Thoughts on Philippians – Part 2

PHIL 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

PHIL 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

PHIL 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

PHIL 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

PHIL 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

PHIL 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Verse 5 makes it clear that the who in verse 6-8 is Jesus.

PHIL 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

Here is a simple truth. YOU CANNOT BE EQUAL WITH GOD UNLESS YOU ARE GOD. Jesus existed before He was born in a manager. He was in the form of God and equal with God. Jesus is God. Mary is not the mother of God. She was just a tool that the pre-existent Jesus used to become manifested in the flesh.

PHIL 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

Jesus left the glories of heaven. He made Himself of no reputation. Jesus became God manifested in the flesh.

PHIL 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus voluntarily humbled Himself. He refused to use all His power or display His glory while He was manifested in the flesh. He humbled Himself and hungered, and thirsted, and got tired, and felt pain. He did something that only God can do. He was 100 percent God and 100 percent man at the same time.

No man took His life. Jesus gave it freely. With one word or even one thought He could have gotten off of the cross. But He did not. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The nails did not hold Him there. Love held Him there. He stayed on that cross, and died to pay for your sin. Then He rose again 3 days later. The payment had been made and accepted. The wages of sin is death. If Christ’s sacrifice was not enough, then He would still be dead.

But praise God it was sufficient. If you are not saved, almighty God made payment for your sins. All you have to do is repent of your sins and believe.

PHIL 2:9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

PHIL 2:10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

PHIL 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

There is God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit and these 3 are one. There is only one God and He is manifested to us in 3 distinct personalities. Each one with a different position and role. They all have existed for eternity past. God the Father did not procreate. The term God the Son is not talking about procreation it is talking about relationship. It is talking about position. It is talking about the role they would play.

God the Father has highly exalted Jesus for coming to this sin stained earth and becoming obedient unto death even the death of the cross. And this name that the Father has given Jesus is above every name.

Jesus is placed in a position by the Father that is above all. And because of Jesus being highly exalted by the Father, then at the name of Jesus every knee should bow. Every knee everywhere. Every knee on this earth and every knee in Heaven and every knee in hell.

Jesus is worthy! Amen and Amen.

Notice real close it says should bow. Every knee in Heaven already bows and they do it in love and adoration.

It is different on this earth. Every knee should. Jesus has the authority and He is worthy of it. But man has a free choice. And they should all choose correctly and they should bow now in this life.

And they should confess out of a free will that Jesus Christ is Lord. But God does not force them to in this life. One day that will change. One day should will become will.

Rom_14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Romans 14:11 is referring to the judgment at the end of this life.

Every knee will bow at that time. It is so much better to voluntarily acknowledge today that Jesus is Lord and bow today.

PHIL 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye 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.

PHIL 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

It does NOT say work for your salvation! It says work out your own salvation. We do not work to get saved but after salvation we are to voluntarily obey the will of God and do good works. We are to let the change inside us work its way out by obeying the Lord, living the way He wants us to and by loving our neighbor as ourselves.

What is the fear and trembling about? Verse 13 clears that up. God is the one who works in the hearts of men. God works in you both to will and do His will. God works on both the doing and also the will to do it. God calls. God stirs the heart. God works on your will. God sends the burden.

Therefore, when you feel the prompting to enter some service for the Lord, you are to acknowledge that God is working in your heart. He is not forcing, but He is working and prompting and asking.

So have some healthy godly fear. It is not just anyone asking you to have the will and to do of his good pleasure. It is the Lord. It is the Almighty. It is the one who bled and died to pay for your sins.

The wise thing to do is to let God have His way. And let Him use you and work thru you for His glory.

PHIL 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

This is a great instruction to groups of believers. A local church should conduct all things without murmurings and disputings. All things! From running the bus route to adult Sunday school to outreach ministries. This would also include any remodeling. From the type of pews to choosing the color of the carpet. All business needs to be done without complaining or arguing. It is a wonderful thing when a church has a handle on this principal. The spirit of the church becomes pleasant, loving, and welcoming. Having no murmurings and disputings makes a local church a great place to serve and worship our Lord. It also does something else.

PHIL 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

A church in harmony keeps a good testimony before a crooked and perverse nation. Christians are not of the world. Our citizenship is in heaven. However, we do have to live in the midst of a sin filled world. And we are to shine as lights in that wicked world. We are to be different. Without rebuke verse 15 says. We are not to have the same pettiness and selfish arguments as the world does. We are not to murmur and complain like they do. Harmony in your local church is far more important than getting your way on some small issue. As a church member do all that you can to avoid murmuring and disputing.

PHIL 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

PHIL 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

PHIL 2:17 Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.

PHIL 2:18 For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.

The word of life is the word of God but specifically the good news of the gospel. The precious truth that Jesus saves thru faith and not thru works. Jesus paid the penalty for our sin on the cross and He paid it in full. Holding forth the word of life means giving that truth out to the lost.

And we see in these verses that the way we live matters. It is much better and more effective and it honors God more and He can bless our efforts more if we live blameless and harmless. We need to live what we profess and what we truly are and that is the sons of God. When we get saved we are adopted and become one of His dear children. So we should live without rebuke and even in the midst of a crooked and perverse society. When we do this we shine as lights in the world. We stand out. They see we are different.

Our lives need to hold forth to the lost the change that the word of life made in us. And that makes a difference as we hold forth the word of life to them on how to get saved.

PHIL 2:19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.

PHIL 2:20 For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.

PHIL 2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.

PHIL 2:22 But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

PHIL 2:23 Him therefore I hope to send presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.

PHIL 2:24 But I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.

These verses stir mixed emotions. It is so wonderful to see the love and care that Paul has for the Philippians. You also want to say Praise the Lord for Timotheus and his faithfulness to serve our Lord with Paul for year after year. And how Timotheus has a heart that will naturally care for the state of the Philippians. All that is great!

But there is also the sad part. Timotheus was not like most. Paul says I have no man likeminded. O’ there were many men out preaching, but Paul says for all seek their own. They are not seeking the things which are Jesus Christ’s. The only one Paul had to send that would care and who was not going to seek his own was Timotheus.

To have so few servants doing the work of God seeking to please Jesus and not seeking their own is very sad. More than sad actually. It is pretty terrible. It was that way in Paul’s day and if you take a good look around today you will see the same thing. Most of those who are leading churches are really not out to please Jesus.

Just some of the ways you can tell is the church financials, see what they spend money on. The music they use and the style of service. So much of it today actually feeds the flesh. How they correct and change the Word of God. And how they spend their time.

Our Lord is worthy of so much more! I am sad that there are so many that are after pleasing themselves and men, and I rejoice in all those who are like Paul and Timotheus and the Philippians that Paul is writing to.

Paul just said he has no other preacher to send but Timotheus because all the others seek their own and not the things which are Jesus Christ’s. We should all be thankful for the exceptions like Paul and Timotheus who are out serving our Lord to please Him.

And next Paul brings up the fact that there are also what some call laymen who are also great servants of our Lord. They will also do some preaching but just not in the main pastor role. Men who are not out to seek their own.

PHIL 2:25 Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants.

PHIL 2:26 For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick.

PHIL 2:27 For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him; and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.

PHIL 2:28 I sent him therefore the more carefully, that, when ye see him again, ye may rejoice, and that I may be the less sorrowful.

PHIL 2:29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness; and hold such in reputation:

PHIL 2:30 Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me.

Epaphroditus was a member of the church at Philippi. And he traveled all the way to Rome to minister to Paul while he was in prison. He put being a blessing and doing what God wanted Him to do over his own comfort. And he got deathly sick in Rome.

And God healed him so that Paul would be spared the sadness of it. And please notice Paul did not lay hands on him to heal him. This letter was written late. A great deal of the New Testament has now been written. Enough that the temporary sign gifts have been fading away.

It seems here that Paul no longer had the temporary sign gift of healing. By this time a man no longer needed a sign to validate that his message was from God. There is now enough New Testament to validate if a man is preaching Gods Word or not.

PHIL 3:1 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.

PHIL 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

There have always been evil workers and false teachers who have it in for true believers. This has been a problem since Cain (works) killed Abel (grace). The first New Testament book written was Matthew and was written only 3 to 5 years after Christ ascended. The second New Testament book written was Galatians which is about false teachers and the damage they caused to the churches at Galatia.

And here Paul is warning the Philippians to beware of evil workers who attack true believers and true churches with false teaching. Philippians was one of the last books that Paul wrote and we see that the false teachers are still a danger. They are still working at their evil works.

Evil workers are zealous. They will not stop even when exposed. Paul knows about this first hand because Paul was one of them before he got saved.

PHIL 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

PHIL 3:4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:

PHIL 3:5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;

PHIL 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Paul knew the thought process and the attitude of the evil workers. He knows that they think they are doing God’s work when they do their evil works. Paul thought he was doing God’s work when he was persecuting the church.

Paul was on the works side. Paul was part of the concision that he is now warning the Philippians about. Paul had great zeal and he persecuted Christians. Paul had status and pride and people in their group looked up to him.

And Paul lost all of that status and approval of the Pharisees when he got saved. And immediately his attitude towards all of that changed. What he valued before he now counts as dung.

PHIL 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

PHIL 3:8 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,

But it took Paul getting saved to have this attitude change. Paul knows firsthand that getting saved it what it takes to stop performing the evil works. So Paul has good reason to warn the Philippians. He understands the zeal and the danger of evil workers.

PHIL 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

All other knowledge is not as important or as valuable as the knowledge of Christ Jesus as your Lord. Nothing compares to that. It is of eternal importance. The most important thing is to know that you have the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

And after Paul was saved he wanted more of Jesus in this life.

PHIL 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

PHIL 3:10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Paul wanted to know Jesus. He wanted to walk with Him and yes even the fellowship of his sufferings.

PHIL 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

PHIL 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

PHIL 3:13 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,

Paul understood this principal. None of us have arrived yet! There are no perfect Christians. We all make mistakes. We sometimes do things and think things that we should not, and there are plenty of things that we should do that we do not do. Some days we do better than others. There are times when we are closer to our Lord than other times.

When Paul made a mistake, he did not quit. He kept pressing on. He says forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. He did not let his past mistakes and slips stop him from keeping on for the Lord. He kept looking forward not backward.

PHIL 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

He realized that it is a high calling to follow Jesus. He knew that he still had growing to do. Our goal is to be conformed into the image of Christ. We need to strive to love like He loved, give like He gave, and be more like Him. I know that none of us will ever achieve it until Jesus comes back. The reason is that we still carry our old sin nature with us. But just because we cannot fully get there until then, does not mean that we should not try to get as close as we can. Paul said that he pressed toward the mark. He kept his eyes on the target and kept pressing toward it. Keep your eyes upon Jesus. Keep striving to do your best for Him for He is worthy. Amen!

See more lessons from Philippians