Philippians 1: Christian Joy's Confidence

Philippians 3:1 "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you."

Introduction:

Today's post features what will be a periodic series on the Book of Philippians.  In the above opening verse we find the key verse and key theme of this wonderful short letter, written by Paul to the church at Philippi. In a past post I had written on the background, key themes and overall message of this wonderful book of the Bible, and simply refer the reader to that post at: http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2014/05/philippians-book-of-christian-joy.html.

Philippians 1 will be the main chapter in today's study. The question to ask is: "what is joy"? In studying the more than 200 passages in the entire Bible that discuss this idea of "Godly Joy" or "Christian Joy", it appears that to be joyful = having confidence in God no matter what.  

Point of Application: 

We will list today's main anchoring point or point of application, followed by a brief outline that will aid us in walking through Phlippians 1: Wherever there is joy, there is confidence.  As we shall see, Christian joy supplies confidence in:

a. Living 1:1-6; 21-26

b. Suffering 1:18-19

c. The Gospel 1:12, 27-30

Christian joy supplies confidence for living Philippians 1:4-6 and 1:20-26
Philippians 1:4-6 is where we discover the linkage between joy and confidence in the daily Christian life: "always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all,5 in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." The joy of which Paul speaks is a delight that is produced by God's grace.  Paul sees how much the Philippians are persisting in their pursuit of Jesus Christ in the Gospel.  The term translated "persuaded" in verse 6 speaks of "having been persuaded".  Having a "firm persuasion" about a matter is very close to the Biblical definition of faith, thus we could say that the reason why Christian joy is so necessary for daily living is because it results in an overflow of faith.  

After writing to the Philippians about all that he has to endure for the sake of Christ, and how He sees great benefit in either dying for Jesus or living to encourage the saints, Paul writes these words in Philippians 1:25-26 "Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again."  Christian joy is not only meant for every day of the Christian life, but is also necessary for growth and progress in the Christian life until the very end.  So Christian joy's confidence is needed for daily living, but notice secondly...

Christian joy's confidence supplies joy in suffering. Philippians 1:18-19
As we back up through Philippians 1 we come to these words in verses 18-19: "What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ." In an unexpected way, Christian joy thrives when pressure and suffering are present and advancing.  Why is that? Because God's provision of grace is the endless fountain of supply for the believer who is in the "pressure cooker" of circumstances. 

Consider 1 Peter 4:12-14 "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; 13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you." Or consider James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  Other great passages spell out this same unexpected truth of Christian joy supplying confidence in times of suffering (2 Corinthians 4:16-18; 1 Peter 1:6-7).

So in having seen how Christian joy supplies confidence for living and in times of suffering, let us look at the third reason we need the confidence of Christian joy.

Christian joy supplies confidence in the Gospel. Philippians 1:12, 27-30
You and I as Christians need to hear or read about the Gospel everyday.  The event of Christ's death, burial and resurrection according to the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-6) and the experience of that event by faith and repentance (Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 2:24-26) includes with it an immediate appreciation for the Gospel.  At salvation God's grace brings the preciousness of the Gospel to roost in the human heart.  However following saving faith, the Christian's appreciation for the Gospel ought to heighten, being that its depths and richness are made increasingly clear.  Note what Paul writes in Philippians 1:12 "Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel". 

Christian joy and the appreciation for the Gospel go hand-in-hand. We read in Philippians 1:27 "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." Joy in the Gospel is supposed to spread like wild-fire among Christians.  There is hardly no more beautiful thing than to see an entire church-full of God's people express the same joy and confidence in the Gospel.  When that occurs, the people of God will look beyond themselves and see what is needed to accomplish God's Kingdom work. 

Conclusion
In today's post we aimed to see the necessity of Christian joy for confidence in three crucial areas:

a. Living 1:1-6; 21-26

b. Suffering 1:18-19

c. The Gospel 1:12, 27-30

In future posts we aim to look at Philippians, chapter by chapter, to discover more practical, life-changing truths about the necessity of Christian joy. 

P4 - Providence, Evil, The Cross and Glory - A Christian understanding of evil and suffering

Habakkuk 3:2 "Lord, I have heard the report about You and I fear.O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years, In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy."

Introduction and Review:

These past few posts have been dedicated to offering a Christian understanding of evil and suffering in the world.  We have proposed four key Biblical themes to aid in our exploration:

1. Providence

2. Evil

3. The Cross

4. Glory

Thus far we have explored the first three, with "the cross" shedding light on how there is no conflict between the understanding of a world governed by the Sovereign God of Providence and the presence and persistence of evil in this world.  Today's post is going to conclude this series by showing the purpose for which evil and suffering are included in God's Sovereign purposes: God's glory.  As we consider this theme of God's glory, we will once more consider the prophet who faced the problem of evil head-on - Habakkuk.

God's ultimate will is to demonstrate His glory

So what is the highest good? How one answers that question determines how one will approach the problem of evil and suffering in this world. According to Habakkuk, and so many other Biblical authors, the highest good, and thus the chief purpose as to why God would will to permit evil in the world is His glory.  Habakkuk's book is about a discouraged and disgruntled prophet complaining to God about the sinfulness of his nation. God's answer surprises, initially confounds and even a times causes great fear in the prophet.  However we see Habakkuk not holding bitterness against God. Why? Because He sees that though we may not understand all of God's ways, the character of God and the purposes for which He does thing are never in conflict.  God's glory is found thoughout Habakkuk's book:

1. Habakkuk 1:12 "Are You not from everlasting,O Lord, my God, my Holy One?
We will not die. You, O Lord, have appointed them to judge; And You, O Rock, have established them to correct."

2. Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filledWith the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea."

3. Habakkuk 3:18-19 "Yet I will exult in the Lord,I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
19 The Lord God is my strength,
And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet,
And makes me walk on my high places."

God's glory, through the cross, is the greatest way we can get through pain and suffering

Just as we saw how the cross enables us to make sense as to why God in His Providence would will to allow evil and suffering in this world, the cross also enables us to find great comfort in the glory of God.  Chuck Swindoll notes: "The Sovereignty of God may not answer all of my questions, but it does relieve me of all my fears."  Saints of God in the pages of holy scripture found such comfort in knowing that all of the suffering we go through and the injustice that pervades our world will ultimately be dealt with and that God as a purpose. 

Perhaps no book outside the Bible has made the strong case for God's glory being the grand purpose for creation, salvation and thus answering the question: "why evil" as Jonathan Edwards' book: "A dissertation concerning the end for which God created the world." Note this excerpt from what he writes: "The glory of God is spoken of in Holy Scripture as the last end for which those parts of the moral world that are good were made."1

Whenever you consider the fact that there is no greater good than God's glory, then you realize how it could be God would choose to use evil and suffering to somehow accomplish such a purpose.  Again the glory of His love shown through the cross is the clearest evidence for this hard to understand truth.  Habakkuk was able to cope and navigate through his struggle over God's usage of the Babylonians to punish Judah and Jerusalem. 

Again consider what he writes in Habakkuk 3:16-19 "I heard and my inward parts trembled, At the sound my lips quivered.
Decay enters my bones, And in my place I tremble.  Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress, For the people to arise who will invade us.  17 Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord God is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments."

Closing thoughts and summary

Habakkuk saw the Providence of God at work in the life of his nation, and God's choice to use the ruthless Babylonian empire certain caused Habakkuk to struggle.  Yet he saw what we would know to be a prophetic glimpse of the cross, as seen in Habakkuk 2:4.  In understanding through God's redemptive purposes could bring about a better understanding of how God's providence and evil could be at work in the same world without cancelling out God's existence or evil's reality, what was needed was the purpose for it all.  Habakkuk concludes by rejoicing over the glory of God. 

Endnotes:

1. http://www.ccel.org/ccel/edwards/works1.iv.html
Thus in Isa. 43. 6,7. “I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back; bring my sons from afar; and my daughters from the ends of the earth, even every one that is called by my name; for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him, yea I have made him.” Again, Isa. 60. 21. “Thy people also shall be all righteous. They shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting hand, that I may be glorified.” Later he adds: "In these places we see, that the glory of God is spoken of as the end of God’s saints, the end or which he makes them, i. e. either gives them being, or gives them a being as saints, or both. It is said, that God has made and formed them to be his sons and daughters, for his own glory: That they are trees of his planting, the work of his hands, as trees of righteousness, that he might be glorified."

P3 - Providence, Evil, The Cross and Glory - A Christian understanding of evil and suffering

Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.

Introduction and Review:
These past couple of days have been dedicated to developing a Christian response to evil and suffering.  We have proposed four key ideas that aid us in navigating this very difficult issue: Providence, Evil, The Cross and Glory.  So far we have looked at the first two of those ideas.  Normally when one reads a typical treatment on this subject of offering a response to evil and suffering, very few spend a whole lot of time on the cross.  Yet without the cross, not only can't a Christian view be developed, but making any sense of why there is evil and suffering in a world ruled by a Sovereign, Good and All-powerful God cannot be achieved. 

Why God's Providence and the existence of evil can only make sense when we consider the cross of Jesus
Tim Keller in his book: "Walking with God through Pain and Suffering", page 119-120, notes: "The book of Job rightly points to human unworthiness and finitude, and calls for complete surrender to the Sovereignty of God. But taken by itself the call might seem more than the sufferer could bear.  Then the New Testament comes filled with an unimaginable comfort for those who are trusting in God's Sovereignty. The sovereign God himself has come down into this world and has experienced its darkness. He has personally drunk the cup of its suffering down to the dregs. And he did it not to justify himself but to justify us, to bear the suffering, death and curse for sin that we have earned."

As you study the pages of scripture, you discover that before the creation of the world, God had already planned the cross.  It is this author's contention that if we are to truly make any sense of the presence of evil and suffering, we must begin and end with the cross.  The cross all at once was the most unimaginable demonstration of the evil of men and the most magnificent demonstration of the love of God.  Further thought would contend that the whole of creation revolves around the revelation of God in human flesh and the particular events of the cross and resurrection. 

Mapping out God's plan for redemption, then creation, and ultimately recreation.
Where do we find evidence in the Bible that the cross was planned before creation? Consider the following verses:

1). John 1:29 "The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"


2). Luke 22:22 "For indeed, the Son of Man is going as it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

3). Acts 2:23 "this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death."

4). Acts 3:18 "But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled."

5). Acts 4:28 "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur."

6). 1 Peter 1:20 "For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you."

7). Revelation 13:8 "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."

From surveying other scripture, we understand that the cross was an agreed upon plan or covenant of redemption between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Passages such as Ephesians 1:1-14; 1 Timothy 1:9 and Titus 1:2 indicate that the Father planned redemption, the Son agreed to purchase it by becoming a man and shedding blood and the Holy Spirit agreed to apply it to all Whom He calls according to the Father purposes of grace, repents and believes.

The cross shaped what particular kind of history was going to come forth once God said: "let there be light" in Genesis 1.  With creation underway, God made beings who could choose.  Those beings chose against Him.  Despite willing to permit the fall, God already had in mind to graciously redeem our fallen parents and thus begin the process of redeeming fallen human beings who by His grace trust in Jesus.

The goal of creation, and its subsequent fall, includes there being a point when God will restore the creation that was lost.  All who have by grace through faith believed on Christ will be included in the glorious recreation - called in Revelation 21-22 the "New Heavens and the New Earth."

The black cloth that is evil and suffering is used by God to show forth His glorious redemptive purposes.  Two passages in Romans bear out this marvelous truth of how the cross gives us clarity to navigate through this difficult issue of evil and suffering.
Romans 3:24-26 "being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."

Then we see Romans 8:20-21 "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Personally I think this passage brings us the closest we will ever get to answering the big "why question" (i.e. "why evil"). The cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the redemptive purposes of God are at the heart of this answer. 

Again Tim Keller in his book: "Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering", page 121, notes: See what this means? Yes, we do not know the reason God allows evil and suffering to continue, or why it is so random, but now at least we know what reason it is not. It cannot be that he does not love us. It cannot be that he does not care. He is so committed to our ultimate happiness that he was willing to plunge into the greatest depths  of suffering. He understands us, he has been there, and he assures us that he has a plan to eventually wipe away every tear. Someone might say, "but that's only half an answer to the question why? Yes, but it is the half we need."

Closing out with the prophet Habakkuk's central statement of "The Just shall live by faith"
The verse we quoted at the beginning of this post shows us how Habakkuk began coping with all that God was revealing to Him.  Habakkuk 2:4 is among the most frequently quoted passages in the New Testament.  When that verse is quoted, it is quoted in the context of the unfolding of saving faith in the gospel. Consider two examples: Romans 1:17 "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Galatians 3:11 "But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” In the Gospel we find the only solution to our sin and the only solution we can offer to a hurting world that is suffering.  The very God Whom unbelieving man rails against and accuses is the very One who sent His Son to suffer and provide the only grounds upon which the believing sinner can be declared innocent of all accusation.  

P2- Providence, Evil, The Cross, Glory - A Christian Understanding of evil and suffering

Habakkuk 1:1-4 "The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.2 How long, O Lord, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. 3 Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises.4 Therefore the law is ignored And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted."

Introduction & Review
Yesterday we began a series on developing a Christian understanding of the problem of evil and suffering.  The basis for this study is the Book of Habakkuk.  The reason for choosing this book of the Bible is because Habakkuk deals head-on with this very difficult issue of evil and suffering.  In yesterday's post we proposed four terms to aid us in this study: Providence, Evil, The Cross and Glory.  So far we have explored God's Providence and how it is He can will to allow evil to exist without being the Author of it.  It is worth citing some scriptures that emphasize God not being the Author of evil and suffering before moving on, as well as seeing how He is in Providential control of all things.

1. God is Good and is not the source of Evil.
1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."

James 1:13 "Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone."

2. God wills to permit evil and uses the moral evil of creatures to accomplish His purposes
Amos 3:6 If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?  

Isaiah 45:7 "The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity, I am the Lord who does all these.

Acts 2:23-24 "this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power."

3. God is Sovereign, exercising Providential control over all things - good and evil
Genesis 50:20 "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive."

Deuteronomy 8:3 "He humbled you and let you be hungry, and fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you understand that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord."

Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

With those passages capturing more of what we looked at yesterday, we will now head into the proverbial lion's den and consider what exactly is evil.

What is meant by "evil"
When we consider the Bible's presentation of the subject of evil and suffering, we are introduced to its beginnings in the hearts of two key figures.  The first is Lucifer, an archangel who would rebel in Heaven to become Satan. (Ezekiel 28). Lucifer's rebellion seduced 1/3 of the angelic realm to rebel against God, with some losing their places, some being chained in reserve for judgment and still others being allowed to roam freely on the earth. (2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 12:7) Satan appears in the garden in Genesis 3 to wreck havoc upon the second key figure: Adam. 

Romans 5:19 states "For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous." By the original Adam's rebellion, all were consigned to the curse of sin. 

Did God know that such treachery would occur? Yes.  Did God in His providence include the fall? Scripture indicates that He did, being that the cross (which will be the focus of tomorrow's post) was ordained in eternity before creation. (Acts 2:23-24; Revelation 13:8).  Did God cause Satan or Adam to fall? No. Any fault, choice to do evil or failure to grasp the grace of God lies in the bosom of the creature.   Lucifer was in a perfect heaven and failed. Adam was in a perfect garden and rebelled.  Every grace was available to them.  How could they had done it? Scripture does not say - except to say that they chose to do it. 

Evil has been described as being likened to "rot" in wood or those spoilages that occur in fruit or vegetables.  In doing words studies on "evil" and "sin", such meanings emerge like "falling short", "trespassing", "stumbling" and "law-breaking".

The best response to evil and suffering is not to attain full understanding of why it happens, but to trust in the Goodness and Providence of God
As you turn to Habakkuk's prophecy once again in Habakkuk 1:5-6  “Look among the nations! Observe! Be astonished! Wonder!
Because I am doing something in your days—You would not believe if you were told. 6 “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
That fierce and impetuous people
Who march throughout the earth
To seize dwelling places which are not theirs." Habakkuk's response in 1:13 tells us something very important about evil and God's providence: "Your eyes are too pure to approve evil,
And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up those more righteous than they?"

What we discover in this chapter of Habakkuk is God's plan to use a more wicked people than those whom Habakkuk complained about (his own people).  Habakkuk wanted a solution - God tells him what He is going to do - and now Habakkuk expresses bewilderment.  But then we see him settle down and respond by faith in Habakkuk 2:1 "I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved."  Habakkuk teaches us that it is not comprehension of the "why" question that is going to sustain us through evil and suffering, but rather faith in trusting that God in His Providence knows exactly what He is doing.  Habakkuk 2:4 says it all - “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith."

Coping with the problem of evil and suffering in a world ruled by God's providence
In Tim Keller's book: "Walking with God through Pain and Suffering" pages 109-110, he recounts the testimony of a woman named Mary who endured much suffering and hardship in her life.  Her statement is worth quoting in bringing understanding on evil's reality in a world ruled by providence: 


"What I discovered about heartaches and problems, especially the ones that are way beyond what we can handle, is that maybe those are the problems He does permit precisely because we cannot handle them or the pain and anxiety they cause. But He can. I think He wants us to realize that trusting Him to handle situations is actually a gift. His gift of peace to us in the midst of the craziness. Problems don't disappear and life continues, but He replaces the sting of those heartaches with hope, which has been an amazing realization."

In scriptures such as Genesis 50:20 and Romans 8:28, we learn a principle that many times is difficult to accept but is nonetheless true: God permits what He hates in order to accomplish the good He intends.  To understand that evil is included in God's providential plan is crucial, since the only other alternative is to believe evil and suffering are random.  Furthermore, God's providential control not only speaks of a purposeful universe, but one that is also moral. Habakkuk's consolation was found in trusting in God's purposes, even if he did not fully understand them.  The revelation of God's words soothed Habakkuk's soul.

Conclusion:

We have thus far considered God's providence and the reality of evil.  There is yet another theme which will be the focus of tomorrow's post that if not considered in the whole scheme of things, will render any hope of developing a Christian understanding of evil and suffering impossible. That theme is "the cross".

P1 - Providence, Evil, The Cross and Glory - A Christian understanding of evil & suffering

Habakkuk 1:1-4 "The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2 How long, O Lord, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, “Violence!” Yet You do not save. 3 Why do You make me see iniquity, And cause me to look on wickedness? Yes, destruction and violence are before me; Strife exists and contention arises.
4 Therefore the law is ignored
And justice is never upheld. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore justice comes out perverted."

Introduction:
Though the book of Habakkuk may not be the most read book in our Bibles, yet it's message ought to be read more frequently. Too often today we hear of more and more people citing their reasons for denying the reality of the God of the Bible.  Among those reasons is the presence of evil and suffering in the world. 

If there is any book of the Bible that takes on the problem of evil and suffering - it is Habakkuk.  The prophet asks a question I am sure we have all ask: "Why Lord?" At the time of Habakkuk's prophecy, the city of Jerusalem, capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, had experienced a mighty revival and series of reforms under King Josiah.  2 Kings 22-23 gives the background for all that took place. Following what was the final revival and glimmer of hope for a nation steeped in sin, Josiah dies and his son takes over the throne in Jerusalem. Whatever reforms and revival had taken place under Godly Josiah was wiped clean by his son Jehoahaz's brief and reckless regime. Egypt invaded the land and the Pharaoh of that day imprisoned the wicked new king, replacing him with his even more wicked brother Jehoiakim.


If would not be long until Jerusalem and its surrounding inhabitants would be taken away into exile to Babylon, with the temple being burned and the flame of hope in Jerusalem being extinguished. 



It is in the midst of these circumstances that The Holy Spirit prompts Habakkuk to write his prophecy.  Stirred up by the hypocrisy, failure and wickedness of his fellow Jews and the sheer shock of the actions performed by Jerusalem's wicked kings, Habakkuk vents his anger. In the opening of his prophecy he begins with a question: "how long, O Lord, will I call for help?"  


What follows is God's conversation with Habakkuk of not only how He is going to deal with the injustice in the nation, but also how through the usage of the even more wicked empire of Babylon, God is somehow going to bring about redemption and restoration. 

When dealing with the problem of evil and suffering, we often find answers we don't want to  questions we don't know how to ask.  Through it all God finds us, which in turn leads us to find Him in the darkness of our night and the pain of our heart.  Such situations are how He brings about healing and redemption. 

In today's post I want to briefly lay out four themes we see in this prophecy that can aid us in grappling with the problem of evil and suffering: Providence, Evil, Redemption & Glory.  We will deal with the first one: Providence.



Providence and the presence of evil in our world
What is providence? Providence is how God guide and directs history, circumstances and human beings to His intended ends.  The Baptist Confession of 1689 gives this definition of God's Providence: "God the good Creator of all things, in His infinite power and wisdom, upholds, directs, disposes and governs all creatures and things, from the greatest to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, to the end for which they were created."


So in accords to this definition, God has ends or purposes and uses means or instruments to accomplish those ends.  By His own character of wisdom and unending power, God directs the course of every affair.  The 1689 Baptist confession continues by noting two implications of this statement:

1. God governs according to His infallible foreknowledge and the free and unchanging counsel of His own will;

2. for the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, boundless goodness, and mercy.



So we see how God exercises His providence - by way of His unending knowledge of all things.  Then we see the chief purpose for which He exercises His will - His glory. 

It is with a high view of God in His providence we see statements such as Habakkuk 1:12 of God being "from everlasting".  Certainly the purpose of God's Providence to accomplish His glory is spelled out in Habakkuk 2:14 “For the earth will be filled
With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea."

Without a doubt Habakkuk retains this high view of God reigning in Providence.  Yet the issue of the presence of evil and suffering in history is raised by the prophet as well.  How can it be that an all-powerful, all knowing God could allow evil to not merely exist, but flourish in Jerusalem, in the world and in the lives of individuals?

Again the Baptist Confession of 1689 aids us in verbalizing a response: "The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in His providence, that His determinate counsel extends even to the first fall, and all other sinful actions of both angels and men."  So did the fall occur as an accident in history? Did Adam and Eve's rebellion in the garden of Eden surprise God? No.  God's purposes included His willing to permit the fall and even the entry of sin into the creation by Satan's pride and deception - all the while not being the Author nor coercer of their evil choices. 

The Baptist Confession of 1689 lays out the following  explanation:

1. This is not merely by a bare permission, but by a form of permission in which He included the most wise and powerful limitations, and other means of restricting and controlling sin. These various limitations have been designed by God to bring about his most holy purposes.

2. Yet, in all these affairs, the sinfulness of both angels and men comes only from them and not from God, Who is altogether holy and righteous, and can never be the author or approver of sin.

Thus as a good and wise Cardiologist needs to medically break a person's rib cage to access a diseased heart, so then does God, to some reasons revealed in scripture but in most cases not told to us, choose to use the presence of evil to accomplish His most excellent ends. In other words - God has morally sufficient reasons for willing to allow evil in the creation. 

Habakkuk is told by God that the Babylonians will be the tool to solve the injustice in the nation.  Habakkuk is shocked and raises complaints but then says in Habakkuk 2:1-2 "I will stand on my guard post And station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me, And how I may reply when I am reproved." We could truly classify Habakkuk as the "Job" of the writing prophets.  Tomorrow we will continue this series of posts by more specifically consider the problem of evil itself.  For now, let us keep before this first theme that anchors our faith in the midst of life's storms - God's Providence.

Philippians: The Book of Christian Joy

Philippians 3:1 "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you."

Introduction to Philippians

Today's post is about considering the overall message and significance of Paul's letter to the church at Philippi. Commentator Paul S. Rees has this to say about Paul's letter to the Philippians: Paul, while in prison (probably in Rome, possibly at Ephesus, improbably at Caesarea) writes a letter of thanks, love, and solicitude to the Christians in Philippi. They have sent him a gift by Epaphroditus their messenger; and they will soon receive, at Epaphroditus' hand, this Epistle of cheerful, almost blitheful gratitude." Reese later notes: These believers were the first fruits of the apostle in Europe. Bringing the Gospel to them had been a costly venture. Acts 16:12-40 tells the story. It was at Philippi, which proudly flew the flag of a Roman free city, that Paul and Silas had been flogged half to death. It was here that they had been brutally jailed." 1

Upon my own reading of Acts 16:12-40, we see that section of Acts begin with the conversion of Lydia the purple trader and end with the conversion and story of Cornelius the Jailer. It is in Acts 16:31 that we read one of the clearest explanations of the Gospel: "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved." 

A quick look at a map of the ancient Medditeranean world will enable the reader to see Phillipi in relationship to the other lands of the Bible and the travels of the Apostle Paul.

Dr. Woodrow Kroll, longtime host of the radio program "Back to the Bible", writes the following about Phillipi: Philippi was just a minor village in Thrace until about 356 b.c when Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, conquered and rebuilt it, enlarging and fortifying the city, giving it his name ("Philip's City"). Years later Philippi became a major city in Mecedonia and a Roman Colony. It was situated on the Ignatian Way, the Roman road that linked the Adriatic and Ignatian Seas." 2 It would be in the time of Paul's first imprisonment at Rome, recorded in Acts 28, that Paul would had composed Philippians along with three other letters: Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon.  

The key verse of Philippians

As quoted at the beginning of today's post, Philippians 3:1 appears to be the key verse to unlocking the main theme of the letter - joy.  Paul states in that verse: "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you."  The NASB does a great job of rendering the Greek of this text, in that it shows how Paul's is writing of the same things or "same types of things" he had written previously and was prepared to write again - namely the theme of Christian joy.  The great commentator R.C.H Lenski writes: "Joy is the music that runs through this epistle, the sunshine that spreads over all of it. The whole epistle radiates joy and happiness."3 Normally in a New Testament Epistle, the first half is dedicated to doctrinal instruction (which would be Philippians 1-2), whereas the second part (Philippians 3-4) deals moreso with practical application.

Grand Themes in the Book of Philippians

With the grand theme being: "The Book of Christian Joy", we discover upon reading through Philippians, other important themes.  For sake of convenience I will simply lay out each theme and the verse references that are found in Philippians.

1. Joy 1:4,25; 2:2,17-18; 4:1

2. Rejoicing 1:18,26 ; 2:16-18, 28; 3:1,3; 4:4, 10

3. Confidence/confirmation 1:6,7,14,25; 3:3,4

4. Mind/thought-life  1:27,2:2,3,5; 3:15,16,19; 4:2

5. In Christ 1:1,13,14,26; 2:1,5,3:3,14; 4:7,21

6. In the Lord  2:24,24; 3:1; 4:1-2

7. The Gospel 1:5,7; 1:27

8. Work of God Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13, 14-18

9. Call of God/Will of God  2:12-13,14-18; 3:12-14; 4:13

10. Christian life  1:21-22; 2:12-13; 3:14; 4:13

Quick outline of the Book of Philippians

Having considered some introductory matters, as well as the key verse and major themes of this "Book of Christian Joy", we will close out today's post by considering a suggested outline.  It is hope the reader can take this and use it for their own spiritual enrichment or as a resource to teach or preach to others.

Outline of Philippians

Key Verse: Philippians 3:1

Key Theme: The Book of Christian Joy

Christian Joy's confidence - Philippians 1

Wherever there is joy, there is confidence.  Christian joy supplies confidence in:

a. Living 1:1-6; 21-26

b. Suffering 1:18-19

c. The Gospel 1:12, 27-30

Christian Joy's thought-life - Philippians 2

Christian joy's thought-life is cultivated in the following ways:

a. Formed by Christ's humility 2:1-5

b. Flourishes under Christ-centered doctrine 2:6-11

c. Functions to live for Christ 2:12-30
    i. Living for Christ stated 2:12-18
   ii. Living for Christ exemplified 2:19-30

Christian Joy's goal - Philippians 3

The goal of Christian joy is to rejoice in Jesus by...

a. Rejoicing in what Jesus did 3:1-7

b. Rejoicing in what Jesus will do 3:8-11

c. Rejoicing in what Jesus is doing 3:12-21

Christian Joy's necessity - Philippians 4

Christian joy is needed in the following areas....

a. Relationships 4:1-3

b. Prayer 4:4-9

c. Contentment 4:10-14

d. Possessions 4:15-23

Endnotes:

1. Paul S. Reese. Proclaiming the New Testament volume 4 - The Epistles to Philippians, Colossians and Philemon. Page 15.

2. Woodrow Kroll. Places in the Bible. Countryman. Nashville, TN. 2005. 224-225. 

3. R.C.H Lenski. Interpretation of Saint Paul's Epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians. Wartburg Press. Page 691.