I am writing to all of God’s holy people in Philippi who belong to Christ Jesus, including the church leaders and deacons.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. 4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, 5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. 6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News. 8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.
9 I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. 10 For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. 11 May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.
Tori's Comments:
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!
Verse 6 kind of emphasizes the idea in my mind that we are all a "work in progress".
How often do I pray that I will overflow with love? Or for knowledge and understanding? I have noticed my prayers revolve around events I want to happen instead of humbly asking God to give me growth in the fruit of the Spirit.
Terrie's Comments:
This is a great passage to begin 2017 off with, isn't it? Paul and Timothy are writing a letter to "those who belong to Christ Jesus" So many people spend their whole lives trying to find a place where they "belong". We who have placed our faith in Jesus Christ belong to Him and His family.
I can't help but notice Paul's love towards those who are part of the body of Christ. He loves them deeply and desires that they grow in their relationship with Jesus. However his confidence that they will continue to go deeper and live lives that bring glory and praise to God is not in the believers... His confidence lies in Jesus who works in the body. When our confidence is in Jesus Christ and not in the people around us then our confidence will not be shaken... people will fail us but Jesus never will.
This is my prayer for our readers in 2017...
AMEN
Take our personal comments or leave them. We would love to hear what stood out to you about today`s passage and how it encouraged you. Tell us in the comments below!
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Please keep all comments respectful. We want to remember that each of us is at a different place in our walk with God. This is a place for us to share openly about what has been revealed to us as we open up Gods word and to learn from others. Please take every opportunity possible to build each other up in love :-)