Progress, Joy and Confidence-Philippians 1:21-26

New Testament, Philippians, Sermons

Philippians 1:21-26; Key Verse: Phil 1:25b,26

“I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting (confidence) in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.”

Paul clearly preferred death over life. He said that death is better by far (Phil 1:23). Yet he “choose” to live. Why? For the sake of the Christians in Philippi who loved Jesus, and were supporting him financially. Specifically, Paul wanted to live for their progress, their joy, and their confidence in Christ through him. “Progress, joy and confidence” is what Paul wanted for the Philippians and for each Christian.

A one sentence summary of Phil 1:21-30 is: “Die is gain, yet I live a life worthy of the gospel to believe and to suffer for Christ.” We can divide this sentence into four parts:

  1. Die is Gain (Phil 1:21-24).
  2. Yet I Live (Phil 1:25-26).
  3. A Life Worthy of the Gospel (Phil 1:27).
  4. To Believe and to Suffer for Christ (Phil 1:28-30).

I. Die Is Gain (Phil 1:21-24)

Phil 1:21 is short, catchy, “likable” and easy to memorize for Christians. Without realizing it, we easily miss what it really means. Very briefly, to live is Christ will at least mean to: Live for the glory of God (1 Cor 10:31), not for my own benefit. Want to know Jesus (Phil 3:10), by reading/reflecting on the Bible regularly (Ps 1:2). Love God (Dt 6:5), not the world (1 Jn 2:15-17). Tell others about Jesus (Mk 16:15), no matter what the cost or sacrifice.

To live is Christ is to knowing, loving, serving, glorifying, enjoying, communing with, having unbroken fellowship with Christ. To live is Christ is the best life in this life, and death is even better than that! It is not just a win-win, but a win-better than win situation.

II. Yet I Live (Phil 1:25-26)

Paul’s stated purpose and motivation to continue living (instead of dying which is better!) is three fold. It has to do, not with himself, but with the Philippian Christians. He wants to live for:

  1. The progress of their faith (Phil 1:25; 1 Tim 4:15).
  2. The joy of their faith (Phil 1:25; Jn 15:11; 1 Th 5:16).
  3. Their confidence/boasting/glory/joy in Christ because of him (Phil 1:26, 6, 3:3; Job 27:6; Acts 24:16; 1 Cor 4:4; 2 Cor 1:12, 4:2 1 Jn 2:28, 3:21).

If we knew that Paul wanted to tell us the crucial ingredients to Christian life. would we attentively listen to him? This is what he says: I want to work for your progress, joy and confidence in Christ. These 3 attributes are crucial for a happy Christian life. If we lack or are deficient in any of these 3 attributes, our life as a Christian will be burdensome. It will not be like a light shining in a dark place (Phil 2:15), and we would not be able to live a life worthy of the gospel (Phil 1:27). We Christians do always need to:

  1. make progress,
  2. have a joy that is out of this world,
  3. and have a confidence that nothing, not even the worst tragedy or adversity, can shake.

But for Paul to go on living was costly. His personal suffering was tremendous. “To live is Christ” for Paul involved whippings, beatings, stoning, shipwreck, constant danger, endless labor and toil, hunger and thirst, sleepless nights, being helpless, weak and vulnerable (2 Cor 11:24-27). Paul seems to have been pummeled to a pulp by life. But he was genuinely happy because Jesus was all the world to him. Thus, nothing in this world could do anything to hurt or harm him. Nothing in this world had any hold on him.

Progress: Jeremy Lin has become the new NBA sensation. He is Taiwanese American, a Harvard graduate, an evangelical Christian, and a point guard for the NY Knicks. In an interview he said that a goal of his this year is to love Jesus more on Dec 31, 2012 than on Jan 1, 2012. He seems to be clear that he must make progress as a Christian. What are some areas in the Christian life where we can assess and evaluate our progress in the faith?

  • Holiness (1 Pet 1:15-16).
  • Repentance (Acts 3:19). Overcome besetting sins. Prayer.
  • Understanding the Bible more and more.
  • Enjoying the Bible and enjoying intimacy with Jesus (Ps 37:4).
  • Able to explain the gospel more clearly and amicably to others (1 Pet 3:15).
  • Love for others (Jn 13:34), even for our enemies and those who want to hurt us. Having a bigger heart to embrace more and more people for the sake of the gospel.

Joy: There is a song: “And they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” Christians have a love and a joy that is attractive and irresistible. This joy is not self-manufactured, but the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). This joy is not dependent on our circumstances. Even Job, after virtually “losing everything” expressed his “joy in unrelenting pain” (Job 6:10). Christian joy is such a joy. It is not simply the joy of eating a sumptuous meal, or the joy of watching a sunset, or the joy of a spouse, children or grandchildren. It is a joy that comes from God through the gospel. It is a joy that the world can never take away.

Confidence: Confidence is a key to success in life. Those who have confidence can find a way to succeed even in adversity. But those who lack confidence will find it hard to succeed even if an opportunity is handed to them on a platter. In our day and age, our education system emphasizes the importance of self-esteem. But self-esteem is nothing but the counterfeit of true confidence in Christ. Paul did not view or regard himself as indispensable. But he was sure that through his visit to the Philippians, their confidence/boldness/glory/joy in Christ will abound.

It is important to know that no one can “make themselves” to make progress, or to have joy, or to have confidence. We cannot by mere human effort just will these attributes into our Christian life. How then can we make progress, have joy and confidence? We must know that for us to make progress, there was ONE who had to digress. For us to have joy, there was ONE who had to loose all of His joy. For us to have confidence, there was ONE who completely lost his only source of confidence when he was utterly forsaken and abandoned to die in utter loneliness, agony and misery (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34).

Does this move you and touch your heart? If it does, the Holy Spirit will compel your heart to make progress, to have joy, and to have absolute confidence in the One who will never ever let me down, even if I let Him down. (Next Sunday, we will examine what it means to live a life worthy of the gospel.)

III. A Life Worthy of the Gospel (Phil 1:27)

IV. To Believe and to Suffer for Christ (Phil 1:28-30)

Questions:

  1. What does it mean “to live is Christ”? “To die is gain” (Phil 1:21; Jn 10:10b; 1 Cor 2:2)? How revolutionary is this? Who experiences this (Phil 1:3:8-10; Gal 2:20)? How do we live as if to live is Christ (1 Cor 10:31; Ex 20:2; Dt 6:5)? What is the gain of death (Phil 1:23; 2 Cor 5:8; Rom 7:24, 8:35,37; Jn 14:2)? Do you believe this like Paul that death is gain? Are you prepared for the day of death?
  2. Following Paul’s thesis, core belief, truth claim (Phil 1:21), what is his dilemma (Phil 1:22)? Why is this a delightful dilemma? Why is he torn (Phil 1:23-24)? How did he resolve it (Phil 1:25)? What 3 things does Paul want for them, for us, for churches (Phil 1:25-26, 5, 3:3; 1 Tim 4:15; Jn 15:11)? Is Paul saying, “Don’t seek joy, be selfless, be good, and do good to others”? What did Paul “gain” by staying (2 Cor 11:24-27)?
  3. Why might the imperative of Phil 1:27 be daunting (2 Cor 2:16)? What is significant about whether or not Paul comes (Phil 1:27: 2:12)? What does Phil 1:27 mean (Mt 5:16)? Explain “the gospel” (Phil 1:27). The tenacity, activity, unity and mutuality of the gospel (Phil 1:27, 2:12, 3:14).
  4. Does the Bible say that there is nothing to be afraid of (Phil 1:28)? What are 2 gifts of God (Phil 1:29)? Is faith a gift (Eph 2:8; 1 Jn 5:1; 1 Cor 12:3; Ac 16:14)? A responsibility (Jn 6:44, 14:1-2; Heb 11:6; Ac 16:31; Mt 11:28)? What does it mean that suffering is a gift (Phil 1:29; Acts 9:15-16; Heb 12:5-6)? Why does God give us such a gift (Rom 5:3-5; James 1:2-4)?

References:

12 Sermons by Ligon Duncan

  1. Phil 1:21 (4 sermons).
  2. Phil 1:21-26; 25-26 (2 sermons).
  3. Phil 1:27-28 (4 sermons).
  4. Phil 1:29-30 (2 sermons).
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