Philippians 4:21 Salute every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren which are with me greet you. 22 All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar's household. 23 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Paul had a special place in his heart for the saints. That is the way it will be with true believers. True saints seek the truth. They know they will not get the truth from unbelievers. They want to encourage true saints to continue to grow. There is a special recognition for those who are like minded in Christ. That is what all saints need to be looking toward. Paul was not alone in prison. He may have been the only saint that was a prisoner there, but there were other brethren that were allowed to visit him. There were saints in Rome. Brethren have some important things in common. They have the same Saviour and Lord. They have the same hope. They are seeking to know the true God better. They love the saints. In verse 22 Paul knew that all the saints were drawn to the saints in Philippi. We see that Paul’s faithfulness had an impact even in the emperors family. Some of Caesar’s household were saved. They had heard Paul’s testimony and they heard his teaching and preaching and some of them heeded the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts and they were saved. We have seen before that Paul did not keep quiet just because he was in prison. We have seen that as well in the life of Peter and John in the book of Acts. True saints do not yield to the dictates of the ungodly. Soldiers needed to be saved. The Emperor and his family needed to be saved. Those who are saved need to be bold and willing to speak the truth wherever they are. God provides unique situations for His children. We may not expect to find ourselves in some of the places we end up. God knows what He is doing and He provides opportunities to witness. It is important to be ready to speak the truth in all situations.
I Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
God wants all people to be saved. Those who are saved need to have the mind of Christ, and with that mind, they will desire to see others saved as well. Paul was more concerned about the souls of lost sinners, than he was about getting out of prison. He wanted to get out of prison, but not at the expense of being quiet about the truth. In verse 23 Paul gave his final words to the saints at Philippi. He was directed by God to begin this letter by desiring the saints to operate under God’s grace. God’s grace is not a license to sin. It is the help that the saints need in their daily walk with the Lord.
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
If we try to live the Christian life in the flesh it will never work. The saints in Corinth needed to draw from God’s grace. They were carnal. They were saved, but they were not listening to the guiding of the Holy Spirit. They were more concerned with who they would follow, rather than in the content of the message. The saints in Philippi were not like that. They were growing and they were serving the Lord. Paul was directed to remind them of the importance of drawing from God’s grace as they continued their walk of faith. The grace that we need is the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not coming from some foreign entity. It is the grace of the Saviour Who shed His blood to provide salvation for those who are then called saints. He needs to be the Lord of our lives. He needs to be in charge. The Bible is clear that He is the head of every man. He is also the head of every true church. He is not just the “figure head”. He is the active and living head of every man and every true church. He knows the way we need to take and He will provide our needs as we walk with Him faithfully. He is Jesus — the Son of God, the Saviour of mankind. He is precious to each one that is saved. We do not take His name in vain. We honour Him and we worship Him. He is Christ — the anointed one of God. He is the Messiah. He is the second person of the Godhead Who pleased God in all things. He did not need to fight for position. He has always been and will always be the second person of the Godhead. There are cults that deny Him His rightful place. That does not change anything. They condemn themselves by their rebellion against the truth. Those who are saved have been called to glorify Him in all things. It is a worthy walk to walk as a child of God. It is a blessing to be able to help others to see the importance of repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Let those of us who are saved walk in His grace today and each day. Those that are lost need to turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation. Don’t miss out on His blessings. Pastor Bartel
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