Philippians 2:1-5 1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Philippians 2:1-5 is a powerful passage that emphasizes unity, humility, and selflessness among believers. Here’s a breakdown of its meaning: – Verse 1: Paul begins by reminding the Philippians of the encouragement, love, and fellowship they have in Christ. He appeals to their shared experience of God’s grace as a foundation for unity. – Verse 2: He urges them to be “like-minded,” having the same love and being united in spirit and purpose. This highlights the importance of harmony and working together in faith. – Verse 3: Paul warns against selfish ambition and pride, encouraging humility by valuing others above oneself. – Verse 4: He calls believers to look beyond their own interests and consider the needs of others, fostering a spirit of service and compassion. – Verse 5: Paul presents Jesus as the ultimate example of humility, urging believers to adopt His mindset—one of selfless love and sacrifice. This passage teaches that true unity comes from humility and putting others first, following Christ’s example.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CLAIM TO BE CHRISTIANS, BUT THEY COULDN’T CARE LESS ABOUT THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE. DO YOU STRIVE TO OBEY THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE? DO YOU ONLY CARE ABOUT YOURSELF? ALLOW THIS PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE.
Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is firmly attached to a child’s heart. Spanking will remove it far from him. Proverbs 29:15 A spanking and a warning produce wisdom, but an undisciplined child disgraces his mother. Remember children are born with a decided bias toward evil, and therefore if you let them choose for themselves, they are certain to choose wrong. The mother cannot tell what her tender infant may grow up to be—tall or short, weak or strong, wise or foolish: he may be any of these things or not—it is all uncertain. But one thing the mother can say with certainty: he will have a corrupt and sinful heart. It is natural to us to do wrong.… Our hearts are like the earth on which we tread; let it alone, and it is sure to bear weeds. Proverbs 29:17–18 Correct your son, and he will give you peace of mind. He will bring delight to your soul. Without prophetic vision people run wild, but blessed are those who follow ⸤God’s⸥ teachings. Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not turn away from it.
ALLOW THIS WORD FROM GOD TO BE A GUIDE UNTO YOUR LIFE. TEACH YOUR CHILD THE WORD OF GOD, AND DISCIPLINE YOUR CHILD.
Matthew 17:20 GW [20] He told them, “Because you have so little faith. I can guarantee this truth: If your faith is the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Mark 9:23 GW [23] Jesus said to him, “As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes. James 1:6-7 GW [6] When you ask for something, don’t have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind and tossed by the sea. [7] A person who has doubts shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord.
WE MUST HAVE FAITH IN GOD. OBEY, TRUST, BELEIVE, AND RECEIVE.
Psalm 103:8–14 The LORD is compassionate, merciful, patient, and always ready to forgive. He will not always accuse us of wrong or be angry ⸤with us⸥ forever. He has not treated us as we deserve for our sins or paid us back for our wrongs. As high as the heavens are above the earth— that is how vast his mercy is toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west— that is how far he has removed our rebellious acts from himself. As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him. He certainly knows what we are made of. He bears in mind that we are dust.
We are to walk: As children of light. Ephesians 5:8 Once you lived in the dark, but now the Lord has filled you with light. Live as children who have light. As Christ walked. 1 John 2:6 Those who say that they live in him must live the same way he lived. Cautiously. Ephesians 5:15 So then, be very careful how you live. Don’t live like foolish people but like wise people. By faith, not sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7 Indeed, our lives are guided by faith, not by sight. In the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 Let me explain further. Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants.
IF WE ARE A CHRISTIAN, OUR LIFE SHOULD REFLECT CHRIST. HOW ARE YOU LIVING, CHECK YOURSELF.
Ephesians 2:8–9 God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. It’s not the result of anything you’ve done, so no one can brag about it. Every religion, except one, puts you upon doing something in order to recommend yourself to God.… It is only the religion of Christ, which runs counter to all the rest, by affirming that we are saved and called with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to the Father’s own purpose and grace, which was [not sold out to us on certain conditions to be fulfilled by ourselves, but was] given us, in Christ, before the world began. 2 Timothy 1:9 God saved us and called us to be holy, not because of what we had done, but because of his own plan and kindness. Before the world began, God planned that Christ Jesus would show us God’s kindness.
OUR GOD LOVES US. OUR GOD IS WORTHY OF PRAISE. WE NEED OUR GOD. WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT GOD? HOW WOULD OUR LIFE BE WITHOUT GOD? THINK ABOUT IT.
1 Corinthians 6:19–20 Don’t you know that your body is a temple that belongs to the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit, whom you received from God, lives in you. You don’t belong to yourselves. You were bought for a price. So bring glory to God in the way you use your body. 1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?
LET US RECOGNIZE WHO WE ARE AND WHOSE WE ARE. LET US LIVE OUR LIFE IN A WAY THAT BRINGS GLORY TO GOD
Believers are “heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ,” Rom. 8:17. Not only do they receive forgiveness of sins, but an inheritance as well, Acts 26:18. This is in contrast with the inheritance of Israel, which the OT identifies some scores of times as the land of Palestine, Ex. 32:13; Isa. 60:21. The Christian’s inheritance is said to be in Christ, Eph. 1:11, and “in light,” Col. 1:12. We are made fit for it by God the Father, Col. 1:12. The earnest or guarantee that we shall receive it is the Holy Spirit who, in the moment we are saved, seals us unto the day of redemption, Eph. 1:14. Believers are given their inheritance by reason of the fact that they have been born again into the family of God. It is described in brief but astonishing terms in 1 Pet. 1:3, 4. It is incorruptible, or beyond the reach of decay and ruin. It is undefiled, or beyond the reach of sin. It does not fade away, which puts it beyond the reach of time and change. It is reserved for us in heaven, so that it is beyond the reach of loss. Not only is our inheritance kept safely for us, but Scripture reveals that we who are to receive it are kept by the power of God until it becomes ours in the last time, 1 Pet. 1:5.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND RECEIVED FROM THIS QUICK STUDY.
1 Timothy 6:6-11 A godly life brings huge profits to people who are content with what they have. We didn’t bring anything into the world, and we can’t take anything out of it. As long as we have food and clothes, we should be satisfied. But people who want to get rich keep falling into temptation. They are trapped by many stupid and harmful desires which drown them in destruction and ruin. Certainly, the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people who have set their hearts on getting rich have wandered away from the Christian faith and have caused themselves a lot of grief. But you, man of God, must avoid these things. Pursue what God approves of: a godly life, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.
A belief in or confident attitude toward God, involving commitment to His will for one’s life. According to Hebrews 11, faith was already present in the experience of many people in the Old Testament as a key element of their spiritual lives. In this chapter, the various heroes of the Old Testament (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses) are described as living by faith. In addition, the Old Testament itself makes the same point. Abraham “believed in the Lord” (Genesis 15:6); the Israelites “believed” (Exodus 4:31; 14:31); and the prophet Habakkuk taught that “the just shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). In the New Testament, “faith” covers various levels of personal commitment. Mere intellectual agreement to a truth is illustrated in James 2:19, where even demons are said to believe that there is one God. Obviously, however, they are not saved by this type of belief. Genuine saving faith is a personal attachment to Christ, best thought of as a combination of two ideas-reliance on Christ and commitment to Him. Saving faith involves personally depending on the finished work of Christ’s sacrifice as the only basis for forgiveness of sin and entrance into heaven. But saving faith is also a personal commitment of one’s life to following Christ in obedience to His commands: “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day” (2 Timothy 1:12). Faith is part of the Christian life from beginning to end. As the instrument by which the gift of salvation is received (Ephesians 2:8-9), faith is thus distinct from the basis of salvation, which is grace, and from the outworking of salvation, which is good works. The apostle Paul declared that salvation is through faith, not through keeping the works of the law (Ephesians 2:8,9). Finally, in the New Testament, faith can refer to the teachings of the Bible, the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). In modern times, faith has been weakened in meaning so that some people use it to mean self-confidence. But in the Bible, true faith is confidence in God or Christ, not in oneself.
I HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND RECEIVED FROM THIS QUICK REFRESHER.
