To be found pure and blameless
For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God. And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News. For everyone here, including the whole palace guard, knows that I am in chains because of Christ. And because of my imprisonment, most of the believers here have gained confidence and boldly speak God’s message without fear. Philippians 1:10-14
From our text, the Apostle Paul was addressing the importance of discerning God’s will based on growing in the knowledge of His word. Discernment is the ability to identify what is ethical and moral as revealed from the Scriptures. As we grow in our relationship with God our ability to make choices should improve. We now know that our life should be lived for the glory of God. Even when he looked at what he has been through, with all the difficulties he went through, everything had happened for a purpose. Did he feel discouraged when he was going through difficulties in life? Yes, this is what he felt when he thought that he might lose his life because of the trials he went through. “...about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia, we were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it” (2 Corinthians 1:8). But his outlook regarding trials had changed because his focus now was on the Lord and not on the circumstances. Just like Paul, our focus should be on Christ even in our life’s trials because He alone has the ability to help us handle whatever we are facing. When this growth continues on, just like what Paul said we will be found “pure and blameless.” The phrase does not mean perfection or sinlessness but refers to our motives reflecting godly working within. It is a lifestyle consistent with our claim that we are followers of Christ. All these take place as we continue to surrender our life to His working. When you submit to His working and leading, you are allowing Him to work in a miraculous way. When you find yourself needing counsel from others, be sure what you are hearing aligns with God’s Word. Realize that His word is your final authority. After seeking godly counsel when dealing with trials, King David spent time alone with God in prayer. “Then King David went in and sat before the Lord and prayed” (2 Samuel 7:18). It is not fun to go through trials and difficulties in life. Nevertheless, when you are going through trials, do not hesitate to come to God. In prayer, ask Him to let you experience His presence and to show you what He wants you to learn from the circumstance you are going through. Be sure that your desire is to learn and be able to apply the lessons learned. Just like Paul, you can live above your circumstances because you have set your mind to God and not on the trial.
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman www.my-wbc.com
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