Philippians 2:12-13
The theme of Philippians could be stated a couple of ways. But here's one...it is GOOD to be a Christian! Paul's already explained that by talking about the glory of Christ, whom we get to live with a worship forever (Phil. 1:2, 1:11, 1:19, 1:22-23, 2:5-11), and the assurance we have that Christ will not abandon us in difficult our circumstances, which are always purposeful and heading towards glory (Phil. 1:6, 1:12-14, 1:18, 1:19-20)! Therefore, we should be confident as we live to proclaim the message of the gospel (1:5, 1:7, 1:12, 1:27). For the next 2 weeks, we'll be asking this question...if that is all true, am I really motivated to live for Christ? The reality is that we struggle to follow Christ, NOT because His commandments are too difficult, or that living for him is 'boring' or 'unrealistic', but because we think about obedience the wrong way, and way too often! Therefore, read Philippians 1:12-18, and ask the question...how does Paul want to motivate us to live holy lives for Christ?