We Are Resident Aliens

 Meditations on Philippians

June 2, 2021

We Are Resident Aliens

But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

Philippians 3:20

Read: Philippians 3: 17 - 4:1

In the closing verses of Chapter 3, Paul again refers to his vision of the future which kept him fighting the good fight: the victorious return of Christ Jesus the King. This vision was particularly conspicuous in Philippi which was a Roman colony and where citizenship in Rome was their paramount cultural value. In the first two chapters, Paul modeled how his allegiance to Christ Jesus called him to value the ways of Christ over and above his Roman citizenship. In today’s passage, Paul powerfully asserts this point: “we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control” (Philippians 3:20-21).

When Paul says we are citizens of heaven, he is not saying heaven is our home. He is saying our churches are colonies of our King, Christ Jesus. As we are taught to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, the mission of our colonies is to build for the Kingdom of God so that God’s will is fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven. As resident aliens, we are laboring for our Master here until he comes in Final Victory to fully establish his reign on earth.

My Takeaway: Many Christians, when reciting the Apostles’ Creed, are unsure of the meaning of the phrase, “I believe in the resurrection of the body,” and assume it must be referring to the resurrection of Jesus. Paul’s assertion in verse 21 (above) should clear up any confusion. Paul firmly believed that all of the followers of Jesus who have died will be resurrected and receive glorious bodies like Jesus’ own when our Savior returns in glory.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Harmony With God

 Meditations on Philippians

June 1, 2021

Harmony With God

I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.

Philippians 3:12

Read: Philippians 3: 12-16

In verse 12, Paul said, “I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.” John Wesley urged his pastors to always have the mind-set that they were ‘going on to perfection,” and that phrase is still used today when new pastors are ordained in the United Methodist Church. Wesley’s intention was rooted in his understanding of the Biblical word holiness. John Wesley loved the word holiness. He talked about scriptural holiness, holiness of the heart and holiness of life. Many people mistakenly think holiness has to do with rigid laws, or rules, which through obedience make a person holy. Not so; holiness is a state of being. As Christians, we know that our state of being, our acceptance by God, comes as a gift of God’s grace, through faith in Jesus. The definition that best fits John Wesley’s use of the word holiness is a state of being in harmony with God. In the context of today’s passage, because we have holiness of heart as a gift of God’s grace, we, like Paul, are pressing on to make what is true in our heart, true in our way of life.

It is so important that we hold tight to the truth that Jesus calls us to perfection. Jesus calls us to make our life in him our way of life. This truth has been captured beautifully by Max Lucado in the title of one of his books: God Loves You Just The Way You Are, But He Refuses To Leave You There. He Wants You To Be Just Like Jesus.

My Takeaway: The NASB translation provides me with another take on verse 12. “. . . but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” I love the visual image of this translation which reminds me of John 10:28-29 where Jesus says he has us securely, for all time, in his hand. I never tire of this image of Jesus holding me securely in his grasp as I reach out to grasp him.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I Have Discarded Everything

 Meditations on Philippians

May 31, 2021

I Have Discarded Everything

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.

Philippians 3:8-9a

Read: Philippians 3: 7-11             

Imagine you have an old piece of costume jewelry. It’s a little gaudy, a bit tarnished and a few of the glass rhinestones are chipped, but every now and then it’s fun to wear. Now, suppose you receive an inheritance which includes a beautiful diamond. Would you take the glimmering diamond to your jeweler and ask them to set your diamond in the middle of your old fake jewel ring?

Paul is suggesting that I can make a list of everything that I believe brings value to my life and divide it into two columns. One column is labeled ‘Knowing Christ’ and the other column is labeled, ‘Everything Else.’ Paul is also teaching me that it is my mission in life to make the life in Christ my way of life. The path to that goal is leaving Everything Else behind and then pressing on to make the Christ Life my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

God is at work in the life of every follower of Jesus, transforming and equipping his children for service in His Kingdom. Being a child of God means being willing to go to the end of the line and allow others to go first; being willing to make sacrifices for the good of other people and for the Kingdom of God; and as a follower of Jesus affirming that nothing in this world is as important as knowing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Paul doesn’t promise the followers of Christ a rose garden. There are difficult personal choices to be made because it is impossible to hold on to Christ and at the same time hold on to the ways of the world. Spoiler Alert – We will see tomorrow the Good News that Jesus has us firmly in His grip while we are struggling to let go of the value system of the world.

My Takeaway: I rejoice in this Good News. I never want to stop rejoicing in this Good News, because as we learned yesterday, rejoicing in the goodness of Jesus safeguards our faith.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

 

Safeguard Your Faith

 Meditations on Philippians

May 28, 2021

Safeguard Your Faith

Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

Philippians 3:1

Read: Philippians 3: 1-6

Today’s passage lays a foundation for the entirety of our life in Christ. We rejoice in the Good News that we belong to Jesus. Our relationship to Jesus is made secure not because of what we did, or we are doing, or what we have refrained from doing. Rather, we belong to Jesus because he has united us to himself in his death, burial, resurrection, and enthronement. This is our Good News. We never stop rejoicing in this Good News, because rejoicing in the goodness of Jesus safeguards our faith.

The church in Philippi was being tempted to deviate from relying solely on the goodness and faithfulness of Jesus to secure their right relationship with God. Instead, they were being urged to trust in the works of the flesh by obeying certain religious rules and doing good works. No one understood religious tradition, rules and discipline like Paul. Paul had zealously pursued God only to come up empty-handed. Then Jesus found Paul, and everything in Paul’s life changed.

My Takeaway: Until the day he died, Paul continued to zealously pursue God. The glowing characteristic of his pursuit of holiness was that he always rested on the truth that Jesus securely had him in his grasp. Paul was always basking in God’s smile of affection for him as he journeyed to make the life in Christ his way of life. Today Paul looks back toward us, and with an out-stretched hand says, “Come and learn to rest in God’s smile of affection for you.”

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Paul Is No Pollyanna

 Meditations on Philippians

May 27, 2021

Paul Is No Pollyanna

He was very distressed that you heard he was ill. And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.

Philippians 2:26b-27

Read: Philippians 2:25-30

Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Jesus is saying that we should care as much for the welfare of our neighbor’s family as we do for our own household. Jesus’ words are often filed away with other Biblical platitudes because they seem rather unrealistic. However, in our passage for today, Paul’s self-disclosure gives us a real insight into what it looks like when we care deeply for our brothers and sisters in Christ. I offer three observations about Paul’s Christian community.

 

First, Paul makes it abundantly clear that he is no Pollyanna. Yes, Paul will tell us in Chapter 4 to rejoice in the Lord always, and that we can trade our anxieties for the peace of God that passes understanding. (Philippians 4:4, 7) But he also tells us that our love for one another can be exceedingly painful. Referring to his friend and companion, Epaphroditus, Paul writes, “And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another” (Philippians 2:27). Paul’s sorrow was that he was hindered from proclaiming the Gospel, and he was separated from the people of the church. The thought that his friend Epaphroditus might die seemed unbearable to Paul. Here is the Christian life experiencing real sorrow, real pain.

Secondly, Paul’s experience with his friends in the church gives us a window into the depth and quality of life in a Christian community. This whole chapter has been about unity within the church and learning to live self-sacrificially for the sake of our brothers and sisters in Christ and for the sake of the Gospel. Is this really possible for 21^st Century America? Yes, and that is my third observation. Jesus did tell us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and he also told us that things that are impossible for us are possible with God.

My Takeaway: In the last year I have seen this love for neighbors beautifully modeled by our community of faith. Our church developed many new initiatives to stay in contact with our congregation during the pandemic, and to reach out to those in need in our community.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Serving Christ Jesus, The King

 Meditations on Philippians

May 26, 2021

Serving Christ Jesus, The King

I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.

Philippians 2:20-21

Read: Philippians 2:19-24

In my meditation on Philippians 2:1-4, I emphasized verse 4, “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others” (NRSV), and I noted that Paul urges the followers of Jesus to take seriously the self-sacrificing way of life modeled by Jesus. In today’s passage, Paul subtlety connects verse 4 with Jesus’ parable of the Last Judgment in Matthew 25. You will recall that the epicenter of that parable is Jesus’ assertion about the least of these: “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ (Matthew 25:40). In verse 4, Paul urges us to “look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others,” and in verse 21 Paul contrasts Timothy’s lifestyle with that of unnamed others, “All of them are seeking their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.” (NRSV) Paul is saying that Timothy is fulfilling verse 4 by not focusing on his own self-interest, but focusing on the interests of others, which Paul says is the interest of Jesus Christ. Paul is saying that Timothy, by serving others ahead of his own self-interest, is serving Christ Jesus, the King.

In the story that Jesus told, the people represented as sheep helped when they saw someone in need. They didn’t throw money at the problem. They didn’t send someone else. They offered their hand; they gave their water; they touched and bandaged the wounded; they listened with compassion. They served because service was needed, not to be noticed or rewarded. They served because God created us to be in the community of Christ, and when you are in the community of Christ you are not seeking your own interests, but those of Jesus Christ.

My Takeaway: Jesus’ parable is not about some people getting rewarded for good deeds, and some people getting punished because of the good deeds left undone. Ultimately, it is a parable about allegiance. At the end of time, it is not a matter of who we say we are; it is a matter of whose we are. Those who actually align themselves with Jesus will reflect his goodness. Those who actually align themselves with Jesus will reflect the self-sacrificing way of life modeled Jesus.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Hold Firmly To The Word Of Life

 Meditations on Philippians

May 25, 2021

Hold Firmly To The Word Of Life

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Philippians 2:13

Read: Philippians 2:12-18

Paul has set the bar of expectations for the Christian very high. We are aiming to have all of our interrelationships flow out of the life of Christ within us. Is this even possible! YES, because “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him” (Philippians 2:13 NLT). However, we are not idle or passive while God is at work within us. We have a part to play, and Paul is as passionate for our participation as he is for God’s work within us: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12b NRSV).

Paul is not suggesting that we work for our salvation; verse 13 clearly establishes that it is God who is at work within us. Our role is to passionately take responsibility for how we live our lives, to work hard to show the results of our salvation. This is what we know: God is transforming us by renewing the way we think. God is planting His holy desires within us. God has given us the power of the Holy Spirit to make Godly choices in our lives. Therefore, we can live with the real confidence that our lives are making a difference for good in the world.

Paul’s vision that our confident living will be like bright lights in the world (2:15) invokes two images for me. First, when we take responsibility for cultivating the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, when we take seriously our need to yield our life to God so that He may transform our lives to be like Jesus, we fulfill the prophecy of Daniel 12:3, “Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.” Secondly, Paul’s vision rings true with the words of Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount, “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14).

My Takeaway: In the concluding portion of today’s passage, Paul encourages us to hold firmly to the word of life. If we will hold firmly to the truth that God is at work in us, we will have God’s light shining in our hearts, and we will be bright lights in our world. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul described our bright lights as the life of Jesus made visible in our mortal flesh. (See 2 Corinthians 4:7-10) Let’s trust God and glow for Christ!

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.