Philippians 1:3-11
We’re in the 2nd year of this pandemic. And we’ve been seeing a lot of corona virus variants emerging and surging. Our province wide Covid-19 infection modeling says, we could reach 18,000 infected a day, before May ends. We are in a dire situation, they said, from bad to worse. And to add to this, we see a lot of protests going on around us. Thus, sometimes we can’t help but think, what good will come out in all of these things? Will there be something good happening in this dire situation? The Bible said yes, and I want to share it with you today.
1. God has always something good prepared for us.
“3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. “7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.” Philippians 1:3-7.
· There were some protests done against him that were recorded in Acts chapter 13-15.
· Some Jews from Antioch and Iconium followed him in Philippi and did some violence against him, until he landed in jail there.
· But one of those memorable imprisonments was in Rome in about 62 A.D., where Paul was able to write letters that became part of our New Testament Bible.
· He gained more confidence in the continuance of the Lord’s work, v.6.
· While in prison in Rome, Paul became intimate with his Philippian friends, v.7.
2. God has everything under His control.
“he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6.
· Paul was assuring his friends that even in his physical absence, God has everything under His control, and He will continue the work of the gospel through them.
· Nothing on earth or heaven will hinder God from accomplishing His purposes and plans; not suffering, not pains, not isolation, not even death.
· Paul believes that he was replaceable. God alone can create circumstances and use people to accomplish the work of the gospel.
20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” Philippians 3:20-21.
· As citizens of heaven, we enjoy God’s perfect sovereignty.
· “God is in control” is not a slogan that we say when something goes wrong or bad.
· It is a fact that we remind ourselves that God has the absolute power to govern His creation.
3. God planned for your good long time ago.
“that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11.
· It is in difficult times where the love of the church for one another matters the most.
· Biblical love is a deep commitment to bring out the good in others.
· God planned for you to abound in love as a matter of joyful response to the His unfailing, gracious, and unconditional love.
· God planned for us to grow in moral perception and practical application of Scriptural knowledge.
“29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” Romans 8:29.
· The destiny of true believers is to be like Jesus in words and deeds.
· A true believer is called to a blameless life - not to be involved with controversies that stumble others from following Christ.