Philippians 2:19–30 (NKJV)
19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. 20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. 21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. 22 But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. 23 Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. 24 But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. 25 Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; 26 since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. 27 For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. 28 Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. 29 Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; 30 because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me.
In the text for today Timothy and Epaphroditus get commended for their service to Paul and the Church in general. We don’t stop often enough and honestly evaluate how we are serving our Christian brothers and sisters within the Church—nor the unbelievers in the world as well. One excuse is because life can get (and usually is) busy and there’s just no time. But the most likely excuse for no evaluation is because service is Law-oriented. Where there is Law we fall short—we never get it done, because we are sinners who concentrate on serving ourselves—and the flesh doesn’t like having failure pointed out to it.
Being Christians, however, changes that because a new nature is given to us from above. This explains the “born again, from above” words that Jesus delivered to Nicodemus. A Christian has two natures, and, thus, the battle between the two commences while faith exists within the sinner/saint. We are actually doomed to hell because we are not perfect but, thanks be to God, there is good news.
Christ has finished the being perfect, ‘meritorious-works-to-get-into-heaven’ part for you! That is the Gospel that sets you free from the Law. Not free as in having a license to sin and not serve your neighbor. But free, and inspired by that Gospel, to love and serve your neighbor without keeping track of it in a meritorious way. Where faith is, good works (service within all vocations) necessarily happens.
Let us pray: Almighty and Everlasting God, who is always more ready to hear than we to pray and to give more than we either desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Your mercy, forgiving those things of which our conscience is afraid and giving us those good things that we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
