Philippians 2: 19-24
This part of the letter has a familiar sound to it, Paul is
writing to the Philippian church, a church he founded on his second missionary
journey. It began with a few women
who met by the river, one member of this group was Lydia, a seller of purple,
and the Philippian jailer and his family soon joined her. Paul is now in prison and only has the
memories of these people who he introduced to Jesus Christ.
The reason for saying it has a familiar sound, all of us have
had family or a dear friend move away from us or maybe we are the ones who
moved, but it matters not, we want to hear how they are doing. But verse twenty is not all that
familiar, Paul and Timothy have entered into more than a disciple and
discipular, more than a student to a teacher. Timothy has become a son to
Paul. Paul is going to send the
one person who has great worth to him, because he needs news about his friends
and fellow believers.
He wanted to send a clear message that Timothy is of great value
to him and to the Church. “For I have no one like
him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. They all seek their own interests, not
those of Jesus Christ. But you
know Timothy’s proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me
in the gospel.” What a
letter of encouragement to that young church, to those dear friends. Timothy is coming, he is not just a
carrier of a message he has a deep concern for each of us. What a condemnation of all the others
who hung out with Paul, not one, only Timothy had a genuine concern for the
welfare of the church at Philippi.
The question came into my mind, which group am I in? Genuinely concerned for your welfare or
seeking my own interests, not those of Jesus Christ! I’m not sure about you, but I hate to be confronted with
that kind of question. I was
having a great morning on the back porch, where did that thought come
from? I can assure you it did not
come from the enemy of our souls.
This is what I understand, there is a battle going on for our hearts,
the world system is designed to turn our heart to trusting in self or others,
and not putting faith in the promises of God and His word. Ephesians 4:17-32, is clear on the
battle, and warns us that the world has trained us like bird dogs to get our
needs met outside of Christ, but that choice will never make you a
Timothy. You have entered into a
war zone, the old self, which belongs to your former way of life and is
corrupt and deceitful, cannot and will not have a do over, and it has to die. Its desires are for self, and yet by
the grace of God we have the ability to renew our minds, and to put on the new
self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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