To God's Glory

Introduction

Attitude and perspective matters. Viktor Frankl, a Jew, was imprisoned during World War II. He lived through the deaths of family and friends. He survived and wrote about his experiences in the book “Man’s Search for Meaning.” Based upon his experiences he devised a philosophy and process for helping people called logotherapy. His book “Man’s Search for Meaning” has been read by millions. At the time of his death in 1997, his book had sales of over 10 million copies and had been translated into 24 languages. Frankl noted that those who survived the concentration camp or who survived longer were those who never lost hope. The ones who consistently remained committed to the idea that he would one day be released and reunited with his family or even after losing one’s family, to envision the day when upon release life would be able to continue. Frankl wrote: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: The last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way.” And again, “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

Easier said than done. It is difficult to have a good attitude when life is not hopeful. It is not easy to change ourselves when our sense of justice demands that the world change and become more fair. Consider the apostle Paul. He writes a letter to the church at Philippi. He is in prison. According to Acts 28, he is under armed guard in a rented house. But in this situation, Paul is in need of financial help in order to live. Rome is not going to feed Paul. Others must provide for him. A brief history of the connection between Paul and this congregation will be helpful.

Around 51 AD, Paul along with Timothy, Silas and Luke by the leading of the Holy Spirit travel to Philippi. According to Acts 16, it was both profitable in leading many to follow Jesus and it was also dangerous with Paul and Silas being beaten, left in jail, and then eventually run out of the city. Silas along with Timothy remain at Philippi while Paul makes his way to Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and then eventually to Corinth. It is believed that Paul received financial help from the Philippians along the way. He mentions their support in 2 Corinthians 11:7-9. On Paul’s third missionary journey, a trip designed to preach and raise funds for starving believers in Jerusalem, the Philippians again send money to Paul to assist with his trip and to help the famine victims in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 9:1-2 and 12-23). When Paul arrives in Jerusalem with the money to assist, he is taken prisoner and after two years in Caesarea, Paul is then moved to Rome (this is the end of Acts 28). It is here in Rome that the Philippians once again send him money to provide assistance for him in prison.

This letter is written in response to the money given and to deal with some issues that have shared with him from Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus brought the money to Paul and almost died on his way there (Philippians 2:25-30). Paul is going to send this present letter along with Epaphroditus back to the Philippian church expressing his thanks and appreciation for what they have done for him. This is not a casual letter. This is a letter written with great love and concern for a people who have a long history with Paul and who have shared in his ministry for years. There is a special affection between Paul and this congregation. Between his imprisonment and the relationship, this congregation is struggling and Paul writes to aid in thinking differently. Let’s be encouraged.

What Really Matters

The special relationship between Paul and the Philippians is seen from the beginning. Every time he thinks of them (and the implication is that he does this often) he prays for them with such joy. The joy comes from all their participation or fellowship with him in the gospel. This sharing includes their financial giving to Paul but it also includes Paul’s sharing the gospel with them. It is their most recent gift that Paul is thanking them for but he understands the money isn’t for him but for the gospel. Note the mention of the word “joy.” This is a prominent theme for Paul throughout this letter. Although imprisoned, Paul’s joy remains intact. The same joy that he had in Philippi sitting in a jail cell singing at midnight is the same joy that is present under armed guard in Rome where his future is uncertain.

The Philippians were concerned about him. They were scared for him. But from the beginning of the letter Paul emphasizes that his joy isn’t determined by his circumstances. In verse 6, his joy is further explained in knowing that God not only began the work of salvation in them but he will see it to completion. In 2:12-13, Paul will write about personal responsibility in cooperating with God in the salvation process, i.e., God saves but we obey and live in testimony of God’s work. These believers came to faith because of God’s work and their salvation is assured because God will not fail them.

Verses 7-8 once again signify the intensity and duration of Paul’s love for them. The Philippians are firmly entrenched in Paul’s heart and they have been faithful to Paul when he has been in prison and when he has been free to preach the gospel, but as Paul has already pointed out even in prison he has been preaching the gospel. His guards will become followers of Jesus (1:12-13 and 4:22).

Verses 9-11, Paul offers a prayer on their behalf. Paul prays that their love would increase in both knowledge and depth of insight. This self-sacrificing love already existed in his readers. Paul’s prayer is that it would increase and through that increase that their knowledge and insight would also increase. Notice Paul doesn’t pray that their emotional responses would increase. Don’t be confused. This love has to do with greater understanding. The more we love the more we recognize God’s love for us.

But Paul’s prayer for increasing love is not left with increased knowledge and insight but so that the readers would be able to discern what is best. There are a number of different translations for this phrase in verse 10. The KJV says “that you may approve things that are excellent.” The NLT translates “I want you to understand what really matters.” The word that Paul uses is properly translated in multiple ways. The gist of all the translations is the same from “best” to “excellent” to “what really matters”—this love which leads to greater insight is to also lead to understand what really matters.

Paul could have prayed for a lot of different things. He could have asked his readers to pray for his release. No one would blame him. But he didn’t pray for release. In fact, in verse 21, Paul is absolutely okay with dying in prison. Prison didn’t take away his freedom nor did it limit his faith. He wasn’t worried about what was going to happen to him. That was important but it wasn’t what really mattered. Paul uses this same word in Romans 2:18 in which he speaks about the Jew who knows what really matters or he knows the more excellent thing and doesn’t do them.

Paul finishes his prayer with two consequences. First, his readers would remain pure and blameless until Christ’s return. He prayed that the readers’ lives would be a reflection of the righteousness of Jesus. When people saw a follower of Jesus they would see Jesus. Second, that all this purity of life would result in glory and praise to God. This is what really matters. Notice in 1:18. “The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.” Joy for Paul came from God getting noticed.

So What?

What really matters is God’s glory. How does that work? It starts with love. This isn’t sentimental love. This is giving love. This is sacrificing love. This is love that turns towards others rather than looking at one’s life. This explains Paul’s joy. In prison but joyful. Isolated but joyful. This love leads to wisdom of living. No longer pursuing what will satisfy but pursuing that which will bring about a righteous life.

We start with love but then we keep our eyes on the prize. We live in such a way that we demonstrate to others that we expect Jesus to return. Can you imagine how different life is when we put everything into the perspective that this is temporary. No short term thinking but long term. We recognize that Christ will return and all the things that we allowed to take away our joy will be gone. We are on this earth as believers for one purpose—to reveal the glory of God and to praise him.

Someone says, “I don’t see how Paul did it. I could never do what Paul did.” You aren’t called to do what Paul did. Do you suffer? So did Paul. Do you have disappointments? So did Paul. Have you been betrayed? So was Paul. Have you experienced times of loneliness, isolation, sadness, and uncertainty. So did Paul. But through it all, Paul consistently pointed to the truth that his mission was to make God seen through his life and his words.

We may not be able to do what Paul did but we can still have joy when things are not what we want them to be. We can still love when betrayed. We can still praise God when we are defeated. We can reveal God to others when abandoned. We can look outward rather than inward. We can see that this world is temporary. We can look forward to the day that Christ returns. And in all of those ways, we can fulfill God’s intent for our lives.

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