LIVING ABOVE YOUR
CIRCUMSTANCES
Philippians 1:12-18
(conclusion)
In
part one of this two-part series we saw that Paul was in jail in Rome. In
reflecting upon what he had suffered in his mission for Christ, he concluded
three important truths. First we saw
that He had a Proper Interpretation
of His Circumstances (verse
12).
Basically, he viewed his circumstances as a means to release the
gospel to those who wouldn’t otherwise hear it.
Secondly:
He had a Positive Influence Upon Others Through His Circumstances
When you put the proper interpretation on your lot in life then you are in a good position to influence others for the better.
1. The Influence Within (v. 13). “So that my imprisonment in the cause of
Christ has become well known throughout the whole praetorian guard and to
everyone else,” What is the praetorian guard? It originally meant (a) a
general’s tent (b) later, a council of army officers (c) finally, the imperial body guard which personally guarded
Caesar.
Note the words, “and to everyone else” or “all the rest”. Who are everyone else or all the rest? May I suggest Caesar’s household (Philippians 4:22). History informs us that this Caesar had both his wife and his mother put to death. Why? I suspect that they were two of the “and everyone else!” How else could Paul have accomplished this task except through confinement?
Do we interpret our lot in life as God-appointed – as Father filtered? Is our life through our circumstances influencing those with whom we have the closest association?
2. The
Influence Without (vs.14-17). Paul’s
life in prison had a tremendous influence upon the lives of struggling young
preachers (v. 14). His confinement
was the needed catalyst to infuse greater encouragement into Christ’s
ambassadors. Evidently, his joy and
optimism reflected his deep conviction about the message he preached. This served as stimuli to faltering
brethren. Paul is not implying that
these ambassadors lacked courage or had failed in their preaching mission but
that their courage and efforts are heightened to a much greater degree.
In this section we see a mixture
of motives in ministry. Not everyone in
ministry is rightly motivated. However,
we see the over-riding power of the gospel to triumph. Two classes of gospel proclaimers
influenced by Paul’s imprisonment are:
Group #1 Group
#2
Envy and strife - v.15 Good will - v.15
Selfish ambition - v.16 Love - v.17
Not sincerely - v.16 Truth - v.18
Pretense - v.18
He Experienced a Present Inward Joy in His Circumstances (v.18).
“What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I will rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice.” This is the coup de grace to Skinnerian philosophy. When you can rejoice in all your circumstances, you know you are on the winning side!
Are you rejoicing today? Just remember, it is not your circumstances that cause rejoicing, they only propel you toward the ONE who alone can produce joy - THE LORD JESUS CHRIST! God bless.