Lesson 31: Joy’s victory
Philippians 4:1-23 – www.bible.com/bible/59/php.4
21 Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you.
22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
*When and where do you regularly gather with other believers to worship God together, praise Him, pray, encourage each other, and help each other to grow strong in Jesus Christ?
Paul’s closing to his letter to the Philippian believers includes both greetings and the instruction for them to greet others also. Is this important? Is this not simply a way to close a letter? No, it is far more than a way to close a letter.
The believers who lived in Philippi, who were members of this church, were suffering persecution because of their faith. The instruction to greet each other was a reminder they were not to remain hidden or separate because of fear of what someone might do to them – Hebrews 10:24-25. Satan hates the church, because it is Jesus’ body here on earth. He will do everything he can to destroy it and to keep you away from it. Some of his lies may include:
- The closest church is too far away.
- You do not know anyone in the church.
- Some of the people there are hypocrites.
- You can witness to your unsaved friends if you spend this time with them.
Anything keeping you away from meeting regularly with fellow believers (even if it is illegal where you live to have an ‘official’ church, and you can still meet secretly somewhere) is almost surely based on a lie from hell.
If you live in a place where there is no group of believers with whom you can meet, then find other believers near you and begin meeting with them. Even if there are just two of you, Jesus says He is there with you – Matthew 18:20. There is nothing in the Bible to say it must be a building in which you gather. In fact, the Philippian church started out gathering on the banks of the river – Acts 16:13.
Why is it so important for believers in Jesus to gather together and to greet each other (as these final verses say)? The church has a singular, incredible promise made by Jesus in Matthew 16:18b – “…I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Does this mean we find a sanctuary from danger in the church if we can just shut its doors and hide away? Never. It means Jesus uses the church, His body of believers, to assault the gates of hell, and the gates of hell cannot keep the church from entering the enemy camp to tell others there how to find freedom from sin and guilt and shame and fear – in Jesus.
When we greet each other as fellow believers in Jesus Christ, we do so from the position of victory already won – John 16:33. It doesn’t mean we will not lose our lives in the cause of Jesus’ kingdom – it means death has no power over you. All believers in Jesus already have eternal life. Just as Jesus’ blood provided a way of forgiveness to all who would accept His sacrifice for their sin, many times we as Christians are called on to give our lives and let our blood reach others for Him. We need never fear. Our victory is already assured and completed! We greet each other in victory!