Skip to main content

Philippians 3:1: Rejoice in the Lord


Philippians 3:1
[1] Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. (ESV)

Rejoice. In the Lord. This is a them throughout Paul's entire epistle to the church at Philippi. He takes a moment here to say it again. Rejoice. He adds the words "in the Lord." As we have previously considered, joy is a state that we choose to live in, that is not based on circumstances. This stands firmly against "happiness" which is circumstantial and fleeting.

I believe that there is a deep part of us that longs for joy, yet many settle for chasing moments of happiness. A night of drinking provides temporal happiness, but the reality of life comes harshly back in the morning. A vacation, an expensive vacation, or even a nice home are all temporal examples of happiness. None of these things satisfy our deepest longings.

Paul not only says that we should pursue joy. He tells us exactly where we will find it; in the Lord. When we come to a reality that the Creator of the universe knows us intimately and loves us it enables us to trust him to give us all that we need. There is no one who knows our deepest concerns more than the one who made us.

The world is going to tempt us with chasing after things that will never satisfy our deepest longings. The Creator says to us: "Do you want forgiveness of sins? I have given you my Son. Do you want to be free of the fear of death? I give you eternal life. Do you want direction in every decision that you make? You have my Holy Spirit." Rejoice. In the Lord.

What are you chasing after? Are you seeking happiness which is here today and gone tomorrow? Pursue joy. You will find it only in the Lord.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Romans 8:18: For I Consider That The Sufferings Of This Present Time Are Not Worth Comparing

Romans 8:18 [18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV) Perspective. What an important word. Let's be honest. We do not like the idea of suffering. We will do almost anything to avoid any kind of suffering. Some churches have gone so far as to preach against the idea of suffering, declaring it to not be a part of the true believer's life. Paul is not shy about the topic. Paul uses the sufferings of this present time as a means to consider the greater glory that awaits us. Perspective. Paul is not in any way attempting to diminish our suffering. A view toward eternity puts our suffering in a proper understanding. Yes, our suffering is terrible. In the grand scheme of eternity it is not even worth comparison. Maybe you are thinking that Paul does not know what he is talking about when it comes to suffering. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes countless beatings, often near death,

Romans 11:24: For If You Were Cut From What Is By Nature A Wild Olive Tree, And Grafted, Contrary To Nature, Into A Cultivated Olive Tree . . .

Romans 11:24 [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. (ESV) We continue looking at the illustration of an olive tree. The root of the tree is the covenant relationship relationship of God with Abraham. Abraham's faith is what this spiritual tree is built on. The first branches would have been the faithful people of Israel, who like Abraham, placed their faith in God. They believed God, just like Abraham, and it was credited to them as righteousness. There were branches of the people of Israel who never placed their faith in God. Because these branches were not true followers of God they were broken off of the tree. Faith in God was the essential element that made the branches true branches of this spiritual tree. Some branches remained. Others, the faithless unbelievers, were removed. After Jesu

Romans 15:20-21: And Thus I Make It My Ambition To Preach The Gospel, Not Where Christ Has Already Been Named

Romans 15:20–21 [20] and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else's foundation, [21] but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see, and those who have never heard will understand.” (ESV) We need to be reminded continually that the message of the Gospel is intended to move all across the world. Jesus said that his followers were to preach the Gospel, starting in Jerusalem, and continue preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Christians have not always been good at delivering the Gospel message as far and as often as they should. In the first century church it took intense persecution to motivate the disciples in Jerusalem to bring the Gospel to Judea and Samaria. Once the disciples fled to new regions they shared the Gospel wherever they went. Would the disciples have preached the Gospel without the persecution? We may never know. Some probably would have stayed in their co