HOW TO BE HAPPY - BY LIVING GOD'S WAY.
"How to be Happy by Living God's Way" is based
on Paul's letter to the believers at Philippi
about A.D. 61. You'll find chapter and verse
references as you read on and brackets indicate
our comments.
(God loves you and has a great plan for your
life. But we all prefer our own plans. This
breaks His "Law of love", the price being
separation from Him. Christ paid the price by
dying in your place and rising to offer
reconciliation. Accept His offer now, turn to
and trust Him, if you have not already done so,
with a prayer like this. "Jesus I turn to and
trust in you, forgive me for going my way in
the past and help me to go your way in the
future".
Whether you feel any different or not, if you
said that to God and meant it, His Holy Spirit
lives in you and you are now one of His family.
You have accepted the Good News (Gospel) about
how to become God's child and your mission in
life is to pass it on).
God has begun a good work in you and He will
keep at it until you meet Jesus in person.
(Chapter 1, verse 6)
As you co-operate with God, your love will grow
in knowledge, depth and insight. You will be
able to discern what is best in every
situation, being pure and blameless so that
people will thank and praise God as they see
Christ living through you.
Then finally, when you meet Christ in person to
account for your life, you will have God's
approval. (Chapter 1, verses 9-11)
And it can be tough. Believers have been
imprisoned for their faith and, empowered by the
Spirit of Christ, made courageous and fearless
stands for Him. With the attitude that life or
death is not the issue, but only that Christ be
made known, men like Paul have been able to
honestly say "For me to live is Christ and to
die is gain." Your goal is to progress joyfully
in your faith in Christ,conducting yourself in a
manner worthy of the Good News. So stand firm in
one spirit with your fellow believers as you
share the Good News, even though this may
involve suffering. (Chapter 1, verses 12-30)
Now you are united with Christ,you'll experience
the comfort and security of His love, and the
intimate closeness, tenderness and compassion of
His Spirit. Genuine concern for and valuing of
others, will counteract selfishness and conceit,
so that you won't always be thinking of your own
interests but putting the interests of others
before your own. Since Christ dwells in you,
you'll have His attitude. Have a close look at
it:- (Chapter 2, verses 1-4)
He was God but He didn't hang onto that
privilege,instead, He took the human nature of
a nobody, a humble servant, dying obediently
on the cross.
That's why God exalted Him to the place of
highest honour and gave Him the name above all
others, that at the name of Jesus every knee
shall bow in Heaven and on earth and every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the
glory of God the Father.
On that basis, confess and be cleansed of all
that's wrong in your life, so Christ is let
loose in you and God's goals achieved through
you. That way you'll be blameless, pure and
without fault in a crooked and depraved
generation, shining like a star in the darkness
as you hold out God's word of life.
No complaining or arguing for you, unlike many
so called followers of Christ who look out for
their own interests rather than His.(Ch 2:5-30)
Be aware that these people have fallen into the
age old tradition of empire building in
Christ's name. Being spiritually insecure
they erect legalistic and "brick"
structures where fear instead of freedom
prevails. Of such people Jesus said "Not
everyone who says to me Lord Lord will get to
heaven but only those who do my Father's will.
Many will say to me on judgement day "We
prophesied, drove out demons and performed
miracles in your name", and I will tell them
straight "I never knew you, away from me you
evildoers"). (Matthew Ch 7 vs 21 - 23) Such
people have their minds set on earthly things,
they live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
For you, all that nonsense must be a thing of
the past. Rejoice in the liberty Christ gives
as you let Him live through you. You'll find
everything you depended on for happiness in
your old life is rubbish compared with the
surpassing greatness of knowing Christ. Being
united with Him by faith, you don't have to
depend on keeping any man made rules to
maintain that relationship. All you'll want is
to know Christ, including the supernatural
power He gives to achieve His goals and to
share in His inevitable sufferings.
This doesn't mean you have reached your full
spiritual stature. It's a matter of pressing on
to achieve the goals Christ has for you. Like
an athlete in a race you strain toward the
finish tape to win the prize "For which God has
called you heavenward in Christ Jesus."
This is the mature way of looking at things. It
doesn't give you the right, however, to look
down on less mature believers. Each of us must
live up to the level Christ has enabled us to
attain, eagerly waiting for the day we will
see Jesus and get new bodies like His.
(Chapter 3)
So, to conclude, here is some good advice.
Whatever your circumstances,"stand firm in the
Lord" let Jesus have His way and you'll be
able to rejoice always. Be gentle. Don't be
anxious, rather, with thanksgiving ask God to
meet your needs.
Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely,
admirable, excellent or praiseworthy - think
about such things.
Now on you go with your new life. You'll learn
to be content whatever the circumstances.
Whether living in plenty or want you'll find
out you can do everything through Christ who
gives you strength, and that God will meet all
your needs according to His glorious riches in
Christ Jesus.
And may the peace of God which transcends all
understanding guard your heart and mind in
Christ Jesus.
(Chapter 4)
HERE ARE SOME MAIN POINTS FROM PHILIPPIANS:
1. God has begun a good work in you as Christ
now lives in you in the person of the Holy
Spirit, and be sure He WILL FINISH the work.
2. The good work is for othere to meet Jesus
through "you." But it means suffering and being
a nobody - a humble servant. So press on and
don't look down on less mature believers. Do
everything through Christ who gives you
strength.
3. You'll find many so called followers of
Christ don't live on the above basis. They
prefer religion to Him and are enemies of His
cross.
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