Paul wrote this book to the people of Philippi while in prison in Rome. If you remember, in Acts 16, Paul and Silas were jailed in Philippi and sang songs of praise while in prison. They were saved by God and converted the jailer and his household because of it.
Paul is in prison once again, but in Rome, and he's writing this last letter to the people of Phillipi to thank them for their prayers and love.
Chuck Smith summarizes this book best in his Bible Commentary:
Philippians is a special book that shows us how to live above the present circumstances, rising above adversity not just by surviving, but by thriving in the joy of the LORD.
Philippians 1
(v.9) We grow in Christ by learning His Word and gaining His wisdom and discernment.
(v.12) We don't always understand why God allows hard times in our lives. Here is another great example for us to see...it took Paul being in prison to write these wonderful epistles to the churches. If Paul wasn't in prison, he would have kept going from church to church, and speaking to them in person. We would not have had the historical documentation of what he wrote unless he was forced to sit still.
God has His purposes!!!
(v.21) What a life it is to be a Christian! If we live on earth, we have the opportunity to serve Him by loving and serving others. If we die, then we are with Him! We know that we will end up with Him someday, so make the most of the opportunities He gives us today!
(v.27) If you put people together that are walking with the LORD, there will be harmony. For our template and instruction manual is the same...the Bible. If we put others' needs before our own, then we will live more joyful and productive lives.
Philippians 2
(v.3) If we put the word, OTHERS, as the focus of our lives, then we will be serving the LORD!
(v.6) We can't fully understand the Trinity, but I try to give my kids something to grasp:
God the Father ~ the mind/brain
God the Son ~ the body
God the Spirit ~ the spirit/soul
As it says in Gen 1:27 that God created us in His own image, having a mind, body and soul. All parts of these are still us, just as the parts of the Trinity are One God.
(v.10) All of us, individually, will bow before Christ and give account for our lives. If we are saved by our faith, then we will have rewards for the works of God that we did. But if we are not saved, then our sins will be judged by the Law, and we will be sent to hell. Start with yourself, and make sure you are saved by a true faith in Christ, then work on witnessing to others.
Some cults try to say that this verse shows that Jesus isn't God, but they fail to see all the many verses throughout the Bible that declare the deity of Jesus. Plus, here it just says that our worship of Jesus is glorifying the Father...that makes sense, since the Father sent His Son to save us!
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