Minister Hilaire:
This Sunday we’re going to read together in the letters to the Philippians 4:1-3 NKJV.
“Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, stand fast in the Lord, beloved. I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life”.
Taking a look back at the very first verse in this truly amazing address to the Church at Philippi, as seen in Philippians 1:1 NKJV, Paul addressed these believers in this manner “To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons” the word “saint” implies, holiness, righteousness and redemption.
This letter is obviously addressed to all of the saints at Philippi including the bishops, the deacons, all of the women who labored with Paul as well as you and I who 2000 years later who is knitted by the Holy Spirit of Yahweh into the Body of Christ. Paul the servant of the most High God, the spokesman to the Body of Christ, is reminding believers that they needed to remain steadfast in Yahweh and that they needed to have the same mind as Christ Jesus. He urged them to care for the women who labored with him in the gospel. Most notable to me, too often maybe overlooked by others, is the fact that He reminded them of the fact that their names were written in the book of life. Today, with certainty, can you testify that your name is also written within the book of life?
As I minister to you, I have a deep sorrow within my heart. I am deeply saddened as I feel like there remains so much need and unaddressed issues among the brethren, the saints within the Body of Christ. Today in Christendom, there is a huge disconnect between what the Bible teaches and what is actually being done among the saints and I hope that within the Grace Bible community we can do better.
As did Paul to the church at Philippi, I too implore and urge you beloved saints whose names are written in the book of life. “fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” Phil. 2:2-4 NKJV. Let the same mind which was in Christ Jesus be in you today, who did not count it as robbery, in humility, humbled himself to the death of the cross.
We should all seek to be Christlike, for to be Christlike is to be truly strong and powerful through selflessness, meekness, humility and long suffering on behalf of one another. Christ humbly lowered his stature as God, to no reputation as a bondservant that in His humility we might find life, eternal life in through his shed blood. Today, because of his sacrifice we’ve been granted a new identity as saints, our fate has been sealed by the Spirit of God the guarantor of our hope of ultimate redemption.
I pray that everyone who has read this post will do his/her very best to answer this question.
AS A SAINTS WHOSE NAME ARE WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, IN WHICH WAY ARE YOU LIKE CHRIST?