Grace Forever

Series on Philippians

Conclusion, Text: 4:21-23

Title: Grace Forever

Introduction

This holiday season is a time when we find people greeting one another with a love and respect that is not present at other times of the year. Or we find people crowding the doors and counters of apartment stores pushing and shoving and being impolite. What a season! The grace of God makes the difference as Paul says to Titus 2:11-15 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you. This week in the Tribune Tom Jackson wrote, “Small wonder Scrooge’s visiting specters insisted the reformed miser keep Christmas in his heart and manner throughout the year. After months of anticipation and weeks of preparation, anybody can be cheerful, optimistic and generous on December 25. Maintaining that outlook when the eggnog runs out and the bills arrive is the tricky part.” Although he never celebrated Christmas as we know it Paul knew what it meant. His celebration is constant.

I The Greetings of grace

Paul sends greetings from his fellow-workers and all the saints and he sends his own greeting. The Greek in verse 21 should properly be translated “Greet every saint.” Nobody is left out. Now Paul had been despised as an enemy and mistrusted early in his ministry, and it was never easy sailing. In fact his letters are filled with references to wayward brethren who caused difficulty. Even this letter that is lighter in tone than most others has the greatest appeal for unity in the New Testament in Chapter 2. It concludes with the words, Do all things without murmurings and disputings. Years ago there was an elder in our church in the north who became discontented. We had an altercation at a church baseball game. I apologized for losing my cool but he proceeded to try to convince the session and the congregation that I was unfit for the ministry. Well unfit as I was, I stayed and he left. A few years later he appeared apologetically at the church and said he wanted to come back, not having found greener pastures elsewhere. I welcomed him and he was restored as an elder. However he had difficulty understanding why I was not bitter. I figured that was God’s job. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. In Chapter 4 Paul writes about two ladies in conflict in the church, Euodia and Syntyche. They are included when he says greet every saint. There must be compromise that holds fast to true doctrine, but allows differences of personal preference and personality. There is no place in the church for those who say my way or the highway. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.

II The Greatness of Grace

The greatness of grace is shown in the fact that the gospel had made progress in Caesar’s household in verse 22, All the saints send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. Now, Caesar’s household comprised a significant portion of the population of Rome. We are talking about Nero’s house-hold here: a very unlikely place. They might have been high officials or slaves. Certainly some of them were recruited from Roman colonies such as Philippi and well known to the recipients of this letter. Some may have been converted before and others after. Even slaves in the house of Caesar were a step above other slaves. In the sixteenth chapter of his letter to the church at Rome Paul sends a long list of greetings. There are a lot of underground graves in Rome. They are called columbaria and they are in the catacombs used by the Christians. Many of the names on those graves are the same as Paul’s list in Romans 16. They include Amplias, Urbanus, Appeles, Rufus, Tryphona and Tryphosa, Philologus and Julia and many others. In fact the man who carried Jesus’ cross, Simon of Cyrene is described as the father of Alexander and Rufus in Mark’s gospel. However the important point here is that the gospel had spread to Caesar’s household. That would be the same as us saying that the gospel had invaded the White House, or the halls of congress, or the Supreme court. I am reminded of Paul’s words in Romans 1 When he says that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.

III The Goodness of Grace.

And so, as we conclude our weekly worship with the Apostolic blessing, Paul concludes his letter in verse 23, The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. But what exactly is he saying when he says the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit? Grace is particular, and the grace Paul is speaking about is given to these believers and not to others. This is what makes it grace. The sovereign God who has revealed himself to you, does not reveal himself to everyone in the same way. There is a general revelation available to everyone. As the Psalmist says, The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork. Paul says in Romans 1: 18-20 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Then there is special revelation as in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Peter addresses his first letter to God’s elect and describes it this way, 1:3 and 4, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you. This is what Jesus is talking about in John 10:1-5. I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice. So then when you read Paul’s blessing, or hear it pronounced you must hear the voice of Jesus speaking to his sheep and assuring them of his love. You recognize His voice reminding you that God loves you. You are not the only one He has chosen, but if you were He would still speak to you and tell you that He loved you enough to die for you. This is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. May it be with you in the coming year, and throughout every year.