A Solemn Challenge
by Pastor Paul M. Sadler
“Those things,
which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do:
and the God of peace shall be with you” (Phil. 4:9).
With this we challenge you! Heed these words of the Apostle
Paul, and you will find fulfillment in your Christian life.
LEARNED
What things had these believers at Philippi learned from
the apostle? They had “learned” the Mystery from him and all that
it entails. They understood they were members of the Body of
Christ. Paul had communicated effectively to them how Christ is
carrying out His heavenly ministry today, and that they were the
recipients of a heavenly hope and calling. You must do the same!
RECEIVED
They also “received” these teachings of grace as their own.
They could defend Paul’s gospel with the best of them. You see, it is
one thing to know the message of grace; it is a completely different
matter to accept it fully and stand for it without compromise. These
saints were fully committed to Paul’s apostleship and message, which
God expects every believer to embrace in the age of Grace.
HEARD
The Philippians had “heard” the gospel of the grace of God,
not secondhand mind you, but directly from Paul himself when he
visited Philippi. They had heard him proclaim the secret of the gospel
regarding what God was doing in Christ at Calvary. Now they were
sharing the good news that Christ died for the sins of the world.
Furthermore, they had heard Paul emphasize the importance
of church planting and the need to train faithful men to serve as
pastors “who shall be able to teach others also” (II Tim. 2:2).
SEEN
These saints had “seen” firsthand how Paul handled adversity.
He didn’t lash out in a tirade at his persecutors when he was beaten
unmercifully before the very eyes of these saints. Nor did he curse
the Philippian jailor when he threw Paul into the inner prison and
put his feet in stocks. He rather prayed and sang songs of praise to God, which
so moved the jailer that he trusted Christ immediately after the
earthquake took place (Acts 16).
Paul had been a spiritual father to them. It is far more
beneficial for a son to see his father living for the Lord, than to hand
him a list of dos and don’ts.
DO
You see, Paul not only taught these things, he lived them! With
this in mind, the apostle challenges these brethren to “do” these things,
in the sense of performing them repeatedly, to which he adds, “And
the God of peace shall be with you.” This charge is as relevant today
as it was when Paul first gave it—a solemn challenge.
WHICH GOSPEL WHEN (Click) Paul R. Van Gorder
WHICH GOSPEL WHEN (Click) Paul R. Van Gorder
King James Bible
The Preserved and Living Word of God
Posted By Cecil and Connie Spivey
https://www.facebook.com/
https://www.facebook.com/
E-mail this BIBLE STUDY to all your friends
No comments:
Post a Comment