How Can We Experience The Life God Wants Us To Have? Philippians 4:9

We believe in God, but somehow we do not have a life of blessing.

How can we experience the life God wants us to have?

"Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me- put it into practice, And the God of peace will be with you."  Philippians 4:9.

This verse is written to someone who was exposed to the Apostle's teaching.  Today that means that you have been reading your Bible, in fellowship with others of faith, and in fellowship with the Lord.

WHATEVER

This is a word that has no limits.  It is like saying everything or all that. So everything you have learned is the object.

LEARNED

We should all be learning the things of God.  The verse mentions different learning methods; receiving, hearing, and observing- we should use every available way to grow in our knowledge of God.

These are involved and require relationships and involvement with the teacher.  You do not learn outside of fellowship with other believers.  You can gain knowledge, but without the interaction of fellowship, it becomes shallow.

PUT INTO PRACTICE

This is the point of the verse that you should be doing what the Word says and not just hearers only.  It is not enough to know these wonderful truths; you must establish them in your life.  A practice is a regular discipline, and you are to consistently do what you are taught.

GOD OF PEACE
Ours is a God of peace.  He is so committed to peace, so He sent His son Jesus to be the way of Peace for sinners, even allowing Jesus to be sacrificed to pay for our sins.  He is not a God who is trying to fill us with guilt or burden us with rules.  He wants us to have personal peace; that does not mean freedom from trouble but inner peace when you go through trials.

BE WITH YOU
Through his Christ, we come to God, who pays for our sins and makes it possible for us by faith to know God and have eternal life with him.  This "be with you" is not saying that we will obtain salvation by practicing religion but that we will have a fuller experience of the salvation we have.

It may be that you do not yet have a relationship with God; if you want to know more, see my other 

(c) Adron 3/17/18

What Does the Bible Say About Negative Thoughts? Philippians 4:8

We often have struggles in our thoughts, sometimes we have thoughts of gloom, regret, sorrow, depression and failure. They weigh us down and hold us back until they suck us dry.

"Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think on these things." Philippians 4:8. NIV.

CONTEXT
The verse quoted above is part of a closing of a letter written by the Apostle Paul. He gives instructions about unity, rejoicing, prayer, and this encouragement to think on a list of virtues.

WHATEVER
God's Word does not teach positive thinking as much as it encourages directive thinking. We are directed to think about specific virtues. This "whatever" embraces all things of a kind so we may give our thought to anything that fits the virtue of truth, noble, right, pure lovely admirable excellent or praiseworthy.

LIVING THOUGHTS
Our lives follow our thoughts. When we focus our thoughts on negative things we drift into patterns and habits that reflect those thoughts. When we focus our thoughts on specific virtues we find ourselves reflecting those virtues in our deeds and words even our very outlook.

WHERE TO FIND WHATEVER
So we should think about the true and noble, the right and the pure, but where are they? The pages of the Bible are full of these things and a good beginning is to read the Word of God and think on the truths found in it. There are many admirable and excellent things in our lives if we take the time to consider them.

We may have been focusing on the negative so long we are conditioned to blindness to the good around us; we must make an effort to see the good.

     * Make a list of the good things that surround you.
     * Keep a journal where you record the lovely and pure things in your life.
     * Pray daily a thankful prayer. Take ten minutes and pray where you only giving thanks.
     * Ask The Lord to show you the noble and true things to think on.

AN EASY COMMAND
The Scriptures places this instruction in the same emphasis as a command. It is one that is easy to obey.

THE RESULT
We will be happier people for directed thoughts. We will be closer to God and Jesus. We will enjoy life more. We will experience blessing.

To learn more about finding the Truth follow this link: Click Here.

To read Philippians 4 in its entirety click this link.

(c) Adron 4/27/13

Where to get power to do good. Philippians 2:13

We want to do good things but can't; the power is not in us. We have had a little success at self-reform but will soon slip back. Or we come to faith in God and still can't seem to live a life of good actions. Our desires are all bent on doing selfish and shallow things.

"For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Philippians 2:13, NIV.

GOD
Good is good, and all good begins in Him. Our nature is weak and seems bent on wrong, so we can't rely on ourselves. We can't do good apart from God, so we have to rely on God. If we have come to God in faith, then He is with us and partners with us in our lives as we partner with Him in His kingdom. By faith, God becomes the source in our lives that enables us to do good.

WORK
God has a purpose in our lives, and He is working in us to bring it about. For this verse to say, "He is working in us," suggests He is active in our lives. It suggests He has a purpose in this work in us. Work suggests progress is made and construction is on the way. Work is sometimes hard, uncomfortable, and inconvenient, yet it should reassure us that God is working in us.

IN US
His work is not just to build up a nice, cozy lifestyle; He is working inside of us, in our minds, and hearts, to make something new. He is changing or renovating us. He has a process that will change the very nature of who we are.

OUR WILL
God is changing our desires. He is trying to make us less selfish and more generous, less angry, and more peaceful, less haughty, and more humble and He is doing many other things in our lives. The biggest thing He is doing is to give us a willingness to do good,  He is working in our hearts to have a willingness and a willfulness to do good.

ACT
Our actions follow our thoughts. When our wills are given to God, our acts will be given to Him also. Good intentions are nice, but it is the acts that demonstrate the power of God in our lives.

HIS GOOD PLEASURE
In each of our lives, God has a good purpose and a plan that he is fulfilling within us for our good. We can be confident and rejoice in His work in our lives.

To learn more about having God in your life see my other blog, follow this link: Click Here.

(c)Adron Dozat 3/5/13

How To Be a Person Who Does Good Things. Philippians 1:11.

We want to do good things with our lives; we want to be charitable, kind, thoughtful, loving, and more. How do we get these wonderful qualities?

"Filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ- to the glory and praise God." Philippians 1:11 NIV.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

Righteousness is more than just being declared innocent of crime; it is to be declared pure and holy before God demands purity and holiness for acceptance. He himself is pure and holy, and to demand less would compromise his holiness, making him guilty and not worthy to rule or judge.

GOOD FRUIT

The fruit of righteousness comes from having righteousness.

BUT

Righteousness is so lofty a state that man can never obtain it. Righteousness before a holy God would require holy righteousness, pure and without any corruption, stain, sin, or blemish. Who could claim that? Paul believed the people in the church could have this fruit, so he prayed for the church in Philippi to have this fruit to the full.

YET IT IS GIVEN

Righteousness is a gift given by God the Father. It comes not by our efforts or merits but by Jesus Christ. None of our efforts or a combination of efforts will earn righteousness.

HOW

Righteousness comes through Jesus Christ. He is the source of our righteousness. He was righteous himself; that is, he was without sin. None who encountered him found sin in his actions, words, or life. Even the Roman Judge said, "I find no guilt in him." (John 18:38). Since Jesus had no sin of his own to die for, he gave his life to pay for our sins as a substitution; this makes righteousness available for us. We receive the righteousness he offers as a gift, and we receive it by faith.

When we have this righteousness through Jesus, we will have the works of Jesus coming through us. The love Jesus had for others will fill us, and we will love others. The gentleness and kindness of Jesus will be ours. The beautiful life he lived will be the life we live.

THE PURPOSE
Righteousness and the fruit of Righteousness are not for our self-promotion but for the glory and praise of God. He gave us rightness standing before him; he gives the fruit and the blessings that accompany it.  It is right that he gets the glory and the right thing to do is to praise him.

(c) Adron 9/16/12

What is Jesus Worth? Philippinas 3:7,8

What is Jesus worth to you? What price would you pay to know him better? Consider what Paul the Apostle said in Philippians 3:7-8.

"But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ..." Philippians 3:7,8, NIV.

ABOUT PAUL

Paul, The Apostle who wrote these verses, had much to louse for the sake of Christ. He was something in his community; he was a social, political, and religious leader with influence and status. He had a good family, a good heritage, and a place in the inner circle of things. His education was the best one.

Philippians 3:7

Could have gotten under the great teachers of his day. He was a born citizen of Rome; he had the rights and privileges that others wished for. If you spoke his name, people would say, "Yea, he is up there. He has it all."

LOSS

He had all the world could offer, yet he considered it all loss. To consider something is to take stock of something, think it through, carefully weigh it in your mind, and turn it over and over. Having done such ponderous thinking, Paul came to the conclusion that knowing Jesus is worth it all.

GREAT GAIN

He goes on further to say that knowing Jesus is surpassing greatness. He means that knowing Jesus is over, above, and better than all those things put together. He says that knowing Jesus is bigger, better, grander, richer, nobler, more gratifying, rewarding, satisfying, and wonderful than all the things he had.

PAUL ACTED ON HIS WORDS

Paul does not make academic idealistic statements; his experiences back up his words. He lost status in his community, sacrificed his reputation, and was disowned by his countrymen and citizenship. He became poor, destitute, friendless, abandoned, betrayed, shipwrecked, stoned, flogged, left for dead, beaten with rods, and imprisoned. In fact, he wrote the letter to the Philippians from prison, and sometime later, he paid the greatest price, martyrdom, all to know Jesus. Having experienced these things, he speaks as one who has no regrets.

US
What are we willing to give up to know Jesus? What price are we willing to pay to have Jesus in our lives as Lord? Some of us can't make it to worship one hour a week or spend a few minutes for Bible reading. Many of us can't give small change for Jesus, let alone our tithe. May the Apostle Paul be an example to us. May we know Jesus even a fraction as Paul did- it would revolutionize our lives.

To learn about how to have a relationship with Jesus, see my other blog.

(c)Adron Dozat 10/21/11

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A Christianity that is un-American. Philippians 3:7-9

There are a few teachings of the Bible that stand in defiance of modern views.

“But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ…” Philippians 3:7-9.

Ours is a consumer-driven materialistic generation. We quickly acquire the newest technology, the latest electronics, and the most up to date toys. How different we are from our Lord who was a homeless traveling teacher possessing only the clothes on his torn back the day he was crucified.

THINGS LOSS
Why are we not like the Apostle who considered “everything loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus?” We have to know Christ, seek him, become intimate with his words and teaching. Intimacy with Jesus will keep us from being allured by advertisements that call us from the Lord and enslave us to the idea that possessions give meaning. Jesus has been out-marketed by TV commercials, junk mail, billboards, digital media and all the weapons of advertisers.

GREATNESS
The Apostle Paul considered knowing Jesus to have “surpassing greatness.” The surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus was a fact to him. Knowing Jesus was so much more, above, and ahead of anything else he could do, be, or possess. To Paul all profit gain, possessions, status, wealth, and treasures did not compare to Jesus; Jesus was the greater treasure to Paul.

FOR THE SAKE OF...
How could he consider “all things loss for the sake of Christ?” Did he know something we don’t? Do we not know the same Christ? The Jesus we hear taught about today is a watered-down and sterilized from the dynamic world-changing Jesus whose followers brought down empires. Our Jesus is the helpless baby in a manger, or the misunderstood teacher, or the abandoned martyr on the cross.

GREATER WORTH
Paul had a vision of who Jesus was, and his Jesus was worth all things; status, reputation, finical security, future plans, friendships, wealth, and whatever you name. Let’s find that Jesus. It takes time, time in the Word, prayer, communion, service, and fellowship, but we can do it; when we do we again will turn the world upside down.

MODERN PAULS
If Paul lost all things to know Christ what can we moderns point to and say, "I have counted this as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ?" After all, what is there that really does compare to knowing Jesus? Let’s not spend our time and resources gaining more things- instead, let’s rediscover Jesus.

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. I sincerely hope this post is helpful and is an encouragement.  For more like this see the most popular post in the left sidebar, or use the search box above. 

(c)Adron Dozat 11/26/10

Is Jesus Worth Giving Up Everything? Philippians 3:8, NIV.

Is Jesus worth the trouble and sacrifice? Is he worth the cost of giving up stuff, like wealth, career, self-image, pleasures, and dreams?

“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8, NIV.

CONSIDERED
The Apostle "considered" everything loss. He weighed things in his mind and concluded that he was willing to give up everything because knowing Jesus was better, for to gain Christ is all,

RUBBISH
Paul considered things of this world as "rubbish." Rubbish is the worthless, useless leftovers, you throw away. If you offered him wealth, he would think it trash compared to Jesus.  All the wealth of the world combined is small change compared to the Lord.

LOSS
To follow Christ cost him his seat on the council, lost his status as a national and religious leader; he became an outcast to his own society and community, he was disowned by his countrymen he was stoned, beaten, and whipped on various occasions. Finally, unjustly imprisoned he gave his life as a martyr for Christ.

JESUS
     * Jesus is worth giving up TV to spend time reading the Bible.
     * He is worth sacrificing the promotion to be able to have time to serve in Christian work.
     * He is worth giving up popularity to befriend the unlovely and bring them to Christ.
     * He is worth a smaller bank account so that we may give liberally to the work of Christ's kingdom.
     * He is worth a few minutes of sleep to wake early for Morning Prayer.
     * He is worth giving up a romance to experience the depth of his love.

SURPASSING GREATNESS
Jesus is worth more than all these things. Jesus outweighs all things in beauty, greatness, worth, and reward. Jesus offers to come into our life but he doesn't force himself on us and he refuses to compete. He wants us to choose. He wants us to have that love that declares “Jesus over all.”

Jesus is worth the sacrifice and he will reward both in this life and the next.

To learn more about the Gospel see my other blog.

(c) Adron 4/3/10