Heralds Digest

"And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross". (Philippians 2:8 NKJV) The inevitable requirement of a fruitful fellowship is the unity in its appearance. The Son of God became the Son of man in order to deliver man from the bondage of sin. Even His disciples queried the sanity behind the death at the cross, in order for the debt of sin to be paid in full. But no one can query the strange and sacred humility that enables the immortal Son to swallow death for the deliverance of man from unrighteousness. Only Christ-like mind can accept the invitation to work in environment where status is not reckoned with.

"For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake". (Philippians 1:29 NKJV) An invitation to a relationship with Jesus Christ is often presented with a bigger than life fantasy. Truly, there is a lifting off of the burden of sin and its consequences, which cannot be possible without the gift of salvation through a gracious belief in Him. However, there is also a grant of an easy yoke at the cross, specially designed to enhance intimacy with Christ and the riches of His glory. We all have our pains, as a consequence of our trust in God's leading concerning ministry, family and work relationships. But above the superficial pain is always the gain of a deeper fellowship with God, when we remain grateful in times of His special grant.

"For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better". (Philippians 1:23 NKJV) There are unsearchable riches of joy in the service of the Lord that exceed the unfathomable wealth of this world. Yet, the riches of the glory of heaven are exceedingly better than the earthly version of the heavenly glory. Since the two glories are mutually inclusive, Apostle Paul acknowledged the futility of a personal preference for either of the two glories. Obviously, the ultimate desire for all who are fully yielded to the glorious call of service is the emptying of all personal desires for the fulfillment of the will of Christ.

"What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice". (Philippians 1:18 NKJV) The pursuit of value addition represents the target of a worthwhile ambition. Otherwise, man becomes worthless and eventually get derided in the society. However, most ambitions are self-centered, by placing little priority on the addition of value to the system beside self. Being called into the kingdom, Apostle Paul was quick to cut out the priority of his existence: to add eternal value to the kingdom of God. Aiming at appreciable position, greater comfort and better condition of service from the system are not sinful; but the absence of these selfish ambitions should not foreclose the addition of value to the system. Addition of value to self can bring happiness, but real joy comes when value is added to the system.

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ". (Philippians 1:9-10 NKJV) There is no idling of the fact that the Philippians believers are excellent examples of partakers of Paul's type of grace. Grace that abound in love, even when in chains especially for the defense and confirmation of their conviction in righteousness. Unlike this gracious love, love that only appreciate its value with a taste of affection and a sense of convenience is fake and unreliable, as it will quickly evaporate with an onset of disaffection. Only grace can enable appreciative love, where one can seek the possible statement of faith behind every action, rather than being swept away by every discouraging fact.

"Peace to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen". (Ephesians 6:23-24 NKJV) The relevance of grace is remote to a peaceful and a lovely environment. Hence, the preacher Apostle of gracious relationships among parents and children, servants and masters, husbands and wives, and the general relationships at home, society and workplace knew that peace and love are not measurable from the gist of fate, but from the gifts of faith. Otherwise, there would not have been any healthy relationship between the imprisoned Paul and the prison officials; needless to envisage the possibility of his gracious motivation to brethren outside the prison walls. Obviously, gracious affairs are anchored on heavenly resources from the God of peace and love, even in tensed environment.

"Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand". (Ephesians 6:13 NKJV) The dart that dent good relationships would not provide prior notice of appearance; and it has no respect for friendship and fellowship. Darts aim at the destruction of vulnerable souls, especially with broken relationships when all sources of protection are effectively exposed. Paul's recommendation is a defense strategy that involves advance wearing of the whole armour of God. In times of discouragement and destruction of fellowship, the resources within the armour of God are sufficient for effective combat. A fire brigade approach fights the smoke by deploying ineffective extinguisher against the smoke, while ignoring the source of the fire. Fortunately, God's complete armour makes us incombustible, even when wrapped within the flame.