Living as if God was in Control, part 4

Let’s pick up in Philippians 1:15-18, “To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of good will. 16 These preach out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Gospel; 17 the others proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, thinking that they will cause me trouble in my imprisonment. 18 What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice” CSB. Paul tells the Philippians that even though there are people outside of prison who are trying to make life worse for him, though he’s in prison, Paul is actually pleased with the way things are.
 

That doesn’t seem right. It’s almost what I’d call “crazy talk.” Today, there are whole ministries or organizations who think it’s their calling to tear down other organizations and ministries. Even a quick internet search of any famous Christian preacher will show several organizations or people who think he or she is the devil. Truth is: It wasn’t any different in Paul’s day. Even in the time of the New Testament there were people who were preaching the Gospel from false motives. You would think Paul would be upset, or at the very least, critical. But no, he is not.
 

Paul says that his situation is turning out for the advancement of the Gospel. We might say that Paul is, “Gospel-Centric.” He simply rejoices that the Good News is being preached, whether from good or ill motives. From his perspective, the Gospel being proclaimed is far more important than his reputation or his personal comfort. He has this understanding: his imprisonment is for the sake of the Gospel and he does not ask, “Why is this happening to me?” Instead, he understands and trusts that God is in control. Former president, George W Bush said, “If people don’t care who gets the credit, great things can be accomplished.” That, right there, was Paul’s heart: that Christ be preached.

When we have this heart, it is easy to say or agree with the idea that God is in control. Ultimately, the result of saying, God is in control, is this: I am NOT in control. And friends, it is actually liberating to realize that we are not in control. This is a joyful submission to the will of God. God is in control, even beyond the nasty motives other people. This is how Paul viewed his circumstances; he simply rejoices that God’s priorities are being accomplished.
 

How about us? Could we find joy in the middle of our difficulties or trials if we had the assurance that God’s priorities were happening? Very honestly, this is a call to a deeper maturity in Christ. It is a call to the kind of maturity that acknowledges the fact that our comfort and our safety are not the highest good in the earth. Yes, I know, that flies in the face of the modern prosperity Gospel, but as I read and study the Bible, I see, time and again, that it is Biblical and historical Christianity.
 

The truth is that God’s Kingdom and its advancement is the highest priority and Paul demonstrates that his priorities align with God’s priorities. And when our priorities align with God’s priorities, the result is peace and joy - no matter the circumstances we may find ourselves in. Whether we are in prison or free, we can experience peace and joy. Whether relationships, work, school, or finances are going well or are going poorly, we can find peace and joy when we align our priorities with God’s priorities.

The third thing we can learn about God being in control is that we can:
 

Trust God for the Outcome

In Philippians 1:19–26, Paul says something very unusual and a little mysterious. He says that what has happened will turn out for his deliverance. In other words, Paul’s faith that God is in control is expressed in terms of outcomes, not events. As we look at his life, the events did not look promising for Paul. But with spiritual eyesight, Paul looks beyond the events toward the outcome and he concludes that the outcome will be glorious for God’s Kingdom and Plan.
 

Whether in his day or in ours, here are the verifiable facts: sorrow, sickness, and suffering are at large in our world. But God shows His glory by bringing outcomes that are greater than any sorrow, any sickness, or any suffering. 

Continued tomorrow