MONDAY December 11th
Philippians 1:3-5
‘I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.’
I have stayed in Philippians 1 for this devotion, for I have always loved the way that Paul expresses that he sees his relationship with the Philippian Church has being a partnership in the gospel.
This church commenced when Paul visited Philippi in Acts 16 and he says that from the first day until now, an unbroken partnership and relationship that was based upon the gospel was ongoing. The gospel that Paul had been called to take to the nations, is a gospel that not only reconciles man to God, but also unites people together from a variety of backgrounds, a variety of nations and forms them to become one in Christ Jesus.
Is it not amazing that as a result of the gospel that God draws together individuals who outside of the gospel would probably never have met, or if they had, probably would have had very little to do with each other! The gospel brings us into a relationship with God as our Father and into relationship with others who have become a part as his family as brothers and sisters in Christ.
On a personal level, it is only as a result of the gospel, that I met the girl who was to become my wife and has been by my side for forty years as we have served God together as husband and wife. And many of you who read the devotion can say the same, a partnership formed through marriage. But on another level we have all formed partnerships with other believers that would never have happened outside the gospel of God.
Because of what God has done for us through Christ, we have friendship, fellowship, relationship, partnership with not only those who of our own nationality, but with others from the nations of the world, for what the world fails in managing to do successfully, the gospel does, and Revelation 5 describes this wonderful amalgamation of nations, peoples, tribes and languages who because of the shed blood of Christ have fellowship and partnership together here on earth and will share in eternal fellowship in the presence of God. ‘And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”’
What a wonderful scene in heaven! Now, when I started this series of devotions, I said that I wasn’t quite sure where they would take us, and it may seem as if I’ve gone a little of track—but, let’s recall what Jesus told Saul through Ananias as to what he had called him to do ‘“Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.’
Because of Saul’s response and his obedience as Paul the apostle, he went and as a result we can say that a large proportion of the crowd in heaven will have been as a response to his obedience, directly as he went to the Gentiles, Kings and the children of Israel, and indirectly as the gospel spread further as a result.
Who knows what you and I could achieve if we gave ourselves over whole-heartedly to serving the Lord!