Being Able to Do All Things in Christ (2)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phil. 4:12 I know also how to be abased, and I know how to
abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the
secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to
lack. (13) I am able to do all things in Him who empowers
me. (18) But I have received in full all things and abound;
I have been filled, receiving from Epaphroditus the things
from you [the Philippian church], a sweet-smelling savor, an
acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God.
3:8 ...that I may gain Christ (9) And be found in Him...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Part 2 of 3)
My reason for dwelling on this matter is to point out that
our circumstances are always sovereignly arranged by God.
Sometimes His sovereign arrangement puts us in a low
situation, and at other times in circumstances that are quite
good. Paul realized that even though the supply had come from
the church at Philippi, his circumstances were still in the
hand of God. In God's sovereign arrangement, the Philippian
church did not send the supply until now. Perhaps they had
the heart to send him a gift, but not the opportunity until
Epaphroditus could come. When the opportunity was available,
the Philippian believers sent a gift to Paul. This supply
brought him out of the condition of humiliation, want, and
abasement and set him on a peak. But he did not know how long
that would last. Nevertheless, he had the assurance that he
knew both how to be abased and how to abound, both how to
abound and how to be in want. He had learned the secret; he
had been initiated into the basic principles of Christ and
the church.
In verse 13 we find a basic principle related to the
apostle's secret of sufficiency in Christ: "I can do all
things in Him Who empowers me." Paul was a person in Christ
(2 Cor. 12:2), and he desired to be found in Christ by
others. Now he declared that he could do all things in Him,
in the very Christ who empowered him. This is an all-
inclusive and concluding word concerning his experience of
Christ. It is the converse of the Lord's word concerning our
organic relationship with Him in John 15:5: "Apart from Me
you can do nothing."
(Continued tomorrow)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible
and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of
Philippians, pp. 248-249 Both are published by Living Stream
Ministry, Anaheim, CA
Please visit us at www.emanna.com
Comments to: comment@emanna.com.
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Message Date: 05/28/2009
