Philippians 1

HI 1:1-30{IN the Epistle to the Ephesians, and even in that to the Colossians,. we see our place with Christ; but in 'Philippians the believer is seen, passing through the world-as a Christian walking in it. There is no doctrine in the epistle; the believer is seen pressing towards the mark. And another thing: he looks at this course as rim in the power of the Spirit of God; this is what characterizes the Christian, that he is entirely running the race. in that power. So there is no sin in this epistle-not the word sin even-and no conflict, in the proper sense of the word. Not that he has attained, but he is never doing anything but one thing- running in the power of the Spirit of God towards the goal. He had not attained, but he was doing nothing but running to attain. He was raised. above all in himself, and in the world-entirely above all circumstances.
It is the epistle of experience, but according to the, power of the Spirit, of God. We learn this lesson, that though we fail, yet there is the possibility of running on in the power of the 'Spirit of God. Not that flesh is changed, or the thought of having attained admissible (there is no perfection down here); but the possibility of always acting consistently with the calling to get to Christ in glory. There is no looking for points of progress the world; it sets him above every kind of circumstance, or contradiction, or difficulty, for he sees the path of the Christian entirely above them all. To have a path shows that we had got out of God’s place where He had set man. The moment we have a way it shows that we are not at home. It is blessed to have a way in the wilderness (of, course, Christ is the way). Adam wanted no way: he would have 'stayed in the garden in quietness if he had obeyed God. But we have set out from " Egypt, and we are not in Canaan; we go towards the goal. Numbers' of things come out on the way, but all we have got to do is to run. We get a' great deal' more of Christ every step; like a lamp at the end of a passage, we get more and more of it as we go on; we have not got the lamp yet, though we get More. Of the light of it every step We take. But there is entire deliverance from self as governing us, and a' motive above circum-
stances, so that, though not insensible to them, they exert no-influence over us.
" I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every-prayer of mine for you all, Making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel, from the first day until how." The Philippians had taken a zealous part in the gospel, and had shown: a loving spirit. How constant the intercession of the apostle was for them!.Every time he prayed he was making mention of them. Mark how he carries the church of God on his heart; and it was the same way with individuals. He was thinking of all the good in them, and thanking God for it. See the kind of interest he had for the saints; he was always thinking of them. Even to the Corinthians he says, "I thank my God always on your behalf."
What Christ thinks of 'we should think of. If Christ is my life, and by the Spirit the spring of my thoughts, I shall have His thoughts in everything, for there is that which is right according to Christ. I have to he in the midst of circumstances as Christ would be, and that is Christian life. It is never necessary we should do anything wrong-never necessary we should act in the flesh; though it is there, why am I to think by it? I shall not, if I am full of Christ, for it is He who suggests the thoughts to me.
If I get into Christ's mind and thoughts, I shall not bear to see evil in saints. I want them like Christ. He is doing the work now in the heart of the saints-" that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word "-and I must be going along with Him in the same Spirit; and I must be all right myself, or I cannot do that. Christ gives Himself first for His people, and then He sets about to cleanse them, and make them what He would have them; and that should be our heart's, desire to do in intercession.
There is plenty of power for this, though we are dreadfully low. He can suit His grace now just as in the brightest days of the: apostle. There was much more to delight in when David was hunted as a partridge on the mountains, than in all the glory of Solomon, for then there was the power of faith. It is with all saints that we are to " comprehend" (Eph. 3:18). We shorten our own blessing if we do not take them all in. There is competency with Christ, and if I go on with Him I must have peace about them.
Praying for saints gives a person the power of seeing all the good in them. We see this in the epistles, with one exception, that to the Galatians, where the apostle does not speak of what he could commend, but goes plump into all the evil, for they were turning away from the foundation: If we prayed More for the saints we should have more joy in them, and more courage about them. It is always wrong to lose courage. about the saints, though it is possible it 'might come to be like Jeremiah: "Pray no more for this people." The Lord is always, there, and love cannot fail; so we can reckon on it with joy, and comfort, and courage. Even when Paul had said to the Galatians, "I am afraid of you," he adds, soon looking to Christ, " I have confidence in. yeti, through the Lord." He had the saints` under Christ eye for a blessing. How much are we looking with Christ's heart at all the saints, with comfort and courage that there is grace enough for them? "Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ "; and, as he says further on " that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke."
“Both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace." We are little aware how real the unity of the Spirit is; we have greatly lost' the reality of it, though it is owned as a truth. It is a unity by a living power which is in every saint, so that the thing must be "if one member suffer," not all ought, but all do " suffer with it." The body may be in such a mortified state as to have little feeling left; but, supposing there were work of the Spirit in India, do you think it would not revive the saints here? So those people who were praying for Paul, When God strengthened him; praise returned to God from them all. The working of the Spirit of God tells in blessing on all who hear. But when he had to say, All have forsaken we" (they had not forsaken Christ, but they had no courage to go into danger), Paul went on alone. It is plain if I have a pain in my. body all my nerves are hurt by it; I cannot read or work so well. There may be a deadening; of the spiritual nerves so that there is very little feeling, but it cannot be destroyed.
At the eighth verse we get into the tone of the epistle. The apostle was no forgetful person; he remembers every little trait of kindness done to him; and he prays that they might have all kinds of knowledge and spiritual judgment, so that they might do things just fit to be done-that they might know in what one thing differs from another-that they might be connoisseurs in the Christian path; not only not fall into sin, but have the knowledge of just the right thing to do in the circumstances; for the standard is the satisfying the heart of Christ, not "Where is the harm?” The apostle desires that they might discern things now as they will be when brought into the light in that day of Christ. It is as if he said, I want you to think of the Lord Jesus, and know what will please the heart of Christ. There is the delight of pleasing Christ, and the delighting in the thing that pleases Him as well, by the active energy of the Spirit of God.
Then see how he rises above all the trials of his four years of imprisonment, two at Caesarea and two at Rome. " I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel." He might have reasoned: If I- had not gone tip to Jerusalem, and there listened to these Jews persuading me to things, I might still be at liberty; preaching the gospel. He does not do - that;-and. let me say, beloved friends, there is nothing more foolish than to be looking at second Causes, Perhaps we may not have been wise, but the man who lives above things here knows that every one of them works together for good. All would turn to his salvation, he says, "through' your prayer, and the supply of-the Spirit of Jesus Christ." And we see here that there is the increased activity and energy of the Spirit of God " the supply," as the apostle speaks; so that, though we cannot look to Him to come (as He has' come); we-can and ought to be looking for the “supply," and-His ministering grace through the Word.
" Christ shall be magnified' in my body, whether it be by life or by death." We see here that perfection in the flesh is all nonsense, for Paul was looking to be like Christ in glory. The heart is always upright when it says, "For me to live is Christ." He had no object but Christ, and he walked day by day by that—Christ as source; Christ as object, Christ as character; all the way through, Christ was his life, by the power of. the Spirit of God; so that the rage of man and Satan- had no power over him. Self was practically gone. When he looked' at himself he did not know, what to choose-whether to go and rest with Christ, or to remain and serve Him. To be with Him was better, but then he could no longer labor for Him. Thus self was gone as a motive, and, he counts on Christ for the church, and the moment he sees “it is necessary fin' you that, is remain," he says, " I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith." He decides his own trial before Nero. When thinking of himself he did not know which to choose, but when he thinks of those dear to Christ needing his presence he says, " I know I shall abide."
The Lord grant, beloved brethren, that He should be our only object, and that we should not let ourselves be distracted from it, so that we may say, " This one thing I do." The Lord give us grace to be the true epistles of Christ till He come, What a bright and blessed witness the Church of God would then be! If we have less fighting and fears than Paul, it is because we have less energy.