Sharing in Grace and Affection

DEVOTION

THE LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS

SHARING IN GRACE AND AFFECTION

Phil 1:7-8

7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

NIV

This certainly is a personal note from Paul to the church in Philippi. Yet it offers us the opportunity to an insight as to how we should feel about other believers. That is to be thankful for them because they are partners with us in the gospel as well as in the grace of God. We all share in the grace of God. Just think about that. Who among us can say we have something others do not? We might have more material goods than some others, or we might have fewer material goods than some. But the fact remains we are all equal when it comes to the grace of God. Some of us might have what seems a more public ministry than others. Some might appear to have a more important position in the church, such a pastor, elder, deacon, etc. However, no one has more of the grace of God than anyone else. We need to feel thankful for each of the brothers and sisters in the Lord, no matter what their amount of material possessions or their position in the church. We should feel equally the same about all believers as we all share equally in the grace of God. It is right for us to feel that way about all of them since we have them in our hearts. There it is, we are supposed to have all the other believers in our hearts. That would imply we should love them, all of them. In fact, Paul says he longs for them with the affection of Christ Jesus. Again, we have to ask whether we can say we long to fellowship with other believers and if we actually have the affection of Christ Jesus toward them. This truth points to how we are to live with each other, in love, peace, and harmony. That is putting aside all such attitudes that do not fit with loving each other as Christ loves us. Living with affection for each other means we would never do any harm to each other, in fact, it would mean just the opposite. Living with affection toward each other would mean we are always looking for the good or welfare of each other. Sometimes that is difficult because we forget and think too much about ourselves, how we feel, what we want or need. But this passage reminds us to refocus our minds and think more about the affection we should have for all the other believers, the same affection as Jesus has for all of us. So we share in God Grace and we share in affection.