1 Peter (Program #15) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (2)

The word “grace” bears tremendous significance in the New Testament, yet like so many biblical terms, it has become almost a clichéd to many people and it’s been greatly devalued in the understanding of most Christians.  God’s unmerited favor has become the most common definition among believers.   While this does convey a certain  limited sense of the word, it’s obvious by considering Scriptures that this definition is grossly inadequate.

Consider Peter’s use of the word “grace” in 1 Peter 2:19-20 “for this is grace” he writes “if anyone, because of a consciousness of God, bears sorrows by suffering unjustly.  For what glory is it if, while sinning and being buffeted, you endure? But if, while doing good and suffering, you endure, this is grace with God.“

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Philippians (Program #58) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (6 & 7)

It has been said that anxiety is the totality of the natural human life. Day by day even hour by hour our human life is just consumed with the anxiety.  And it seems like the more thoughtful and sensitive we are the more anxiety we suffer. Yet the Bible says “let your forbearance be known to all men in nothing be anxious.”  These two things, anxiety and forbearance represent not just opposite ends of the spectrum but actually characterize two completely different sources from which our life experience might flow. more…

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Philippians (Program #57) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (5)

In Ephesians chapter 1:3 and 2:6 the apostle Paul says that we have been blessed and have been seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Well it might say that in the Bible what does it say in your experience?  Day by day are you in the heavenlies or do you find yourself spending your time in anxiety?  Most of us would have to truthfully answer that we spend much more of our time wrestling with anxiety than enjoying a life with Christ at peace in the heavenlies. The truth is that after men fell, human life become a composition of anxiety and worry. So how it is then the apostle Paul also said in Philippians 4 “Let your forbearance be known to all men. The Lord is near.  In nothing been anxious.”? more…

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Philippians (Program #56) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (2)

Philippians 4:5 says “Let your forbearance be known to all men. The Lord is near.”  Today is our third life study out of five on the subject of “A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety”.  This matter of forbearance without anxiety is not a small thing.  If you miss these programs then you want to stay with us for there is something for you in this program.

This word forbearance in Greek is composed of two different words and combining these words the meaning of the term in Greek can be translated literally this way, “extensively reasonable or fully reasonable.”  Base on this kind of analysis of the Greek word, our spiritual experience and God’s activity in His economy plus the Lord’s living on earth I think we can realize to have adequate forbearance means we also have to have many other virtues as well.  Since forbearance is the all-inclusive virtues.

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Philippians (Program #55) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (2)

What word would you use to describe a life that expresses Christ?  Would you say loving, submissive, may be patient, humble or kind?  All of these words do describe aspects of Christ’s living. But none individually are adequate. It’s significant that the apostle Paul does not use any of these terms in the last chapter of Philippians focusing on the living out of Christ. Instead he uses the word forbearance. “Let your forbearance be known to all man.” He did not tell us to let our patience, our humility be known, but our forbearance. This all inclusive virtue of Christ is the topic today.

Philippians is unique in the New Testament, because it talks about the experience of Christ.  We are going to see that actually forbearance as virtue is Christ Himself and we need to let this Christ as forbearance within us be known to all man.

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Philippians (Program #54) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (1)

In our reading of the book of Philippians it might seem that Paul’s thought in chapter 4:1-7 is not nearly as high as what was expressed in the first three chapters. In chapter 1 for example he speaks of “living Christ and magnifying Him”. In chapter 2 of “taking Christ as our pattern and shining as light in the world and holding forth the word of life.”  And in chapter three “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ and pursuing toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. But then in chapter 4 he uses the expressions that apparently seem quite ordinary. He says “rejoice in the Lord, let your forbearance be known to all man and in nothing be anxious.”  Suppose you are pursuing toward the goal for the prize and suddenly someone encourages you not to be anxious. Would you not consider this an interruption and say “I am pursuing Christ, I want to arrive at the out resurrection. Why talk to me about anxiety?”  Well, we are going to focus on this practical Christ reveal in chapter 4. more…

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Philippians (Program #27) – Excellent Characteristics of the Christian Life (1)

Enjoying Christ or been an enjoyer of Christ these are not terms we commonly used. But we will see today in the life study of Philippians that enjoying Christ issues in a life full of forbearance and without anxiety. Philippians 4:5-6 ” Let your forbearance be known to all men. The Lord is near. In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

There is an outward issue from this enjoyment of Christ. In these verse in chapter 4 we see the description of a glorious outward expression of the inward reality of a person who’s living and experiencing Christ. We can’t experience these excellent characteristics refer to apart from really enjoying and experiencing Christ, can we?

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