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Joy
The Strength to Minister

Ten Reasons You Can Always Be Joyful

A short study on joy based on Philippians

By

Hans Baksteen
Joy – The Strength to Minister, Ten reasons you can always be
joyful, A short study on joy based on Philippians

by Hans Baksteen
Copyright © 2017

ISBN 978-9970-9732-0-0

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James
Version of the Bible. Scripture references without the name of a
Bible book (only chapter and verse) are from Philippians.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in

any form without permission in writing of the author.

Cover page design by Ariho Kamara.

Translated from Dutch into English by Stephanie Walker (The

Netherlands).

Original title: Vreugde, de kracht voor bediening, Tien redenen

om altijd opgewekt te zijn, Een korte studie over vreugde aan de
hand van de Filippenzenbrief.

Printed and bound in Kampala, Uganda by The Print Shop

(World Gospel Mission).
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction .................................................................................. 5
Chapter 2 The Foundation of Our Joy ...................................................... 8
Chapter 3 Ten Reasons for Our Joy ........................................................ 12
3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 12
3.2 Joy in People ....................................................................................... 12
3.3 Joy in Our Work ................................................................................. 13
3.4 Joy in the Lord .................................................................................... 13
Chapter 4 Five Reasons to Rejoice in People ..................................... 14
4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 14
4.2 Reason 1: People Being Partakers of ‘Our’ Grace ................. 16
4.3 Reason 2: People Preaching the Gospel ................................... 20
4.4 Reason 3: People Contributing to the Joy of Our Faith ...... 23
4.5 Reason 4: People Being Like-Minded........................................ 24
4.6 Reason 5: People Doing Well in Life .......................................... 27
Chapter 5 Two Reasons to Rejoice in Your Work ............................ 30
5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 30
5.2 Reason 6: Our Labor is not in Vain............................................. 30
5.3 Reason 7: Because We Give Ourselves to the Sacrifice and
Service of the Faith of Others .............................................................. 33
Chapter 6: Reason 8 to Rejoice: Everything Else Pales in
Comparison to Knowing Jesus ................................................................. 35
6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 35
6.2 The Command to Rejoice ............................................................... 36
 6.3 A Warning in Advance .................................................................... 36
6.4 Our Identity in Christ ...................................................................... 38
6.5 Self Righteousness versus God’s Righteousness .................. 45
6.6 Conclusion ........................................................................................... 49
Chapter 7 Reason 9 to Rejoice: Jesus Will Return Soon ................. 50
7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 50
7.2 The Lord is at Hand? ........................................................................ 51
7.3 The Importance of an Earnest Expectation for Jesus’
Return ........................................................................................................... 54
7.4 The Lord is at Hand! ........................................................................ 62
Chapter 8: Reason 10 to Rejoice: God Provides According to His
Riches in Glory ............................................................................................... 66
8.1 Introduction and Key Verses ........................................................ 66
8.2 The Ways God Provides for Us .................................................... 67
8.3 The Measure of God’s Provision.................................................. 68
Chapter 9 Summary ..................................................................................... 69
Chapter 1 Introduction

In May 2017, God asked me to read the New Testament book

of Philippians. Never before had I gotten such an assignment
from Him. I knew right away that the book’s message was a
personal one for me.

2017 was one of the years that Andrew Wommack came to

Uganda to hold meetings (Gospel Truth Seminars, or GTS for
short) in the Serena Hotel in Kampala. This particular
seminar took place on June 2nd and 3rd. In February of this
same year, I had just been appointed director of Andrew
Wommack Ministries in Uganda and was therefore
responsible for organizing this GTS. I wondered if I was
capable of organizing such a seminar. I had never done
anything of this magnitude and scope before! I became so
focused on the task that I sometimes lost sight of the people
around me. This was a problem; a good Christian seminar
shouldn’t only be about how many people attend or how
wonderfully it’s been organized. First and foremost a good
seminar should serve people and minister God’s Word to
them. Even during the preparation phase, the priority should
be unity, unity among believers, working together as
partners, towards a common goal, spreading the good news
of the Gospel, in joy. But sometimes I lost my joy. That’s why
God told me to read Philippians; ‘joy’ is one of the themes of
that book.

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I want to share what I’ve learned in my reading and reflecting
on the book of Philippians about this topic of ‘joy.’ Serving
God and His people always has challenges. If we let these
challenges take authority over us, we will lose our joy, and
joy is essential to be able to steadfastly serve God with
success. If our joy is gone, then so is our strength to serve.
Nehemiah 8:10 tells us “the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Without joy, serving God and people becomes a heavy
burden. We received this joy when we were born again; it’s a
fruit of the Spirit. This book will show you how you can
always tap into the Source of joy, which is always available to
us.

The letter to the Philippians is dedicated to the theme of ‘joy.’

Joy doesn’t exist in isolation, there are always reasons to be
joyful. Philippians helps us to see where we can find joy and
it calls us to rejoice. Joy is always a choice, although it’s not a
choice that can be made out of thin air. We need a foundation
in order to be able to make this choice. This foundation can’t
be found in ourselves or in our circumstances. The basis for
joy is always grounded in the Gospel, or rather the person
Who is the Gospel, Jesus Christ. He is the joyful message from
God to humanity. This message wasn’t just for the moment
we came to Christ—believers need joy to be able to live lives
that serve God and mankind. Effective service that endures
over time just isn’t possible without joy.

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I would like to emphasize that this short study of the Epistle
to the Philippians doesn’t claim to be a comprehensive
overview covering all aspects of this topic of joy. It is limited
by the lessons learnt from my meditations on the book
Philippians.

Further, I dedicate this book to the directors of all Charis

Bible Colleges and Andrew Wommack Ministries worldwide.
In Woodland Park Colorado more than 125 of us gathered
together during the last three days of June 2017. May this
help us to always find the joy we need to carry out our tasks
and ministries in ways that demonstrate this joy and
strength.

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Chapter 2 The Foundation of Our Joy

This chapter describes the spiritual foundation which is

needed for us to be able to experience joy in a real and
permanent way.

The Bible tells us to rejoice in the Lord always. (4:4) This is a

command. This command is not dependent on what God
wants to do in our lives. We don’t need to pray for it; we have
to choose to experience joy. However, in order to be able to
make this choice, the foundation for this joy has to be laid.
True joy is never based merely on aspects of our lives that
are visible in the world, like our possessions, circumstances,
or the people around us. These things change; they come and
they go. Permanent joy is founded upon the Person Who is
the Source of joy: Jesus Christ, the anointed One (Hebrews
1:9).

In order to elaborate further, I’d like to look at several verses

from the Epistle to the Romans, namely Romans 5:1-2 and
Romans 14:17.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a]

peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom
also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,
and REJOICE in hope of the glory of God.”

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 “…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking,
but righteousness and peace and JOY in the Holy Spirit.”

The Bible teaches us that every person falls short of the glory
of God. (Romans 3:23) However, Romans 5:2 says we can
“rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” So, what has taken place
to change our situation from falling short of being able to
experience the glory of God to our suddenly being able to
hope for this glory? The answer is in the first verse of
Romans 5. We have been justified by faith and therefore we
have peace with God. By believing in the finished work of
Jesus Christ, we become justified, or in other words, declared
just: a state that allows us to stand confidently before God. 2
Corinthians 5:21 says that we have become the righteousness
of God! According to Romans 5:15-17, this righteousness has
been freely given to us; it is a gift from God:

“But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one
man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the
gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to
many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one
who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense
resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from
many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s
offense death reigned through the one, much more those who
receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will
reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”

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Righteousness is something we receive through grace and by
faith. It’s not something we could ever earn on our own. We
are righteous because of what Jesus did, not because of
anything we’ve ever done or ever
could do. Halleluiah!
The only thing we have to do to Joy is based on
receive this righteousness is to righteousness
trust in Jesus as Lord. We are as and peace.
righteous as Jesus because God
gave us this as a gift. This gift is
based on what Jesus did, given
once and for all, the moment we put our faith in Jesus. It will
never be taken away, not even if we sin. That is very good
news! We never need to doubt whether God has accepted us
because our acceptance is based on Jesus’ effort and work,
not on our own. This message sets us free! When we realize
what Jesus has done, we never again need to wonder or
worry if we are righteous. We come to understand that we
have been completely accepted by God, for now and forever.
This is the only foundation for experiencing real peace. When
our righteousness is based on what Jesus did, only then can
we experience enduring peace. This peace is not interrupted
by failure or sin since it’s based on a righteousness that’s
rooted in faith and not in our own actions. When we truly
realize that this righteousness and peace is real, we have
every reason to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Joy is
based on righteousness and peace. True joy can only be

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experienced by righteous people, people who have found
their peace and righteousness in Christ.

We find the same message again in Romans 14:17,

“For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but

righteousness and peace and JOY in the Holy Spirit.”

In this order: righteousness, peace and joy. We cannot have

true peace without righteousness and there is no joy without
both righteousness and peace. These three things can only be
experienced in and through the Holy Spirit. Righteousness,
peace, and joy are intangible matters which can only be
experienced through the power of the Holy Spirit. Material
goods, circumstances, and people in themselves don’t
influence our joy. When these matters are associated with the
Holy Spirit, then they can contribute to our joy.

In the rest of this book we’ll look at how we can experience

this kind of joy. God uses material goods, circumstances, and
people so we can have experiences with joy. However, we’ll
only really find this joy when all of these matters are seen in
relationship to the gospel and the person Who is the gospel:
Jesus Christ.

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Chapter 3 Ten Reasons for Our Joy

3.1 Introduction
In this chapter, I will give an overview of the ten reasons,
discussed in this book, to experience the joy we need to
effectively minister to Him and others, as they are described
in the Epistle to the Philippians. Basically, there are three
main reasons according to this Epistle: joy in people (1-2:15,
2:25-30), joy in our work (2:16-18), and joy in the Lord (3
and 4).

3.2 Joy in People

God has pleasure in people. (Luke 2:14) If people are a
reason for God to experience joy, then this is even more so
for us as people! The first two chapters of Philippians state
five reasons for us to have joy in people. The reasons here
show us that we can have joy in relation to people because
they:

1. are partners with ‘our grace’ (1:1-11)

2. proclaim the gospel (1:12-18)
3. contribute to our joy of faith (1:25-26)
4. are likeminded and of one accord (2:1-15)
5. have things go well for them (2:25-30)

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3.3 Joy in Our Work
We can create joy in our work when:

6. we don’t labor in vain (2:16)

7. we give ourselves as an offering to the sacrifice and
service of the faith of others (2:17-18)

3.4 Joy in the Lord

The Bible calls to always rejoice in the Lord because:

8. everything else pales in comparison to knowing Him

(3)
9. the Lord is at hand (4:1-9)
10. the Lord provides for us and takes care of us (4:10-23)

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Chapter 4 Five Reasons to Rejoice in People

4.1 Introduction
Relationships define how we serve God and people. Our
relationship with God is the primary one, as it is the source of
meaning for our lives. (3:13-14):

“… but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are

behind and reaching forward to those things which are
ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus.”

We have been called by God, called from above. This calling

supersedes everything we experience in life. We are citizens
of Heaven (3:20) and therefore, we are qualified to think and
act according to the Divine principles of Heaven. We no
longer concern ourselves with the things of this earth (3:19,
Col. 3:1-2), but with the things of Heaven. We engage in our
relationships with people through the relationship we have
with our heavenly Father. Our ministry and service to the
people around us comes out of the overflow of our
relationship with Jesus. Only when our life has become
completely hidden in God with Christ (Col. 3:3) can we mean
anything to anyone.

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God brings people onto our path for various reasons:

- so they can come in contact with Jesus Christ (we tell

them the good news of the gospel, the power of God to
save through faith in Christ)
- so they can grow in their relationship with God (we
disciple them or they disciple us)
- so we can work with them (they are fellow laborers
for the gospel)
- so we can give to them (we partner with them)
- so we can receive from them (they partner with us)

In each of these cases, we have reason to rejoice in people.

The first two chapters of the Epistle to the Philippians refer

to the following five reasons to rejoice in people. We rejoice
in people because they are:

1. partnering in the gospel and in ‘our’ grace

2. preaching the gospel
3. contributing to the joy of our faith
4. being like-minded
5. contributing to the welfare of other believers

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4.2 Reason 1: People Being Partakers of ‘Our’ Grace
(Key verses: 1:4-7)

“… always in every prayer of mine making request for

you all with JOY, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first
day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who
has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of
Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all,
because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains
and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are
partakers with me of grace [KJV: partakers of my grace].”

Joy From God’s Work in People Who Partner with ‘Our

Gospel’

God never called us to minister the gospel alone. The Apostle

Paul always worked with others. Biblical examples include
Barnabas (Acts 13:2), Silas (Acts 15:40), Timothy and
Epaphroditus (2), and, Priscilla and Aquila (Romans 16:3).

Paul referred to the gospel he was preaching as “my gospel”

in Romans 16:25, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t include
others in his ministry. In 1:7, Paul talks about people taking
part in, or being “partakers of my grace”. I believe that
whenever we establish a ministry for God, He always wants
us to involve other people. This can take different forms:
evangelizing together, or perhaps in other ways, such as
spiritual (prayer/intercession), financial, or material
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support. Paul rejoiced because the Philippians shared in his
gospel. Not for reason that they made his work easier (which
definitely was the case), but because he was convinced that
the good work God had begun in all of them would be
continued to be completed until the day of Jesus Christ. (1:6)

Joy From the Blessing Given to Partners Because of Their

Partnership

Paul also rejoiced because the Philippians were partners

together (fellow partakers) with him, with his grace. When
we take part in someone else’s ministry, we receive part of
the blessing on that ministry. Paul prayed for the Philippians
while he rejoiced in them. It was a source of joy for Paul to
see how his ministry’s blessing wasn’t limited to himself or
the people he ministered to, but it also blessed the
Philippians as partakers of his grace.

I believe there are - at least - two ways to partake of God’s

grace. The first is that we have direct access to grace through
our own faith. (Romans 5:1) This is how each born again
Christian received Christ. While every other blessing in Christ
is available to us in this way, there is also another way. In this
second way, we partake in grace through other people. When
we partner with someone else’s ministry, we partake in God’s
grace, the particular grace that the specific ministry has made
available. Here in Philippians we can see this with Paul’s
ministry, as he speaks of it in Ch. 1, verse 7. Through this
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partnership, all the partakers (or partners) gain access to the
specific aspect of God’s grace that is released by that
ministry.

To illustrate this, I can use the metaphor of a river that runs

out of a large lake. The large lake represents the reservoir of
all God’s grace. The river is the flow of grace that has been
made available to someone by means of their own faith. We
can tap into the greater reservoir with our own faith (that is
our own river flowing out of the reservoir) or we can tap into
someone else’s flow by partnering with that person. Those
are like meanders or tributaries. This is what Paul calls ‘being
partakers of his grace.’

Joy from Love Developed in Partnerships

Paul had more reasons to rejoice about his partners in

Philippi. He was not only joyful because they were fellow
partakers of his grace, they had also taken him into their
hearts.

The partnership of the Philippians was an expression of their

love towards Paul. (1:7) This love was mutual; he had taken
the Philippians into his heart as well. Joy came from the love
shared among the brothers, sisters, and Paul. How often do
we take this kind of love for granted? We should appreciate
and value this kind of love, and each other. Paul even prayed
that their love would continue to increase in knowledge and
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discernment. He didn’t love them for his own profit; he
wanted them to discover the true essence of love and in the
day of Christ wanted them to be filled with the fruits of
righteousness and the glory of God. Paul didn’t love the
Philippians in order to win their love merely for himself but
to let them experience the effects of this love in their own
lives and to let them see what that really meant to God.

In a good partnership,
the partners see and
desire the best for each
Our joy is not only found
other. And here, it goes
in seeing our partners
beyond wanting the
succeed and be happy, it
best for the partner (i.e.,
is also found in seeing
Paul for the Philippians
God glorified.
and the Philippians for
Paul); it is also about
glorifying God.

Often, we seem to think that the circumstances of our fellow

believers are a reason for joy. On the surface, this is true;
however, there is always a deeper dimension. Although we
rejoice for our brothers and sisters in Christ when things go
well for them, the main reason we rejoice is to ensure and
acknowledge that God receives the glory for it all.

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4.3 Reason 2: People Preaching the Gospel
(Key verses: 1:18-19)

“What then? Only that in every way, whether in

pretense or in truth, Christ is preached; and in this I REJOICE
yes, and will REJOICE, For I know that this will turn out for my
deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of
Jesus Christ.”

Here we see that

another reason for
Paul’s joy could be Rejoice by looking
found in the preaching at your circumstances
of the gospel. Paul was through God’s eyes and
judge your circumstances
a prisoner, under lock
by looking further, at the
and key. Most people larger picture, and
would consider this a adopting God’s way of
reason to complain, thinking.
but not Paul. He
looked beyond his
personal circumstances and saw the bigger picture. His
imprisonment was giving others the courage to preach the
gospel more boldly and without fear. Paul was joyful about
how the gospel was spreading in the light of his brothers and
sisters losing their fear. We can learn something here:
Rejoice by looking at your circumstances through God’s eyes
and judge your circumstances by looking further, at the
larger picture, and adopting God’s way of thinking. God wants
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everyone to be saved. If your circumstances can contribute to
this mission, then there’s reason to rejoice, even if you’re
locked behind prison doors.

Let me give a short personal testimony here. The truth of

God’s Word became more visible in my life, as well as in the
lives of thousands of others, as a result of my wife divorcing
me. For years I had been caught in a network of legalistic
church leaders and pastors. My wife was the one who had
developed and cultivated these relationships. Her divorcing
me was unbiblical and not God’s will, but this divorce was the
event that caused me to search for God’s truth and in this
quest, I encountered God’s grace and unconditional love. I
was so moved that I even decided to enroll fulltime in Charis
Bible College (CBC), something I never would have done if I
had still been married to her. At Charis, I met people who
reminded me of God’s calling on my life, that God wanted me
to preach the gospel in many places, including Africa. God
promised me that He was going to open a door that would
never shut. This door was Uganda, where I have lived for
three years. Hundreds, yes thousands of people in Uganda
are being reached with the good news of God’s grace. This is
a reason to celebrate! Because I was divorced and aban-
doned? No, because my circumstances gave God the
opportunity to break through into my life and, in doing so, He
has been breaking through into the lives of countless others.

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Like Paul, I am able to say, “But I want you to know, brethren,
that the things which happened to me have actually turned out
for the furtherance of the gospel.” (1:12) Halleluiah!

Even when people

preached the gospel with
the wrong motives, Paul Rejoice whenever
Christ is preached,
rejoiced. When he was
whether in pretense
persecuted as a result of or in truth, even when
preaching the gospel, he the preaching has
rejoiced. (1:16) He was negative
more concerned with consequences for
spreading the gospel than yourself.
he was with his own
negative circumstances.
His circumstances advanced the gospel and that was what
mattered to him.

Paul’s motto was: ‘Rejoice whenever Christ is preached,

whether in pretense or in truth, even when the preaching has
negative consequences for yourself.’

He also knew that the false preaching of the gospel which

was intended to increase his persecution would eventually
work to his advantage. This didn’t happen without some
effort being added. Prayer and the help of the Holy Spirit
were needed.

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We can conclude from all of this that we always have reason
to rejoice if the gospel is being preached. Even when it’s done
under pretense or it adds to our persecution. When our
partners pray, we get support and help from the Holy Spirit,
and in the end, everything will work out for our good. Enough
reason to rejoice!

4.4 Reason 3: People Contributing to the Joy of Our

Faith
(Key verses: 1:25-26)

“And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain

and continue with you all for your progress and JOY of
faith, that your REJOICING for me may be more abundant in
Jesus Christ by my coming to you again.”

The first chapter of Philippians makes it clear that Paul

judges his circumstances through the eyes of God. Although
he has been taken prisoner, he rejoices when the gospel is
spread as a result of his imprisonment. At Philippians 1:20 he
also begins to reflect on how Christ can be magnified in his
body, be that in life or in death. It would be better for him to
depart and be with Christ, but it was better for the
Philippians that he lived. He had the choice, whether to live
or die. Dying would have been better for him, living was
better for the Philippians. It was more useful for them that
Paul would stay and live. Paul chose to benefit others rather

23
than himself. He lived as he advised others to do, later in the
epistle, where he says,

”Let each of you look out not only for his own interests,
but also for the interests of others.” (2:4)

Let’s use the following questions to look at ourselves:

- What would happen to the spiritual growth and the joy

of faith in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ, if
we weren’t here?
- DO our lives offer inspiration, growth, and joy of faith to
others? Or would no one really notice if we were no
longer here?
- Are people happy when they have the opportunity to
spend time with us? Or are they happier when we leave?
- Are we a catalyst or an obstruction?
- Do we bring joy or sorrow?

4.5 Reason 4: People Being Like-Minded

(Key verse 2:2)

“… fulfill my JOY by being like-minded, having the same

love, being of one accord, of one mind.”

This second chapter begins by summarizing the things that

had helped the Philippians in becoming like-minded. These
include: encouragement in Christ, comfort in love, fellowship
with the Spirit, deep feelings and compassion. These traits
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could all be found in the lives of the Philippians. Because
these were present in their lives, like-mindedness was easy
to show. God did a great work in the lives of these people.
Christ Himself had encouraged them and they could find
comfort in the love that they shared with each other. They
had fellowship with one another, grounded in the Holy Spirit,
and a deep love was expressed through the sharing of
feelings and compassion. Courage and comfort could be
found in difficult times. As could their fellowship in the Holy
Spirit and the tangible love which was clearly visible in their
compassion towards those in need. Because these things
were so tangible in the lives of the Philippians, it was easy for
Paul to call them even deeper into unity and like-mindedness.
Paul defined like-mindedness as “having the same love, being
of one accord, and of one mind.” Previously, in 1:27, Paul had
already encouraged this like-mindedness, when he said:

“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ,

so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of
your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind
striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

Paul’s joy would be complete when the Philippians preached

the gospel with one mind. Fighting for the gospel in unity of
mind is a source of joy. When we take part in a ministry, let
us do it in one accord, for the cause of the gospel. Let us look
at how we can contribute to each other’s and the leader’s joy.

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Some ways could include:

- Esteem others in the ministry as better than yourself,

doing nothing through selfish ambition or conceit (2:3)

- Look out for the interests of others, not just your own
(2:4)

We can only practice this mindset or spiritual attitude when

we allow the mind of Christ to reign in our lives and actions.
(2:5)

Key elements that characterize the mind of Christ include:

- Humility (lowliness of mind) (2:3)

- Others-centeredness (considering the interests of others
more than your own) (2:4)
- No desire for your own reputation (2:7)
- Servant attitude (2:7)
- Being able to humble yourself (2:8)
- Obedience unto death (2:8)

These next questions can give us insight into how far we are
in practicing the mind of Christ in our own lives:

- What are our thoughts and feelings when someone else

in the ministry we’re working in gets praise or attention?

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- Do we always consider our own plans and ideas better
than those of others?
- When an opportunity arises to serve, what do we do? Do
we take the initiative to serve or do we wait and see if
someone else does it first? Would we rather be
served/ministered to at that moment?
- What are our thoughts and feelings when our work isn’t
noticed?
- How important is it for us to receive recognition?
- Do we honor others for their work?

4.6 Reason 5: People Doing Well in Life

(Key verse: 2:28)

“Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you

see him again you may REJOICE, and I may be less sorrowful.”

Epaphroditus was Paul’s brother, co-laborer, and fellow

soldier for Christ. In addition, the Philippians sent him to
help Paul and let him know what they needed. He was
therefore, a messenger and minister from the Philippians.
(2:25) Later in the epistle (4:10, 15, 16, and 18) we read
more about the Philippians’ behavior in giving to Paul. They
weren’t able to do as they wished because there hadn’t been
a way to send him what he needed. (4:10) In the end, they
decided to send Epaphroditus, an act which Paul described as

27
“a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing
to God.” (4:18)

The gift sent by Epaphroditus had caused Paul to abound; all

of his needs were met. In order to be able to send this gift to
Paul, Epaphroditus had risked his life and as a result, he fell
ill. Fortunately, God protected him and he recovered. While
he was ill, Epaphroditus heard that the Philippians had got to
know about his illness and that they were grieving. Paul felt
so burdened by this that he hurried to send Epaphroditus
back to the Philippians so they could rejoice with him over
his physical recovery. Nowadays we’d simply call or send a
quick email or text message, but back then, people had to
undergo long, difficult journeys to relay such news.

How joyful are we when we

get news that someone we
love is doing well/better?
(brothers, sisters, family, If we experience
more joy in our
friends) Rejoicing in
own wellbeing
another’s wellbeing is a sign than in our
of caring about the other. The neighbors’, then
Bible tells us to love our we aren’t really
neighbor as ourselves. One loving our
piece of evidence showing neighbor as
that we do this is our ability ourselves.
to rejoice in someone else’s
good fortune.
28
Let’s reflect on a personal level. Are we just as happy with the
good fortune in someone else’s life as we are with our own? If
we experience more joy in our own wellbeing, then we aren’t
really loving our neighbor as ourselves. Perhaps we should
consider doing some “homework.”

29
Chapter 5 Two Reasons to Rejoice in Your Work

5.1 Introduction
Work is an essential part of our lives. We spend more than
1/3 of our time working. Therefore, it’s extremely important
for us to enjoy it and get fulfillment from it. The two most
essential reasons for rejoicing in our work will be covered in
this chapter. It’s vital that our work brings forth fruit that has
eternal value (reason number 6 in this book) and that what
we do exalts God, also in the lives of others. (reason number
7)

5.2 Reason 6: Our Labor is not in Vain

(Key verse: 2:16)

“…holding fast the word of life, so that I may REJOICE in

the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”

Paul gave his life to the Philippians, for their eternal

salvation, but also that the mind of Christ would be
established and become visible in them. Philippians Chapter
two tells us what it means to have the mind of Christ.

30
We have His mind if we:

- Act in one accord with the other believers around us (2:2)

- Show humility by esteeming others better than ourselves
(2:3)
- Put the interests of others above our own (2:4)
- Make ourselves of no reputation (i.e., we do not stand
upon who we are, where we are from, what we possess,
and what we have studied or accomplished) (2:6-7)
- Become the servant for others (2:7)
- Humble ourselves (2:8)
- Work out our own salvation (2:12-13)
- Do all things without complaining and disputing (2:14)
- Shine as lights in the world (2:15)
- Hold fast the Word of life (2:16)

Paul would have reason to rejoice in the day of Christ when

these characteristics became visible in the lives of the
Philippians.

What does Paul mean by “the day of Christ”? This refers to the
time that begins at the moment that Christ returns to the
earth and establishes His kingdom. We find comparable
terms in Luke 17:26, 1 Corinthians 1:8, 1 Corinthians 5:5, 2
Corinthians 1:14, Philippians 1:6 and 10, Philippians 2:16, 1
Thessalonians 5:2, 2 Thessalonians 2:2, 2 Peter 3:10,
Revelation 1:10. On this day, not only will Christ be revealed;
we will be revealed with Him as well. We will be judged
31
before Christ according to our deeds. (2 Corinthians 5) This
refers to an evaluative judgment and reward for our works. It
is not a condemnation. There is no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) Paul refers here to the
day of Christ as a moment to look forward to, to rejoice in,
with the Philippians, because of all their efforts and good
works. If we look at Paul’s efforts in the context of 1
Corinthians 3:12-15 which says:

“…each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will
declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will
test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which
he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s
work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved,
yet so as through fire,”

then Paul had every reason to rejoice in the day of Christ.

According to 1 Corinthians 3:14, he will receive a reward on
this day. Paul refers to the Philippians as his “joy and crown”
in Philippians 4:1. On the day of Christ, he will rejoice in
these people and they will be his crown.

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5.3 Reason 7: Because We Give Ourselves to the
Sacrifice and Service of the Faith of Others
(Key verse: 2:17)

“Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on

the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and REJOICE
with you all.”

Paul uses a metaphor here which is associated with the

concept of sacrifice that God established when He came and
lived with the people of Israel when they built the tabernacle.
The aim of this practice of sacrifice was to bring the sinful
people into relationship with God. The drink offering was the
act of pouring a mixture of wine and spirits (strong alcohol)
over another sacrifice (an animal or grain). This was for God
alone and He would only enjoy it in the promised land, after
the people finished their journey through the desert and
were able to enjoy His rest. (Numbers 15) The efforts of
Paul’s apostolic ministry on behalf of the ‘sacrifice and
service’ of the faith of the Philippians are regarded as a drink
offering that is poured out on the offering of the Philippians.
The Old Testament drink offering was the sacrifice given as
part of the fruit of the believer’s labor. This metaphor is
therefore fitting in relation to the Philippians. The drink
offering of the Old Testament was wine or spirits, which
brought joy to God’s heart. Under the Old Covenant, this joy
was only for God. The priests and people didn’t share in it.
Paul regarded his efforts - his labor for the spiritual
33
wellbeing of the Philippians - as a drink offering, but now -
being under the New Covenant - both Paul and the
Philippians were able to rejoice, not just God.

Some questions we can ask ourselves are:

- How do we see our efforts in relation to our brothers and

sisters? Are we focused on getting recognition for what
we do for them and their faith or are we focused on how
God sees our efforts?
- A drink offering was supposed to complete a sacrifice. Do
we rejoice that our drink offering completes the sacrifice
of other people?
- Do we rejoice when our brothers and sisters get more
recognition due to our contribution to their lives?

It’s not about us; it’s about

what God receives through
the lives of His children.
Paul rejoiced because his
life added to the lives of
the Philippians.
It is not about us; it’s
about what God
receives through the
lives of His children.

- How much do we rejoice when we see other believers

grow and bloom as a result of our efforts?
- Do we still rejoice even when we don’t get any credit for
these things?

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Chapter 6: Reason 8 to Rejoice: Everything Else
Pales in Comparison to Knowing Jesus

6.1 Introduction
Here in Chapters 3 and 4, Paul begins to conclude his epistle
to the Philippians. Although these are the final chapters of
the letter, I would say that this is where Paul finally reaches
the core reason for our joy. These chapters address one core
message, a message that can be seen as the giving of a
command: “Rejoice in the Lord”. Maybe we can’t always
rejoice in our fellow
believers (see Chapter 4)
or in the results of our We always have a
efforts in our work for God reason to rejoice: He
(see Chapter 5). However, is always with us and
we can ALWAYS rejoice in He never changes.
the Lord. He is always with
us and He never changes.
This gives us more than enough reason to always rejoice in
the Lord. Because this theme of rejoicing in the Lord is the
core message of the entire epistle, I want to devote a separate
chapter to each of the three sub-reasons. Chapters 6, 7, and 8
will explain in detail these three sub-reasons Paul gives us
for rejoicing in the Lord. First, in this chapter, we will look at
how we know God and what our relationship with Him
entails. Then, in Chapter 7, we will see that Jesus is going to

35
return soon. Finally, in Chapter 8, we will look at how He has
provided for everything we will ever need.

6.2 The Command to Rejoice

(Key verse: 3:1)

“Finally, my brethren, REJOICE in the Lord. For me to

write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it
is safe.”

Here is the core message of the Epistle to the Philippians: The

command to rejoice in the Lord. Paul uses the rest of the
letter to explain how this becomes possible when we realize
Who God is! Our joy in the Lord isn’t based on blind faith. No,
as we have seen earlier, there is always reason to be joyful;
we have a foundation for this. This foundation lies in the
knowledge we have about Who God is. This knowledge is
based not on intellect; it’s based on how we know Him in an
intimate way, through our personal and intimate relationship
with Him.

6.3 A Warning in Advance

“Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the
mutilation!” (3:2)

Before Paul addresses the fact that we shouldn’t trust in the

flesh, he first warns us about people and circumstances that
36
can steal our joy: the dogs, the evil workers, and the
mutilation. These three things are most likely about one
group of people, the Judaists, who preached the law as a
condition for salvation. In Matthew 7:6 Christ tells us not to
give what is holy to the dogs.
This refers mainly to the
Pharisees and Sadducees. Any form of joy is
Other places in the Bible also impossible if we let
refer to false leaders of Israel ourselves be put
(for example in Isaiah 56:1) back under the law
who were only interested in by false teachers or
personal gain, as ‘dogs’. The false doctrines.
Pharisees and Sadducees
were selfish leaders living at
the same time as Jesus. They burdened the people with more
than anyone could bear. For example, they made people keep
the law in even the tiniest details, like having to tithe even
the smallest herb. In the Book of Acts, during the first
gathering of the apostles, it was established that nothing
from the law would be put upon the Gentiles, except for a few
specific and necessary things, such as abstaining from
idolatry, blood, things strangled, and sexual immorality. (Acts
15:29) It is clearly stated that circumcision would play no
role in the lives of the Gentile believers. Still, some believers
at the beginning of the church age tried to impose the law
onto Gentiles. They had turned the circumcision into a
“mutilation”, a very different concept than the new spiritual

37
reality of circumcision as Paul clearly explains in Colossians
2:11, where he describes

“the circumcision made without hands, by putting off

the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.”

Any form of joy is impossible if we let ourselves be put back

under the law by false teachers or false doctrines. If we really
think we can be saved by keeping the law and by physical
circumcision, we will only experience pain and
disappointment. The law will do for us exactly what it did for
the people of Israel: It will always remind us of our failures
and that we cannot experience the glory of God. The focus
will always be on ourselves and not on God Who gave us
reason to rejoice. Under the law we cannot rejoice in His
grace that has been shown to us through Jesus and His
finished work on the Cross.

6.4 Our Identity in Christ

“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the
Spirit, REJOICE in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the
flesh.” (3:3)

We are the circumcision

Paul now begins to describe the spiritual reality—that we are

the circumcision. This is not a circumcision performed by
38
hands (Colossians 2:11), but a spiritual circumcision like Paul
describes

“circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the

letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.” (Romans
2:29)

It has to do with

“putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the

circumcision of Christ.” (Colossians 2:11)

Romans 6:6 uses similar terminology:

“Knowing this, that our old man was crucified

with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that
we should no longer be slaves of sin.”

This is also called the circumcision of Christ: Christ died on

the Cross for us and our old man was crucified with Him so
that the body of sin would be done away with. To put it
simply: Our old sin nature doesn’t exist anymore. When we
sin it is no longer as a result of our sin nature, because that
nature has been destroyed and done away with. If we do
something sinful, that is the result of us not having our minds
renewed to agree with God’s Word. Some mind patterns from
our old nature are still present, allowing us to do sinful
things. The spiritual reality of the circumcision of Christ and
39
the fact that Paul says “we are the circumcision” is that our sin
nature is gone. This also means that we are no longer slaves
to sin. (Romans 6:16) We are the circumcision. We are living
proof that our old sin nature has been done away with and
that we’ve received a completely new nature. People who are
circumcised in heart and spirit have three prominent
characteristics: They serve God in the Spirit, they rejoice in
Jesus Christ, and they no longer trust in the flesh.

Serving God in Spirit

Many people try to please God in all sorts of external ways.

They serve God in the flesh. The Israelites served God in this
way. In those days, the Holy Spirit only came upon certain
people, at certain times, for a specific purpose. These were
prophets, kings, priests, judges, and other people who had
specific God-given assignments. However, the average
Israelite didn’t have the Holy Spirit, which meant they could
only serve God according to the flesh. This is also why the
punishments in the Old Testament were so severe. People
had no help from the Holy Spirit to keep the law. They were
continually falling short. They had two ways of dealing with
sin: offering an unblemished animal to cover their sins
temporarily, or to punish people directly for sin, which could
also include killing them. The law was a ministry of death. On
the opposite side is the ministry of the Spirit, which is also
called a ministry of righteousness. God seeks worshippers
who will worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. (John 4:24)
40
When we became a new creation, we became people who
serve God in Spirit.

Rejoicing in Christ Jesus

One of the main characteristics of people, who have become a

new creation and thus no
longer have a sin nature, is
that they have the ability to
We are able to
rejoice in Christ. Our old
rejoice in every
nature has been completely circumstance
replaced with a new spirit. because we have
We have become a an unending source
completely new creation. of joy in our spirit.
This new creation has
revealed itself in our spirit,
but not yet in our soul and body. We have received
everything we need to be able to rejoice, in our spirit. The
fruit of the Spirit is wholly present in our born again nature:
love, JOY, peace, patience/long suffering, kindness, goodness,
gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22)

We are able to rejoice in every circumstance because we have

an unending source of joy in our spirit. Rejoicing in Christ is
the same as tapping into the Source of joy, which we already
have within us because of the Presence of the Holy Spirit in
us. When we became born again, God poured His love into
our hearts with the Holy Spirit. (Romans 5:5) With this
41
outpouring of love we also received all the fruit of the Spirit!
In addition to the fact that we always have a reason to rejoice
in that Christ lives in our hearts, our spirits also contain the
Source of joy which will never dry up.

We No Longer Trust in the Flesh

People who are circumcised of heart no longer trust in the

flesh. This is the second time that Paul speaks of ‘the flesh’ in
this Epistle. The first time, in 1:22, he says it is better to
remain in the flesh with the Philippians than to go to Christ.
This first use of the term ‘flesh’ simply refers to ‘the body’.
However, in chapter 3, the word ‘flesh’ means something
different. Here it means anything we could rely on as natural
people and the things that get in the way of us knowing
Christ better. These would be the things that we, as natural
people, have accomplished on our own merit and anything
which prohibits us from living according to the guidance of
the Holy Spirit. The rest of Chapter 3 is devoted to Paul
explaining what it means to no longer trust in the flesh.

Why Paul Would Have Been Able to Trust in the Flesh

Paul had more reason than most people to think he should be

able to trust in the flesh.

42
He was:

1. circumcised on the eighth day

2. an Israelite
3. from the Tribe of Benjamin
4. a Hebrew of all Hebrews
5. a Pharisee and kept the law
6. an ardent persecutor of Christians
7. irreproachable regarding the law

No one else had as much reason to trust in the flesh as Paul.

He had a covenant relationship with the God of Israel. His
circumcision was a sign of this. He was not an uncircumcised
Gentile. He was an Israelite. Romans 9:4-5 says this about
those

“who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the

glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of
God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from
whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over
all, the eternally blessed God.”

Paul was also from the Tribe of Benjamin (Benjamin means

Son of My Right Hand). Benjamin was one of Jacob’s two
favorite sons, born of Rachel, the wife he cherished.

Paul was of pure Israeli descent on both his mother’s and

father’s side, making him a true Hebrew, through and
43
through. Further, he was a highly educated Pharisee who had
studied under one of the most respected theologians of his
time, Gamaliel. He ardently pursued God, which from his
perspective at the time meant actively persecuting the
Church. And finally, Paul could be seen as irreproachable in
relation to the law. He kept the law better than anyone else.
With all of these characteristics, Paul had every reason to
believe he could trust in his flesh. These were all
characteristics that gave him great advantage and prestige in
the natural world, but in order to gain knowledge of Christ,
he considered them all rubbish, things that could only cause
damage. These were not the only things he considered
rubbish. In verse 8, he says without hesitation or doubt, that
He considered all things rubbish “that I might gain Christ.” He
took everything into consideration. Anything that could ever
become a barrier to gaining knowledge of Christ, he
undoubtingly considered as a loss.

Paul’s salvation is not the issue here (when he says that he

might gain Christ). His desire is to gain Christ, to get to know
Him better. Paul gave up everything in his life to pursue a
deeper intimacy with Christ. Gaining Christ meant finding
himself in Him. We can have a deep and meaningful
relationship with Christ if we get to know Him in this way.

44
6.5 Self Righteousness versus God’s Righteousness
Every form of self righteousness is a barrier to enjoying a
deep relationship with Christ. Self righteousness causes you
to be full of yourself, leaving no room for Him. The
righteousness that comes from God through faith fills you
with Him, leaving no more room for your flesh. Self
righteousness is continually wondering “who will ascend into
heaven” and “who will descend into the abyss?” (Romans 10:6-
7) Self righteousness focuses on us and what we can do to
improve things. God’s righteousness focuses on what Christ
has done.

“That I may know Him and the power of His

resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being
conformed to His death.” (3:10)

The power of
Jesus’ resurrection
can only be seen in Self righteousness causes
and through us if you to be full of yourself,
we realize that the leaving no room for Him.
source of this
power can only be
found in His righteousness and that our own ideas of self
righteousness mean nothing.

45
Let’s look at some of the differences between self
righteousness and God’s righteousness:

SELF GOD’S
RIGHTEOUSNESS RIGHTEOUSNESS
Originates in... the law our faith in Christ
Works through… ourselves, our own Christ, His finished
efforts work at Golgotha
Trusts in/Boasts the flesh Christ Jesus
in…
Comes into personal efforts, relationship with Christ
existence through… trying to accomplish after being born again
something
Verb is…… do have faith (in Christ)
Leads to the law of… sin and death the Spirit of Life in
Christ Jesus
Is full of …. oneself Christ

Only by faith in Jesus Christ can we approach Him and get to

know Him better. Whenever we believe that our flesh can
add anything to this, we fool ourselves. We are only able to
know Him when we acknowledge God’s righteousness in us.
Every form of self righteousness blocks this.

Getting to know Christ is like a marriage relationship; the

two people in the marriage need to give each other attention
and focus on their partner if they want to grow closer. It’s the
same thing with our relationship with Jesus. When we focus
on Who He is in us, on what God has done in us, fixing our
attention on His righteousness, then we can grow closer to
46
Him. Any kind of self righteousness puts the focus on us, our
own efforts, what we want to accomplish (our own results),
our personal qualities and characteristics.

God’s righteousness looks God’s righteousness

at one person: Christ in looks at one person:
us. Christ in us.

Knowing Christ is experiencing what it means to be the

righteousness of God. Here are a few examples:

1. Christ is our Savior. Knowing Him as Savior is

experiencing the meaning of His finished work: That
He has forgiven all sin and now, our sin no longer
exists. (Being without sin-consciousness is a part of
God’s righteousness)
2. Christ is our Healer. Knowing Him as Healer means
knowing and experiencing that by His stripes we were
healed. (Being healthy and whole is a part of God’s
righteousness)
3. Christ is our Provider. Knowing Him as Provider
means experiencing how God makes sure we have
everything we need, according to His riches in the
glory by Jesus Christ. (Being prosperous is a part of
God’s righteousness)

47
 4. Christ is our Deliverer. Knowing Him as Deliverer
means we experience freedom because He has freed
us from the power of darkness. (Being delivered/free
is a part of God’s righteousness)

Knowing Christ is experiencing what it means to stand justly

before God. This is mainly seen in our lives as we live without
sin-consciousness, in health, prosperity, and in complete
freedom.

Self righteousness does its best to try not to sin, which only
makes it more conscious of sin. It pursues health by trying to
follow the rules of a healthy lifestyle. It works hard to earn
enough money and it does its best to fight for freedom. But it
is solely focused on what the self sees for itself and what the
self can do.

The righteousness of God in us relies on Christ for all of these

things. Through Jesus’ blood, we are forgiven and because of
His sacrifice, we no longer have to live with sin
consciousness. (Hebrews 10:2) By Christ’s stripes, we were
healed. (1 Peter 2:24) By Christ’s becoming poor, we have
become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9) By Christ becoming cursed
on the Cross, we are now free from the curse of the law and
blessed with the blessing of Abraham. (Galatians 3:13-14)

48
The righteousness of God knows:

“His divine power has given to us all things

that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of
Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3)

Knowing that we are the righteousness of God means

knowing Jesus Christ. The more we come to know Him, the
more we’ll come to access His treasures of wisdom and
knowledge, because after all, these are all hidden in Him.
(Colossians 2:3)

6.6 Conclusion
Rejoicing in Christ Jesus is only possible when we have
learned to have no confidence in the flesh anymore. When we
are focused on God’s righteousness we lose our confidence in
the flesh and gain the excellence of the knowledge of Christ.
Only this intimate knowledge of Christ will enable us to
rejoice in Him.

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Chapter 7 Reason 9 to Rejoice: Jesus Will Return
Soon

7.1 Introduction
Now we come to a very special reason to rejoice; we expect
Jesus to return soon. I’d like to take a closer look at this topic
because I see that this expectation seems to play a very
limited role, if any, in many churches and in the lives of many
Christians. This is quite the opposite of how the early church
acted and believed. Take the Thessalonians, for example.
They said they had

“turned to God from idols to serve the living and true

God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from
the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
(1 Thessalonians 1:9-10)

First I’d like to look at some of the reasons Christians might

have for not emphasizing this future expectation in their
lives. Then we can examine why it is, in fact, still important to
live in this hope and how it can even be a source of joy.

50
7.2 The Lord is at Hand?
(Key verse: 4: 4-5)

“REJOICE in the Lord always. Again I will say REJOICE!

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.”
The expectation of the return of Christ has been pushed into
the background for numerous reasons. I’d like to look at
three of these.

1. Selfish Lusts

We can see the basis for this reason in 2 Peter, where Peter
says,

“Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days,
walking according to their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the
promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all
things continue as they were from the beginning of
creation.’ For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God
the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water
and in the water, by which the world that then existed
perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the
earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved
for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
(…….) But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night,
in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the
elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the
works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these
51
things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to
be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the
coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be
dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent
heat? Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new
heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent
to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” (2
Peter 3:3-14)

The scoffers in this verse are people who doubt the promises
in the Word of God and no longer believe that Jesus will
return. It’s been 2000 years and many have started to doubt
the truth of this promise. Some (called preterists) refute
these verses by arguing that Jesus already returned in 70 A.D.
and that we are now living in the Messianic 1000-Year Reign
of Peace.

This standpoint is a sharp contrast to the believers who are

living in the expectation of this day of God, full of hope and
desire. These believers are called to be diligent, remaining
blameless and without spot, so they can be found by Him in
peace.

52
2. The Mindset that It Will Still Be a Long Time Before Jesus
Returns

Matthew 24:48 speaks of an “evil servant [who] says in his

heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming’….” This is a category
of Christians that doesn’t doubt whether Jesus will return
still, but sees it as still being far in the future. By putting His
return far in the future, they completely lose the element of
hopeful expectation. As a result, these slaves begin to beat
their fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards. (More
on this in 7.3)

3. Ignorance Regarding What God’s Word Teaches About Jesus’

Return

Then there’s a major group of Christians that hasn’t even

bothered to study God’s Word on this topic. They use the
following reasoning: We’ll see it for ourselves when Jesus
comes back. We don’t have to study God’s Word on this
because it just takes time away from the assignment we have
now—making disciples. These are often Christians who are
so passionate about mission work and discipling the world
that they think that only their efforts will bring about God’s
kingdom here on Earth. They don’t seem to know that the
kingdom of God will, in the end, be made manifest here on
Earth when Jesus returns and builds it. They are absorbed in
their own assignment and they usually think it will be a very
long time before Jesus returns. Many have no idea that when
53
Jesus returns He will indeed establish His kingdom here on
Earth and rule from Jerusalem. They really have no idea what
the Word says about Jesus’ second coming. Many believe He
is going to come back to judge the living and the dead, and
that after that the living will forever live with Him in Heaven
(or on Earth). In addition, most Christians are not informed
regarding the events that will take place right before His
return. Most people know enough to say that wars, famines,
and earthquakes will precede His coming. But they know
little to nothing about the role Israel will play or what events
will take place in the last year-week (the 70th year-week of
Daniel’s vision in Daniel 9: The last seven years) which will
directly precede the return of Christ.

7.3 The Importance of an Earnest Expectation for

Jesus’ Return
Why is it so important to maintain an earnest expectation
regarding the return of Jesus? I’d like to discuss two reasons
here.

1. His Coming is Our Deliverance from the Wrath to Come

The Thessalonians expected Jesus to come from the heavenly

realms as the One Who would save them from the wrath to
come. (1 Thessalonians 1:10) According to 2 Peter 3:7, the
earth will be “reserved for fire until the day of judgment and
perdition of ungodly men.” The earth will be judged and Christ

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will redeem us from the “wrath to come.” Although our spirits
are already saved, our bodies and souls are still waiting for
the final salvation that will occur when Jesus returns. The
Scripture tells us about the judgment that will take place on
the earth. Many of these judgments will happen in the final
years before the visible return of Christ to this earth. Jesus
talks about this period of time in Matthew 24:21, calling it a
period of

“great tribulation, such as has not been since the

beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

Revelation 3:10 calls this period

“the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole

world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”

According to this verse, God will keep the Church from

having to go through this time of trial. Our expectation
regarding Jesus’ return is related to our being saved from the
coming wrath. In 1 Thessalonians 5:9 and Romans 5:9 we see
the same theme again:

“…God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain

salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

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And respectively:

“Much more then, having now been justified by His

blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

2. The Expectation of His Return Keeps Us Alert

Another reason we should anticipate Jesus is that it

motivates us to live a fruitful life characterized by many good
works. Many scriptures tell us this. Let’s look at some of
these.

Luke writes in Luke 12:35-37,43-45:

“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning; and

you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he
will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks
they may open to him immediately. BLESSED are those
servants whom the master, when he comes, will find
watching….. BLESSED is that servant whom his master will
find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you that he will
make him ruler over all that he has.
But if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his
coming,’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and
to eat and drink and be drunk…”

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A double blessing is given to the servants who wait in
expectation for their Lord, while at the same time, the
servants steward food in the household.

Two things are important here:

- We should live in the

anticipation of Jesus’
return, as if it could Ministering God’s
happen at any moment. Word requires an
expectant attitude.
- While we’re waiting, we
should stay busy feeding
our housemates (i.e. minister the Word of God to our
fellow believers).

By the 4th century after Christ, the church had begun to lose
focus regarding the eminent second coming. After
Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire,
people began to believe that the Messianic Millennial Reign of
Peace had begun. Church leaders began to take control of
people’s lives, as if the church belonged to them. The thought
that the Lord would come to establish His kingdom later,
caused the leaders to take things into their own hands by
ruling over their fellow believers. The idea that Jesus is going
to wait a long time before He returns causes many Christians
to think they need to be in charge of the church, and even
that they’re personally responsible for establishing God’s
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kingdom here on Earth. When people think that Jesus won’t
to be coming any time soon to rule Himself, Christians,
especially leaders, often decide they have to rule for Him. I’m
not talking about ruling over circumstances (like in Romans
5:17), but ruling over their brothers and sisters in a
controlling manner (like ruling over servants). And even
more disturbing, these ‘leaders’ often live lives based on self-
profit and gratification (“eat and drink and be drunk”). The
Bible is clear on these things: We aren’t here for our own
pleasure or to control others. God has put us on the earth to
serve others and minister His Word to them. Ministering
God’s Word requires an expectant attitude. We wait on the
Lord’s return with anticipation, and while we’re waiting, we
should make disciples and minister God’s Word to those
around us.

In Romans 13:11-14, Paul writes,

“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to

awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when
we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand.
THEREFORE, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us
put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day,
not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in
strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no
provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.”

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The fact that the day is at hand, is an important reason to cast
off the works of darkness and put on the Lord Jesus Christ.

After Paul wrote to the Corinthians regarding how our bodies

will change when Jesus returns (1 Corinthians 15), he ends
the chapter with the following words:

“THEREFORE, my beloved brethren, be steadfast,

immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord,
knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1
Corinthians 15:58)

Our efforts here on Earth are not in vain! We are going to

receive another body when we die (or when we are alive
when Jesus returns). Our work on Earth will remain visible
for all eternity!

Paul writes to the Philippians,

“FOR our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also

eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will
transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His
glorious body, according to the working by which He is able
even to subdue all things to Himself.” (3:20-21)

Beginning the sentence with the word “For” here implies a

contrast with what has been written in the previous
sentences. The previous sentences speak of people who
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concern themselves with earthly matters. But we belong with
people who focus on the business of Heaven. One of the
subjects that falls into this category is most certainly waiting
in expectation for Jesus’ return and how our bodies will be
glorified when that happens.

In Colossians 3:4-5, Paul writes,

“When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will
appear with Him in glory. THEREFORE, put to death your
members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness,
passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”

The revelation of Christ in glory, together with our own glory,

should cause us (“Therefore, put to death…”) to live a holy life
now, for God.

To Titus, Paul writes,

“FOR the grace of God that brings salvation has

appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in
the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious
appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave
Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless
deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for
good works.” (Titus 2:11-14)

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A righteous and devout life is meant to accompany the
blessed hope (= the return of Jesus for His bride; the rapture)
and the glorious appearing (= the visible return of Jesus to
this Earth).

Peter writes in his second epistle,

“THEREFORE, since all these things will be dissolved,

what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and
godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of
God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on
fire, and the elements will melt with fervent
heat? Nevertheless, we, according to His promise, look for new
heavens and a new earth in which righteousness
dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be
diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and
blameless…” (2 Peter 3:11-14)

Peter’s reasoning here revolves around a slightly different

aspect of the “day of God.” He argues that Jesus should find us
blameless and without spot because Heaven and Earth will
go through fire and everything will melt away. This is yet
another reason for living a holy life for God now.

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7.4 The Lord is at Hand!
A short argument regarding the nearness of the Lord’s
return. What can we say about how long it’s going to be
before Jesus comes back? We know that salvation is closer
now than at the time we gave our hearts to Jesus. (Romans
13:11) That truth is as clear as day. Time has passed since
our conversion, which in turn means that the time of
salvation (meaning the holy time of salvation that Christ will
bring when He returns to Earth) is closer to coming to pass.
This is even more true in regard to the entire time period
which has passed since Jesus promised to return quickly.
Nearly 2000 years have passed. What can we say about these
2000 years? Are we close to the end time, the time just before
Christ returns, or could it still take another 2000 years before
that happens?

The Bible speaks of several clear signs that will show us that
the time of Christ’s return is at hand. Firstly, the end will
come when all the people of the world have had the
opportunity to hear the gospel. Matthew 24:14 says,

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all

the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will
come.”

This is clear language. So, how far are we with preaching the
gospel to all the world?

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During a meeting held at the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton
College in Orlando, Florida in 2011, it was said that this great
commission would be accomplished within a time period of
10-15 years. In other words, it’s possible that somewhere
between 2021 and 2026, every people group will have heard
the gospel message and that parts of the Bible will have been
translated into all the languages. (Source: Billy Graham’s
Decision Magazine, November, 2011)

Just before Thanksgiving, in November 2016, it was said at a

Wycliffe Bible Translators’ conference that the Bible will be
translated, at least in part, into every known language, within
eight years. That will be 2024.

Matthew 24 also speaks of the second sign which will

indicate the end times, in the parable of the fig tree:

“Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its
branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you
know that summer is near. So you also, when you see all these
things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I say to
you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these
things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My
words will by no means pass away.” (Matthew 24:32-34)

In the Bible the budding fig tree is a type of the State of Israel
which came into existence in 1948. Another ‘budding’ event
is that in 1967 Jerusalem once again came into Jewish hands.
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These are signs that Christ is coming back soon. Jesus Himself
said that He would return within the time period of the
generation that sees the occurrence of these events.

Jesus will return within the lifetime of the generation that

sees the beginning of the budding of the fig tree (Israel after
1948/1967). This means that everyone born after
1948/1967, who remains alive (doesn’t die prematurely),
will see the return of Christ. We are the end time generation!
I am completely convinced that Jesus will come during this
century, and probably in the first half. We are living in the
last decades before Jesus’ return!

Because we are living so close to the time of Jesus’ return, we

have all the more reason to take the great commission even
more seriously!

We need to be like the good

slaves who are awake and
working when the Lord
Jesus will return
comes. (Luke 12:37, 43) This within a generation
is also very much a reason of the budding of
for the Church, all the the fig tree (Israel
believers who together make after 1948/1967).
up His bride, to rejoice. Jesus
is not returning just to judge
the world. Before He does that, He is going to come for His
bride, the Church, and the Marriage of the Lamb will be
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celebrated in Heaven. A wedding is cause for anticipation and
joy. The bride and groom look forward to that day. Do we do
this? As the Bride of Christ? Are we excited about this
upcoming event? Or are we passive, just letting everything
happen, as something that will just occur on its own?

The Lord is at hand. It’s almost time. The great Marriage of

the Lamb is almost upon us. Let’s rejoice and look forward to
this beautiful day of union with our Groom!

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Chapter 8: Reason 10 to Rejoice: God Provides
According to His Riches in Glory

8.1 Introduction and Key Verses

Now we’ve come to the final reason to rejoice. This last
reason has to do with how God takes care of us for everything
we need in life. God used the Philippians to provide for Paul.
Paul rejoiced over this fact saying,

“But I REJOICED in the Lord greatly that now at last

your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did
care, but you lacked opportunity.” (4:10)

The Philippians had finally found a way to share in his

distress (4:14) by sending aid to him (4:16). It wasn’t the
help that was so important to Paul, but that fruit would
increase in their lives. (4:17) Because they had been partners
with him since the beginning of the gospel (4:15-16), they
would abound in fruit. A beautiful promise would apply to
them,

“And my God shall supply all your need according to His

riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (4:19)

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8.2 The Ways God Provides for Us
God usually provides for us through other people, especially
other believers. Seeing how God uses people to meet the
needs of others is a source of joy for His servants. It’s
evidence of His love for us. He knows what we need even
before we ask. God uses others to provide for us when we
have times of crisis, and He does this in His own perfect way
and in His own perfect timing.

Paul gives witness to this

fact when he says,
“And my God shall
“Indeed I have all and supply all your
abound. I am full.” (4:18) need according to
His riches in glory
by Christ Jesus.”
God doesn’t do things half-
(Philippians 4:19)
way. He provides complete-
ly. In section 8.3, I’ll show
you how perfectly God meets
us in all of our needs. The joy Paul experienced when the
Philippians had occasion to turn their intentions into actions
wasn’t due to his needs being met. He got joy from seeing
fruit added to them. (4:17) Paul’s first concern was their
well-being, not his own! Because the Philippians became
partners with Paul, they also got to share in his blessing. In
the following section we will see to what extent God blessed
the Philippians due to their partnership with Paul.

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8.3 The Measure of God’s Provision
Paul’s God would provide for the Philippians, in all their
need. (4:19) Because they were partners with Paul, God
would make sure that their every need was met. This
provision was not according the economic situation on Earth.
It was according God’s riches in glory. God’s heavenly riches
in Christ were the measure for the Philippians’ provision.
These heavenly riches are unlimited. Therefore, the
Philippians’ provision had no limits to it. The Philippians’
needs were met according to the unlimited heavenly riches in
Christ. This promise isn’t only for the Philippians, who
worked with Paul. It is for every believer who partners with a
healthy ministry for Christ. When people partner with a
ministry, they become part of it, and receive the anointing
and blessing associated with that ministry.

When we seek the kingdom of God and show this by

partnering with a ministry for Christ (among other things),
God will add all these things (food, clothing, housing, etc), as
Matthew says,

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His

righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
(Matthew 6:33)

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Chapter 9 Summary

Joy is the result of daily choices. We can choose to be joyful,

to always rejoice. True joy is dependent upon a strong
relationship with the Lord, a relationship based on the
righteousness and peace which became part of us when we
received Christ. We are justified and righteous through faith,
not through our own efforts.
Because of this, we can always
find peace with God, for our
All joy can be
salvation is founded upon
traced back to
what Christ did and not on Who Jesus is, the
anything we could ever do. Source of all joy.

When we experience this

peace, it is no longer difficult
to always be joyful. The command to “Rejoice in the Lord
always” is no longer difficult when we truly realize Who He is
and what He’s done for us. The knowledge of Christ causes
everything else in our lives to pale in comparison.

All joy can be traced back to Who Jesus is, the Source of all
joy.

All joy that we find in relationships with other people is only

true joy when these relationships have Christ at their center.

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The joy we find in our work, is only true joy when we do our
work “as for the Lord.”

The joy we find in the promise of Christ’s eminent return and

the promise of God’s provision for all our needs, is only true
joy when it’s based on Who Christ is. He is our Provider, in all
of our needs. He is our Savior from the coming wrath.

The command to rejoice in the Lord at all times is a feasible

commandment because Christ will never leave us or forsake
us—He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

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