By Floyd McClung

Meditations in the Book of Philippians on Jesus Christ

• Jesus is the source and the goal of true life – 1:6 – Paul was confident that what Christ Jesus had begun he would complete.
• Jesus is the is the story we tell – 1:18 – Paul rejoiced that Christ was made known even at the expense of his own reputation.
• Jesus glorified – 1:20 – In a time of hardship Paul said that Jesus would be known through his suffering.
• Jesus the goal of our suffering – 1:29-30 – There is more in life to trust in Christ: there is also suffering for Christ. The suffering we endure for him is as much a gift as the faith we have in him.
• Jesus is our example of humility and selflessness – 2:5-8 – Jesus set aside his rights, his status, his privileges, and in doing so, gave us an example to follow.
• Jesus is Lord – 2:9-11 – When we see him, there is only one appropriate response; we bow in surrender before him and worship.
• Jesus is the goal of all spiritual growth – 2:1-11
• Jesus is coming again – 2:16 – His return is proof that living for him is not in vain.
• Jesus is the source of all true joy and pleasure – 3:1
• Jesus redeems all that is lost in life – 3:8
• Jesus is not our religion but our source of goodness– 3:9
• Jesus is reason we give up inferior stuff to be able to know him personally – 3:10
• Jesus is the one who gives us power to face even death itself – 3:10
• Jesus is the one we train to be like – 3:12 – We don’t have to try to please him, we do please him for who we are, and because we please him, we have a reason to train to become like him.
• Jesus empowers us to forget past mistakes and failures so we can keep on preparing for the day we will see him alive, in person, up close and personal – 3: 13-14
• Jesus gives us assurance that we don’t belong to this earth, that our citizenship, our true home and place of belonging, is heaven itself – 3:20
• Jesus gives us peace when there is no natural reason to have peace; he gives us many positive things to think about – 4:8
• Jesus helps us through the low times and the high, the good times and the bad – 4:12
• Jesus gives us real strength and energy to do the things God wants us to do – 4:13
• Jesus supplies all our needs generously and abundantly – 4:19