February 5
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WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION WITH FEAR & TREMBLING
12 So then, my beloved, just as you 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; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to desire and to work for His good pleasure.14 Do all things without complaining or arguments; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding firmly the word of life, so that on the day of Christ I can take pride because I did not run in vain nor labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
– Philippians 2:12-18
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In this letter of Paul to the Philippians, he reminds them of the importance of obedience more than anything now that he isn’t with them. He wanted them to continue to work out their salvation with fear and trembling. “Working out your own salvation” has been so misunderstood by many Christians. Some believers misconstrue it as to work hard to earn their salvation, which is the opposite of what it really means. When Paul tells this to people who already committed their lives to Christ as their Lord and Savior, he meant for them to work in their process of sanctification and living their professed belief in the Lord.
Spurgeon says: “These words, as they stand in the New Testament, contain no exhortation to all men, but are directed to the people of God. They are not intended as an exhortation to the unconverted; they are, as we find them in the epistle, beyond all question addressed to those who are already saved through a living faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.”
When Paul says to work out your own salvation in fear and trembling, he meant for all believers to follow a life that is pure and so they can follow the Spirit instead of their flesh. In verse 14, he cautions them from complaining and arguments because they hamper the progress of their growth. They also delay the fulfillment of their purposes for God’s kingdom work. Can you imagine being led to Jesus by whiny people? Would you be a true witness to the gospel? Sadly, many of us Christians fail to refrain from complaining and arguing. Paul urges us to share our faith with rejoicing.
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REFLECTION
• How can the phrase “working out your own salvation” mislead some Christians?
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TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN ILMA’S VLOG
February 2
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TO LIVE IS CHRIST AND TO DIE IS GAIN
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your pride in Christ Jesus may be abundant because of me by my coming to you again. – Philippians 1:21-26
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In his declaration of Paul’s great love for his Lord and Master, we hear him proclaim that “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” What does he mean by this? Do you remember how Paul’s encounter on the Damascus road, changed his entire life from a dead life of persecuting the Christians to a new life for Christ?
Barclay comments that for Paul, Christ had been the beginning of life, for on that day at Damascus road it was as if he had begun life all over again. To Paul, Christ had given the task of life, for it was he who had made him an apostle and sent him out as the evangelist of the Gentiles. To him Christ had given the strength for life, for it was Christ’s all-sufficient grace that was made perfect in Paul’s weakness. For him Christ was the reward of life, for to Paul the only worthwhile reward was closer fellowship with his Lord. If Christ were to be taken out of life, for Paul there would be nothing left.
“Death is gain” because it meant that he will be united with his Lord and Savior. Barclay comments again that there are passages in which Paul seems to regard death as a sleep, from which all men at some future general resurrection shall be wakened (1Corinthians 16:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:16); but at the moment when its breath was on him Paul thought of death not as a falling asleep but as an immediate entry into the presence of his Lord.
In verse 23, he mentions two desires regarding to die so he can be with Christ or to remain alive so he can still continue to do the work for Christ to the other believers. How many of us Christians have this undying servant heart like Paul? His whole life is about serving and proclaiming the gospel so that Christ may be glorified. Is our life for Christ and are we ready to give up our life to preach the gospel and make disciples of others?
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REFLECTION
• Does your life manifest a life for Christ and do you think to die is gain?
CHRIST EXALTED ILMA’S VLOG
February 1
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CHRIST EXALTED
But not only that, I also will rejoice, 19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, 20 according to my eager expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. -Philippians 1:18-20
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In this letter, Paul is full of faith and conviction and rejoicing. He is certain that the prayers of the Philippians would be powerful for the Spirit of the Lord to move into his deliverance. It is in this belief in his friends and the power of the Holy Spirit that his hope is anchored on. It is the source of his boldness to proclaim the gospel despite the circumstance that he is in. His courage is exemplary and his situation is immaterial because he is sure that whether he dies or stay alive, he is going to stay faithful to exalt his Master and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. How many of us Christians have this kind of dependency, trust and obedience to Christ?
Barclay’s bible commentary says that in this situation Paul knows that he has two great supports. He has the support of the prayers of his friends. One of the loveliest things in Paul’s letters is the way in which he asks again and again for his friends’ prayers. He never talked to people as if he could do everything and they could do nothing; he always remembered that neither he, nor they, could do anything without the help of God. Barclay further writes “When people are in sorrow, one of their greatest comforts is the awareness that others are bearing them to the throne of grace. When they have to face some back-breaking effort or some heart-breaking decision, there is new strength in remembering that others are remembering them before God. We cannot call a man our friend unless we pray for him.
Paul knows that he has the support of the Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit is the fulfilment of the promise of Jesus that he will be with us to the end of the world. In all this situation Paul has one expectation and one hope. Paul is certain that in Christ he will find courage never to be ashamed of the gospel; and that through Christ his labors will be made effective for all men to see.
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REFLECTION
• Do you count on other believer’s prayers to be an integral part of life as a believer? Why is it important to ask other Christians for prayers?
• How is Christ exalted when we pray for one another and depend on the Holy Spirit?
THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED NO MATTER WHAT ILMA’S VLOG
January 31
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THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED NO MATTER WHAT
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel, 13 so that my imprisonment in the cause of Christ has become well known throughout the praetorian guard and to everyone else, 14 and that most of the brothers and sisters, trusting in the Lord because of my imprisonment, have far more courage to speak the word of God without fear. 15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from goodwill; 16 the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; 17 the former proclaims Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking that they are causing me distress in my imprisonment. 18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.
–Philippians 1:12-18
________________________________________According to a commentary, Paul here answered a concern of the Philippians. He wanted them to know that God’s blessing and power were still with him, even though he was in prison. He was not out of the will of God, and God’s work still continued. When Paul was with the Philippians, there were amazing examples of the sovereign power of God, culminating in a divine jail-break and their vindication before civil magistrates (Acts 16:11-40). We are not surprised that the Philippians wondered where the power of God was in Paul’s present imprisonment. We also know that all this turned out for the furtherance of the gospel because during this time he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. God didn’t waste Paul’s time during the Roman imprisonment. God never wastes our time, though we may waste it by not sensing God’s purpose for our lives at the moment.
Paul narrates how the imprisonment was a blessing for his ministry because Jesus Christ became well known throughout the guards and everyone else in the prison. This became an inspiration for other men and women believers who preached the gospel, to speak more boldly and without fear. Paul said in this letter that many wanted to preach the gospel and not all of them had the right motives, but he didn’t care so much about their motives. As long as the gospel is preached, he was overjoyed because he knows that the Spirit is at work in all this work going on because it was God who began all this good work in all of them, and he is sure that He will finish it too.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important for all believers to preach the gospel?
PRAYER FOR AN OVERFLOW OF LOVE AND WISDOM ILMA’S VLOG
January 30
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PRAYER FOR AN OVERFLOW OF LOVE AND WISDOM
8 For God is my witness, how I long for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And this I pray, that your love may overflow still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may discover the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ; 11 having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, for the glory and praise of God.
-Philippians 1:8-11:
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Adam Clarke paraphrased verse 8 as “I call God to witness that I have the strongest affection for you, and that I love you with that same kind of tender concern with which Christ loved the world when he gave himself for it.”
Verses 9-11 is Paul’s loving prayer for the Philippians. And he asked God for an overflow of love, even though he knows that they are very loving already. He also asked God to bring them more knowledge and wisdom and discernment so that they will be able to discover all the excellent things that God has for them. He also prayed that they will continue to be faithful, pure and holy until the next coming of Jesus because they have already been filled with the fruit of righteousness that came when they committed their lives to Jesus Christ. As the fruit of righteousness manifest in their lives, then God will be praised and glorified.
What a prayer! Paul is clearly full of the Spirit of the Lord when he wrote this prayer for the Philippian believers. All of these blessings were all aligned with God’s truth. He asked for more love, wisdom, discernment, which leads to the joy of discovering all of God’s gifts for them so they can be sanctified and continually pure for Christ. Clarke comments on this prayer as “That it may be like a river, perpetually fed with rain and fresh streams so that it continues to swell and increase until it fills all its banks, and floods the adjacent plains.”
How often do you pray like Paul? He knows and sees the righteousness of God manifest in the Philippians. Do you usually see the love God has for the person you are praying for? It is amazing how Paul almost sees their hearts, even though we know that only God is the one who can see our hearts. It is like God gave him a glimpse of what he sees in them. When we know our Lord so well, he will give us discernment to see what he sees.
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REFLECTION
• How can we learn to pray Spirit-led prayers like Paul?
PARTAKERS OF GRACE ILMA’S VLOG
January 29
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PARTAKERS OF GRACE
Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, 5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus. 7 For it is only right for me to feel this way about you all, because I have you in my heart, since both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers of grace with me. Philippians 1: 1-7
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According to David Guzik’s commentary, the Apostle Paul wrote this letter to his close friends, the Christians in Philippi, from his Roman house arrest described in Acts 28:30-31, as he waited for his court appearance before Caesar around the year A.D. 61. The church in Philippi was founded by Paul some eleven years before this letter on his second missionary journey mentioned in Acts 16:11-40. This was the first church established on the continent of Europe.In this letter addressed to all Christians in Philippi and to the church leaders, he always brings grace and peace from God to them all. Only those who are in Christ Jesus would greet one another with grace and peace because only the One true God has grace and peace to give to all His people. In verse 3, we hear Paul’s grateful attitude towards God for all the believers in Philippi and in verse 4, we hear the joyful delight in him as he prays for all of them. There is so much love and joy even at his greetings. It almost sounds like a love letter of someone who have far been away from their loved one. In verse 5, Paul states the reason why he is so delighted with the Philippians, they have continually spread and lived the gospel from the first day they have heard it. In verse 6, he mentions the confidence he has for the completion of God’s work in the Philippian church. In verse 7, he sounds like his heart is bursting of love for all these faithful believers who have continually given him all the support even though he is in prison. They have been so persistent to extent all the support that Paul needed and their faith in him never wavered. They are all spiritually led to do God’s work, and Paul sees all the works of the Spirit and he is so overjoyed that they didn’t doubt of God’s goodness. They are all partakers of the grace that he himself received from God.
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REFLECTION
• How have you manifested grace to others just as you received it from Christ?
PAUL COMFORTS THE EPHESIANS THROUGH TYCHICUS ILMA’S VLOG
January 28
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PAUL COMFORTS THE EPHESIANS THROUGH TYCHICUS
21 Now, so that you also may know about my circumstances as to what I am doing, Tychicus, the beloved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will make everything known to you. 22 I have sent him to you for this very purpose, so that you may know about us, and that he may comfort your hearts. 23 Peace be to the brothers and sisters, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love. -Ephesians 6:21-24
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Paul mentions Tychicus in this letter. He was an associate of Paul’s mentioned in other letters (Acts 20:4, Colossians 4:7, 2 Timothy 4:12, Titus 3:12). Tychicus seems to have been often used by Paul as a messenger as he mentions in verse 22 in the phrase “as you may know about us. We hear how Paul wants to comfort the Ephesians and everyone else who read the letter about his condition during his imprisonment in Rome. What a loving person Paul is. Who would even think of comforting other people when he is in chains in a prison cell? He is so selfless and concerned how his imprisonment may cause them to lose passion to share the gospel and he wouldn’t want that because that would not bring glory to God.
Paul’s selflessness in the midst of suffering reminds me so much of Jesus comforting his disciples in John 14 when the disciples were all panicking and worried about what would happen to them if Jesus is gone. He says in verses 1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. It is so reassuring for Jesus to say in verse 13 “And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. And in verse 16-17, Jesus comforts them more with 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. What an amazing selflessness and love Jesus had for his disciples. Paul exhibits this trait to God’s people.
Paul concluded the letter as he began it, with reference to grace and peace, the two necessary cornerstones for the Christian life. He also added the importance of their undying love for the Lord Jesus Christ to close this letter.
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REFLECTION
• How often do we comfort someone for the sake of Jesus?
PRAY IN THE SPIRIT AT ALL TIMES ILMA’S VLOG
January 27
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PRAY IN THE SPIRIT AT ALL TIMES
18 With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints, 19 and pray in my behalf, that speech may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. -Ephesians 6:18-20
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In this letter of Paul to the Ephesians, he emphasizes the command to pray in the Spirit always. He specifies not just any kind of prayer, but praying in the Spirit. What does this mean? If we walk in the Spirit, we are aligned to the will of God. It is easy for us to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit because He is the one who will tell us what to pray for. It is interesting how many Christians live prayerless lives, and then wonder why they have no victory or joy in their lives. When we abide in Christ, the Spirit is comfortable living inside of us. When He is inside of us, He will make our lives alive for Jesus. He will direct us what prayers to pray and be led to get revelations from Him who and what to pray for. Paul also says to be alert, meaning to be watchful of the requests for the saints. It is a tradition in women’s bible study, to bring in all the prayer requests of each one, but I think sometimes we also have to listen to what the Spirit wants us to pray for that requested person or situation according to what the Spirit can see that we cannot. The pray at all times seem impossible in our busy world, but there are many different kinds of prayers that we can get into such as corporate prayers, intercessory, thanksgiving, supplications, adoration, healing, wisdom, and many more. Throughout the day, we will always find a reason to pray. It is like conversing with the Lord or thinking of his commands and praying according to his words and truth. Paul requests them to pray in his behalf because he is in prison. He asked to pray for him to have boldness so he can proclaim the gospel in prison to the other prisoners. How often do we struggle to be bold and courageous to talk about the gospel to unbelievers? According to a commentary, Of course, the ancient Greek word for chains meant a prisoner’s shackles. But it could also be used for the gold adornment worn around the neck and wrists of the wealthy and powerful. On special occasions, ambassadors wore such chains to show the riches, power, and dignity of the government they represented. Paul considers his prisoner’s chains to actually be the glorious adornment of an ambassador of Jesus Christ.
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REFLECTION
• Why do you think we are asked to pray at all times? Is that even possible?
BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND WEAR GOD’S ARMOR ILMA’S VLOG
January 26
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BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND WEAR GOD’S ARMOR
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. – Ephesians 6:10-17
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According to this letter of Paul, he gives all believers the training in order to combat and defeat darkness and Satan’s army. Paul has two requirements to win the battle against evil forces stated in verses 10 & 11: First, we must be strong in the Lord and lean on His strength and power; second, we must put on the full armor of God to stand firm against all tactics or strategies of the devil. Many Christians fail to do the first instruction for the training for the battlefield. In high school, I trained to be a cadet officer and I was a platoon leader. It took many months of mental and physical strength training to see if we are capable to lead our subordinates and win competitions. It wasn’t a real battlefield but we were trained to be disciplined for possible invasion in my country of origin. All soldiers and officers undergo certain training to strengthen their bodies and mind and senses so they can all be watchful of the enemy’s attacks. Paul explains that spiritual warfare is something we do not see, so our equipping and training must also be geared to focus on how we are attacked in the supernatural realm like rulers, powers and principalities of darkness. So, our weapons are not physical ones, but are spiritual armaments such as truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation and the word of God. Paul uses a clear picture of how we are to use these spiritual weapons to fight the evil surrounding us constantly by illustrating the armor that a soldier uses in the battlefield. We need to focus on being strong in the Lord, meaning we need to know our God’s power and might so we can lean on Him before we can actually wear His armor.
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REFLECTION
• Why is it important to know our God before we can actually combat darkness?
COMMANDS TO WORKERS & EMPLOYERS ILMA’S VLOG
January 25
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COMMANDS TO WORKERS & EMPLOYERS
5 Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; 6 not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. 7 With goodwill render service, as to the Lord, and not to people, 8 knowing that whatever good thing each one does, he will receive this back from the Lord, whether slave or free.9 And masters, do the same things to them, and give up threatening, knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no partiality with Him. -Ephesians 6:5-9
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In this chapter, Paul also addresses slaves or workers. In the days of Paul, most workers are slaves to a master who bought them for a price. In our current world, we have employers who we serve and follow so we can get paid for the services we render to them or to the company. The word “slaves” would be unwelcomed in our world today. It would anger someone to be called a slave. In ancient times, it wasn’t something to be frown upon. A slave’s needs are usually taken cared of by their masters in return for their loyalty and undying service. Faithfulness was something that people valued then. In our world today, no one is loyal to any employer anymore, but to themselves. It is not uncommon that workers cheat on their company time to do personal calls or other unrelated stuff that isn’t on their list of functions. In other words, a lot of worker or employers are dishonest or do not have integrity in the workplace.
Paul warns all workers to do their job with fear and trembling and sincerity in their hearts for Jesus. He shifts their perspectives to not only think of the wage that is tied up with their labor, but to do it for the Lord, as if they were actually slaves of Christ. They were asked to focus on the reward that they will be given by the Lord himself.
Masters or employers were also commanded to be fair and not threaten their workers. They need to think that the Lord is watching them and will be answerable to God if they treat them unjustly or oppress them. It is such a sad sight to see so many leaders/employers who abuse their powers and positions just to make other people’s lives miserable. This isn’t how a Christ-centered life is about. This is clearly the world’s system which is corrupt and cruel. If all employers and masters will be accountable to Christ, all laborers and slaves will be more faithful in their service to their employers or masters.
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REFLECTION
• Why is a worker advised to act as if they’re working for Jesus?