Tag: focus

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Philippians

Maintaining unity in the church (Part 2)

PhilippiansHope

It’s hard to tell, sometimes, the flow of what Paul is saying.

Did he mean to divide his thoughts between verses 3-4.

Or did he mean to to keep verses 3-5 as a set?

Or perhaps the whole line of thought flows together all the way through verse 9?

I’m not sure, but as I was reading this passage, it struck me that Paul had Euodia and Syntyche in mind even as he was writing verses 4-5.

He says,

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. (Philippians 4:4-5)

In other words, “Put your focus on God. You all have put your focus on yourselves, and that’s why you can’t get past your own personal pride and settle this dispute.

“So refocus your life on God. Remember what he has done for you. Rejoice in the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross on you. And let it affect your attitude toward each other.

“Let your gentleness (ESV — “reasonableness”) be evident to all in the church as you deal with each other.”

Then he says, “The Lord is near.”

And that’s something to remember when we are in disharmony with a brother or sister in the church: the Lord is near.

For one thing, he is there present within the church. He sees your dispute with your brother or sister, and he is heartbroken by it.

How then can we continue to fight in his presence, knowing how much he has sacrificed, not only to bring us peace with God, but with each other?

For another thing, he is coming soon. He will return to this earth physically and take us to be where he is.

But if he were to come back today, and you were to stand before his throne for judgment, what would he say to you? Would he say, “Well done, good and faithful servant?”

Or would he say to you, “Why did you waste so much time fighting with your brother? Why did you waste so much time bickering with your sister?

“There was so much to do, and instead of working together to touch this world for me, you let anger and bitterness stand between you.”

What will happen to all our arguments, to all our pride when we stand before Jesus on that day? How much shame will we feel?

The Lord is near. So let us be at peace with one another and fight for unity within the church.

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Philippians

Living as citizens of heaven

Citizenship in heaven

The Philippians were very proud of their status as Romans citizens. And many people today are proud of their status as citizens of their country, whether it be America, Japan, or wherever it may be.

But Paul reminds us here where our true citizenship here. He says,

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ… (Philippians 3:20)

More, he reminds us of our ultimately destiny in Christ.

….who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (3:21)

In short, this world is not our home. And our final destiny is not this corrupt, decaying body. Rather, we have a much higher destiny in store for us. It is because of this, that Paul says earlier,

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. (3:17)

Paul had mentioned earlier not only himself, but people like Timothy and Epaphroditus, and he said, “Follow our example. Our lives are completely centered on Christ, and not ourselves. And that’s how you should be.”

This was in stark contrast to the people the Philippians lived among and the people who we live among today. People who,

live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. (3:18-19)

In other words, people who live solely for themselves and the things of this world. But who in doing so are headed for destruction.

But that’s not what Christ saved us for. He saved us that we could know him, and to ultimately become more like him. To find true life in him as he not only transforms us, but dwells in us, leading us and guiding us each day.

And as we his church walk as citizens of heaven, we shine his glory to the world.

So Paul concludes,

Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! (4:1)

The question is then, is this how you’re living? Focused not on yourself nor the things of this world, but on Christ? Is it your greatest desire to know him and that he be glorified in you?

That is where true joy is found. That is where true life is found. Not in “self-realization” or self-gratification.

If you are a Christian, you are a citizen of heaven. Are you living like one?

Categories
Philippians

Where our focus lies

PhilippiansHope

As we live the Christian life, it’s so easy to get off-focus.

Of course, some people can get off-focus in terms of focusing on their jobs, their love life, their possessions, and their money. All these things can get Christians’ minds off of what is really important.

But we can also get off-focus by focusing on rules and how to be the “good” Christian. And by doing that, we forget what our Christian lives are to be all about.

That’s what Paul warns against here. He tells the Philippians,

Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. (Philippians 3:2)

What is he talking about? He’s probably talking about the Judaizers that were so prevalent during that time. These were the people that said you need to be circumcised and follow all the Mosaic law in order to truly be saved.

He ironically calls them dogs. Dogs were not looked upon fondly in Jewish culture, and many times, non-Jews like the Philippians were referred to as dogs. But Paul says, “You are not the dogs. They are.”

He says,

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh. (3)

God had told the Jews in the Old Testament, that more importantly than being physically circumcised, he wanted their hearts to be circumcised for him (Deuteronomy 10:16, Deuteronomy 30:6, Jeremiah 4:4).

And when we become Christians, that’s exactly what happens. Our hearts become truly his through the work of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 2:28-29)

As Ezekiel put it,

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.  (Ezekiel 36:26)

But the Judaizers were convinced that all Christians had to be circumcised and keep all the laws of Moses. Because of this, all their focus was on who they were as Jews and what they did to achieve righteousness before God.

Paul, however, tells the Philippians that these Judaizer’s focus was all wrong. He himself could boast of all the things that these Judaizers tried to boast in and more (4-6).

But instead, Paul says,

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.

I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. (7-11)

In short, Paul said, “My focus isn’t on myself. It isn’t on all my efforts to become righteous in God’s sight. It isn’t on the rules and regulations of religion. These are all rubbish to me now. Worthless.

My focus is on one thing and one thing alone: Jesus Christ.

I want to know Him.

I want to be united with Him.

I want His true righteousness, not my “righteousness” that falls far short of God’s standard.

I want to know His power, not my own.

I want to know Him so much that I want to share in His suffering.

I want to die with Him, putting to death my sinful nature by the power of the Spirit.

I want to be resurrected with Him, raised in new life, again by the power of the Spirit.

Him, him, him, him, him, him.

The problem with so many Christians today is that they are not focused on Him, but themselves.

And because of that they get tired. Christianity become a drag, filled with their own futile self-efforts. And their love for Christ wanes.

For how can you have a love relationship with Jesus when you are focused on everything else but him?

How about you? Where is your focus?

Categories
Galatians

Focusing on what God has given us to do

Galatians

It’s amazing, but on this day 20 years ago, I moved to Japan for the first time. Over these past 20 years, I can honestly say I have seen God work to touch the lives of people through me.

At the same time, I can’t help but wonder how much I have really accomplished. I can’t help but wonder if I couldn’t have done more. I don’t know.

It would be so easy to compare myself with others and what they’re doing and get discouraged. There are others that I can look at who probably have a lot more to show for their ministry than I do.

And it’s humbling.

So as I look at these verses and meditate on them, they really make me think.

Paul tells us,

If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (Galatians 6:3)

If there is a humbling verse it’s this one. Because the truth is, none of us are really anything.

We’d like to think of ourselves as something, but the truth is, all we are are unworthy servants simply doing our duty. (Luke 17:10)

If we think we are more than that, we are only fooling ourselves. The only question we need to ask then is, “Am I doing my duty well?”

And so Paul says,

Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. (Galatians 6:4-5)

In other words, because we are God’s servants, each with our own individual duties which he has assigned to us, it’s a waste of time to compare ourselves to others and what they’re doing. Instead, we simply need to focus on what God has given us to do.

And any pride that we have in the things we have done for him should not come from thinking how great we are, or how much better we are than others.

Rather any pride we feel should come from Jesus saying to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

So whenever we are tempted to compare ourselves to others, we should remember the words Jesus spoke to Peter when the latter asked about John and his destiny:

What is that to you? You must follow me. (John 21:22)

What are you focused on in your life?