Often times in my walk with God, I have gone back to the Book of Phillippians, It has given me direction in difficult times, especially when I have been overwhelmed emotionally. Over the next period of time, I would like to share with you some of my reflections from this insightful book.
We think of it as a Book, but in reality, it is a letter. It is a letter from spiritual fathers, to their spiritual children, who due to difficult circumstances, can not be together.
Paul has been imprisoned because he preaches and teaches the Good News of Jesus Christ. He is concerned for those to whom he shared the Good News of Jesus, and nurtured in the early days of their walk with Him. He knows that they are concerned for him and his desire is to comfort them
To Paul, the most important thing in life is to live it out for Jesus. He uses the word slave to describe the working of that relationship. We think of slavery in a negative way. Paul, in the Book of Romans, explains it this way.
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you, Now you are free from your slavery to sin and become slaves to righteous living.”
He further explains how as slaves to sin, they didn’t have to do what was right. As such, the things that were done caused shame and eternal doom. Now, being free from the power of sin, they become God’s slaves doing things that lead to holiness and that result in eternal life.
Paul is no longer a slave to sin and death but rather free from sin to be a slave of Christ Jesus. He knows that Jesus is the way. As a slave of Jesus, along with his son in Christ, Timothy, he knows who he belongs to. He knows where his life is headed. His imprisonment is only circumstantial. He knows who and Whose he is.
Let it be said of us that we are bondslaves of Jesus Christ, Out of our gratitude, and great love for Jesus the Christ, we are bound to Him.
