In Christ - Daily Devotion

In Christ Philippians 1:1-2

Have you ever received a letter, perhaps two or three pages long, and had to flip through the pages to see the name at the end before you knew who the letter was from?

The ancient practice of correspondence had one very distinct advantage. They signed their name at the beginning of the letter.

The word means Saints refers to separated ones. Believers are separated from all that is profane and set apart or reserved for God and His use. Because we are separated from evil, we are morally pure and holy.

Paul has a much more personal approach to this church than to the church in Galatia, Ephesus, or the church at Corinth.

All formality was dropped in this letter. One notable variation here is that Paul included Timothy’s name because Timothy was an important gospel coworker in and around Philippi and a trusted corroborating witness to the truths Paul expounded.

They have recognized their position with Jesus Christ as His servants.

Paul is saying in this, that he is free of sin, but servant or slave to Christ. This denotes a willing slave who was happily and loyally linked to his master.

1 Corinthians 7:22  For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave.

In Christ was the source of their lives and. As Paul mentions in this letter, there are four major propositions that govern the Christian life.

There was a time when we all were (1) without Christ, strangers, far-off, without any inheritance of our own.

As Paul has written to the Ephesians, we were under the control of the God of this age, driven about by forces of which we were unaware, and we entered into the same concepts and lies that brainwash people everywhere. We were without Christ.

Then there came a time as with these Christians when we were (2) in Christ, that is, we entered into His Life and His Life entered into us by faith in His work and in His person.

As mentioned, He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6)

We became personally (3) related to the living God. We didn't merely exercise faith in what He did or said. We knew Him.

We became (4) part of Him, a vital part of His life. We were in Christ. We say, To live is Christ and to die is gain” (1:21)

If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. All things become new.

Philippians gives us a deeper understanding of What we can do in Christ. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (4:13)

Paul knew, as did the Philippians, that true joy comes only through humble faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ, joining ourselves in harmony with His followers, and serving others in the name of Christ.

This was the life experienced by the Philippian believers, and it is a life available to us today.

Allow the joy you find in Christ to keep you from useless quarrels and divisions and to instead guide you into harmonious relationships with God’s people.

Let us Pray:

Dear Lord, Thank you for the Life that we have in Christ. Let your grace be abundantly evident in our lives. Let our lives be guided by your word to live in harmony. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Blessings & Prayers 

Pastor. Bobby Leonard