Monthly Archives: January 2025

PARTNERS WITH TRUTH

Bible Study, ,

Philippians 3:1-3 NLT
[1] “Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. [2] Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. [3] For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort…”

Part of Paul’s ministry, as  God’s people grew and matured in their faith, was to protect them from false teachers. God’s enemies showed up in many different disguises.

Some attacked openly. Unbelieving Jews and pagan Gentiles tried in every way to silence the church by every form of persecution. Rumours of outrageous practices like, for example, cannibalism based on Jesus’s words…

John 6:53 NIV
[53] “Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.”

…circulated, arousing suspicion and hatred. They thought they could exterminate the church by killing believers, one by one. It didn’t work.

“It was Tertullian, one of the Early Church Fathers of the second century, who really coined the term “the blood of martyrs is the seed of the Church.” He drives the point home hard in his Apologeticus, directly addressing the Roman Empire:

“We are not a new philosophy but a divine revelation. That’s why you can’t just exterminate us; the more you kill the more we are. The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. You praise those who endured pain and death – so long as they aren’t Christians! Your cruelties merely prove our innocence of the crimes you charge against us…”
https://media.ascensionpress.com
article,” Blood of the Martyrs is still the Seed of the Church “

Others used a far more subtle approach, introducing the poison of false doctrine into Paul’s message to upset and confuse relatively new believers.

Paul didn’t have a good word to say about such people. He called them ” dogs”. Now we wouldn’t degrade our beloved “fur babies” by using them in that context but, in Paul’s day, dogs were not pampered pets. They were a kind of vermin.

These false teachers were vermin. “They do evil. They are mutilators. They peddle lies.”

The best way to deal with lies is to know and hold fast to the truth. What is the truth? Paul outlined it for the Philippians believers…

1. Rejoice in the Lord.
Now, that’s a good place to start. When we rejoice in the Lord, our minds are preoccupied with Him, leaving no room for false ideas to take hold. Continually rejoicing in the Lord is a sure safeguard against the intrusion of spiritual poison into our minds.

2. Be aware of danger. When we venture outside of our homes, climb into our cars, and drive into the traffic, if we are wise, we will be vigilant about what other drivers do. We may be careful drivers ourselves, but others aren’t. Our safety lies in our obedience to the rules of the the road and in our awareness of potential danger when other drivers transgress.

So also in our spiritual Iives. We must know the truth in order to discern lies. As long as we stick to the truth that Jesus has done everything to save and sanctify us and that our part is to trust in Him, we will be safe from spiritual harm and deception.

“No confidence in the flesh”…that’s the key. Every time we add something to what Jesus has done and is doing to gain God’s approval, Paul said, “We have fallen from grace.”

Galatians 5:2-6 NIV
[2] “Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. [3] Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. [4] You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. [5] For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. [6] For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”

This way of thinking, that we can add to what Jesus has done, is a serious departure from the truth, more serious than peripheral issues like, for example, eating or not eating meat offered to idols.

1 Corinthians 8:8 NIV
[8] “But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.”

So, Paul warns,, “Don’t lose your way by not being alert. Your safety lies in your faithful adherence to the truth. If you stay in the boundaries of God’s Word in faith and practice, no one will be able to lure you away from your security in Jesus.”

False doctrine is far more dangerous an enemy that persecution. Persecution drives us closer to the Lotd; false teaching confuses us and dilutes our faith in the truth. Faith in the infallible Word is our safeguard against falling from grace. Faith matters. Truth matters. Faith in the truth saves and secures us… therefore, we must hold fast to the truth to be safe.

PARTNERS IN HELP

Bible Study, ,

Philippians 2:25, 28-30 NLT
[25] “Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need…
[28] So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. [29] Welcome him in the Lord’s love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. [30] For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.”

Epaphroditus…another name on God’s honour roll!

Despite his incarceration, Paul had loyal friends and partners who gladly extended his presence where he could not go. Epaphroditus, a member of the Philippian church, was one such partner. He was, to Paul, a representative of the whole congregation of believers in Philippi.

Since his name is of pagan origin derived from “Apaphrodite”, a prominent pagan goddess, Epaphroditus must have been born into and born again out of a pagan background. By God’s grace, he had been rescued from his old life and transformed into a loyal and loving partner in Christ whom Paul called, “a brother, co-worker and soldier”.

Epaphroditus had undertaken the arduous journey from Philippi to Rome with the contribution of money from the Philippian church that Paul so greatly valued. Paul saw their gift as much more than financial assistance. Their gift was a sacrifice, a fragrant offering to the Lord.

Somehow, somewhere, Epaphroditis contracted an illness that almost took his life, possibly a fever that was prevalent at that time. To Paul’s great relief, he survived and recovered from his near-death sickness.

Despite the dangers of travel in the Roman empire in those days, Paul had fellow believers who accompanied him on his missionary journeys, or travelled back and forth as fellow missionaries or messengers to keep the churches in contact with one another. They brought news to encourage, pray and support each other in the face of opposition and persecution.

It amazes me how Paul had such a network of helpers across the churches that he knew personally and valued as fellow workers in his labour for God’s kingdom. Time and again, he greeted them in his letters and expressed his appreciation for their work in helping him to spread the gospel.

Through the “glue” Paul supplied in his relationship to the churches, he linked each fellowship to the others until the church of the Lord Jesus in the Roman empire became a network of believers who functioned as a unit in a very hostile world.

As individuals moved around, the churches were encouraged to welcome and receive them, to offer them hospitality and protection from the outside world, and to pray for them, as members of one big family.

This may seem like an impossible model to follow in a known world much bigger than Paul’s world today. However, we have a tool which is both relatively new and unheard of in Paul’s day, the internet, which has opened up unimaginable avenues of interconnection. We may not see or know each other by name, but we can connect with true believers around the world to encourage and support one another in an ever-increasingly hostile environment.

We all have access to the internet in one way or another, and we have search engines that can direct us towards those who are true followers of Jesus. We can form groups of fellow believers who encourage and support on another in prayer through a simple device called a cellphone. The Holy Spirit, who is our divine Helper, will give us the discernment, through our knowledge of the Word, to recognise and follow truth in the midst of deception.

Yes, unfortunately, the church of the Lord Jesus is hidden inside a false system that masquerades as His bride. Their teachings are shot through with false doctrines, additions, subtractions, mistranslations and misinterpretations that give us the clue to its identity. This part of the “church” is the apostate church, the great prostitute, the scarlet woman of Revelation, made up of those who willingly follow deception for the sake of convenience.

We have the assurance that the true church belongs to Jesus. He knows His sheep and they know Him. They follow Him and He preserves and protects them. He gives them eternal life and they will never perish.

John 10:27-30 NLT
[27] “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, [29] for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. [30] The Father and I are one.”

Jesus told a story to illustrate that true believers and pseudo believers will exist side by side until judgment day when their fruit will reveal their nature.

Matthew 13:24-30 NLT
[24] “Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. [25] But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. [26] When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. [27] “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ [28] “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. [29] “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. [30] Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

So, we who remain true to the Word of God, preserving and protecting its integrity, passing it on to the next generation, and living by its instructions, are part of a vast network of family members around the globe. Let’s recognise our connection beyond ourselves, let’s love and pray for one another, partnering where we can as helpers and fellow workers in growing God’s glorious kingdom on earth.

PARTNER WITH TIMOTHY

Bible Study, ,

Philippians 2:19-20, 22-24 NLT
[19] “If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. [20] I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare…
[22] But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. [23] I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. [24] And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.”

Young Timothy, half Jew, half Gentile, which was of no consequence to Paul, was a very special person in Paul’s life. Paul “discovered” him on one of his missionary journeys.

https://gotquestions.org, article “Who was Timothy in the Bible?”, presents a thorough resume of Timothy, his relationship to Paul and his role in the early church.

There is no doubt that Paul loved this young man, mentored him in his personal life and in leadership, and entrusted the faith to him to guard, live out, and pass on to the next generation.

Timothy not only acted as Paul’s companion and messenger, but he was also pastor of the church in Ephesus, a significant church in Asia Minor.

Two of Paul’s letters were  written  to Timothy, one from which we get his instructions for church leadership which are relevant for local churches today.

Although there were other young men in Paul’s life who assisted him in various ways in his missionary enterprise, Timothy was the one whom Paul trusted and affirmed because of Timothy’s love, loyalty, and faithfulness to him.

Paul writes Timothy’s commendation and recommendation to the Philippian church which speaks of a close and loving relationship because of the trust and service the young man gave to the older man, like a son to a father. Paul may not have had biological sons but what could have been better than having a “true son in the faith”?

Paul taught Timothy not to be intimidated by those who thought he was too young to be of any use in the church. Timothy had proved himself to be a respected leader despite his youth.

1 Timothy 4:12 NIV
[12]”Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

Through this relationship, Paul had a partner who faithfully served him. He was able to entrust at least some of his ministry and his legacy to a trustworthy younger man who would continue his work into the next generation. So he encouraged Timothy…

2 Timothy 2:2 NIV
[2] “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

How important, in today’s church, where apostasy is rife and many leaders are wolves in sheep’s clothing, that faithful older men mentor faithful younger men to safeguard the truth and pass it on intact to succeeding generations. What better way to learn than through loving  companionship, as Jesus did with His disciples! Bible schools may have their place but on-the-job training, person-to-person, doing life together, cements not only knowledge but understanding and experience invaluable to any effective ministry.

O, that there would be more Paul/Timothy partnerships to secure the future of and pass on the truth about Jesus to the churches in the face of apostasy in every generation.

PARTNERS WITH THE WORD

Bible Study, ,

Philippians 2:14-16 NIV
[14] “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, [15] so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky [16] as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.”

Just as true partnership with one another in the body of Christ in all its facets is a partnership with God, so partnership with His Word is the foundation of our lives in Christ.

Paul paints a word picture of our lives as God’s people. First, cut out arguing and complaining. Arguing is a sign of self-will, the urge to be right. Why do people argue? They want their opinion…knowledge…experience to be more important than those of others. Arguing creates barriers and interferes with unity. Better to be humble than to be right.

Why do people complain? We complain because we are dissatisfied. Although we complain about other people or about our circumstances, complaining is really about dissatisfaction with God. When we complain about our lot, we call God’s goodness into question because the Word teaches us that He is in charge of everything about us and everything that happens to us. If we don’t believe this, then we become the victims of chance.

How can we avoid complaining? Paul has the answer. If anyone has reason to complain, Paul did. His life was topsy turvey every day but…

Philippians 4:11-13 NIV
[11] “I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. [12] I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. [13] I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

Contentment…the hallmark of the person who trusts God implicitly in every circumstance and situation.

When we choose to live humbly and contentedly every day, trusting in the Father’s goodness no matter what, Paul said that our lives stand out in the darkness of the sin and unbelief around us like stars shining in the night sky.

How can we be so steadfast in our faith? By partnering with God’s Word! The ancient rabbis said that God’s Word is a manifestation of Himself in another form. How true this is even if they didn’t know that Jesus is God’s Word who came to us in human form.

John 1:14 NIV
[14] “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

The way to be like stars shining in the universe is to hold fast to God’s Word, Jesus, and what He taught us about the Father, Himself, and the Holy Spirit, and the way we must live in union with Him.

Notice that Paul didn’t say we must read the Word. He said we must hold fast to the Word. Only when we embrace God’s Word as the pattern and guiding light of our lives will we stand out as different from the world.

To change the metaphor, when Jesus returns, He will separate the sheep from the goats, the wheat from the weeds. Those who embraced His Word and faithfully applied to it in their lives, will show the world who God’s children really
Even the universe itself is eagerly awaiting the day when God’s true children are revealed.

Romans 8:19 NLT
[19] “For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.”

The only way to tell the difference between spiritual “orphans” and God’s true sons and daughters is by their behaviour. God’s children and the Word of God are inseparable.

1 John 3:7-10 NLT
[7] “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. [8] But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. [9] Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life (seed) is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. [10] So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.”

So, you see, belief and behaviour go together. If we are living in partnership with God’s Word, our behaviour will show it. If not, no matter how hard we try to be righteous, it will be like hanging plastic fruit on a tree.

John, again, shows us the reason for the difference…

1 John 3:7-8 NIV
[7] “Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. [8] The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.”

How can we be sure that we won’t keep falling into sin?

1 John 3:9 NIV
[9]”No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.”

Did you get that!?

First, we were born again through God’s Word…

1 Peter 1:23 NIV
[23] “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

…and, second, God’s Word is in us.

Jeremiah 31:33 NIV
[33] “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

Wow! What a promise! What a guarantee! So powerful is God’s Word in us that, when we partner with Him through His Word, He guarantees that we belong to Him and we are safe for all eternity.

PARTNERSHIP’S PARTNER

Bible Study, ,

Philippians 2:12-13 NLT
[12] “Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. [13] For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”

The greatest partner we can ever have in this life is God Himself. All the other partnerships we share are only effective when we partner with God. It’s His promise of doing the work in us that provides the hope and the desire to endure.

Can you see how this partnership works? We do the willing through the desire He awakens in us, God provides the power to do, and together, we accomplish His purpose.

Unfortunately, there is a terrible deception in the minds of many people. They faithfully attend church and all its functions, they read the Bible, they contribute to the finances of the church, they do all the stuff but…they are still dead. They have never been born from above.

To Nicodemus’ enquiry, Jesus insisted,

John 3:3, 5-7 NLT
[3] “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”…
[5] Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. [6] Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. [7] So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ “

Just as the Christian life is a partnership with God, so entry in His kingdom requires the power of the Holy Spirit to bring the dead back to life.

Ephesians 2:1, 4-6 NLT
[1] “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins…
[4] But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5] that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) [6] For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.”

Dead people cannot raise themselves. It’s takes the mighty power of God to awaken a dead spirit and restore spiritual life.

Ephesians 1:19-20 NLT
[19]”I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power [20] that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.”

This act of spiritual resurrection is, first, according to God’s will and then effected by God’s power. No human can make that choice. In a way we find difficult to understand, God chooses His own and sets in motion His work of salvation.

Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT
[4] “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. [5] God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”

It is not for us to contest what the Bible says if it challenges our logic and our sense of fairness. We must believe because God is good, wise, and sovereign and He said it.

From God’s perspective, all humans are condemned because we were all born rebels. God saves some through His mercy. He is not answerable to our opinion.

Romans 11:32 NLT
[32] “For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.”

His mercy is available to all but many refuse to believe Him. The reason is simple…

John 3:19-20 NIV
[19] “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. [20] Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”

To those who respond to God’s mercy in answer to His choosing, He works the miracle of spiritual resurrection. The change is immediate and unmistakable. The soul that has been born again is transferred from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to the kingdom of God. The heart is changed! A new disposition to love and obey God has been implanted in the heart.

How do we know that this partnership with God has begun, transforming us and transferring us into His kingdom. The evidence is clear.

  1. We have peace with God.

Romans 5:1 NLT
[1] “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”

  1. We love others.

1 John 3:14 NLT
[14] If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead.

  1. We don’t practise sin.

1 John 3:9 NLT
[9] “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.”

  1. We live righteously.

1 John 3:7 NLT
[7] “Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.”

So, to experience the miracle of new birth and all the changes that God’s work accomplishes in us, we must partner and co-operate with the Father by faith as He works out His gracious purposes in and through us. As we began by believing in Jesus through the Father’s calling, so we continue to hear, listen anf follow His leading through the Spirit in us.

His purpose is the transform us into the image of His Son but He can only accomplish His purpose as we work with Him by loving, trusting, submitting to, and obeying Him, one step at a time.