Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
But first off, I would like to pray that the Holy Spirit reveals what He wants and that things that are from me are forgotten. Holy Spirit, we honour you today. Thank you for revealing us the Love of the Father through Jesus. We confess that we have not been satisfied with only You. We have looked for our love in other places. But you are good and you forgive us freely. Reveal the attributes of God's love to us. Open our eyes and open our hearts. Stir up zeal for Jesus. We live to please You. We know that you are concerned with our happiness. We also demand the same from you. Lead us into Life and Peace, this is the fullness of Your goodness to us. We come before you like sheep, frazzled and skittish. We do not know what is good for us. You want to settle our hearts. Deepen our hearts. I ask that any frantic thoughts which have latched onto us today would perish in the name of Jesus. and give us joy in our souls. Amen
Well when I started thinking about pleasure, I thought, it's to do with outside and if I used that word too much the effect would not catch on very quickly because it stirs up pictures or connotations that we do not like mentioning. But you can't repent of pleasure, it's something ingrained in you. it's where you get it from.
I have been reading from Psalm 23. Who knows the number of times God has spoken to Jesus saying "I am well pleased with you"? He also lives to please His father. If you use that word it makes you think of wanting to do the will of the Father. So when we talk about pleasure it's talking about what has been done, or what will be done. (in fact, Jesus says "Your will be done" while in the garden) There are a few verses in Psalm 23 I want to draw from:
[A] Psalm 23:1 "A Psalm of David. THE LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. "
[B] Psalm 23:4a "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;"
[C] Psalm 23:4b "For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."
Here we see, [A] The Father, [B] The Son, [C] the Holy Spirit
So even in this Psalm are the 3 working together. But if we look at the Psalm these words are used these times:
He: 5 times
Me: 13 times
I: 4 times
So there is an invitation to us. That means that community isn't so much gathering together and liking each other. But the community is with God and He invites us to enter in the same way as He has (by His Son) but to say we are God would be stupid (and unhelpful anyway) but he says "Share in my Glory" In Hebrews 1 it says:
: 3 "who being the brightness of His glory"
So he is the radiance. Now if we think of the sun, the radiance of the sun is light on the earth, but if we were to fly close to the sun all we would see is a ball of hot molten lava. In the same way, the radiance of God (brightness) is the thing that we feel, and touch, and examine. In the same way, when God brought His Own Son, as the radiance of His Glory, we now can rejoice in His radiance. In the same way, we appreciate his Glory. That's what He means when he says "Share in my Glory"
So what I'm thinking about is how people tend to pursue pleasure in other ways. But if this is the way of pleasure, then it turns our view upside down - Jesus came in the Pursuit of Pleasure - and He is the Master. I'm not quite sure how to put this... We were reluctant to come to God for pleasure in this way because we thought that it was unattainable.
2:5 "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,"
From Psalm 23: This is the very mind of Christ Jesus. What was he thinking of while he was on the earth? What was the thing going through His mind? In fact, he says in John 17:24
"Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world." (emphasis mine)I have italicized the words that I would like to emphasise here.
Because this is what I would die for. This is what I have died for. To purchase you the same mind... "Let this mind be in you" like a prayer.
2:6 "who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,"
This is the only time this is mentioned in the bible and for good reason because it reveals just the lengths of how he humbled himself. "did not consider" himself. that means he didn't think of Himself. Or also "he did not consider it" that is his divine nature, being in God's likeness. As if it didn't exist. This is the process he draws us into. Because it says that when we will die, we will live. Also that the Spirit leads us in Life and Peace.
Pleasure in God means that we take concern for the things of God. Do a word study on that! Because if you are looking for pleasure in your own interests, then Paul nails it. You are not looking for pleasure in God. In a later verse it says this:
2:21 "For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus."
If Jesus had desire for His Glory on His heart just before He died, and we find out His very mind is to go to the death, then it would make sense that pleasure is a big deal to God. For we have a God who achieved all His purpose together when He sent His own Son to come to earth. His pursuit was pleasure, our happiness.
The emphasis for community is pleasure too. Because 3 times it mentions "concern" for your "state" or "circumstance" or "suffering" tender care. And also it mentions "being concerned" about the things of Christ Jesus. If I please Him, then that is me coming to Him for pleasure, because in my pursuit of pleasure, I have found Him, the source of all pleasure and all life. When I say "I want to please Him" it's only as a result of realizing the maturity of love, which is not asking "can I love you" but realizing that God does love you and that if he does we can have confidence, confidence which says "I love you" and "I want to please you" so God is the source and originator of it all.
This man Jesus, he made to be the name above all names. Lets stop there. That means that "For all eternity" the very thing that we want and have seen, and have touched, is the "name of Jesus" which is being poured forth in our hearts, because in Psalm 19 it says "The Heavens declare the glory of God... day unto day the pour forth speech... night unto night the display knowledge" so if any name is being proclaimed in the Highest Heavens, it is being poured forth in our hearts, which is His love, his glory, his pleasure, his delight. In fact, when we sing to Him he also "sings over us" and says "Why don't you sing of my goodness, my glory, my love, my faithfulness, my kindness" et cetera. The very things that I sing will be him singing because it says "He sings over us" but If I do sing them then He knows that's what I want.
2:12 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;"
Therefore... This man Jesus who is ascended into Heaven and stands at the right hand, who will come again. My Beloved, in 1 John 3:1 it says "What manner of love is this that we should be called children of God" The Beloved of God "That is what we are" that is our identity and value. that is where our source comes from. The only thing that counts. And the entrance into God's pleasure. Because it says "This is my Beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased"
The next phrase "as you have always" here are a group of people that have listened to everything that He says, and done it! and so they know about it all. But at this moment they are wondering "what about this suffering, this circumstance, this ordeal? what do we make of it?" Christ Jesus himself suffered, Paul suffers, so we too suffer. It's not saying that we should be afraid though - (this is like I'm typing out Psalm 23:4) For us Suffering produces a reward! Because God himself says that I brought this suffering upon you! Not because he is wanting to destroy you, on the contrary, if it is unescapable, the same joy that is in us will be in them! It's all they need to hear!
But hear this word. "obeyed"
consequence is a good word. Consequence is what makes you tremble and be afraid, consequence is what makes you say, "I repent, I turn to God!" because He is good to me! Consequence is the voice of the law. But it says in Romans "The wrath of God is being revealed" It is the hand of God to bring evil to it's climax. He has to do it, because he has to make an utter end of sin, of evil, of wickedness on the earth. Because He is inaugurating a Kingdom and destroying everything else. The hand of God is responsible for bringing about absolute and utter evil on the face of the earth. It says in Isaiah "deep darkness will cover the face of the earth" Why is he doing this? In fact, going to Psalm 23:4 it says "I will fear no evil" The day when the full wrath of God is poured out full force onto everyone who will not turn to God. And why? because there are no consequences! Yes, when he says "Objects of wrath" in Romans, he is not saying "oh yes, that one will be an object of wrath, this one will be an object of pleasure" in the human sense, as if wants to. Because in another place he says "I desire that no one may perish, but all come to a saving knowledge of God" the word desire means never changing, never ending, never relenting, and is definitely on the heart of God - this desire will not change, end or relent. This same desire permeates every action He does. Wow! To partner with that desire!
But when he says "Objects of wrath" He is saying, He Knows what will happen. In Ephesians it says "You were by nature under his wrath while you were enslaved to this world, as we all were" but when we come to Christ, we become objects of pleasure, objects of mercy, the ones that fury is quenched forever from. Because Christ took your place, not only your sin, but also your burial, also your tomb labelled "Inevitability" yes you were under death and you were in the chains of death. But when you come under Christ you are free! That is because you are controlled by the Spirit. This is the marvellous promise of consequence, that just as they did, so will you, and you are rewarded. Consequence. So next time you think "Consequence" then think "Aah! This is God's goodness for me, because now I will no longer by a slave, but be free and controlled by the Spirit" oh, God's goodness to us!
This is the rejoicing I feel when I behold the radiance of God in Jesus. And Jesus is the Name of God poured forth in our hearts. This is well pleasing.
2:13 "for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure."
Yes it is God! This process was started and ended by God. To live in the Will of God. To do. that phrase again "Good pleasure"
The next few verses:
2: 14 - 16 "Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. "
He wasn't talking about that generation, he was talking abou this generation, when the blameless and harmless ones (that is the picture of a dove) who are Children of God, will shine. Yes shine as lights in the world. Up until now we have been talking about the Philippian church. The ones that He says "obey him in his absence" a picture of just how we are not yet seeing Christ Jesus. Such was their enthusiasm that they would obey, not just while he was there, but concern, or pleasure was stirred up for Him, (that is Paul or Jesus) while they were weak. While they still had issues, while they still wondered about circumstances, while Jesus wants to lead, restore, lay down, take up and do what he wants because He wants to. And I guess that is the definition of pleasure - that he wants to do it. May this mind be in you.
But something is revealed of Paul's heart here that he can say "if you do not achieve this, then my life is vanity..." like Moses "cut me off from the land of the living" He has made everything in this life count for another's purpose, and knows that even if He dies, it's better for him because He will be with him. This is true obedience, the same kind of attitude as Christ Jesus who made himself nothing, to quench the fury of God (some people think Moses had low self-esteem) No it is a place of strength to be able to say "to live is Christ, and to die is gain" this is the same empathy Paul has for His own countrymen. Who "are enemies in the flesh" and whom he has suffered persecutions from, who has received death threats from (even attempts) been stoned by, et cetera. This is the Love of Jesus.
2:17,18 "Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. "
This phrase is used in Song of Songs, and also in Revelation when it refers to the marriage supper of the Lamb. "we will be glad and rejoice in You" it is also mentioned in Matthew 5 where Jesus says "rejoice and be exceedingly glad, because great is your reward in Heaven, for so they persecuted the Prophets who were before you" those who foretold the coming of the Messiah - Who experienced the pleasure attached to knowing the one and only, the Son of God, the Son of Man, Jesus.
Lastly, there is a phrase used in this passage i really like. It's "like-minded" like minded isn't just talking and saying "we have no discussions or disputes amongst each other" this kind of unity is shallow. The unity that this describes is the tender-hearted care one feels for another when they are pleasing to God, the same love which says "How do you know you love your brother, but by keeping the commandments" In 1 John.
Wow! God is so good!
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