Philippians 3: Will You Rejoice In Christ Jesus?
Verse of the Day: (V3) “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
1. Rejoice In Christ Jesus (V1-7)
V1 “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.”
Though Apostle Paul was imprisoned for preaching the gospel of Christ, yet he rejoiced in Christ Jesus as he counted it a privilege and honour to suffer for Christ. It is not easy to rejoice in bad time, when we lose our job or loved ones or health, but with God we can truly rejoice because through it all we learn to trust in Him. It is not so much the circumcision of the flesh as the Jews would desire to follow their tradition, but it is the circumcision of our hearts where the Holy Spirit lives in us as we rejoice forever more!
V3 “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
2. Knowledge Of Christ Jesus (V8-12)
V8 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,”
When Paul received Christ as his Saviour, he counted his achievement as nothing compared to his knowledge of Christ Jesus. He counted it a great privilege to suffer and even die for the gospel, as Christ also had suffered and died for him and the whole world!
V10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
3. High Calling Of God In Christ Jesus (V13-21)
V13 “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”
There were many pressing things that Paul needed to do, but the one thing he must do was to forget all the past sins, failures or glories, and look to Christ Jesus, and press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The calling of God is the highest calling than even that of the President or the King of the whole world!
V14 “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to rejoice in Christ Jesus in good as well as bad time.
