United For A Purpose
Grace to you from Jesus our Savior and God our Father!
School is back in full swing and yet it still feels like summer. The heat has not let up and it seems as if the “dog days of summer” will never end. We know change will come but we find ourselves becoming a little impatient because currently we are uncomfortable. All we have to do is get our mind focused on something else and we will be better able to endure the present until change comes.
What would you think if I told you the same advice will work when we are finding life in this world difficult because of our faith in Christ? There are untold challenges which we would like to change with regard to how the world treats Christians. In many parts of the world there is outright persecution. There are those who will suffer the loss of a job because they believe in Jesus. In our nation the most we generally have to endure is a slight bit of ridicule.
There are other ways we suffer as Christians in this broken sinful world. There are the times the war which is raging within us makes us want to scream! We see what life is like on the other side. People live as if they don’t have a care in the world and that the consequences of sin will never touch them. They lie, cheat, and even steal and do so every moment with a smile on their face. Most of the time they get away with it. And here we are seeking to live according to the will of God, and we find ourselves struggling just to make ends meet. It just doesn’t seem fair! But is fair what we really want?
Paul speaks today of our attitude in the face of the hardships we experience in this world, but I dare say the words he speaks are given to people living in totally different circumstances than we experience in our lives today.
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if 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. Philippians 2:1-2
In the midst of suffering for Christ when it seems all the world is out to get you, what is needed is a refocusing of your mind onto the blessings God has provided in Christ, and then you can endure the hardships of today. Can you imagine? We endure snide comments and whale about suffering for Christ. Paul is in prison, awaiting trial for the Gospel, and he is facing an unsure future. The people of Philippi have suffered much hardship because of Christ. Yet, Paul speaks of encouragement, love, fellowship, affection, and compassion. What do these have to do with our lives as we endure hardships?
In the same way we need to focus our attention away from the hot sultry days of summer, and remember Fall is coming with cooler weather and holiday celebrations, so when we are enduring hardships for Christ we need to remember the blessings which we possess and the ones coming our way.
It is the encouraging times of life which sustain us as we journey through the valley of the shadow of death. What greater joy have you ever experienced than the moment you understood the blood of Jesus was shed for you and that God the Father truly loves you and wants you? It is this love experienced in the past which can sustain you when experiencing hardships for Christ. What bonds do you have in this world which are stronger than those created by the Spirit of God? Bonds of love between you and God and between you and your brothers and sisters in Christ. It is knowing you are not alone but that the same experiences in your life are common to all Christians which enables you to endure. You are not being singled out and what you are experiencing is not unique to you alone. We stand shoulder to shoulder with every believer in this world and through all time and history.
Paul encourages us with the words, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Have you ever stopped to reflect on the fact that the Apostle Paul who brought the Gospel to Europe may very well have laid the foundation of the Christian faith which has descended person by person all the way to you? Certainly, his writings have been a blessing in your life as a child of God.
It is as we hold onto the forgiveness which has been delivered to us by the grace of God that we begin to understand the great sacrifices which have been made for our salvation. Yes, it was Jesus on the cross who became the Sacrifice to God to win salvation for us. Having accomplished this for the whole world, we see countless men and women who were first blessed with forgiveness who then turned around and sacrifice themselves in service to the Gospel to bless others. You are a recipient of the sacrifice of Jesus and all who served the Gospel from Paul all the way to today.
When Paul says by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose, this is what he is addressing. Nothing brought greater joy to the heart of Paul than for the people of God to proclaim the Gospel of Christ for the salvation of the world. This is what has blessed us, and this is the purpose for our lives today.
May we be so united in our love and purpose that we bring this same joy to the heart of our Savior as we make Him known.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
School is back in full swing and yet it still feels like summer. The heat has not let up and it seems as if the “dog days of summer” will never end. We know change will come but we find ourselves becoming a little impatient because currently we are uncomfortable. All we have to do is get our mind focused on something else and we will be better able to endure the present until change comes.
What would you think if I told you the same advice will work when we are finding life in this world difficult because of our faith in Christ? There are untold challenges which we would like to change with regard to how the world treats Christians. In many parts of the world there is outright persecution. There are those who will suffer the loss of a job because they believe in Jesus. In our nation the most we generally have to endure is a slight bit of ridicule.
There are other ways we suffer as Christians in this broken sinful world. There are the times the war which is raging within us makes us want to scream! We see what life is like on the other side. People live as if they don’t have a care in the world and that the consequences of sin will never touch them. They lie, cheat, and even steal and do so every moment with a smile on their face. Most of the time they get away with it. And here we are seeking to live according to the will of God, and we find ourselves struggling just to make ends meet. It just doesn’t seem fair! But is fair what we really want?
Paul speaks today of our attitude in the face of the hardships we experience in this world, but I dare say the words he speaks are given to people living in totally different circumstances than we experience in our lives today.
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if 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. Philippians 2:1-2
In the midst of suffering for Christ when it seems all the world is out to get you, what is needed is a refocusing of your mind onto the blessings God has provided in Christ, and then you can endure the hardships of today. Can you imagine? We endure snide comments and whale about suffering for Christ. Paul is in prison, awaiting trial for the Gospel, and he is facing an unsure future. The people of Philippi have suffered much hardship because of Christ. Yet, Paul speaks of encouragement, love, fellowship, affection, and compassion. What do these have to do with our lives as we endure hardships?
In the same way we need to focus our attention away from the hot sultry days of summer, and remember Fall is coming with cooler weather and holiday celebrations, so when we are enduring hardships for Christ we need to remember the blessings which we possess and the ones coming our way.
It is the encouraging times of life which sustain us as we journey through the valley of the shadow of death. What greater joy have you ever experienced than the moment you understood the blood of Jesus was shed for you and that God the Father truly loves you and wants you? It is this love experienced in the past which can sustain you when experiencing hardships for Christ. What bonds do you have in this world which are stronger than those created by the Spirit of God? Bonds of love between you and God and between you and your brothers and sisters in Christ. It is knowing you are not alone but that the same experiences in your life are common to all Christians which enables you to endure. You are not being singled out and what you are experiencing is not unique to you alone. We stand shoulder to shoulder with every believer in this world and through all time and history.
Paul encourages us with the words, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Have you ever stopped to reflect on the fact that the Apostle Paul who brought the Gospel to Europe may very well have laid the foundation of the Christian faith which has descended person by person all the way to you? Certainly, his writings have been a blessing in your life as a child of God.
It is as we hold onto the forgiveness which has been delivered to us by the grace of God that we begin to understand the great sacrifices which have been made for our salvation. Yes, it was Jesus on the cross who became the Sacrifice to God to win salvation for us. Having accomplished this for the whole world, we see countless men and women who were first blessed with forgiveness who then turned around and sacrifice themselves in service to the Gospel to bless others. You are a recipient of the sacrifice of Jesus and all who served the Gospel from Paul all the way to today.
When Paul says by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose, this is what he is addressing. Nothing brought greater joy to the heart of Paul than for the people of God to proclaim the Gospel of Christ for the salvation of the world. This is what has blessed us, and this is the purpose for our lives today.
May we be so united in our love and purpose that we bring this same joy to the heart of our Savior as we make Him known.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
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