The Best of the Portals of Prayer

Read: Philippians 2:1-16 / Psalm 32

“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
Philippians 2:13

God’s Workmanship

The beginning and ending verses of the Philippians are law. Here, God instructs us to be of one mind with fellow Christians, be humble, look out for the interests of others, have the mind of Christ, be obedient, work out our salvation, and do all things without grumbling or complaining. God certainly demands a lot.
The center of the passage, though, is Gospel. In fact, it is the heart of the Gospel: Jesus led a holy life, pleasing to God, and his death secured forgiveness of our sins. This is certainly Good News! Through Jesus, we are free from our bondage to sin, that which prevents us from knowing the will of God expressed in His Law. Through Christ, “it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” [Philippians 2:13]. What an incredible Lord and God we have! He so desires to be our Lord that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to live, die, and be resurrected, in order that we would be freed to do the same. And through Christ, God continues to work in us, enabling us to desire His will and live out His good pleasure.
Dear Lord and God, I praise You for Your loving kindness, and I thank You for helping me to live a life pleasing to You. May Christ so reign in my life that I am free to live a life fully for You. Amen.

February 25, 2011