Philippians 4:19-23To: Philippians Main MenuTo: Grace Notes Home Page Philippians 4:19And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.This verse is a popular verse often quoted out of context. AND MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY ALL YOUR NEED The "and" indicates that v.19 is an outcome of what he has just said. This paragraph treats God's faithfulness in using the Philippians to meet the financial needs of Paul in jail. The Philippians met Paul's need. Now God will meet their need. This is a quid pro quo. God used the Philippians to meet Paul's need in jail. God will also meet the Philippian's ability to give. What affects Paul affects God. God will exchange compliments. God is faithful to his people. He will not stand in debt to his people. The context of God meeting our financial needs is in the environment of our meeting the needs of others. In verse 18 the Philippians gave an acceptable sacrifice that was a sweet smelling aroma to God. If everything is flowing out and nothing flowing in, the Philippians will themselves be put in jeopardy financially. God will not allow those who give sacrificially to go in want. We cannot out give God. He has a bigger shovel. The promise here is that God will supply "all" the needs of the Philippians, not just some of them. God's supply is comprehensive of every type of need. Whether our need is temporal or spiritual, God will meet it. Luke 6:38, Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. Psalm 37:25, Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, Nor his descendants begging bread. Prov. 3:9,10, Honor the Lord with our possession, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. PRINCIPLE: God supplies our need when we meet someone else's need. God will commemorate sacrificial giving. APPLICATION: Are you generous with others? Are you a stingy person? Is the reason you hang onto your money so, is that you do not believe that God will supply your need? Do you believe that God will "resupply" you if you give to his cause? God's commemorative giving does not apply to every believer. It only applies to those who have given sacrificially. Do you believe God will reimburse your generosity? ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY God will supply their need according to the standard of his own wealth. The words "according to" mean according to the norm or standard. The standard is the limitless wealth of God in eternity. God gives out of the capital of his grace in eternity. God will supply their need not "out of" his riches but "according to" his riches. God will supply riches in ratio to his personal wealth. If I have two million dollars and you asked me for two hundred dollars and I gave you the two hundred, I would give out of my two million, not according to my two million. I would not give in ratio to my two million. God does not operate on human standards. We cannot bribe God. Some people want fame, wealth or a beautiful girl. They feel that if they give, God will give them what they want. They treat God like a genie. God, however, does not operate on a barter system. The Philippians did not approach God like that . They gave out of love for the Lord and Paul. God guarantees to supply all need of those who faithfully give to the cause of Christ. God will dispense ("supply") riches in abundance. Note the contrasts in this passage: "You met Paul's need; I will bless you according to my riches. You supplied one of my needs; I will supply all of your needs. You supply out of poverty; I will dispense out of my riches in glory. You supplied by the hand of Epaphroditus; I will supply by Christ." BY CHRIST JESUS God administers his supply to the giver through Jesus Christ. PRINCIPLE: God meets the financial status of the believer, not "out of" his wealth, but "according to" his wealth. God gives commensurate with his capacity. APPLICATION: Do you believe that God's reimbursement to you will be in commensurate with his eternal riches? Do you believe that God will reward you according to that which befits his wealth? This passage is a promise that God will reimburse you on a scale worthy of his wealth. Philippians 4:20Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.God is glorified unto eternity for the contents of the whole book of Philippians. God is glorified, for example, by his provisions for Paul and the Philippians themselves. Ascription of glory to God recognizes his nature and attributes. "Amen" means it is true. Paul affirms the truth of the wonder of God. The ultimate test of whether something is worthwhile is whether it brings glory to God. Paul's jail term brought glory to God. PRINCIPLE: God's glory is the ultimate purpose for creation. APPLICATION: The purpose for our life centers on God himself. God is the end of creation, not man. If you are sick today, glorify God in your sickness. If you face a mundane day, reflect the greatness of God and he will change the mundane to eternal purpose. No adversity is without opportunity to glorify God. All blessings of one's life are opportunities to magnify the greatness of God. Philippians 4:21Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you.Now we come to the conclusion and farewell of the book of Philippians (4:21-23). Greetings come from a number of sources. First, Paul sends his own greeting. GREET EVERY SAINT IN CHRIST JESUS. Final greetings come to the Philippians from Paul, from his fellow workers, from other believers and from the Praetorian Guard. "Every saint" means every individual believer in Philippi. No matter how humble that believer may be, he wanted to make sure they received his greeting. Every individual receives his greeting. No one is unimportant to him. THE BRETHREN WHO ARE WITH ME GREET YOU Paul's companion greets the Philippians. This is the second greeting. They were probably Paul's traveling companions such as Timothy. Philippians 4:22All the saints greet you, but especially those of Caesar's householdThe third category of people who greet the Philippians are the "saints." "All the saints" is probably the believers in the church at Rome (1:1). We will study the fourth and last greeting, the greeting from a powerful political force in the Roman empire, next time. Greetings are characteristic of Paul's letters. He was considerate of people. He loved people. PRINCIPLE: Greeting shows consideration of others. APPLICATION: Thoughtfulness of people is a core value of Christianity. Today when you pass by others, will you honor their presence with a greeting? Will you show interest in others and their concerns? Is everyone in your purview important to you, no matter who "insignificant" to others they may be? The fourth category of people greeting the Philippians is "Caesar's household." The word "especially" means "in greatest degree." With a special touch Paul concludes the book of Philippians with emphatic emphasis upon God's sovereign work in spite of his adversity in jail. He singles out the Praetorian Guard for special mention. Caesar's household is not the members of the family of Caesar. They are not his kin. The imperial guard was the institution that chose the Caesar. Paul led many of these men to Christ while in prison. The Philippians had part in their salvation by their support of the apostle. The Praetorian Guard (one of the most powerful political institutions of the Roman empire, 1:13) gives greeting to this motley little church in Philippi!! No wonder Paul could say that what had happened to him advanced the gospel (1:12). If the Praetorian Guard could live for Christ in that institution, we can live for Christ in school, business, police force. PRINCIPLE: God uses the weak to win the strong. APPLICATION: Sometimes we preempt God's work in our lives. We under value what God can do through us. A false belief among some is that God could never use them to reach people more intelligent, more wealthy or more important than they are. "But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty" ( I Cor. 1:27). If God can use a jail-bird to reach the Praetorian Guard, he can use us. If God can use the Philippians to facilitate world evangelism in the first century, he can do that through us in the twenty-first century. Philippians 4:23The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.Paul's usual practice was to close his epistles with an emphasis upon God's matchless grace. Paul concludes Philippians with a closing prayer for them. The prayers of the saints often reveal their heart. Paul's heart was that the Philippians would experience the grace of God. This is more than a formal or customary greeting. The greeting has deep meaning to Paul. This is the deepest desire of the apostle. Paul above all else wants the Philippians to experience of God's grace upon their lives. Grace is a center piece in the salutations and conclusions of Paul's epistles. The Lord Jesus Christ is the source of grace: "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (II Cor 8:9). "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen." (II Cor 13:14). AMEN "Amen" means "so be it." Paul affirms his belief system: "May the Philippians experience the grace of God day by day in their lives." PRINCIPLE: The grace of God is a central operating principle for Christian living. The grace of God is his provisions for us. He gives these provisions without merit. APPLICATION: Are you conscious of God's provisions in your life? Do you know what those provisions are? Are you able to use those provisions for what you face day by day. Is the grace of God operative in your experience? Is the grace of God "with you?" ---------- Copyright © 1995, Dr. Grant Richison. All rights reserved. There is no charge for Grace Notes Materials. You can help further this work by your prayer and by sending a contribution to: Grace Notes 1705 Aggie Lane Austin, Texas 78757 wdoud@bga.com Grace Notes Web site: http://www.realtime.net/~wdoud/ Anonymous FTP site: ftp://ftp.bga.com/vendors/wdoud/ Grace Notes is a ministry of Village Missions International. |
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