A TESTIMONY FROM PRISON

Phil. 1:19-20

Morning Meditation 12/22/16

Verses 19-20 say, “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

Paul is an amazing person. This man walked so close to the Lord, was so sold out to Him, and was so mightily used of Him, that it is hard not to believe he was some kind of super saint. He was a man of like passions with us. The life of Paul is a lesson to us of the possibilities of any Christian who is willing to sell-out to the Lord.

Paul wrote the words of our text from prison. There is not a note of discouragement in this epistle. It is a letter of encouragement to those outside. He encourages them to accept his imprisonment as the will of God for him. He tells the Christians in Philippi that this has happened for the further spread of the gospel (1:12-13).

There are several things to which Paul testifies in the two verses of our text. First, he testifies to his faith. He says, “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation . . .” The words “I know” translate “eido” and means, “to perceive with the eyes.” It is from the root word “eye.” It is like an “eye witness” to anything. It is a verb and is a perfect tense. The perfect tense means that Paul’s knowledge was given him in the past and he retains that certain knowledge in the present (from the standpoint of the writing of this epistle). He gained this knowledge in the past and he has faith that it is as it was revealed to him by the Lord. This is the only way he could have the certainty of his release. This is the confidence of faith. The truths that the Lord has revealed to us, the firm convictions that are established as a result of that revelation, are never changed by the circumstances of life. Let me put this another way. Name to yourself a truth that you learned in the past that your present circumstances seems to contradict.. Are you going to believe the circumstance or continue to believe the Word the Lord revealed to you? This was a statement of faith. He says, “ .. . . this shall turn to my salvation.” The words “shall turn” translate “apobaino” and means “to turn out, will result in, to be the outcome.” It is a future tense verb and shows that in the present He is thinking of the future with a positive faith. He is not looking back asking if his present situation is the result of failure on his part. He accepted his imprisonment as the will of God and an opportunity for the furtherance of the gospel. This was a statement of faith. Do we have a statement of faith concerning the sovereign purpose of God with regard to our present circumstances? We should.

Next we see Paul’s confidence in the Philippian’s prayers. Paul says, “For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer . . .” The word “salvation” here does not describe the New Birth. It is speaking of his deliverance from his present circumstances. God has a purpose for this imprisonment and when He has accomplished His purpose, He will set him free. And this will be done through the prayers of the Philippians. Paul is saying, “The Lord is answering your prayers. Don’t quit! The time of my release has not arrived yet. It will. And when it does, it will be the result of your prayers.” Paul does believe that the prayers of the Church at Philippi makes a crucial difference. We need to ask ourselves, “Do we really have confidence in the prayers of the local Church? THE LOCAL CHURCH IS AN ORGANIZED BODY OF BAPTIZED BELIEVERS FELLOWSHIPPING TOGETHER IN WORSHIP, AND FOR THE TEACHING OF THE WORD, AND FOR PRAYER, AND FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE FURTHERANCE OF THE GOSPEL. We are a priesthood of believers. Prayer is the way we get the Lord’s help. Prayer does not change His sovereign purpose but is a part of His sovereign purpose. Without the prayers, there is something missing in the overall purpose of God. Paul has confidence that the prayers of the Christians in the Church at Philippi will ultimately be answered and will end in his release.

Next we see Paul acknowledging the Holy Spirit’s power. Paul tells them that his release is not just the result of their prayers, but also, “ . . . the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.” The word “supply” comes from the root word “epichoregeo” and means, “to be supplied, ministered to, assisted.” Imagine Paul saying, “The Holy Spirit is my Assistant!” The words “the supply of the Spirit” is not speaking of the Holy Spirit being given in measured amounts. It means that the Holy Spirit is the One who supplies every spiritual need including special grace to be patient in suffering until God’s purpose is completely fulfilled.

Then we see Paul’s bold testimony. The words, “ . . . that in nothing I shall be ashamed . . .” means that Paul was not ashamed of his chains or anything else the Lord allowed to happen to him. He did not rob or kill as the reason for his imprisonment. He was a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and as a result of that, he was in prison. Paul is an exemplification of the true of Matthew 5:10-12: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” Paul’s response to persecution is enough to confuse anyone who is attempting to hurt him. It is like the saying, “If you get a lemon, make lemonade.” Paul made lemonade in prison!!!

Next we see the magnification of Christ. The words “Christ shall be magnified in my body” defines the “living sacrifice” of Romans 12:1, and sets forth the truth that our bodies are reflector’s of His life. The moon has no light of it’s own. It only reflects the light of the sun. If the sun were to go out, you would never see the moon. The times when you do not see the moon in it’s fulness are the times that the earth is casting a shadow upon it. The moon is a type of the bride of Christ. She has no light of her own and the only times that she is not reflecting her total potential is when this present evil world comes between her and the SON. Paul’s desire is that “Christ shall be magnified in my body.” The word “magnified” translates “megaluno” and means, “to make great, magnify.” It is a future tense which means that Paul is referring to his immediate future beginning with the NOW. He is saying “my purpose in each step I take into the future that Christ shall be magnified in my body.” This should be the purpose of every Christian.

Last in this meditation, we see the singleness of purpose. He says, “whether it be by life, or by death.” When a couple joins together in marriage, one of the vows that is made is, “until death do we part.” Marriage is relationship where two become one for life. The bride is joined to Jesus for “life” and “death.” Physical death does not break the union, or even interrupt the fellowship, between the believer and his Lord. Paul’s singleness of purpose is declare in this statement. It is not an exaggeration. This is how he sees life after salvation. And this is a guideline for us all to follow. Christianity should not be a crutch to lean on and a spare tire for emergencies. Being saved changes one’s whole outlook on life. We are living in a world bound for hell (Matt. 7:13). The hope of the Christian is in the next life. If you are expecting to get treated fairly here, you are sure to be disappointed. Just remember, your disappointments are His APPOINTMENTS and an opportunity to reflect Christ in any given situation.

May the Lord bless these words to our hearts.

In Christ

Bro. White