IF GOD BE YOUR PARTNER, MAKE YOUR PLANS LARGE
Philippians 4:13
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UT, before we go any
farther, we’ll take it part-by-part. Now, if one would simply read the first
part of this verse, it may sound a panic indicating conceit or egotism: "I can do all things." If you will recall, this was the same spirit
that attempted to build the tower of Babel; this was the same spirit that
brought the downfall of men like Saul and the Egyptian Pharaoh. Plus, countless
today are infested by humanism and without any trust in God - make the
same claim: "I can do all things." But, here’s where we children of GOD
differ. Read on…
B
|
ut the
next two words in the verse take this out of the context of arrogance
altogether: "through Christ." It is not a boast of self: "I can
do all things." It is… I can do all things
through Christ! There
is a huge difference. It is one thing for someone to say, "I can do all
things." It is quite different to confess, "I can do all things
through Christ." Amen.
To get
the impact of this, stop and think about what we can’t do without Him! WOW! WOW!
WOW! and WOW! We could not effectively and thoroughly know our
lost condition. That was me once upon a time. Let me tell you folks, ignorance
is NOT bliss. I was so very ignorant in my foolish thinking that I was ‘self-sufficient.’ I really thought this and didn’t think
anything was wrong with it. Oh, lost
sheep that I was. How many of you know that HIS LOVE will surely bring you out
of that way of thinking.
Today,
I know that without Him, we cannot have
adequate concepts of God. Without Him, we could realize no victory over sin.
Without Him, we would all be a victim of the wrath to come. Jesus said to His
disciples "without Me you can do nothing," (John 15:5).
In Ephesians 2:12 teaches outside of
Christ, we have "no hope" and we are "without God in the
world."
So, as
we will learn; it was Paul who wrote this letter. It was written to the
Philippians, while he was in a prison in Rome.
The
occasion of the epistle (letter) was to acknowledge a gift of money from the
church at Philippi, brought to the apostle by Epaphroditus, one of its members
(Philippians 4:10-18). This is a
tender letter to a group of Christians who were especially close to the heart
of Paul (2 Corinthians 8:1-6).
Key Verses: Philippians
1:21: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
- Philippians 3:7: “But whatever was to my profit I now consider
loss for the sake of Christ."
- Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it
again: Rejoice!”
- Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your
requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
·
Philippians 4:13: “I can do everything through him who
gives me strength.”
Philippians can be called “Resources Through Suffering.” The book is about Christ in our life, Christ in our mind, Christ as our
goal, Christ as our strength, and joy through suffering.
Paul
exhorts the Philippians to follow his example and be “encouraged to speak the
word of God more courageously and fearlessly” (Philippians 1:14) during times of persecution. All Christians have
experienced, at one time or another, the animosity of unbelievers against the
gospel of Christ. This is to be expected. Jesus said that the world hated Him
and it will hate His followers as well (John
5:18). Paul exhorts us to persevere in the face of persecution, to “stand
firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).
So
with Christ through Him; in our relationship of active faith in Him we have
strength we could not have any other way! Strength to adequately evaluate
ourselves. Strength to know the difference between right and wrong (by
faithfully applying His Word). Strength that comes through the remission of our
sins. Strength in response to prayer we offer to God through Him. Strength of
character as we follow His example and obey Him. This is strength in such
abundance; we are able to do everything God wants us to do. "I can do all
things through Christ, who strengthens me."
He
sums up with this exhortation to believers: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again,
I say Rejoice” (4:4-7). As believers, we can rejoice and experience the peace
of God by casting all our cares on Him, if we “in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let [our] requests be made known to God” (4:6).
Paul’s joy, in spite of persecution and imprisonment, comes shining through
this epistle, and we are promised the same joy he experienced when we center
our thoughts on the Lord (Philippians
4:8).
In Christ,
Playwright Janet Irene Thomas
Founder/CEO
Bible Stories Theatre (BSTFPA)
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