilling his calling. The other is glorious!

Every once in a while someone asks how you are doing, and the response may be, “Alive and kicking - better than the alternative!” I know it’s a cute light-hearted answer. It’s better to be alive than dead. (Well, duh!) This will sound pedantic, but the above answer might not be a good Christian response - since it only compares living or being dead. How about a slightly different answer: “Alive and kicking, and waiting for Christ’s return!”

Vs. 23-24 - “But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.”

“hard-pressed from both directions” - He is pulled mentally and emotionally - remaining to do his calling, or going home to heaven to be with his Savior! What to pray for? Torn between the two things he is passionate to do! Personally, it will be much better for each believer to be face-to-face with Christ in heaven than ANYTHING we may be doing on earth. However, Paul felt a tremendous responsibility to those people in the churches he started. I don’t think Paul was possessive about them, but has extreme concern for their spiritual welfare.

This letter is not a typical letter from Paul - typical being “for teaching, for reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.” (2 Tim 3:16) Almost every letter is sent to correct some problem: legalism (Colossians), Christ plus Judaism (Galatians), a young church leader (1 Timothy), sinful behavior (1 Corinthians), etc.

In this letter Paul encourages them to live their faith in joy. This joy comes from their secure knowledge that Christ lives in them.

Vs. 25 - “Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,”

“Convinced of this” - It is more important to stay and mentor these believers. He believes it is necessary for him. (See verse 24 above.) You may think Paul is being arrogant, thinking he is the only person that can steer them in the right direction. On the other hand, he has watched false teachers spread a ‘contrary gospel’ in other churches. (See: Gal. 1:8,9) He knows, is convinced, that with proper guidance, they will grow in their faith.

“continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith” - Progress - we are not to sit and do nothing after being saved from sin by the Lord’s sacrifice for us. Stasis is not the goal for Christians. Yes, we are saved from the penalty for our sin and heaven is in our future. Christ’s command is to make disciples, not make believers. (Matt. 28:18-20) We are to share the gospel so the Holy Spirit and Jesus can call them to belief and salvation. As people received the gospel and believed they began immediately to be taught by the apostles. (Acts. 2:41-43)

We are to be changed, from the normal self to a new self (Rom. 12:1,2; 1 Pet. 1:4-16). There is work for us to do. (Eph. 2:9) We are to live in a manner worthy of the Lord. (Col. 1:9-11)

“Manner worthy” - does that not imply the way you lived before is not acceptable? How do we determine what is an acceptable way of living? Trial and error? Learn by doing? There will always be a certain amount of ‘on-the-job-training’ as we go through life, but Jesus has given us the Bible, teachers and exhorters to disciple us. Our faith is not as is Orthodox Judaism, which uses the Torah (Law and Prophets) plus the Talmud (Encyclopedia Britannica sized document explaining and interpreting the Law). The Christian faith has fewer laws, and more principles and guidelines. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved” is the one main Law of the new covenant. (See: John 20:31; Rom. 3;22; Gal. 2:!6, 3:22; 1 Tim. 1:!6; 1 John 3:23). We must learn how to love one another as He loved us. We must learn how to disciple, how to forgive, how to be hospitable, to operate a church.

“joy in the faith” - Considering what you have received in return for your faith in Christ - be joyful!

Vs. 26 - “so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.”

“your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus” - In this case, the NASB, fractures the English. It is much clearer to say, “you will really be able to rejoice when I return to you, through the Lord Jesus Christ.” Sometimes I can get so caught up in parsing a sentence or a couple of words the basic meaning is clouded.
Verses 23-26, simplified say: “I would rather stay on earth to teach you so you will grow in Christ. Your growing will allow you to really rejoice when I see you again.”

Ponder that...
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Phil. 1:18-20 - Christ is Proclaimed

18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,
19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

Christ Will Be Exalted

Vs. 18 - “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,”

“What then?” - So what? That there are people spreading the gospel in order to harm doesn’t matter; it makes no difference, the Gospel will be preached.

“in this I rejoice.” - Paul is happy the good news of salvation through Christ is being told. He doesn’t care about the motives, as long people are being saved. There is one caveat: the message must be the true gospel. Read the letter to the Galatians for Paul’s reaction to teachers of a “contrary gospel”. (See Gal. 1:8,9, also elsewhere in this blog, Bible Study Notes, http://bsn-by-gas.blogspot.com

Vs. 19 - “for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,”

“deliverance” - This word is also translated as ‘salvation’, and in one Bible version as ‘vindication’. Paul’s salvation was not based on the preaching by friends or enemies. He rejoiced because the Gospel was preached! One of the goals of his ministry was to train others to share the gospel. (See 1 Tim. 2:2) His efforts are bearing fruit, a vindication to others that Paul was doing what God called him to do.

“through your prayers and the provision of the Holy Spirit” - Lifted up by prayer, controlled and empowered by God. Paul knows he is not alone in his effort.

Vs. 20 - “according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death”

“I will not be put to shame in anything” - The power of Jesus Christ and His calling of Paul will continue to lead him in his work for the Lord. The success is God’s for He is at work through Paul. The same is true for you and I. Follow Jesus and pray for each other! Now and forever Christ can live in you and through you. (See John 17:23, 14:20)

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Phil. 1:15-17 - Appointed for the Defense of the Gospel

15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;
16 the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel;
17 the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.

Preaching Christ!

Vs. 15 - “Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will”

“preaching Christ even from envy and strife” - Paul’s enemies are spreading the gospel in order to cause problems for Paul as he evangelizes. Think how someone could preach the Gospel without believing it. Wouldn’t they almost surely stray from the true message? How could Satan encourage those to tell the truth about Christ? Leading people to salvation through Jesus Christ would drive the enemies of the church to distraction. The angrier they get, the wilder their accusations become. It would be worth telling a few lies, from their perspective, to get believers harassed, arrested, punished and killed. It would be worth a few lies to grind the church to a halt. This would seem to work as long as the church has a relatively small presence in a culture. I can’t see this plan working in the United States, or any non-Muslim culture. Someone acting this way in a hostile environment for the church would be an undercover agent, a spy to lead believers to entrapment.

“from good will” - These are people emboldened to preach Christ by Paul’s courage. In spite of the dangers, Christ is being proclaimed as Lord and Savior. They follow Paul’s model. They preach so others may have life abundantly.

Vs. 16-17 - “the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment”

“The former... out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives” - These people are filled with envy and cause strife because they wish to cause harm. The letter by Jude explains this: “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ‘In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts. These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.’ ” (Jude 1:17-21)

What a clear image this gives us:

• mockers - deriding your belief and faith in Christ
• own ungodly lusts - following emotions rather than the truth;
• causing divisions - divide and conquer, like wild beasts and predators separating a weaker prey so it is defenseless;
• devoid of the Spirit - A person would never spread lies about our Savior if led by the Lord.

“Thinking to cause me distress” - Paul was not intimidated by any actions of men. He lived for Christ, not for men. Whether people were pleased on not, it mattered little. “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) He knows full well that our struggle is not with men, but spiritual. (Eph. 6:12) I am not saying Paul was unrealistic about the circumstances or the struggle ahead fer the church in an evil and corrupt world. The description in Eph. 6:13-18 is preparing the church for war - “Onward Christian Soldiers”.
Satan will fight with all his resources until he is finally cast into Hell for eternity. He is the enemy of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The world is his battle field. He may have lost, but he will take as many down with him as possible!

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Phil. 1:12-14 - Progress of the Gospel

12 Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,
13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,
14 and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.

My Imprisonment is Well Known

Vs. 12 - “Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,”

“my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel” - The church in Philippi knew Paul was in prison in Rome. This letter was written from jail in Rome over two years after Paul invoked his Roman citizenship, which was because of the way he was treated in jail for two years in Jerusalem. The news of Paul’s incarceration would be spread by word-of-mouth throughout the churches. His fame, or infamy, would have been a source of water cooler discussion through the realm.

I am sure there was concern, “If this can happen to Paul, it could happen to me.” It was a reason for celebration for Christ’s enemies. “At last we got him. Now he will shut up, and this cult will dissolve.” Paul was letting the Philippians know their worries were unfounded.

Vs. 13 - so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to everyone else,

“cause of Christ has become well known” - The enemies of the church thought Paul would be silenced. Ha! In your face! Paul was not silenced.
He spread the gospel into the heart of the Roman Empire. Paul preached Jesus Christ in the Near East, in Galatia (aka: Turkey), in Greece and in Rome.
Jesus commanded, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” (Mark 16:15). He instructed before Pentecost, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth." (Acts 1:8) Bringing the Gospel to Greece and Rome accelerated the spread throughout the world.

“Praetorian guard” - The ‘praetoria” are the elected civil magistrates responsible for running the Roman Empire - the Senators and Consuls of the Roman government. The guard was an elite unit of the Roman Army, formed about 60 BC by Augustus to be a personal security force, and served the Roman Empire until around 312 AD. This elite group guarded the emperor and the Roman Senate members. This would be similar to the US Secret Service, or the Pontifical Swiss Guards of the Vatican, or the Royal Guards (‘Beefeaters’) serving the Queen of England.

“And to everyone else,” - The gospel was shared with the elite guard and it is highly likely these men shared what they heard and learned with others.
Paul may have been a ‘celebrity prisoner’, in that he was there because he petitioned the emperor of Rome, not because he was criminal. Paul appears to have been under house arrest, rather than in a dungeon, and so would have been allowed visitors. Everyone and anyone who wished to meet this amazing man could do so.

Vs. 14 - “and that most of the brethren, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear.”

“have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear” - Paul was free to share the gospel. His boldness gave those around him courage to speak out.
Look back to the apostles before Pentecost. What were they doing? Hiding in fear. (John 20:19). They were bolder after Pentecost, but were harassed and persecuted by the Jewish authorities (Paul being one of the persecutors until his conversion). Seeing Paul preach and share while in prison was a huge blessing for other Christians to be encouraged to live and share their faith.

The persecution has not stopped from 40 AD to the present. There are countries where true courage is needed to share the Gospel. We have a pastor in our church who goes to these countries. He cannot email information back to the US about his ministry while in these foreign countries. The authorities could read the emails and imprison the believers identified. Being a Christian in those countries takes courage!

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Phil. 1:9-11 - Love Abounds

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,
10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;
11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Paul’s Prayer for Them

Verses 9-11 are a prayer for the church in Philippi -
Paul’s Prayer is that:

• Their love would grow because they hear and know the truth,
• They would learn by intellect and by experience how to discern between good and evil,
• They would apply that knowledge to their daily lives,
• They would not fall away from the faith,
• They would manifest the fruit of the Spirit,
• They would know all this is from Christ Himself.

Vs. 9 - And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,

“that your love may abound” - In verse 6, Paul is confident that Jesus will complete His good work in them. Jesus said he came that we might have life, abundantly. (John 10:10) Included in that abundant life is love. (See John 14:21, 23). Paul’s goal is “love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” for his friends and fellow Christians. (1 Tim. 1:5)
Love, not just for itself by itself, is to fill us with His power - we have His love and His power. “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline”. (2 Tim. 1:7) When we surrender to Jesus we can fellowship with Him, the Father and the Holy Spirit.
This is fantastic! But, like the TV commercials, “But Wait! There’s more!”

“real knowledge and all discernment,” - Jesus told us the Holy Spirit would teach us. See: "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17) And "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.“ (John 14:26).
The knowledge is not for knowledge itself, although that is important. The Lord intends for us to grow in faith and holiness. We learn and obey and are blessed by the Father. "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." (John 14:21) The ability to recognize sinful behavior before you do it, and so avoid it, is part of discernment. Discernment is not just a NT concept. See Psa.119:11, Job 34:31-33; Pro. 6:20-23.

Vs. 10 - so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ;

“approve the things that are excellent” - Moral clarity is one of the goals of growth in discipleship. In Hebrews we read, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” (Heb. 5:12-14).

Living in the power of the Holy Spirit not only helps you avoid sin, it frees you from shame and guilt. “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’" (John 8:31-32) Free from living legally, “thou shalt” or “thou shalt not”. This is not saying we will live sinless; we are all far too human to do that. There’s an old joke, “Learning is the ability to recognize a mistake the second time you make it.” That is not the way Jesus wants us to live.
Guiding by the Holy Spirit gives us the opportunity to resist the devil. We are to learn and apply, getting discernment, in order to avoid sin. Paul urges us, in the Colossians letter, to “keep seeking the things above, where Christ is,” and “set your mind on things above, not on the things on earth.” (Col. 3:1, 2) These are the excellent things.

“sincere and blameless” - See: Jude 1:24-25. In Christ, and nowhere else, we will be found without sin. When we are in the light of Christ’s glory, because of His glory, we will be blameless and without blemish.
One of the concepts of sincere is to be “found pure when unfolded and examined by the sun's light”. Jesus is the light of the world, and people do not want to be exposed to His light. "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (John 3:19-21)

To be blameless is to be “without offense, not troubled by a consciousness of sin”. David similarly said, “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!“ (Psa. 32:1-2).

Vs. 11 - having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

“having been filled with the fruit of righteousness” - See: Gal. 5:22-23. Have you wondered why God gave the rules in Leviticus and Deuteronomy? I have heard people say it was for ‘health’ reasons in the form of dietary laws, human relationships, etc. Although there is some truth to those claims, God wanted the Israelites to be DIFFERENT from the tribes and peoples around them. Having One God, and one only to worship was a HUGE change from the pagan nations around them.

The fruit of righteousness shall be in our hearts and in our lives. It shall be obvious to all those who live around us. Christians are to be different. We are to be lights in a dark and sinful world - lighthouses to provide both a warning and to show a path to safety and life.

“which comes through Jesus Christ” - The life we live as Christians shall be different than those who do not believe in Jesus Christ (This statement assumes you are living in the power of the Holy Spirit, and not under your own power). It is Christ who lives in us, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Every thing we have and do is because of and through Christ Jesus, the Lord Almighty.

Here’s a quote from an early church leader (See note 1): “When we consider that Christ is the true light, having nothing in common with deceit, we learn that our own life also must shine with the rays of that true light. Now these rays of the Sun of Justice are the virtues which pour out to enlighten us so that we may put away the works of darkness and walk honorably as in broad daylight. When we reject the deeds of darkness and do everything in the light of day, we become light and, as light should, we give light to others by our actions.
“If we truly think of Christ as our source of holiness, we shall refrain from anything wicked or impure in thought or act and thus show ourselves to be worthy bearers of his name. For the quality of holiness is shown not by what we say but by what we do in life.” [Emphasis is mine.]

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Note 1: author unknown to me.
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