God on a cross - to live is Christ

Paul starts chapter 2 challenging the Philippians to think about the encouragement they get from being a part of God’s family; the comfort they receive from God’s love for them in Christ; the fellowship they have together because they are one in the Spirit; the nature of their hearts.

In making the Philippians realise how blessed they are as part of the body of Christ, and reminding them of the promise which occurs later in verse 16 that they will be together with Christ when He comes again, Paul encourages them to live like Christ.

In verse 2, he lists the first three things in this chapter that characterise living like Christ, both within our own lives, and for the sake of the community of Christians that we live with.

1. Agree wholeheartedly with one another;

2. Love one another; and

3. Work together with one mind and purpose.

Essentially Paul is telling the Philippians that their community should be characterised by unity of mind and love. The reason this is possible for Christians is because we are working in the power of the Spirit and for the same Spirit.

The Philippians should get along with one another. They should love one another and they should work together, working toward the same goal. We can easily replace ‘Philippians’ with our own names and work to live as Paul is instructing.

Verse 3 goes on to remind the Philippians two things, which they shouldn’t be doing, actions and attitudes, which don’t reflect Christ’s likeness.

1. Don’t be selfish; and

2. Don’t try to impress others.

As humans, people who since the time of Adam and Eve have lived in a world of sin, our sinful nature is easily selfish and tries to impress others. But these attitudes and actions work against unity within a community of believers.

Instead, Paul gives the command to do exactly the opposite of these, saying

1. Be humble; and

2. Think of others as better than yourselves.

As Christians, we need to learn to live like Christ lived as a human being, God here with us on earth. Caring for the needs of others should be our number one priority. And the only way we can care for others the way Christ did is to humble ourselves. So these go hand-in-hand. Being humble is realising that you are merely human, not God the Creator, not in control, and placing your life in His hands, trusting in His power. In saying this, it is important not to underestimate your worth. Humility is a proper view of yourself, your worth as a child of God, knowing your strengths and weaknesses and living in the light of God’s glory, and not your own. Just as we need to have a proper view of ourselves, in serving others, we need to have a proper view of them. We shouldn’t think they are better than us, but simply to show them Christ’s love through serving them.

Serving others in humility acts to eliminate selfishness and trying to impress others, as with the right heart, you cannot be both humble and selfish; and you cannot serve others in love and be trying to impress them at the same time.

Verse 4 reminds the Philippians to not only look out for their own needs, but also to be mindful of others and their needs.

Putting others needs before your own, thinking that someone else’s needs are more important than yours, is showing the same love to them that God has shown to you. This is having the mind of Christ.

Verse 5 clearly states

5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

This is then explained in verses 6 to 8.

Jesus put aside His place as the Son of God, being equal with God, and humbled Himself, becoming a servant and being born into human life. In His human life, He then humbled Himself even further and, out of obedience to God, died on a cross, labelled as a criminal.

For God to become human is in itself a big deal.

If we compare it to the Hindu caste system, it would be more dramatic than someone from the highest caste becoming someone from the lowest caste.

But not only did He leave His throne as Son of the triune God, He then lowered Himself further to submit to death on a cross, which in those days was only used for the worst of criminals, the lowest of slaves. He suffered a cruel and humiliating death, for the salvation of the ones He loves. Us.

Jesus really is the perfect example of true humility. He is the ultimate picture of self-sacrificing love to which He is calling us.

Verses 9 to 11 go on to explain the reward given to Christ Jesus for His obedience to God the Father. In His death, He was elevated to the highest place. He is the sovereign Lord over the entire universe. King of Kings. Lord of Lords. Before whom every knee will bow, finally recognising Jesus’ authority and confess that He is Lord.

Jesus was born human, died on a cross, and exalted to the highest place, all to the glory of God the Father. This shows that God honoured the way Jesus lived. He agreed with it. He wants us to use it as our example, our map, our manual on how to live for Him.

And so, to live a life that is genuinely in Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we must be regularly transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Verse 12 goes on to say that as a community of believers, we must show the effects of our faith in God and our obedience to live according to Jesus’ example, in order to humbly display our salvation to non-believers.

Living in this way, being humble, serving others and having a oneness as a community of believers ultimately leads to both personal and mutual joy.

Because we do live in a fallen and sinful world, it is reasonable to wonder how we can manage to live like Christ, how can we ever attain this joy?

Verse 13 encourages and inspires us by reminding us that God is working in us, giving us the desire to please Him and along with this, the power to do so.

Power over our hearts; our minds; our tongues; our actions. With God at work in us, our whole lives can honour and serve to glorify Him. This doesn’t mean we can sit back, relax and wait for God to make us more like Him. Rather, because God is at work in us, we are able to work to become more like Him.

Our actions will change as our minds change. As it says in Romans 12 v 1-2 beginning with a mind that in transformed by the Spirit, leaving behind the worldly way of thinking and taking on the character of God which we see in Jesus, we will be able to know God’s will – what is good, pleasing and perfect in His eyes.

In saying this, God isn’t just trying to please Himself either. God is pure love. And so what pleases Him is pure love. And out of pure love, what pleases us pleases Him. And so in God pleasing Himself, He is inturn pleasing us.

In verses 14 and 15, Paul goes on to remind the Philippians of the place and role of their Christian community in the wider world. He tells them not to complain or argue, and not to do anything that will allow others to criticise you. Instead they, and of course we, should live clean and innocent lives as children of God, so that we may shine like stars in the darkness of the crooked and perverse world we live in.

In living the life that Jesus gave us as an example, and by sharing the gospel, when Christ comes again, we will know that our life has not been lived for no reason, we will know that we lived with and for a higher purpose. That, as it says in verses 16 to 18, we should rejoice and share in joy!

True joy isn’t something we feel and it isn’t affected by outward circumstances. It is something we do. With true faith and a right perspective, basing our lives on the unshakable foundation of the work of Christ, we have joy.

God’s own character has been revealed in Jesus’ life. Through His children, it is reflected to the world as we live in His likeness. Only in His likeness should we share the Gospel and only in living completely for Him, in mind, body, soul, and in our words, thoughts and actions will we ever experience true joy.

encourage, teach, correct...

1 Thessalonians is a letter of encouragement, correction and teaching written by Paul, Silas and Timothy to the Christians in Thessalonica.

In this time, it was really hard to follow Jesus. The Jews were against the Christian believers and tried everything they could think of to stop them from following Jesus. These new Christians needed help and Paul really wanted to encourage them, so he wrote them this letter to encourage them in their faith.

Tonight we will look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 which in essence says

Be encouraged! Your faith shines out. God has worked in your life.

We will also look at chapter 4 where Paul teaches the Christians in Thessalonica more about how to live and chapter 5 where Paul corrects their wrong ideas about when Jesus will come again.

As I spoke about a few weeks ago, I found it really hard to live for God and trust that He was in control of my life when I was really sick with depression and anxiety.

But during this time, I was encouraged in my faith through Christian friends and relatives spending time with me, caring for me and praying for me. I also held on to the promises God makes to us in the Bible that He has a plan and purpose for our lives, and as it says in Romans 8 v 28 that

In all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

I wonder how you suffer for Jesus? What sacrifices have you made in your life to live for Him? When do you find it hard to be a Christian?

The letters in the New Testament can encourage Christians today in the same way they encouraged the Christians who received the letters. Encouraged to carry on even when Christian life is hard.

Remember that Christians have always suffered for Jesus and Jesus has always helped them to carry on.

In 1 Thessalonians 1, Paul encouraged the Christians in 5 ways.

Chapter 1 v 3 talks about their faith, hope and love showed in their lives. Verse 3 says

As we pray to our God and Father about you, we think of your faithful work, your loving deeds, and the enduring hope you have because of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul knew that they were true Christians. When he visited them, he had seen their love, faith and hope at work in their lives. Out of their love and faith, they worked for the Lord, and their hope gave them patience and endurance to carry on when it was hard.

Chapter 1 v 4 -5 tells of how the good news came to them with God’s power. It says

We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people. For when we brought you the Good News, it was not only with words but also with the power of the Holy Spirit, so you can have full assurance that what we said was true. And you know of our concern for you from the way we lived when we were with you.

Paul knew that God had chosen them by the way they received the good news. The Holy Spirit came with power, convicting them - which means convincing them deeply - so that they knew the word of God which was being told to them was true.

Chapter 1 v 6 shows how the Thessalonians learned to suffer like Paul and Jesus.

So you received the message with joy from the Holy Spirit in spite of the severe suffering it brought you. In this way, you imitated both us and the Lord.

The Thessalonians imitated - which means copied - Paul’s example. Like Paul and Jesus, they were glad to suffer for their new faith in Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1 v 7 encourages their work as good examples to other Christians, saying

As a result, you have become an example to all the believers in Greece.

From hearing and believing the Good News, and following the example of Paul and Jesus in suffering for their faith, the Christians in Thessalonica became examples to Christians in many places.

Chapter 1 v 8 – 10 speaks of how they spread the good news about Jesus by their life and their words.

And now the word of the Lord is ringing out from you to people everywhere for wherever we go we find people telling us about your faith in God. We don’t need to tell them about it, for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God. And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

Because they turned from idols to serve the living and true God, people everywhere talked about the Christians in Thessalonica. The message about Jesus spread simply because their lives changed so much. They were welcoming hosts to Paul and his friends, they turned away from their idols, they served God, and they looked forward to the coming of Jesus.

Think about the work that God has done in your life. Can you see how your faith in Him and relationship with Him has changed you? Your attitude? Your thoughts? Your actions? Have you become a better person for knowing Him? Can you, and others, see how God has changed your life?

If so, thank Him, and be encouraged to keep living for Him and being transformed into His likeness.

If not, or if you’re unsure, ask God to work in you. To show you how He has changed you. Ask Him to work on you so your life reflects that of Christ.

Be encouraged by the example of the Thessalonian Christians. Long to shine out like them. Pray and ask God to help you to be more like them, and more like Jesus.

Take time to think about whom you can encourage. Perhaps someone who has a hard time? Or someone whose example has helped you?

It can be hard to keep going as a Christian, but Christians wait for Jesus to come. As 1 Thessalonians 1 v 10 encourages us as we wait for the day of the Lord’s coming,

Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

We can praise God for promising to rescue us from His judgement, because Jesus died for our sins and rose again to eternal life.

In 1 Thessalonians 4 v 1 -12, Paul instructs the Christians on how to live in order to please God; he teaches them. The letters in the New Testament teach us today that we are new people in Christ.

We have a new way to live and we should be pleasing God, not ourselves. This is very different to the wrong ways the non-Christians around us live. So we should read these teachings and apply them to our lives.

In verse 1, Paul praises them for already living for Christ in a way that pleases God, and encourages them to do this more and more.

From verse 3 to verse 6, Paul lists some specific instructions on how to be holy, to live the right way, set apart for God.

v.3 Stay away from all sexual sin;

v.4 – 5 Then each of you will control their own body and live in holiness and honour – not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and His ways;

v.6 Never harm or cheat a Christians brother in this matter by violating his wife.

The Lord will punish you for these sins.

Verse 7 reminds the Thessalonian Christians, and give warning to Christians today. God didn’t call us to live impure lives that reject God, and the gift of His Spirit to us.

But to live holy lives, which is accepting God and His Spirit into our lives to help us to live for Him.

Verse 8 then clearly states that

Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives His Holy Spirit to you.

Living in sin isn’t about disobeying your leaders, aunties, uncles, teachers, it’s disobeying God and rejecting Him in your life.

Does your life reflect the light and life of Christ? Or do you struggle in these sins of an unholy existence?

How will you praise God for giving you these teachings in His word, and ask Him to help you to live like Christ?

Christ has already died for our sins. When we realise we are living in the ways of darkness, we can turn to Him, ask for His forgiveness and start to live holy lives in His light.

Verses 11 and 12 go on to say

v.11 – 12 Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, … Then people who are not Christians will respect the way you live, and you will not need to depend on others.

As Christians, it is our job to be Christ’s example to those who don’t know Him. Our lives should be different from those who live in the darkness. We should live in ways that gain respect for our faith and lead others to faith in Christ.

When we lean on God and follow His teachings, we can depend on Him for all we need, we don’t need to look to others to provide for us, and risk getting caught up in their ways.

These teachings in the New Testament letters are as relevant for us today, as they were for the Thessalonian church.

Finally, in 1 Thessalonians 4 v 13 – 5 v 11, Paul corrects the wrong ideas about when Jesus will come again. Sometimes Christians start to believe false teaching, so the letters in the New Testament put these things right so that God’s people follow the truth.

The first truth stated in chapter 4 v 14 that Christians believe is

We believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again.

From this we look to the second coming.

Verses 16 and 17 speak of Jesus’ return saying

The Lord Himself will come down from heaven, … First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

It’s such a great encouragement to know that as Christians, whether dead or alive, when Jesus comes He will take us up to be with Him forever, and we will all be together.

Chapter 5 starts off by saying that the times and dates of the second coming will not be given, as we know that it will be unexpected and come like a thief in the night.

For Christians who live in the night, they are not aware of the goings-on of the darkness. Coming like a thief in the night indicates that we won’t be expecting the coming of the Lord.

Verse 4 tells us that because we live in the light of Christ, this day will come as a surprise to us.

Verses 6 – 8 encourage us to not be like those who do not know Christ, like who get drunk and live in sin, for this is living in darkness. Rather, we should be self-controlled, being faithful, loving and living in the hope and confidence of our salvation.

Verses 9 and 10 show us the reward of being followers of Christ, that

God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour his anger on us. Christ died for us so that … we can live with him forever.

The Saviour Jesus came and died to take away sin. Hearing about Jesus and believing in Him is the only way for people to be in God’s family. He gives us new hearts so that we are willing to follow Him.

God’s people are not yet home with Him. We wait for Jesus’ to return to take us home. Until then, we live in a world that is against us. It is hard to live as God’s people. How do we keep going? We have God’s Spirit, God’s people and God’s word.