Passage
Greet all the holy ones in Christ Jesus. The brothers with me greet you all. All the holy ones greet you all, especially
the ones out of the house of Caesar. The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Thoughts for Today
First Thought:
One of the most important words in this section is “holy.” (ἅγιος) many translations use the word “saint”
here. I prefer the words “holy
ones.” The reason is because in modern
English when we hear the word saint we think of people who are over-the-top
religious in their spirituality or practice or both. But that isn’t what the word is supposed to
mean. The word holy in a Biblical
context means “separate” or “different.”
So Paul isn’t talking about the ones who are over-the-top
religious. He is talking about the
people who realize that God has called them into a different life than what the
world calls them to live. We are to
greet, receive into our life, and welcome the company of those who are embracing
that God makes them different from this world.
How does God make you different from this world? Who in your life is truly living a life where
their spirituality makes them different?
Second Thought:
Paul makes sure that the
Philipians know the greeting goes both ways.
Not only are the Philippians to look for opportunities to greet God’s
people, but God’s people elsewhere are looking for opportunities to greet the
Philippian disciples of Jesus. When God
is first and we are following His agenda, it isn’t about one group being better
or superior or more capable or more supportive.
It is about understanding the fellowship between us and coming together
in that fellowship to support one another.
When you think about the churches
of which you have been a part, what instances can you think of where you truly
felt a genuine give and take between believers?
How open is your mind to a give and take with believers who are
genuinely “holy” but not a part of your congregation?
Third Thought:
Paul leaves the Philippians with a reminder about perhaps
the two most important things in this life.
First, it is the grace that comes through Jesus Christ that is of
ultimate importance. Without Christ,
there would be no way to truly atone for our sins and there would be no sure
way to know the promise of eternal life.
Second, life is spiritual. The
world wants to draw us in and only believe that life is fleshy, mortal, carnal,
and temporary. But we are to believe
that the spiritual supersedes all of this.
The calling of God is higher than the calling of this world. This actually returns us to the definition of
the word holy: separate!
Do you live as though Jesus Christ is the most important
thing in your life? If so, how? If not, what small steps could you try that
would help you to do so?
Passage for Tomorrow: TBD
No comments:
Post a Comment