First streamed on 5.3.23. First posted on 5.4.23.
What are you living for? Who are you living for? What is your supreme passion in life?
Our supreme passion in life should entail the Passion of Christ.
We ought not put school before the Savior, nor games before God. We can’t put a job before Jesus, nor our family before our faith.
So many people are always chasing the ever-changing concept of the “good life”. Many just want to be able to say, “Life is good”!
But Paul tells the Philippians that, for him, come what may, life is God (Php 1:21).
Like Paul, Christ is who we should be living for. The Gospel is what we should be living for.
Our supreme passion should be our Savior. Our greatest goal should be God’s glory.
So, in every situation, we should ask ourselves, how can I exalt the Name of Christ (cf. Php 1:20)? How can I magnify the reputation of my Master and Redeemer?
And those who trust in Him will never be put to shame (cf. Php 1:20; Rom 9:33, 10:11; Ps 34:3-5, 35:26-27).
So, let’s pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ – not just for their physical well-being, but for their spiritual well-being (cf. Php 1:19).
For the Holy Spirit is our Advocate (Jn 15:26-27, 16:7) who can help us to endure metaphorical and literal (cf. Mk 13:11) trials, and proclaim the Gospel with boldness (cf. Php 1:19-20; Eph 6:19-20).
And if Jesus is life, then death is gain. For we will meet Him, face-to-face, in glory.
If we seek to be a living sacrifice for the Lord, then death means our living sacrifice will be complete.1
You don’t have be too worried about the preservation of your earthly life when you have a reservation for eternal life.
If Christ is life (cf. Gal 2:20; 2 Cor 5:15), then death means everlasting life with Christ.
So, whether or not people say, “life is good”, we can always say, “Life is God!”
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5-3-23 Bible Study Slides Philippians 1_18b-21 No Pictures
Bibliography
- Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. [BDAG]
- Balz, Horst Robert, and Gerhard Schneider. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1990–. [EDNT]
- Comfort, Philip. “Philippians”. In Cornerstone Biblical Commentary: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, Philemon. Vol. 16. Harold W. Hoehner, Philip W. Comfort, and Peter H. Davids. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008.
- Everts, Janet Meyer. “Philippians.” In The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary, edited by Gary M. Burge and Andrew E. Hill. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012.
- Fee, Gordon D. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1995.
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- Foulkes, Francis. “Philippians.” In New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition, edited by D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, and G. J. Wenham, 4th ed., 1245–59. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.
- Gurtner, Daniel M. “Philippians.” In The Bible Knowledge Background Commentary: Acts–Philemon, edited by Craig A. Evans and Craig A. Bubeck, First Edition., 573–86. Colorado Springs, CO: David C Cook, 2004.
- Hansen, G. Walter. The Letter to the Philippians. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2009.
- Hawthorne, Gerald F. Philippians. Vol. 43. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 2004.
- Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Second Edition. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014.
- Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996. [LN]
- Martin, Ralph P. Philippians: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 11. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1987.
- Melick, Richard R. Philippians, Colossians, Philemon. Vol. 32. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1991.
- Motyer, J. A. The Message of Philippians. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1984.
- Myers, Allen C. The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1987.
- Silva, Moisés, ed. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014. [NIDNTTE]
- Silva, Moisés. Philippians. 2nd ed. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005.
- Thielman, Frank. Philippians. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1995.
- Witherington, Ben, III. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Company, 2011.
- Yinger, Kent L. “Prison Letters.” Edited by David Noel Freedman, Allen C. Myers, and Astrid B. Beck. Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 2000.