Thursday 22 Apr 2021

April 22: Philippians 3:4-9
 
Key Verse: Philippians 3:7
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
 
Devotion:
When Paul wrote letters to the church in Philippi, he knew he was writing to people who thought they were good people. His writing, however, hints at people thinking more of themselves than they should be. He saw this problem with many who had been brought up as he was – to be Hebrew people whose lives were based on the law handed down from Moses!
 
What they may have been doing is probably what he was doing before he got to know Christ. They were holding the law above everything and judging everyone according to these very strict laws. This would exclude Christians because Christ had shown people they no longer had to live under the weight of those very strict rules. Christ was telling people they could be forgiven for the worst sins because He had taken their sin debt to the cross and had paid for it with His own life!
 
Paul was raised in a very strict environment and he persecuted some of the earliest Christians because they would not agree to the sacrifices and way of old. But once he got to know Christ, his life changed and he began to realise just how much Jesus did for him and how that love continues to flow through all of us now.
 
Paul was now focusing on getting to know Christ more because it was that knowledge and growing faith which was allowing him to better understand what God was asking for and not blindly following rules which mankind had changed over the years to suit themselves. God wants us to follow His example of true love and not to be caught up in earthly rules and regulations which prevent us from getting to live with this love...
 
Points to Ponder:
Do you use excuses not to share love with others?
 
Will you allow Christ’s love to grow in you so you can truly share His love with others?