Faith Hope and Love Blog

Below is a list of key words and verses from the book of Philippians in the NIV translation of the Bible. This is not meant in any way to be a substitute for reading the complete book, but to capture an overview of important themes and phrases. Sometimes we read a few verses, or a single chapter, and we miss the overall context of the entire book. So, this is an attempt to provide a reminder of the threads and themes found within Paul’s letter to the Philippians.

Grace and peace to you

Thank God

Pray with joy

being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

share in God’s grace with me

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1:9-11

speak the word of God courageously and fearlessly

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain

Philippians 1:21

conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ

it has been granted, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him

encouragement from being united with Christ

comfort from his love

fellowship with the Spirit

tenderness and compassion

be like-minded

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Philippians 2:3-4

He humbled himself and became obedient to death

at the name of Jesus every knee should bow

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord

continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling

God works in you according to his good purpose

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life – in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

Philippians 2:14-16

Be glad and rejoice

Rejoice in the Lord!

watch out for men who do evil

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ – the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Philippians 3:7-9

know Christ

and the power of his resurrection

and the fellowship of sharing in his suffering

becoming like him in his death

Press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me

… Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13b-14

live up to what we have already attained

our citizenship is in heaven

eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ

stand firm in the Lord

Rejoice in the Lord always

Rejoice!

let your gentleness be evident to all

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

True

Noble

Right

Pure

Lovely

Admirable

Excellent

Praiseworthy

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things”

Philippians 4:8

put it into practice

the God of peace will be with you

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Philippians 4:23

You must continue to move forward in faith, and leave your past behind. Moving forward is necessary to a purposeful pursuit in your life.

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:13-14

Forgiveness is essential to dealing with the past. We are called to forget what is behind, and to press forward. No longer carrying the burdens of shame, regret, guilt, anger, or bitterness from when we were wronged by someone, or when someone wronged us.

Forgive those who have hurt you.

Seek to reconcile with those whom you have hurt.

Move forward in faith, knowing that God is at work, and that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

This is not about the power of positive thinking, and it’s not “mind over matter” and it’s not “name it and claim it.”

It is how God has designed you. Pursue a deeper relationship with God, and receive His grace and forgiveness for your failures and shortcomings. And give grace to others who have wronged you. As you focus on Him, and seek to follow Him, He will transform your heart and mind, to give you a different perspective.

A new mind.

A transformed heart.

A new purpose.

Do do not dwell on the past, and do not be enslaved by it. Deal with it, but don’t let it burden your present. Do not let the past define you. Instead, let Christ define you.

You belong to Christ. He is at work in you. He alone has the power and authority to heal, restore, and renew. Look to see the hand of God at work in all circumstances.

“… I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”

Philippians 4:11

You will see what you look for. You will find what you seek.

We may not see His hand, and we may not understand His work, but we can have confidence that He is with us, and that He is good, and that He will be glorified in all circumstances.

See God’s grace.

See God’s forgiveness.

See God’s love.

We must move forward in faith, knowing that He has a plan, and He is going to accomplish His work, according to His will … in us, through us, around us.

For His purposes.

For His glory.

In the beginning, it was very good.

But now it seems very broken.

Wars and rumors of wars, school shootings, riots, cyber warfare, suffering, and difficulty fill our daily news.

And we know deep in our hearts that things are not as they should be. We recognize that many things are broken, and our hearts cry out for peace and deliverance from the chaos that consumes us.

Hope is not found in the wisdom of the world. But we must not live with cynicism or despair. Rather, we live fully in the present, with our hope in the future.

The more we allow the truth of God’s Word to live in our hearts, the more heaven comes to earth, and our future hope gives us a present hope.

Our purpose is found in sharing the peace and presence of God, to restore hope to this chaotic world.

Our hope is not that we can overcome our present difficulties and struggles by our own power, but that God will change our hearts and minds. That we would see the world differently, and that we would be light in this dark work, as we hold out the Word of Life.

Our present hope is not just in a future event, but it is also a hope in the healing power of God, and His grace that we can receive now.

Freedom from guilt, shame, and sin.

Our hope is for God to be alive and present in our hearts, that we will not despair, though all the world crumble around us.

Tragedy and heartache surround us – addiction, disability, poverty, accidents, sickness, death, war, greed, selfishness, insecurities, and anxieties. If you think you are immune, you deceive yourself. Or if you think you are the only one to carry the weight of suffering, you deceive yourself doubly. Not only do we suffer from outward pain, but we also inflict pain upon ourselves through our faulty thinking.

Things are not as they should be.

Our awareness of this reality is evidence that we were created for something better than this world. Does any other creature on earth have an awareness of a preferred reality? Or are we uniquely wired to desire something beyond our present experience?

C.S. Lewis says “If I find in my self a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.”

Take a moment to be still and silent, and separate yourself from the chaos of the world for a few moments. Seek the Lord today, and surrender yourself to Him. Embrace His grace, and receive forgiveness and deliverance from your sin and struggle. Entrust yourself fully to Him, and learn to let His Spirit guide your thoughts, words, and actions. Do not let your heart be burdened by your past mistakes, or by your present difficulties, or by your fears of the future. But be at peace in this moment, in the presence of God. And experience a glimpse of how things should be. And how they will be forevermore.