If I could brag on that day
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Text: Philippians 2:12-18
People like to brag.
Usually, men like to show off their wealth and fame, while women like to show off their beauty, jewelry, and furniture. But we Christians need to take it up a notch and brag about what we are really proud of. You must have something to be proud of to the Lord.
Then, what kind of life of faith can you be proud of before the Lord?
Verse 12 says, “Even in my absence… work out your salvation”. Paul tells us not to care whether anyone sees or not, but to strive to do well. Because man may or may not see, but he may or may not be visible to the Lord's servant, but more importantly, God, who always sees with his eyes like a flame, is watching. Because God is seeing, hearing, and recording the life of faith, we must do it with a fearful and trembling attitude of heart.
So, how can we live a good life of faith?
1. We must be free from grumbling and arguing (verse 14).
While doing the work of Jesus, church service, and evangelism, there should be no complaints or disputes. Even at church meetings, don't blame the executives, but pray, encourage, and cooperate before that.
2. Be a child without blemish of God (verse 15).
I was harvesting sweet potatoes from the church garden, and I saw slugs eating them, and anything hurt by the hoe perishes easily. There must be no blemishes in our life of faith so that the devil can't get in the way.
3. Hold on to the Word and live (verse 16).
When it comes to ‘clarifying the word’, ‘clarify’ is translated as “hold on to” in the cross-referenced Bible. Therefore, verse 16 can be read as ‘hold on to the word’. Christians must live by the Word.
God's Word takes precedence over everything. To Abraham, the word of God was more precious than his hometown, his relatives, his home, and his son Isaac. That principle was the faith of Abraham. Therefore, he became the father of faith and the father of blessing. God saw this and created Jesus Christ, the savior of mankind, from the family of Abraham.
Paul, in the text, in the life of faith
① Get rid of resentment and disputes, ② Become a child without blemish of God, ③ hold on to the word of God and live.
Paul was well-educated, a Jew with Roman citizenship from birth, and a traditional Pharisee. But Paul threw them all away like excrement in order to have something to boast about in the words of Christ.
“The Day of Christ”
① The time of the second coming of Jesus ② The time of the judgment of Jesus ③ The day we meet Jesus.
What will you be proud of when you stand before Jesus?
Will you be proud of your high status and good children? It is something the world can boast about, and it is useless in the sight of the Lord.
We should be able to boast about the Lord's work and the mission we have been given, and the most important thing among them is evangelism. To Paul, the members of the Philippian church were proud of the day they stood before Jesus.
What will you be proud of when you stand before Jesus? The best thing to be proud of before the Lord is to evangelize and bear fruit. The Bible says, “I will give a crown of pride to those who preach.” Because they are the children of God.
Evangelism is to beget God's children.
Dear members of Shepherd Church,
There are children of God and children of the devil in the world. That is, if they do not belong to God, they belong to the devil. Evangelism is about breaking the devil's authority and expanding the realm of God. I pray that you will join in the blessed work of evangelism that God values and become saints who have many things to be proud of on the day they stand before the Lord. Hallelujah. Amen.