“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:3-11
A beautiful beginning to Paul’s letter to the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi. It is filled with love, with encouragement, and with prayer.
I wonder if our prayers and our words to those around us are filled with love, with encouragement, and with prayer? Do we thank God for one another in the body of Christ? Do we encourage one another in our shared faith? To press on because we know that we have assurance that God will complete what He has begun in us. And we could stop right there as we focus on the good news of the Gospel and the one who has called us to Himself. He will bring us to glory. He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion.
As Paul speaks of being in prison and defending and confirming the gospel, are we those who are faithful to each other in the good times and in the bad?
“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” 1 Corinthians 12:26
Paul tells the Philippians that he yearns for them all with the affection of Christ Jesus. As we move through the week and we get closer and closer to Sunday I not only yearn for worship, but to worship with God’s saints here in Brick, NJ. I give thanks to God for all of you.
May God help us so that our love for one another, for the Church, for the Gospel, may abound more and more. And all of this to the glory and the praise of God.
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