Philippians 1:1 - Part 3 - Privilege

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:“ Philippians 1:1 NIV

In the previous two devotions, I looked at the following thoughts in the first sentence in verse 1:

  • Paul and Timothy - The Posture
  • Servants - The Position

There is one more thought that I see in the first sentence.

  • Servants of Christ Jesus - The Privilege.

While Paul reminds us that while intrinsically he was but a slave and a sinner condemned to death, the scale tilted to his favour, when he recognised whose he is and who he is in Christ. The Apostle is not a servant of any ordinary person but the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. The fact that he is a slave of Christ Jesus changes every thing about himself in the equation of guilt and sin. 

He is no longer a sinner condemn to hell but now a saint saved by grace (Ephesians 2:1-2)

Now that he is a slave of Christ, he is no longer a slave of the kingdom of darkness but a citizen of the kingdom of "his dear son". (Col 1:13)

The old has gone and now he is a new creation. (2 Cor 5:17)

Positionally he is righteous and justified before God. (Rom 5:1)

Legally, he has been translated from being the slave of sin to become the child of God (John 1:12)

These and many more are the privileges of one who has the Lord Jesus as his master. 

  • Romans 11:33 - Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

And there is another twist in this servant-master relationship. In His eyes, the Lord Jesus does not consider us as His servants anymore. 

This may surprise you because Jesus said in:

  • John 15:15 - I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.

What an elevation in the relationship. What an exaltation in the position and Oh...what a privilege.

The creator of the universe, the sovereign Lord calls us His friend.

  • Psalms 139:17 - How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!

The question is : Do I have this wonderful intimate relationship with the Lord, where He calls me His friend and He reveals "everything to me". 

It is a privilege to be a servant of the Lord Jesus and to serve Him for the rest of my life. Because in this position, I have become a "friend of God". Something I will never understand, even in eternity. 

This prompts another question. What does it mean to be a servant of Christ? Probably in another devotion.

Note: Its 2;00AM in the morning in Atlanta and I am not able to sleep because of my body clock. But the time is well spent in His Word. 

Comments

  1. Saul SamanteMarch 2, 2024 at 9:06 AM

    Excellent appreciation and interaction with the text. The careful analysis and discussion gives life and contemporary relevance to this ancient manuscript. Keep writing, sir. Enjoy your time in Atlanta. Shalom

    ReplyDelete

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