INTRODUCTION: In Part Two of this study in Chapter 2, we examined at some length this passage:
PHILIPPIANS 2:5-7
5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
“…made Himself of no reputation…” – in other words, He disrobed Himself of all His glory and power just so that He’d look like any one of us (The only time He let us peek at Him as He really is, was on the Mount of Transfiguration; MATT 28:3; MARK 9:3) and perhaps in the Garden of Gethsemane when He declared “I AM” (JOHN 18:5-8). Rather, He took upon Himself the form of a bondservant – this is GOD made flesh! He exemplified precisely what it means to be humble, and how He willingly humiliated Himself in order to serve us!
This is astonishing to me – that the Almighty would wash feet, reason with unreasonable religious hypocrites, minister to an inexhaustible degree for the needs of people in healings and provisions.
In continuing in this train of thought. We continue on now in Part Three of Chapter 2…
PHILIPPIANS 2:14-15
14 Do all things without complaining and disputing, 15 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,
We are to follow our LORD’s example in living a life of humility, serving others with a focus of “Jesus First, Others Second, Yourself Last” (J.O.Y.). That means that whatever we are doing, it must be without complaining, murmuring, bickering, etc. – even when you have every justifiable reason (from our human perspective) to do so. GOD sees the unfairness of your situation, how you’ve been taken advantage of, how others are misrepresenting you, and He knows your frustration and agitation.
It's best to surrender it to GOD, to let the offense go, knowing how much offense that the LORD let go on our account, and did so with a full heart out of love for our souls!
We know GOD takes a VERY dim view of “complaining” (among other things). Consider once again the children of Israel as the trapsed through the wilderness on their way to Canaan:
1 CORINTHIANS 10:6-11Verse 15 admonishes us to be blameless – that is, to live uprightly in the righteousness of Christ, and by so doing, shining the light of Truth and GOD’s illimitable grace before an unbelieving and often hostile world that reviles and persecutes us. Be careful that we not give the world a cause to blaspheme GOD because of any un-Christ-like attitudes and speech, or compromise with sin in our lives:
6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, "The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play." [EXOD 32:1-6] 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; [NUM 25:1-3] 9 nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; [NUM 21:5-6] 10 nor complain, as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer [NUM 14:1-4; 29-37]. 11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.
MATTHEW 5:10-16, 44-48
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14 "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 "Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
44 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 "that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect (See also 1 PET 2:12).If we are truly disciples of Christ, then we need to take our conduct seriously and follow after our Father, showing this world that we are no longer living a life of darkness, but walking in the light of the LORD (EPH 5:1,8)
This will undoubtedly attract some hatred, or at least mockery by those who hate the Light of the LORD which is our blessed salvation (JOHN 3:20; PSA 27:1).
Not just blameless (this doesn’t mean sinless perfection [an impossibility this side of eternity] but with faithful integrity), but also harmless – “…harmless as doves” (MATT 10:16). Wolves are never worried when a herd of sheep come around (have you ever heard of attack sheep?). While the world counts us as their enemies, we are ambassadors of Christ to them (2 COR 5:20-21). The LORD Himself is depicted as “the LAMB of GOD” Who upon facing His greatest trial of the Cross, could have called upon twelve legions of angels that probably could have devastated the entire population of the world in a single night.
But He was like a defenseless worm (PSA 22:6) that could only writhe silently in pain were you to step on it (Incidentally, I’ve read that the kind of worm mentioned in this Psalm is a Scarlet or Blood Worm that when crushed exudes a substance that could stain fabric red).
We are not to seek vengeance on our persecutors but submit to such, knowing that the LAMB of GOD is also the LION of the Tribe of JUDAH – who will rectify all wrongs, rendering pure and holy justice for every sin. Like our LORD, Stephen’s conduct was highly commendable as he was being stoned to death, as with his dying breath he said, “Lay not this sin to their charge” (ACTS 7:60).
“…in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation…”
Or as it reads literally in the Greek, “an untoward, froward and corrupt nation, generation, age” – this is the world, in contrast to the church (“children of GOD”) which is to grow in “blameless and harmless” as well as boldness and holiness.
We don’t use words like “untoward” and “froward” these days. Untoward means something unexpected as in being inappropriate. It also means difficult to guide, manage, or to work with. Froward means willfully disobedient and difficult to deal with.
In today’s world rebellion is seen as “cool” and admirable, something to emulate. Obedience is looked upon disparagingly – even in the church, where people mutter “legalism” when confronted with that word.
Satan is all about promoting chaos and confusion, disrupting the order and establishment of GOD’s creation and rule. Think of a vandal entering a building at night where an organization that they oppose has meetings. They gleefully trash the place, confiscate promotional materials, ransack every corner and burn the place down. That’s the MO of Satan!
“In the beginning GOD created…” and at the conclusion where it states the “evening and morning were the first (second, third, etc.) day. GOD saw that it was good. The words evening and morning can also refer to “disorder” and “order”, that is to say, every day in the creation week, GOD established greater and greater order until finally on the sixth day, GOD created the pinnacle of His work: Adam and Eve – Man and Woman and declared that day as being “very good”.
Satan hates everything that has to do with GOD and the world as He created it; that’s why he loves to corrupt, pervert, malign and deform what GOD made. He delights in ruining and polluting GOD’s order and we see his evil work in today’s world, perverting and corrupting such things as marriage and sex, sexual identity, family, fidelity and integrity, even the very notion of truth and justice.
The ultimate achievement in the disastrous darkness of the devil will be the exaltation and worship of the Beast by all the world. It’s that very spirit of darkness and disorder – the spirit of antichrist that has been at work in the world ever since the incarnation of Christ and is heading towards its apex in our day.
The only thing holding it all back is the Holy Spirit embodied in the church which is to be “salt and light” (MATT 5:13-14; 2 THESS 2:6-8) – and shine in this perverse, corrupt, rebellious age of man.
PHILIPPIANS 2:16
16 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.
“Holding fast” here means “to retain, to detain, pay attention to, give heed to, to hold forth…”. We want to hold on to the Word of Life as though our life depended on it – and it does, in the sense that it’s the Holy Revelation of GOD that we resort to and acquire all that we need to be saved and to “live godly in Christ Jesus” (2 TIM 3:12; TITUS 2:12; 2 PET 1:3). In a very real sense, we Christians are spiritual lifeguards searching the seas of sin for those drowning in their iniquity and cry out for help (1 TIM 6:9; MATT 24:12).
We can sometimes criticize apostle Peter for his blunders (and he, like all of us, made some tremendous ones!) but there are times when I read what he said and think, “Way to go, Peter! Right on!”. This is such a time:
JOHN 6:66-69As the LORD Himself told us:
66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
JOHN 6:63“…that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain…”
"It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life (see also 2 COR 3:6).
PHILIPPIANS 2:17-18
17 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. 18 For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.
I love these verses, and the heart that apostle Paul here exhibits. He uses Old Testament terminology that refers to “the drink offering” – something we see throughout the Scriptures (GEN 35:14; EXOD 29:40; LEV 23:13; NUM 28:10; ISA 57:6; EZEK 20:28; among many other references).
We saw this with David and his valiant men when they were fleeing from before their bloodthirsty enemies. They were in hiding and David longed for home – or more specifically:
2 SAMUEL 23:15-17Some have drastically misunderstood David’s action here, seeing it as an insult when the exact opposite is the truth! See how his men truly loved David – that they would imperil their own lives by infiltrating enemy territory just to secure a cup of water for their friend from his native well there in Bethlehem!
15 And David said with longing, "Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!" 16 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it but poured it out to the LORD. 17 And he said, "Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this [to keep it for himself and drink this water]! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things were done by the three mighty men.
Upon presenting this water to David, he realized what the cost of that cup could have been: the life’s blood of his friends! It was too precious to waste upon his own thirst. It was the greatest gift – not the water itself, but the willing sacrifice of his friends, and because of that, no one except GOD was worthy to receive it!
So David made that cup of water a drink offering to the LORD.
We have heard such expressions like “they really poured their heart out,” or “they poured themselves into their work” – it’s a flow to complete emptying of oneself, leaving nothing in reserve.
In the Old Testament drink offering, as well as that of David’s cup of water, and here we have apostle Paul’s words, that he likewise considered his entire life as a drink offering, pouring himself out in service on behalf of the beloved saints at Phillipi.
The supreme and loftiest example of course is that of the LORD Jesus Christ: His life, His death, and in His resurrected state – still giving of Himself with abandon:
MATTHEW 20:28And apostle Paul did so without grudging (which he just finished admonishing the saints about; as well as in 2 COR 9:7; see also 1 PET 4:9), without the least bit of reluctance, but willingly, joyfully with absolute abandon! It’s a tremendous truth to appreciate:
"just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
PSALM 22:14
I am poured out like water, And all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It has melted within Me.
HEBREWS 7:24-25
24 But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
MATTHEW 16:25First and foremost, we lose our old life for the sake of the LORD, and in exchange He imparts His new life as we are transformed from sinner to saint! Secondly then, we follow His example of serving others.
"For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
PHILIPPIANS 2:19-21
19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. 20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.
Among Paul’s entourage there was Luke, Silas, Epaphroditus and Timothy – Barnabas was not there in Phillipi ministering the Gospel, nor were any of the apostles. Demas and others who once served with Paul were not there. But among those who were, apparently there was no one as likeminded with him as was Timothy in the care of the saints there in Phillipi.
This speaks volumes of the integrity of this young man that Paul took under his wing (ACTS 16:1-3; 1 COR 4:17; 1 THESS 3: 1 TIM 1:2; 2 TIM 1:2,52). It becomes even more obvious when we examine the pastoral epistles of 1 and 2 TIMOTHY. In a very legitimate sense, Paul saw Timothy as a kind of successor – though he was not an apostle, but a pastor. Paul’s charge is very specific to Timothy (2 TIM 4:1-2). He appeals to the saints at Phillipi themselves and their personal knowledge of his protégé:
PHILIPPIANS 2:22-24
22 But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. 23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. 24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly.
Paul’s trust is that he would rejoin his beloved son there along with the saints at Phillipi – but there was a margin of doubt. He had to wait to see how things would turn out for him there while he awaited in prison for a judgment.
We don’t know our future days, and on any given day what may happen to us, but we are assured of an eternal future. Until that day, we walk by faith, not by sight (2 COR 5:7):
ROMANS 8:24But as long as ROMANS 8:28 remains in the pages of Scripture, we can have every confidence that our All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Wise, All-Loving, Ever Faithful, Ever Present GOD will work everything in our lives – the good and bad – together for His glory and our blessing (and even those “blessings in disguise”!).
For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? (See also: HEB 11:1).
PHILIPPIANS 2:25-28
25 Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need;
Along with Timotheus, there is Epaphroditus whom Paul considered a true compatriot in the faith – brother, worker, soldier.
Brother: because they have the same Father, belonging to the same family in Christ.
EPHESIANS 3:14-15Worker: because like Paul, this man had a heart for the LORD and one of those laborers who answered the call of GOD in accord with the prayers of the saints to GOD to send them.
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named (see also EPH 1:10).
MATTHEW 9:37-38Soldier: because Epaphroditus had the same mind set of a warrior in Christ, understanding that our war is not against our fellow man (to them we are ambassadors of Christ; 2 COR 5:20-21), but against those principalities and powers with which we conduct spiritual warfare (EPH 6:10-18)!
37 Then He said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 "Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." (See also 2 THESS 3:1; COL 4:12; 2 TIM 2:6)
For a brief exhortation on how apostle Paul uses the analogies of a farmer, an athlete and a soldier, check out this post FROM The MIND Of FIRE.
PHILIPPIANS 2:26-27
26 since he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 27 For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.
Epaphroditus was a native to Philippi and here we can see his passion and zeal for people of his community. I have to check my heart and ask GOD: Do I have this sort of passion for the people of my community, here in Tucson, AZ? Am I burdened for the lost souls that GOD has planted me in the midst of? Are my prayers on fire in my intercessions for them?
I recall John Knox’s prayer as he walked the darkened streets of his town, where a fellow Christian is said to have seen him fall against a lamp post and sigh out:
“LORD, give me Scotland or I die…” He was a Reformer who sought for spiritual and political transformation in the land. Saints may I say, are we not here in America in desperate need of transformation in both the spiritual and political realms?
And to be sure, nothing in the political realm can aid the spiritual in any significant way, BUT the spiritual domain of the Kingdom of GOD can absolutely have a tremendous effect for good in the political realm!
That was the heartfelt passion of Charlie James Kirk and his organization TURNING POINT USA – and I believe we are at yet ANOTHER Crossroads in our nation, yet ANOTHER opportunity provided by our merciful GOD and Father. It’s been the prayer of mine and countless other elder saints of my generation to send revival among the youth here in America – and it seems that our prayers are beginning to reap an answer from the Holy Throne of the Almighty!
Let’s continue to pray and ask GOD to continue to fan the flames of this work across the land, to answer the darkness that has overwhelmed our nation with confusion and corruption.
I’ve been hearing A LOT of Christians dismissing this for two different reasons:
“The BIBLE says NOTHING about a last days revival, but rather a last days apostasy!”
Secondly, “The church is not called to politics, but to the Gospel alone!”
I want to address both of these objections in a Part Two article (a second half to the first article “WEEPING MAY ENDURE FOR A NIGHT…”. Part Two will be entitled, “BUT JOY COMES IN THE MORNING – Where Do We Go From Here?”
Epaphroditus was afflicted with some sort of serious ailment that threatened his physical life, but his time to depart this world was not yet. GOD delivered him, raised him up and restored him to apostle Paul who would have been further distressed in his trials by being deprived of his brother and fellow-laborer.
Many of you know that I almost died twice even before I reached my tenth birthday, and both times the LORD delivered me – He knew I had an appointed day where He would reveal to me the truth of the Gospel several years later!
But those experiences left an indelible mark on me. Even in my youth I always felt that death was never some distant, remote event not to be known for several decades, but something near at hand, within arm’s reach.
So every time I come down with some strange ailment, the question lingering at the back of my mind is, “Is this it? Is the time of my departure at hand?” But every time, He brought me through it (even recently in these last two months) and showed me that I yet have things to do in Kingdom work.
But death for us saints is not something to dread (though the experience leading up to it may well and probably will cause us emotional anxiety). For us citizens of heaven, only pilgrims in this world, it’s just a call to Home, where we long to be to begin with!
For myself, I think every day of my born again life, I’ve pondered that glorious Day when I see the face of my LORD and Savior with eyes full of tears and a heart full of His love. And I know you saints feel the same way, especially in these evil days…
PHILIPPIANS 2:29-30
28 Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. 29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such men in esteem; 30 because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.
Like Paul, this man of GOD didn’t count his own life dear to himself, but willingly poured out his life in service of the saints, to “supply what was lacking” in the church – and that indeed is the mission and purpose of those gifts that GOD has provided for the church:
EPHESIANS 4:11-16
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
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