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pt.2 To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain (Phil ch.1)

“Philippians- An Exposition

This message is the second part after the introduction of an expository study of the Epistle of Philippians written by the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

In this study message we will be looking a Philippians chapter 1 with specific emphasis on verse 21 with all of the context we can use to expose the text for what it said to its first audience as well as what it says to us doctrinally.

We will also devote some time to the Reformed doctrine of the Perseverance of the saints, as that doctrine is fleshed out and tied to the other elements of the TULIP through the context of this in this first chapter of the epistle to the Philippians.

 

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Delivered on 10-22-2021 / grego. 2-23-2022

 

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Compiled by JS LOWTHER
renewedcovenantministry.com
servant@renewedcovenantministry.com

Philippians 

An Exposition 

Pt.2 To Live is Christ, To Die is Gain (Php 1:10-30

Last week we got into the discussion of the leading point of the doctrine of Philippians in the chronology of reading the text,
That both in our individual Christian lives and in time, a Saint is “confident of this very thing, that God which hath begun a good work in Us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”
This is a guarantee of the spirit of God and earnest down payment of Faith for our future. But that this performance in individuals is not stuck in ourselves and our judgment before the throne of God but is moving through time until the day of Christ.
In the theological system of the reformed faith, we call this ‘the perseverance of the Saints.

This is the letter P in the acrostic which men have made to convey the 5 major points of the Council of Dort, which we call the TULIP.
The TULIP is:

Total depravity
Unconditional Election
Limited atonement
Irresistible Grace
and
Perseverance of the saints

Every one of these points are intermingled with the others, non-can be separated.
Because one is Totally depraved, God must not based on that condition, so unconditionally Elect one as a Saint, but this is a Limited atonement, Christ only dies for those TD soul which He unconditionally Elected to die for. The Atoned though Totally depraved are by the Unlimited pity of Christ find Grace Irresistible, they prefer it above all others and as the chief joy, this is the Fuel of the Perseverance of the Saints
as is very much seen in 1:6, it is the confident of the fellowship in the gospel, that “God which hath begun a good work in Us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”

And so, very much we have been discussing, and especially today will be discussing this doctrinal concept as it is expressed by pure scripture in the book of Philippians first chapter:

v. 1 that this Epistle was written to “all the saints in Christ Jesus”
v. 2 with the Grace and peace are the prayers of the Apostles, and that that prayer of these things so important to the Christian life of a Saint is the joy of the Apostles in seeing the fellowship in the Gospel, the fellowship, friendship, the Unity, the community which the Good tidings of YHWH’s Christ and his primacy LORDship bring to those who can hear those tidings, that message of rule and reign in every aspect of heart mind and soul from the first day until now as days of Salvation.

v. 6 says confidence is brought of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in us as Saints, those proclaimed holy, will perform, preserver until the day of Jesus Christ:

Turn with me briefly to the book of Ephesians:

Eph_1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

The life of a Saint is a life of Holiness, that is the very meaning of the word, to be sanctified to be set apart, to be seperated unto cleanness, and this is the blessing of God, a spiritual and heavenly blessing, a choosing of love and giving of the spirit of love to us, a predestined act of adoption all accredited to the good pleasure and will of God.

Eph 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.

This is all descriptive of the life of a Saint, one elect unto the performance of the things of God in one’s life.
In our experience as we live and move and have being:
Our life is renewed and renovated, the world is renovated by our renewal as we defend and confirm the Gospel which we know as partakers of Grace, like the apostles, so are we.
Our lives are affected in specific and predictable ways where we can acknowledge and see the work of God in the life of a saint and effect others.

love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment

Listen to this, don’t just let it flow through your head:
Love abounds… more and more… in knowledge and in all judgment
That we ‘approve things that are excellent or perfect;
That we may be sincere and without offence
knowing the day of Christ

is coming

What are the 2 greatest commandments?

Mar 12:30  And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
Mar 12:31  And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

Here is where Love abounds… more and more, to God and brother. How?
in knowledge and in all judgment
Approving things that are excellent or perfect

This is how we can say it is good that

v.16  one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds
v.17  that it is good the ” other of love”, because we are resolved to preserver saying
“Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth, Christ is preached.”

This was the gist of our message, and it is an encouraging one, it teaches the preliminary lesson of being content with the God’s choices in dispensing the Gospel.

Turn to the Beatitudes in Mat 5:

Mat_5:1  And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
Mat 5:2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Mat 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Mat 5:6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Mat 5:7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Mat 5:8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Mat 5:9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Mat 5:10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 5:11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Mat 5:12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Mat 5:13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Mat 5:14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Mat 5:16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Years ago, a friend said to me, “have you ever considered what type of world you have to live in to perform the ‘beatitudes?”
This is no different than what Paul is here preaching in principle, that to be a people of this resolve, you must be resolved to preserver this is the attitude of persevering saints:

. That if the earth needs the flavor and savor and function of salt, the Saint says, ‘I shall be that salt’

. If the world needs a city built, the Saint says I will build it on a hill

. And if the houses of that city need candles- the Saint says, I will offer my candle, or be one if needs be to produce the flame.

. If the world needs light, I want to shine it out by the light lit lamp of the law and commandment and covenant of God who is pure light with no darkness in Him.

Saints, we are the people for the job, the kingdom on the hill and the light upon a lamp stand, the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

“Notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached.”

This is the resolve of faith, this is the mentality that Irresistible Grace dispenses into the heart, mind and soul to be exercised in our bodily strength: that we can look into the future and know where we fit into it by being whatsoever the LORD has called us to be, we are…

v.17 “set for the defense of the Gospel”.
So let’s consider this all the more, that as your good works develop in love unto knowledge and all judgment, to what resolve does this take you too?

Php_1:19  For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
Php 1:20  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.
Php 1:21  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Php 1:22  But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.
Php 1:23  For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Php 1:24  Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
Php 1:25  And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;
Php 1:26  That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.

Even unto death is where true conviction lies, even unto life, in all that we do.
What constant struggle the apostle is here expressing to us, but he shows us the way of perseverance, the perseverance of the saints.
Which can be simply expressed in

Php 1:21  For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Php 1:27  Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Php 1:28  And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
Php 1:29  For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Php 1:30  Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.

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About JS Lowther

Foremost I know that I am a chief sinner saved by Grace. I am a servant of YHWH Almighty the one true God Who is Father, Son and Spirit. I believe in God's only begotten and perfect Son Jesu(s) Christ whose redemption power of my soul I have Faith in and testify of. Having been redeemed by the blood of Christ, I wish to no longer spend my time in the lusts of the flesh and of this world, but to promote the Gospel of the Kingdom by means of the knowledge of the New Covenant, a reNewal of the Covenant God made with his people Israel in the blood of Christ (Jer 31:31 and Heb 8:8) whereby He writes His Law upon the Heart and Mind beside the forgiveness of sin and transgressions. I believe Christ Jesus is the incarnate Son of God as the WORD made flesh, and the son of man born of the virgin Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit: I believe Christ Jesus Lived a perfect life for us as a living sacrifice as well as a pattern of the Sanctified newness of life a believer has in Him, I believe Christ Jesus died a cursed death on the Cross for His people of Covenant who are sinners, and I believe in Christ Jesus who Resurrected with power from Death from the grave to Justify the offenders. This is the same Jesus who is indeed the Son of David and king of Israel, who is both LORD and Christ over all the kings and dominions of the earth! In the fullness of time YHWH will regather his people under the Head of the Church, Jesu(s) Christ to affect his will according to the Lord's prayer, Psalm 2, 8 and 110 as well as Genesis 1:26. The focus of my administration of the Gospel is like unto my Lord's who said "I have come not but for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.."(Mathew 15:24), and so I have come to my European kinsman according to the flesh. It is my mission to show the Israel of God the Salvation which is taught by Scripture Alone and offered in all ages by Grace Alone through Faith Alone in the work of Christ Alone to the Glory of GOD Alone. As a modern day Puritan separatist it is my goal to purify the church of Christ with Faith heretofore stated. I am studying to show my self approved, if you have any questions just ask!

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