Philippians 1: 11-12
- By: ckroboth
- On: 01/26/2009 20:36:03
- In: Philippians
Finding Joy in our trials, and chains of this life. Can we do so and bare the fruit of righteousness? Philippians 1:11-12
11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
dikaiosune(Righteousness)
1. in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God
a. the doctrine concerning the way in which man may attain a state approved of God
b. integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting
2. in a narrower sense, justice or the virtue which gives each his due
We will only obtain this state of righteousness through Christ and remaining in his Truth.
12 Now I want you to know, brothers that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.
What has happened to Paul? As we have discussed before he is in prison for preaching the word of God. We can speculate that this is not a nice place that Paul is in and I am pretty sure it is dark, but Paul chose to approach this time in prison with the same Joy he had out side the walls.
What I wan to talk about a bit though is this Joy.
When I first read this I thought of Paul and how he would lead the fellow prisoners in singing hymns, and the guards whose lives he affected. He didn't use his chains as an excuse. He took God’s hand, and let God bring him Joy.
It is also when we are in our darkest moments that God, finds us and reaches out his hand....
So often we get mired down in the chains of this world that we lose site of continuing to advance the Gospel.
It is often when we are at these darkest of moments that the world is watching the follower of Christ the closest. The guards in Paul’s prison knew he was a follower of Christ. I have to believe it wasn’t his preaching that won them over but the Joy and Hope of Christ that he carried while imprison.
Often times though our ministry and how we use our testimony is in the moment, and fail to realize the impact beyond the moment.
Paul as he wrote letters about his experience and used the Joy of Christ to spread the truth, his circumstances helped give credence to his message far beyond the walls of the prison. People looked to him as an example of how to follow Christ and find joy in all things.
We can see the even James understood that trials are going to happen.
Jame1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Our Joy should come from the faith of know the saving grace of God.
Heb 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
So the challenge is to find Joy in the trials and storms of this life. Do we have enough faith in Christ, that even though our lives seem bleak, we can turn our eyes to him and sing hymns of praise? Can we sing those hymns through tears and anger, when all hope seems lost. As in Phil 1:11 can you bare fruit from the chains of life?
