introduction

Naturally on the 4^th of July the idea of freedom is on the minds of many Americans.  I’m very thankful for the freedom that we have as Americans.  I’m very thankful for the men and women over the centuries that have fought bravely to win and secure that freedom.  I am thankful that here and now, more than most other places and times in history, we live in context where 1 Timothy 2:1-2 has come to pass.  “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, ² for kings [or authorities] and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”  We do not deserve this freedom and relative peace and we are not promised that it will continue indefinitely (at least not in this life).  It is a gift from God and we should not take it lightly or for granted. 

Nevertheless, there is a greater freedom offered to us all that deserves far more attention and acclimation than any merely earthly freedom.  If there’s anything that deserves parades and parties and fireworks and cheese curd vendors, it’s this freedom.  I’m talking about the freedom offered to all mankind in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Over the next two weeks we are going to stare right at that freedom through the lens of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. We’ll look at the source of this freedom (this week) and then four of the main marks of it (next week).    

In a minute we’re going to read Philippians (all four chapters) together.  In it you’ll notice a kind of freedom that is tragically rare.  You’ll see a kind of freedom that looks awfully strange to the world around us.  You’ll see a kind of freedom that will make a real difference in your life should it be granted to you.  Paul, in Philippians, talks about freedom from discontentment, joylessness, disunity, immaturity, and sin.  Many can’t even imagine such a freedom. 

Can you? 

Can you imagine being free from discontentment?  Joylessness?  Disunity?  Immaturity?  Sin?

And yet, this is exactly the kind of freedom that God promises increasing amounts of to all who trust in Him. 

Before we dive in, please consider…

As I read this letter to you, imagine hearing this letter for the first time as a small, persecuted bunch of followers of Jesus; the same Jesus who, 30 years earlier, had died and risen from the dead and who many among you may have seen and heard in person.  Imagine receiving it from Paul, the man who first brought you the good news of Jesus death and resurrection; the same man who, for following Jesus, was currently imprisoned.  Imagine that, for whatever reason, until recently, you’d been out of contact with Paul for some time.  And imagine receiving this letter largely in response to the support that you’d just sent him.

We need to be able to put ourselves in these shoes if we are to properly understand this letter.

 

Philippians

Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:  ² Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

³ I thank my God in all my remembrance of you,  ⁴ always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy,  ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.  ⁶ 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.  ⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.  ⁸ For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.  ⁹ And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,  ¹⁰ so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,  ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. 

¹² I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,  ¹³ so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ.  ¹⁴ And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 

¹⁵ Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will.  ¹⁶ The latter do it out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel.  ¹⁷ The former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely but thinking to afflict me in my imprisonment.  ¹⁸ What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.

Yes, and I will rejoice,  ¹⁹ for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,  ²⁰ as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.  ²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.  ²² If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.  ²³ I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.  ²⁴ But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.  ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,  ²⁶ so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. 

²⁷ Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,  ²⁸ and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.  ²⁹ For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,  ³⁰ engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. 

Philippians 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,  ² complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.  ³ Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.  ⁴ Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  ⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  ⁷ but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.  ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,  ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,  ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

¹² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,  ¹³ for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. 

¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or questioning,  ¹⁵ that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,  ¹⁶ holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.  ¹⁷ Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.  ¹⁸ Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me. 

¹⁹ I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be cheered by news of you.  ²⁰ For I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare.  ²¹ They all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ.  ²² But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a son with a father he has served with me in the gospel.  ²³ I hope therefore to send him just as soon as I see how it will go with me,  ²⁴ and I trust in the Lord that shortly I myself will come also. 

²⁵ I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need,  ²⁶ for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.  ²⁷ Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.  ²⁸ I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious.  ²⁹ So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor such men,  ³⁰ for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. 

Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.  ² Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.  ³ For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh-  ⁴ though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:  ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;  ⁶ as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless.  ⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ  ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith-  ¹⁰ that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  ¹¹ that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 

¹² Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  ¹³ Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,  ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  ¹⁵ Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.  ¹⁶ Only let us hold true to what we have attained. 

¹⁷ Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.  ¹⁸ For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.  ¹⁹ Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.  ²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,  ²¹ who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.  ² I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord.  ³ Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. 

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  ⁵ Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;  ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  ⁹ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. 

¹⁰ I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity.  ¹¹ Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.  ¹² I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  ¹³ I can do all things through him who strengthens me. 

¹⁴ Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.  ¹⁵ And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only.  ¹⁶ Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again.  ¹⁷ Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit.  ¹⁸ I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.  ¹⁹ And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  ²⁰ To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. 

²¹ Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.  ²² All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar's household.  ²³ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

 

freedom in the Gospel

I’ve read this letter over and over and over throughout the past several weeks.  One of the most helpful aspects of having done this is the perspective that I’ve gained on the letter as a whole.  There are some tricky verses in Philippians that, when viewed in isolation, cause many people to get hung up.  Having a bigger picture view of the book, I’ve found, is very helpful not only in understanding the individual verses in Philippians, but also in appreciating some of the central themes of the letter.  It’s difficult to deal in themes when you’re too close to the text. 

With that said, I want to look at the most prominent and central and foundational theme in Philippians with you this morning: freedom in the gospel.

In four chapters Paul directly references the gospel nine times. 

Paul thanks the Philippians for their partnership in the gospel (1:5).  We see this again in the case of Timothy in 2:22. 

Paul acknowledges that the Philippians have partaken, with Paul, in the defense and confirmation and grace of the gospel (1:7).

Paul, in his imprisonment shared the gospel with his guards and the household of Cesar (1:12-14).  The very people that are holding Paul in prison are coming to faith in Christ! 

Paul discusses right and wrong motives for sharing the gospel along with the power of the gospel to be effective despite human sinfulness and limitations in 1:15-18.

Paul urges the Philippians to make sure that their lives reflect the glory and greatness of the gospel and that they continue to hold fast to the gospel in 1:27. 

Paul admonishes two women who are evidently engaged in some type of conflict to remember their partnership in the gospel as a means of overcoming the conflict in 4:4

And Paul confesses the special place that the Philippians have in his heart due to their partnership in the gospel with Paul from the very beginning in 4:15.

So, explicitly we see that freedom in the gospel leads to great partnerships, a desire to defend the gospel against its enemies, radical conversions, the ability to see the remarkable power of the gospel, peace, and deep friendship and love.

In this short letter the sheer number of times that the gospel is discussed makes its centrality unmistakable.  However, the influence of the gospel is on every page.  It is the lens through which Paul sees everything.  It is the air that he breaths.  It is his beginning and ending point.

Consider your life and freedom in the gospel in light of Paul’s…

It is because of the gospel that he’s able to say with certainty that God will finish the good work that He began in the Philippians—that He will make them pure and blameless and filled with the fruit of righteousness (1:6, 10).  Part of the gospel’s good news is just this…if God truly began a good work in you, you will be saved!  Do you know this freedom in the gospel?

It is because of the gospel that Paul believes that his imprisonment and beatings and persecution are for His good and the good of others (1:12-14).  Do you have the kind of freedom that sees suffering and persecution in this way?  Only in the freedom of the gospel does Romans 8:28 work.

It is because of the freedom that Paul has in the gospel that he spends nearly the entire letter rejoicing.  Is your life characterized by joy because of what’s been accomplished on your behalf at Calvery?  This is real freedom.

It is because of the freedom that Paul has in the gospel that he views his entire life as an opportunity to proclaim Jesus (1:22).

It is because of the freedom that Paul has in the gospel that he considers death gain (1:21).

It is because of the freedom that Paul has in the gospel that he is afraid of no man (1:28).  What a freedom this is!  In the gospel we are freed to boldly proclaim the gospel to every creature under heaven with no fear of death or persecution.  Do you know this freedom?

It is because of the freedom that Paul has in the gospel that he is truly humble, considering others more significant than himself and looking to their needs as well as his own (2:3-4).  It’s only when you see yourself in light of God’s holiness and throw yourself at His feed for mercy that you can truly be freed to do this!

It is because of the freedom that Paul has in the gospel that he was able to turn from his sin and not return to it (3:4-9).  Both because of our knowledge of what Jesus suffered because of our sin and because of His constant working in us, we have a freedom from slavery to sin.  We are freed to a new master; a loving, just, good, indeed, an infinitely glorious one.

It is because of the freedom that Paul has in the gospel that he has let go of the world (all of chapter 3).  In the gospel is a freedom from stuff; a freedom from things that moth and rust destroy and thieves can steal.  We have a freedom in the gospel to not follow the world into meaninglessness.

It is because of the freedom that Paul has in the gospel that he has no reason for anxiety (4:6).  Oh man.  Freedom in the gospel means freedom from anxiety.  With the lord directing our steps and working all things out for our good, what is there to be anxious about?  In the gospel is the knowledge in a perfect, omnipotent, benevolent God who is for us in all things!  Where is anxiety in this?!

And it is because of the freedom that Paul has in the gospel that he is content in times of plenty and poverty (4:11-12). 

This is true freedom. 

Virtually nothing that Paul says makes sense to those who do not know and love the gospel and have not been transformed by it.  Paul has found a freedom in the gospel that effects every aspect of his life.

Can you imagine this kind of freedom?  Can you imagine living like Paul?

This freedom is offered to each of you and is a good indication of whether or not you are truly following Jesus.  If you are not experiencing or growing in this kind of freedom, turn to Jesus.  Embrace the gospel. 

 

The Gospel

There is a God who is infinitely glorious.

"Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting." "Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.  You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you." (Nehemiah 9:5-6)

The God of the Bible is infinitely more beautiful and wonderful and holy and majestic and powerful and awesome than the greatest human mind can comprehend.  His power knows no end, His justice is perfect, His mercy is like a never ending tide, His holiness is whiter than the whitest snow, His knowledge is exhaustive, and His love cannot be contained by all creation.  He has existed and will continue existing in all His beauty forever.  He has no beginning and no end.  He placed every star in the sky.  He knows every atom in the universe by name.  He stands alone in honor and value and worth.  His name is above all names.  He has no equal (Exodus 15:11).

We were created by God for His glory.

“Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth – everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (Isaiah 43:7)

In His love and grace, God created us for the one thing that is truly fulfilling (his glory).  God created us for the one thing that is able to satisfy us eternally (his glory).  God created us such that we have, as our purpose, the very thing that we need most (the glorious God Himself).  There is nothing (anywhere, ever) that is (or will be) able to satisfy us but, like, or more than the glory of God.  And this is what we were created for, to recognize and respond to the glory of God.

We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.

“All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

None of us have done that which we were created to do: live for the glory of God.  That is, every one of us has sinned by nature and choice.  We have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator.  In other words, we choose constantly to glorify God’s creation (toys and money and sex and relationships) rather than God Himself.  When God sees us, He does not measure our goodness in comparison with other people.  Instead, God measures our goodness against Himself—a standard which we all fail to meet.

The cost of our sin—of failing to live for the glory of God—is death.

“For the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)

We see from the very beginning of human history (Genesis 2:17) that God has assigned the wage of death to sin.  That is, when we chose to serve sin rather than God we earn (or deserve) the “fitting return” of death.  We have all sinned by falling short of the glory of God; and in so doing we have all earned sin’s wage.  Again, our rebellion brings with it extremely serious consequences.  By failing to glorify God as we should, we have brought the wrath of God upon ourselves and those who remain in their sin will ultimately be judged guilty by God and sentenced to physical and spiritual death—hell. 

In order to show His love, uphold His justice, forgive sinners, and display His glory, God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay for sins with His death.

“This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” (1 John 4:9-10)

Because God is just, He must punish all sin.  Because He is love He provided a savior.  Because He is kind He forgives sin.  And because He is glorious He did not leave us without hope in our state of enmity.  Instead, He provided a way for us to again delight in His glory and be reconciled to Himself.  Therefore, God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).  That is, in order to show His love, uphold His justice, forgive sinners, and display His glory, God sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the wages of sin with His death.

The forgiveness of sins and the everlasting life bought by Jesus’ death is a free gift of God for all who trust in Jesus.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved-  ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  ⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:1-9) 

Trusting (or placing our faith) in Jesus means relying on His work for the forgiveness of our sins, not our own.  It means relying on His wisdom for guidance for all things, not anyone else’s.  And it means placing our confidence in Jesus to be ruler in our life, not ourselves.  Further, trusting in Jesus is a continual, rather than a one-time, thing.  That is, we can know that we have received the gift of forgiveness and eternal life because we keep trusting in Jesus, not because we trusted in Him, in some way, at some point in the past.  Finally, the Bible is clear that the chief marks of one who has been given the gift of trust in Jesus are repentance, belief, love, and obedience.  

 

Conclusion

In this gospel, and this gospel alone, is found freedom…freedom from sin and for righteousness.

I can’t say it loudly or passionately or eloquently enough to capture how undomesticatable the gospel is.  It can’t be watered down.  It can’t be pruned.  It can’t be manipulated.  It can’t be contemporized.  It can’t be made more accessible.

The gospel is. And we will either embrace it as it is and allow it to free us from our sin and the things of this world or we must reject it entirely. 

If we truly believe in it, EVERYTHING CHANGES!  There are no areas of our lives untouched by it. 

Look at your life.  Do you see seeds of this freedom bearing fruit by grace through faith in Jesus Christ?  If so, praise God for he has saved you and will continue to free you until Christlikeness is yours.

Be encouraged, Grace.  It is God who is at work in all of His children, willing and acting according to His good purposes.

Next week we’re going to look at the four main ways that the gospel’s freedom effected Paul in Philippians.