Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 14 - Imitating Christ (Philippians 2), Day 9 - Life in the Spirit (Romans 8), Day 2 - Paul’s Macedonian Call and a Jailbreak (Acts 16) / Links to Days 1, 3-8, 10-13
1:1-2:11
Do you feel like you can`t go on? Do you feel like giving up? Here`s God`s Word of encouragement for you: ‘He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the Day of Jesus Christ’(1:6). God finishes what He starts - ‘He didn’t bring us this far to leave us. He didn`t teach us to swim to let us drown. He didn’t build His home in us to move away. He didn`t lift us up to let us down’. In all the changes of life, we must remember this: God is faithful. His love is unchanged, unchanging and unchangeable. We don`t keep going because weare strong. We are ‘kept by the power of God’(1 Peter 1:5). In ‘humility’ let us live ‘to the glory and praise of God’(2:3; 1:11). ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’(2:11) - He will give you the strength to keep going when you feel like giving up.
2:12-3:11
God’s command- ‘Work out your own salvation’- must never be separated from His promise - ‘God is at work in you’(12-13). We do not save ourselves - We ‘put no confidence in the flesh’. We are saved by the Lord - We ‘glory in Christ Jesus’(3). We are to ‘shine as lights in the world’, directing attention away from ourselves to Him who is ‘the Light of the world’- our Lord Jesus Christ (15; John 8:12). We have this testimony: “I have ‘no righteousness of my own’. ‘Through faith in Christ’, I have received ‘this righteousness from God’”(9). We are living in difficult times. This is ‘a crooked and perverse generation’(15). We are called to ‘hold fast the Word of life’(16). It will not be easy. We will face many difficulties. We must take encouragement from this: ‘God is at work in you’(13).
Recently on Christ in all the Scriptures / The Theology of G C Berkouwer…
Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Jesus: Day 13 - Paul’s summary of his mission (Ephesians 3)
Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 12 - Freedom in Christ (Galatians 5)
Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 11- Thoughts on the afterlife (1 Corinthians 15)
Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 10 - Paul’s description of love (1 Corinthians 13)
Labels: 1 Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatatians, Paul, Philippians
Each of us must choose. We can ‘live according to the flesh’ or we can ‘live according to the Spirit’. We can ‘set the mind on the flesh’ or we can ‘set the mind on the Spirit’(5-6). The new life in the Spirit is just the beginning. God is preparing us for the greater ‘glory that will be revealed in us’(18). We have ‘the first fruits of the Spirit’. The Holy Spirit is ‘the guarantee of our inheritance’. He is the starter which whets our appetite for the main course! With Him in our hearts, we long for more - ‘an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you’, ‘the redemption of our bodies’, ‘the glorious liberty of the children of God’(21-23; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:3-5). Led by the Spirit, strong in the Spirit, we press on to glory (14,26,17).
Recently on Christ in all the Scriptures / The Theology of G C Berkouwer…
Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 8 - Struuggle with sin (Romans 7)
Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 7 - Paul’s theology in a nutshell (Romans 3)
Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 6 - Paul’s arrival in Rome (Acts 2 
Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 5 - Shipwreck on the way to Rome (Acts 27)
Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 4 - Paul tells his life story to a king (Acts 26)
Two weeks on the Life and Teachings of Paul: Day 3 - Scenes from Paul’s Missionary Journay (Acts 17)
15:36-16:40
Notice the importance of prayer in the advance of the Gospel. They were looking for a prayer meeting when Lydia was saved (13-14). They were going to a prayer meeting when the girl was saved (16-18). They were having a prayer meeting when the jailer was saved (25-34). They had gone to Philippi ‘to preach the Gospel to them’(10). Even when they were ‘in chains’, the Gospel proved itself to be ‘the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith’(Ephesians 6:20; Romans 1:16). ‘The Word of God is not bound’. It is ‘living and active’. ‘Sharper than any two-edged sword’, it is ‘the sword of the Spirit’(2 Timothy 2:9; Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17). Do you want people to ask the Salvation question and heed the Gospel answer (30-31)? ‘Pray at all times in the Spirit… with all perseverance’(Ephesians 6:18).
The teachings of Paul are energizing the faith on Jesus Christ and raising the spirit or truth in me and thanks for a great post.
Comment by Christ — December 14, 2007 @ 12:13 pm
Thanks for your appreciative comment. It is encouraging to hear that these notes have been a blessing to you.
May God continue to bless you as you learn from His Word.
Charlie
Comment by charlescameron — December 14, 2007 @ 9:48 pm