Bible League: Living His Word For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.— Philippians 2:21 ESV The Apostle Paul thought that it was necessary to send Epaphroditus to minister to the church in Philippi (Philippians 2:25). He hoped to send Timothy there as well (Philippians 2:19). Apparently, these two were the only ones he had with him at the time that he fully trusted to be "genuinely concerned" with the welfare of the Philippians (Philippians 2:20). He described the others he had with him in the rather harsh terms of our verse for today: "For they all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ." Although this harsh assessment does not imply that they were not Christians, it does imply that they were not serving Jesus properly. Jesus, of course, made it clear what it takes to serve Him: "If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also" (John 12:26). He also made it plain what following Him entails: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). In Paul's opinion, the other ones with him at the time were not fully prepared to deny themselves and follow Jesus. This story from the life of Paul should cause us to examine our own lives. How many of us are trustworthy? How many of us are ready to fully serve Jesus? Do we serve Him by following Him anywhere He leads and by denying ourselves in the process? Or, like the others in the passage, do we place our own interests above those of Jesus? Needless to say, it's all too easy to place our own interests first. Sometimes, we even make the foolish and self-serving assumption that our own interests are the same as His. Within the soul of every Christian there is a struggle between the sinful self and the Spirit of God (Galatians 5:17). The Spirit empowers us to follow Jesus and place His interests first, but the sinful self resists the Spirit and goes its own way. Our goal in life should be to become more and more like Epaphroditus and Timothy, ready to serve no matter the cost. We must deny our own interests and seek those of Jesus Christ. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJoshua 4, 5, 6 Joshua 4 -- Twelve Men Take Memorial Stones from the Jordan NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Joshua 5 -- Israelites Circumcised at Gilgal NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Joshua 6 -- The Walls of Jericho Fall NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 2:1-24 Luke 2 -- Jesus' Birth; Announcement by Angels; Presentation at the Temple; Return to Nazareth; The Boy Jesus Visits the Temple NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion How can a young person stay pure?By obeying your word. Insight We are drowning in a sea of impurity. Everywhere we look we find temptation to lead impure lives. The psalmist asked a question that troubles us all: How do we stay pure in a filthy environment? Challenge We cannot do this on our own, but must have counsel and strength more dynamic than the tempting influences around us. Where can we find that strength and wisdom? By reading God's Word and doing what it says. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Job 38:31 Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?If inclined to boast of our abilities, the grandeur of nature may soon show us how puny we are. We cannot move the least of all the twinkling stars, or quench so much as one of the beams of the morning. We speak of power, but the heavens laugh us to scorn. When the Pleiades shine forth in spring with vernal joy we cannot restrain their influences, and when Orion reigns aloft, and the year is bound in winter's fetters, we cannot relax the icy bands. The seasons revolve according to the divine appointment, neither can the whole race of men effect a change therein. Lord, what is man? In the spiritual, as in the natural world, man's power is limited on all hands. When the Holy Spirit sheds abroad his delights in the soul, none can disturb; all the cunning and malice of men are ineffectual to stay the genial quickening power of the Comforter. When he deigns to visit a church and revive it, the most inveterate enemies cannot resist the good work; they may ridicule it, but they can no more restrain it than they can push back the spring when the Pleiades rule the hour. God wills it, and so it must be. On the other hand, if the Lord in sovereignty, or in justice, bind up a man so that he is in soul bondage, who can give him liberty? He alone can remove the winter of spiritual death from an individual or a people. He looses the bands of Orion, and none but he. What a blessing it is that he can do it. O that he would perform the wonder tonight. Lord, end my winter, and let my spring begin. I cannot with all my longings raise my soul out of her death and dulness, but all things are possible with thee. I need celestial influences, the clear shinings of thy love, the beams of thy grace, the light of thy countenance; these are the Pleiades to me. I suffer much from sin and temptation; these are my wintry signs, my terrible Orion. Lord, work wonders in me, and for me. Amen. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 77:8 Has His lovingkindness ceased forever? Has His promise come to an end forever?Psalm 136:23 Who remembered us in our low estate, For His lovingkindness is everlasting, Numbers 14:18 The LORD is slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generations.' Micah 7:18,19 Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in unchanging love. • He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins Into the depths of the sea. Titus 3:5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 2 Corinthians 1:3,4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, • who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Hebrews 2:17,15 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. • and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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