Paul (Saul at birth) was Jewish born in the city of Tarsus. He was a Roman citizen. He was a highly educated Jewish religious
leader; a Pharisee. He was a persecutor
of Christians. Saul had a dramatic conversion
to Christianity in 35 AD. He met Jesus
on the road to Damascus
in a supernatural encounter. Saul, the
learned Jewish Pharisee, became Paul, a devoted servant of Christ. God had been preparing him during all of his
previous years as he studied the scriptures and lived in the knowledge of the
Jewish faith, rituals, and laws. The
Jews were waiting for the Messiah. After
his conversion, Paul knew that the resurrected Jesus was the Christ prophesized
in the Jewish Scriptures.
The Church at Philippi was
founded by people whom Paul led to Christ during his first missionary journey
to that region. Philippi was a Greek City
named after Philip the 2nd of Macedon who was the father of
Alexander the Great.
Paul, who knew the Old Testament, became the primary apostle
to the Gentile Christians. Paul’s letter
to the Philippians was written about 60 AD while he was in a Roman prison. Paul had a special bond and love for this early
Christian church. The letter is a
testimony of Paul’s beliefs and feelings.
It gave the recipients then, and continues to give readers now, a sense
of hope, joy, and encouragement.
Paul begins each of his letters with a greeting which gives
glory to the origin of his faith and words; “Grace and Peace to you from God
our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”. The
letter to the Philippians is personal, prayerful, loving, joyful, and thankful.
I love the promise in verse 6. It tells us that when God starts a good work
in us, He will bring it to completion.
After Salvation, God will continue growing and maturing us in our faith
and understanding. This process is
called Sanctification. The Holy Spirit
grows us in holiness and Christ-likeness.
No matter what state Paul found himself in, he remained loving and
joyful in himself and toward others. His
love and joy was dependent on God’s Grace, not his circumstances. Paul knew that God had a plan. Whatever was happening in his life was part
of that plan. His chains were helping to
advance his testimony and the gospel. He
knew that when others observed his courage and testimony it would make them
bolder in their faith. Paul continued to
pray for the Church members; that they would increase in love and in the
knowledge of truth. He preached
confidence, unity, and perseverance. Paul
knew that he and others who were preaching the Gospel had either false or true
motives. God knew each heart and the
important thing was that Christ and His gospel were being preached. Paul was courageous and unashamed. He trusted God’s plan for the use of his
life. To die would be easier than what
he was going through but less beneficial to God in His plan to spread the
Gospel and grow the early Christian Church.
Paul continued to rejoice in the Lord and in his situation because of
the love and prayers of the believers in the Church at Philippi. He had joy in the knowledge that the Spirit
of Jesus Christ was guiding and directing him to remain obedient and confidant.
Paul told the Church to stand firm and united for the one
cause of expanding the Gospel. God had
saved them by His Grace and His Grace would be sufficient. God’s Grace would bring them through their times
of trial and suffering in the same way that He was directing, protecting, and
using Paul to further Christ and the Gospel.
He who began a good work in you - Steve Green (With Lyrics) - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNjZlHARnEk
Jan 3, 2009 - Uploaded by JesusWork.com Jesus Work Ministry
