Philippians 1: 27 – 2: 11

Jan. 24, 2022

27Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

28And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

29For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

30Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

2Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

5Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

For me, chapter 2, verses 9 through 11 are both a battle cry and a warm blanket on bitterly cold day – a great comfort.

It’s a battle cry to me when I read and hear and see the terrible things done across the world. It stirs up in my heart when I feel outrage and pain at all that is just patently wrong in our own country and around the world. Jesus is coming and there’s going to be a reckoning. All wrongs will be set right. The Father’s Plan will be finalized in Jesus coming again.

That’s when the warm blanket will wrap us in His love, wipe every tear, obliterate pain and sorrow and we are once again in the perfect garden.

In the meantime … it’s our duty and privilege to pray each day and night, pray unceasingly (1Thess. 5:17), and know that the Father hears our prayers. Even when we’re so upset we don’t know how to pray, the Holy Spirit hears our groanings (Rom. 8:26) and makes our prayers known.

And while we’re at it, continue, as we do during Holy Communion, continue to pray for the ‘Whole State of Christ’s Church’.

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