Christ Is Of God

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 – So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's.


1 Corinthians 15:23 - But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.

John 10:30 - I and the Father are one.”

2 Corinthians 13:14 - The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Application:

· I am united with and belong to Christ. I am in union with the church’s leaders and with Christ
· I will be raised at His second coming
· Jesus and the Father are one in essence or nature, but they are not identical persons
· I know firsthand the grace, the love, and the fellowship that freely flow to me from the three persons of the one Lord God.

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

Is Christ Divided?

1 Corinthians 1:13-16 - Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name. (I did baptize also the household of Stephanas. Beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.)


Matthew 28:19-20 - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

1 Corinthians 12:13 – For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

Acts 16:34 - Then he brought them up into his house and set food before them. And he rejoiced along with his entire household that he had believed in God.

Application:

· Am I in union with Christ? Am I committed to Christ?
· Have I been regenerated by the Holy Spirit? Do I discriminate racially, socially or culturally? Does my life overflow with the fruit of the Spirit?
· Was I filled with joy at my conversion?

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

On The Day Of Our Lord Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 1:4-8 – I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Philippians 1:6,9-11 - And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ…And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 - For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

Application:

· It is God who initiates salvation, who continues it and who will one day bring it to its consummation
· Do I approve what is morally and ethically superior? Am I without any mixture of evil? Have I failed morally or spiritually?
· The day of the Lord will be the consummation of all things
· Is the Holy Spirit enabling me to minister to the needs of the church, Christ’s body?

All Scripture verses taken from ESV

He Belongs To Christ

2 Corinthians 10:5-7 - We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do.


2 Corinthians 5:12 - We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart.

1 Corinthians 3:21-23 - So then, no more boasting about human leaders! All things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God.

Acts 9:4 - He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

Application:

· Do I have a superficial front? Am I concerned with spirituality that is true and deep, or am I concerned with money, popularity and self-importance?
· Am I in union with the church’s true leaders and with Christ?
· To persecute Christians is to persecute Christ.

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

God of our Lord Jesus CHrist

Ephesians 1:3,7-8,13-17 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ…In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding…And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory. For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Romans 3:22-24 - This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 11:2-4 - The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD - and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

Philippians 1:9-11 - And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Colossians 1:9 - For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

Application:

· Did Christ in His death pay the ransom for me?
· Does the Spirit endow me with the wisdom to undertake wise purposes?
· Is my love rooted in knowledge and understanding or just sentiment?
· Are my spiritual struggles against flesh and blood or against great spiritual forces that war against God in heaven?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Law Of Christ

Galatians 6:2-5 - Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load.

1 Corinthians 9:21 - To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.

James 2:8 - If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.

1 Corinthians 11:28 - A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.

Conclusions:

• The emphasis of carry each other's burdens is on moral burdens or weaknesses
• Those not having the law are those who have not been raised under the Old Testament law (Gentiles)
• Paul accommodated himself to Gentile culture when it did not violate his allegiance to Christ, though he still reckoned that he was under God's law and Christ's law (teachings)
• The law of love is called royal because it is the supreme law that is the source of all other laws governing human relationships
• The royal law is the summation of all such laws
• Each one should test his own actions emphasizes personal responsibility
• A person should test the attitude of his own heart and actions and his awareness of the significance of the Supper, thus making the Supper, under God, a spiritual means of grace

Application:

• Are you willing to accommodate yourself to the culture when it does not violate your allegiance to Christ?
• Do you keep the royal law found in Scripture?
• Do you examine yourself before you partake of the Lord's Supper?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Baptized Into Christ

Galatians 3:26-27 - You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Romans 8:13-14 - For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Matthew 28:19-20 - Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Romans 13:14 - Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Romans 6:11 - In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 12:13 - For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Conclusions:

• God is the Father of all in the sense that He created all and His love and providential care is extended to all
• But not all are His children
• Jesus said to the unbelieving Jews of His day, you belong to your father, the devil
• People become children of God through faith in God's unique Son, and being led by God's Spirit is the hallmark of this relationship
• Baptism is a sign of union with and commitment of Christ
• Paul exhorts believers to display outwardly what has already taken place inwardly--including practicing all the virtues associated with Christ
• I need to count myself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus
• I have been baptized by the same Spirit as everyone else in the church

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Christ

Galatians 3:22-25 - But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

Romans 10:4 - Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Galatians 2:15-16 - "We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Romans 8:13-14 - For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.

Conclusions:

• This faith is in Christ
• To be a prisoner of sin and a prisoner of law amounts to much the same, because law reveals and stimulates sin
• Was put in charge translates the Greek paidagogos
• Paidagogos refers to the personal-slave attendant who accompanied a freeborn boy wherever he went and exercised a certain amount of discipline over him
• The slave-attendant's function was more like that of a baby-sitter than a teacher
• Although the Greek word for "end" can mean either (1) termination, cessation, or (2) goal, culmination, fulfillment, it seems best in Romans 10:4 to understand it in the latter sense
• I am justified by faith in Christ
• Do we live according to the sinful nature or the Spirit? Are we sons of God?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

This Command

1 Timothy 6:12-16 - Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 1:7 - Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

2 Timothy 4:8 - Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Conclusions:

• A spiritual gift is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit enabling one to minister to the needs of Christ’s body, the church
• The Greek word used for any spiritual gift stresses that it is a gift of grace
• Paul uses the metaphor of the wreath given to the winner of a race
• Paul could be referring to (1) a crown given as a reward for a righteous life, (2) a crown consisting of righteousness or (3) a crown given righteously by the righteous Judge
• That day is the day of Christ’s second coming
• Timothy had possessed eternal life since he had first been saved, but Paul urges him to claim its benefits in greater fullness
• When you made your good confession is probably a reference to Timothy’s confession of faith at his baptism during Paul’s first missionary journey

Application:

• Have you been enabled to minister to the needs of Christ's body?
• Will you receive a crown of righteousness on that day?
• Have you fully claimed the benefits of eternal life?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Christ Jesus Our Hope

1 Timothy 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, To Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:1-2 - Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Titus 1:1-4 - Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior, To Titus, my true son in our common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

Titus 2:12-14 - It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

Conclusions:

• An apostle is one specially commissioned by Christ
• Timothy was evidently with Paul when 1 Corinthians was written, but not necessarily a co-author
• Our brother means our fellow believer, our brother in Christ
• The church of God is a community of believers, the local representatives of the universal church
• Saints are another term for God’s people; it means those who have been set apart as holy to the Lord
• Achaia is Greece, as distinct from Macedonia in the north
• Though 1 Corinthians deals particularly with the situation in Corinth, it was also intended for Christians elsewhere in Greece
• Presumably copies would be made of 1 Corinthians in Corinth and circulated to Grecian Christians
• Crucial events in God’s program occur at His designated times in history
• His word is the authoritative message that centers in Christ
• Three times in Titus God the Father is called Savior, and three times Jesus is called Savior
• “The blessed hope—the glorious appearing” is the second coming
• It is possible to translate “our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” as “the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ,” but the NIV rendering better represents the Greek construction
• Our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ is an explicit testimony to the deity of Christ

Application:

• Are you in the community of the church of God?
• Has God brought His Word to light to you?
• Are you waiting for the blessed hope?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Prophets...Searched Intently

1 Peter 1:10-11,18-19 - Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow…For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

2 Peter 1:21 - For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Luke 4:17-19 - The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Zechariah 9:9-10 - Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the war-horses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 13:7 - "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!" declares the LORD Almighty. "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.

Luke 24:46-47 - He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Acts 3:18-20 - But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.

Conclusions:

• God was the source of the content of Scripture, so that what it says is what God has said
• Those who are united with Christ will benefit in the midst of their present sufferings from His having already entered into glory
• Righteous means conforming to the divine standard of morality and ethics, particularly as revealed in the law; being righteous is a characteristic of the ideal king
• Christ’s rule will be universal
• The Old Testament depicts the Messiah as one who would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day
• Zechariah 13:7 is quoted by Jesus not long before His arrest and applied to the scattering of the apostles

Application:

• Are you united with Christ?
• Are you righteous?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Living Hope

1 Peter 1:3-5,23 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time…For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Ephesians 1:3 - Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Titus 3:4-7 - But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Hebrews 3:6 - But Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.

1 Peter 2:21 - To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

1 Peter 3:15-16 - But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

Conclusions:

• God’s comfort flows to all believers when they suffer for Jesus’ sake, and it equips them to comfort others who are in trouble
• Paul perceives that in the exaltation of Christ and in the Christian’s union with the exalted Christ ultimate issues are involved—issues that pertain to the divine realm and that in the final analysis are worked out in and from that realm
• Salvation is not achieved by human effort or merit, but comes through God’s mercy alone
• The imperishable seed is doubtless the word of God, which is imperishable, living and enduring
• Failure to persevere reveals that a person is actually not a child of God, whereas perseverance is the hallmark of His children
• The patient endurance of injustice is part of God’s plan for the Christian
• The Christian is always to be a gentleman or gentle woman, even when opposed by unbelievers

Application:

• Do you suffer for Jesus sake?
• Are you spiritually united with Christ?
• Your salvation is from God's mercy alone.
• Have you repented and believed in Christ?
• Are you persevering?
• Are you patiently enduring?
• Are you a gentleman or gentle woman?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Know Christ

Philippians 3:8-11 - I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Ephesians 1:18-21 - I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

2 Corinthians 4:7 - But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

2 Corinthians 12:9 - But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Romans 6:11 - In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:1 - Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.

Conclusions:

• What Paul now has as a Christian is not merely preferable or a better alternative; in contrast, his former way of life was worthless and despicable
• Paul emphasizes that the extraordinary divine force by which Jesus Christ was raised is the same power at work in and through believers
• The absolute insufficiency of man reveals the total sufficiency of God
• Human weakness provides the ideal opportunity for the display of divine power
• Counting yourself dead to sin is the first step toward victory over sin in the believer’s life
• True believers are in Christ because they have died with Christ and have been raised to new life in Him
• The believer’s position in Christ: He is dead; he has been raised with Christ; he is with Christ in heaven; he has taken off the old self; and he has put on the new self
• What the believer is to do as a result: He is to set his heart on things above; he is to put to death practices that belong to his earthly nature; and he is to rid himself of practices that characterized his unregenerated self
• The believers is called upon to become in daily experience what he is positionally in Christ

Application:

• Do you share positionally in Christ's death and resurrection?
• Is your former way of life worthless and despicable?
• Is the power of Christ at work in and through you?
• Does your insufficiency reveal God's sufficiency?
• Is divine power revealed through your weaknesses?
• Have you died to Christ and been raised to new life with Him?
• Does your daily experience reveal what you are positionally in Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Knowing

Philippians 3:8-11 - What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Jeremiah 9:23-24 - This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.

Ephesians 4:11-13 - It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Psalm 73:25 - Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

Conclusions:

• Knowing Christ Jesus is not only a knowledge of facts but a knowledge gained through experience that, in its surpassing greatness, transforms the entire person
• What Paul now has as a Christian is not merely preferable or a better alternative; in contrast, his former way of life was worthless and despicable
• This knowledge is not merely factual; it includes the experience of the power of His resurrection, of fellowship in His sufferings and of being like Him in His death
• Believers already share positionally in Christ’s death and resurrection
• Paul speaks of the actual experience of Christ’s resurrection power and of suffering with and for Him, even to the point of death
• Let him who boasts boast in the Lord
• Ultimately, only God and our knowledge of and love for Him are worthwhile
• The Hebrew for kindness is translated devotion
• “Until” expresses not merely duration but also purpose
• In the faith refers to the Christians’ common conviction about Christ and the doctrines concerning Him
• Unity is not just a matter of a loving attitude or religious feeling, but of truth and a common understanding about God’s Son
• “Mature…fullness of Christ” is not the maturity of doctrinal conviction, nor a personal maturity that includes the ability to relate well to other people, but the maturity of the perfectly balanced character of Christ
• Though he has envied the prosperity of the wicked, David confesses that nothing in heaven or earth is more desirable than God

Application:

• Is your former way of life worthless and despicable compared to now?
• Do you share positionally in Christ's death and resurrection?
• Do you consider God and your knowledge of Him the only thing worthwhile?
• Do you have a conviction about Christ and the doctrines concerning Him?
• Do you desire anything in heaven or on earth more than God?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Day Of Christ

Philippians 2:14-17 - Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

Philippians 1:4-6 - In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 9:27 - No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

2 Corinthians 6:4-10 - Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.

Conclusions:

• Paul is confident, not only of what God has done for the readers in forgiving their sins, but also of what He has done in them
• The day of Christ Jesus is His return, when their salvation will be brought to completion
• It is God who initiates salvation, who continues it and who will one day bring it to its consummation
• In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul uses the figure of boxing to represent the Christian life, in serving Christ
• Paul does not aimlessly beat the air, but he severely disciplines his own body in serving Christ
• Paul realizes that he must with rigor serve the Lord and battle against sin
• If Paul fails in this battle against sin, he may be excluded from the reward
• The reference “I am being poured out” may be to Paul’s entire ministry as one large thanksgiving sacrifice
• It is more probable that Paul refers to his present imprisonment, which may end in a martyr’s death
• Paul’s life would then be poured out as a drink offering accompanying the sacrificial service of the Philippians
• The Old Testament background for drink offerings is the daily sacrifices
• Genuine faith is active and working
• Paul is making many rich in Christ
• True wealth does not consist in worldly possessions but in being rich toward God
• The believer, even if he has nothing of this world’s goods, nevertheless has everything in Him who is Lord of all

Application:

• Are you confident of what God has done in you?
• Do you serve the Lord and battle against sin with rigor?
• Do you rejoice in tribulation?
• Do you have everything in Him who is Lord of all?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible

Fellowship With Us

1 John 1:3 - We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:9 - God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.

John 15:2,4-5 - He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful…Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

Colossians 1:18 - And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

Conclusions:

• “Fellowship with us” means participation with us in our experience of hearing, seeing and teaching the incarnate Christ
• Fellowship is the spiritual union of the believer with Christ—as described in the figures of the vine and branches and the body and the head—as well as communion with the Father and with fellow believers
• God may be trusted to do what He has promised, namely, to keep believers strong to the end
• “Cuts off” is a reference to judgment
• Pruning produces fruitfulness
• In the New Testament the figure of good fruit represents the product of a godly life or virtues of character
• The believer has no fruitfulness apart from his union and fellowship with Christ
• A branch out of contact with the vine is useless
• Jesus is emphasizing that He is the vine
• A living union with Christ is absolutely necessary; without it there is nothing
• Christ is the beginning of the new creation
• Christ was the first to rise from the dead with a resurrection body
• Elsewhere Paul calls Him the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep
• Others who were raised from the dead were raised only to die again

Application:

• Do you have a spiritual union with Christ?
• Is God keeping you strong to the end?
• Is your life godly or virtuous?
• Do you have fruitfulness?
• Do you have a living union with Christ?
• Is Christ your head?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

Conclusions derived from NIV Study Bible