Suffering But Still Saved

MARCH 7, 2021 STUDY NOTES PHILIPPIANS 1:28-30 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES SUFFERING BUT STILL SAVED INTRODUCTION The closing verses of Philippians 1 reveal truths related to our salvation, with the emphasis “Still Saved” We looked at verse 27 last week but a quick review will help us to understand the following verses, Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; For Paul to be with them would be beneficial but not a must, Paul instructs them concerning his absence Whether Paul is with them or not they must conduct themselves as citizens of heaven in their daily life Which is the thought of the word translated “conversation,” their way of life must identify them The “affairs” of their life must identify them as those who are living “for the faith of the gospel” Paul explains how that must be done they are to “stand fast in one spirit” They must continue to “stand fast” regardless of what they face in life, same thing Paul said in, 2Th 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. First notice that it is the “brethren” who must “stand fast,” we are to hold on together, united together “The traditions” that Paul refers to are the divine instructions of the gospel, “the faith of the gospel” This verse reminds us of how important it is to come together to study and learn God’s Word “In one spirit” is not directly referring to the Holy Spirit, the thought is the unity among Christians Which is only possible through the Holy Spirit who unites believers together, Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. “Endeavourinng” is an all-out effort, doing your very best, determined to do what is right The right thing for Christians to do is “keep the unity of the Sprit” The same thing Paul says, “with one mind,” meaning united together in our purpose (Phil 1:27) In order to do that Paul tells us we must “strive together,” together we must stand against Satan “Striving together,” reveals that Christians are in a daily struggle, our conflict is with Satan Satan is our adversary, 1Pe 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: The answer to Satan’s attacks is “the faith of the gospel,” we must be united to “stand fast in one spirit” Which Paul tells us is “A SIGN OF FROM GOD” Php 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. Christians are not to fear the opposition of Satan’s world against their witness for Christ, 1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. “In nothing terrified,” is first of all a warning, Satan’s attacks can be frightening, terrifying, discouraging It is also an encouragement, God knows what you are facing, He knows why you are facing conflicts We must realize that the only thing Satan can do with the Christian is to cause fear and discouragement Satan can defeat the purpose of your salvation, but he cannot take away your salvation God through “the faith of the gospel” can defeat Satan, God will give you a “Holy Boldness” Page 1 of 5 A supernatural power to defeat our “adversaries,” Paul says we will have many “adversaries, 1Co 16:9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries. Listen to Paul, we face many adversaries because God has given us many open doors The open doors are our opportunities to be a witness for Christ, pay attention to what Paul said If we are not facing adversaries, it is because we are not taking the opportunities to witness Christians are not to be surprised that the world is against their witness for Christ Why does the world hate a Christian witness? Jesus tells us, Joh 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. Paul warned Timothy, 2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. The word “adversary” is also used to describe the action of the future Antichrist,” 2Th 2:4 Who opposeth (same word) and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. The church is yet to face the greatest opposition ever from Satan, which will be in the Great Tribulation Don’t let Satan’s opposition keep you from being a true Christian witness Consider the persecution Paul experienced and listen to his testimony, Act 20:24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Paul tells us how powerful a testimony of the grace of God can be-WHICH IS TO THEM AN EVIDENT TOKEN OF PERDITION Your steadfast stand for Christ is a sign to the persecutors, your not being afraid shows them something Actually, it is a two-way sign, pointing out destruction to the adversaries and salvation to the Christian “Perdition” does not mean annihilation, there is no complete destruction of life, not even after death “Perdition” means a complete loss, the loss of everything that the lost are living for Try to picture an earthly life, a life that accumulated only earthly things, then picture it all destroyed Jesus gave us a good example in Luke 12:15-21, He told of the rich man and his life’s possessions Listen to what the rich man had to say, Luk 12:19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. Listen to what Jesus had to say, Luk 12:20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? “Perdition” does not mean loss of being, but loss of well-being, the loss of all good things Which Jesus explained in the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31 Abraham explained the truth of good things to the rich man, Luk 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. “Perdition” is the opposite of salvation, salvation that the saved cannot lose BUT TO YOU OF SALVATION AND THAT OF GOD The basic meaning of “salvation” is safety or deliverance, delivered from danger or destruction Our salvation is past, present, and future, deliverance and safety are found in all three stages of salvation At the-moment of our salvation, we are delivered from the power and penalty of sin, Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: In our present salvation we are not delivered from trials, troubles, tribulation, or persecution Which Paul will explain in the following verses, but we are delivered from the fear of our adversaries Which is a sign of our future deliverance when Christ returns, 1Th 1:10 And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. Instead of facing the wrath of God, we have “obtained” salvation, salvation through Jesus Christ, Page 2 of 5 1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, David explains the same thing Paul is telling us in, Psa 37:38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off. Psa 37:39 But the salvation of the righteous is of the LORD: he is their strength in the time of trouble. Psa 37:40 And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. God will not forsake His own, as Christians we must do exactly what Paul now tells us--Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; What Paul tells us in these last two verses is not a popular subject in American pulpits today These verses will not likely be covered in the teaching of the health and wealth gospel Which teaches that our calling is to good health, success, prosperity, and exemption from suffering We must learn what Paul is saying, verse 29 begins with “For” which takes us back to the previous verse Paul is now explaining why we should not be terrified by our adversaries In the original, “for unto you it is given” refers to a favor bestowed upon us by the grace of God The grace of God has granted us the privilege to believe in Christ, Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: John helps us to understand the meaning of “not only to believe on him” in, 1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. John says we can believe that we have believed, Paul gives us one way to believe that we have believed The grace of God has granted us the privilege of suffering on the behalf of Christ, to suffer for His sake God has a purpose for our suffering persecution, it is for the sake of Christ Peter shares the same truth with us, 1Pe 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Enduring persecution in-order to become an example of God’s grace is our calling Through the endurance of being wrongly persecuted we become an example of God’s grace As Christians we are called to represent Christ in all things, even suffering persecution is our calling Paul said, that is okay with me, 2Co 12:10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. A false teaching of today says that a Christian will only suffer when they are out of God’s will Paul and Peter tell us that our calling is to endure suffering that we do not deserve for Christ’s sake What did it cost Christ for us to be favored with God’s grace? 1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: We need to look at the context of 1 Peter 3:18 and get the background for what Peter is telling us Peter spoke of suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ, 1Pe 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; Peter said, do not be afraid of those who will persecute you and don’t be troubled by their persecution Instead, be afraid of not suffering for Christ and be ready to tell why you are willing to suffer for Christ, 1Pe 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: There is a reason why Christians are willing to suffer persecution for Jesus Christ Peter sums it up in one word, “hope,” the hope that is in us is a living hope, 1Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, Our living hope is in the return of our “Living Lord,” 1Pe 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Page 3 of 5 Christ; Christian “hope” is not a worldly hope-so, it is a sure-so because our “hope” is in God, 1Pe 1:21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God. Christian “hope” is faith waiting for God to do what He is going to do next God can use your Christian testimony to bring shame upon those who are evildoers, 1Pe 3:16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. Be willing to suffer because you live according to the will of God, 1Pe 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. Which is not hard to do when you realize that Jesus suffered for you Php 1:30 Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me. Our English word “agony” comes from the Greek word translated “conflict” Paul is telling us that he faced much agony as he lived a faithful life for Christ Paul said you have seen it happen and you have heard even more about my suffering for Christ The Philippians saw the persecution Paul faced when he first came to their city, read Acts 16:11-24 Paul went from Philippi to Thessalonica (Acts 17:1) the Thessalonians knew of Paul’s persecution, 1Th 2:2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. Paul said he was “shamefully entreated” at Philippi, his treatment was unjust and uncalled for He was treated in a shameful way, insulted, humiliated, arrested, beaten, and placed in prison Paul did exactly what he is telling us to do, he had no fear of his adversaries He did not hesitate to continue to speak the Word of God and preach the Gospel He came to Thessalonica speaking the same gospel, “with boldness,” that he spoke in Philippi Paul made an important point that we must give attention to, “which you saw in me” The world that opposes Christ and persecutes the Christian is watching us today What are they going to see in us and hear about us? Paul told us what it must be, Php 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. Conflict for Christ allows us to show the world how strong our Christian life really is Which testifies to them that they are facing destruction and we are facing deliverance In the verses we have studied, as well as many other verses in the Bible we learn of eternal truths The truth is, all people are not going to go to heaven, many are going to go to hell, Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And hell is a real place where real people go, such as the rich man, Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Abraham and Lazarus were in heaven, Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; Today Satan torments Christians through those that Paul calls our adversaries, which is limited Abraham explained that limit to the rich man who was in hell, Luk 16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. In eternity there will be no good things for those who are lost and torment the saved In eternity those who are saved will never again face evil things, all will be good Today we must be good soldiers for Christ defending the faith of the gospel, like the Thessalonians, Page 4 of 5 1Th 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: 1Th 1:7 So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. 1Th 1:8 For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak any thing. The Thessalonians faced their adversaries with the joy of the Holy Spirit and will face an eternal joy In the end, the adversaries will lose, and the Christian and the church will win The sign of victory in Jesus is the perseverance of the Christian in the time of persecution The Christian life is not always as enjoyable as a playground, it is often a battleground Satan wins some battles in my life and your life, Satan will continue to win some battles in the church But we as Christians and the church will be triumphant because of Christ, listen to the song Page 5 of 5