Which Dog?
We band together with likeminded believers so that we can “choke in the dust of others who are chasing after Christ.” Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have been empowered to be witnesses of the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Despite the pain and tribulation of a fallen world, our joy and rejoicing is in fellowship with our Heavenly Father, his son our Lord Jesus Christ and with like minded believers in the body of Christ.
Even though we have been saved by grace, we must still contend with the nature of our sinful flesh. Romans 7:14-17 defines every man’s battle: “For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.”
When we came to Christ and accepted the gospel of salvation, we received a new nature of the spirit of life in Christ. However, the battle rages on between the flesh that we inherited from Adam and the spirit of life in Christ that we inherited when we were born again.
An old legend says that there are two dogs in the soul of every man. There is a good dog and a bad dog. These two dogs fight for control. The dog that wins is the dog you feed. How do you feed the “good dog” of the new nature of life in Christ?
God didn’t displace the sinful nature when we accepted Christ. Verse 24 says, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this dead body?” Who shall set me free from the bad dog inside my soul? The answer to this question is in the next verse and continues in Romans chapter 8: “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. THERE is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” The good dog of the spirit of life in Christ will win when we feed him by walking according to the spirit of life in Christ.
The theme of the book of Philippians is “that your joy may be full.” Living in the Joy of the Lord and in fellowship with likeminded believers is one way that we feed the good dog of the spirit of life.
Acts Chapter 16 is the record of Paul’s missionary journey to Philippi. When Paul and Silas arrived in Philippi, they encountered women who were praying by the river side. One woman named Lydia was an influential business woman who was a seller of purple. She and her household were converted to Christ through Paul’s teaching. Paul and Silas also ministered to a slave girl who was possessed by a demon. Her masters made their living by using her to tell fortunes. Paul cast the demon out of the young girl. Her masters were infuriated because they had lost their means of making a living. They incited a crowd in the market place, called the magistrates and Paul and Silas were cast into prison. As a Roman citizen, Paul made an appeal to Cesar. He had been wrongfully imprisoned and had been denied his right to due process as a citizen of Rome.
Paul wrote the epistle to the church at Philippi from a Roman prison three years after this record in Acts 16. He greeted them in Philippians chapter 1 beginning in verse 2, “Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; 6. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
Paul purposed in his heart to complete the work to which God had called him until the day of Christ’s return. He longed for fellowship with the believers in Philippi.
Verse 7 continues: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. 8. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. 9. And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;”
Paul confirmed the gospel in them. There is a thief in every chapter of life that will steal your joy. There is also a rescuer who will confirm the joy and rejoicing in your heart. Trials and tribulations are guaranteed, however even though we cannot control our circumstances we can choose our heart’s response. As Suzan often said, Joy is not the absence of pain, rather joy is the presence of the Lord.
Paul continues in verse 12, “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;”
Regardless of our circumstances, we like Paul can pray that whatever happens we can choose to live for the furtherance of the gospel. The purpose in life is according to verse 27, “Only let your conversation (your behavior, your manner of living) be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. 28. And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.”
Chapter 2 of Philippians is about having the attitude of heart that was in Christ. Even though he was God’s only begotten son, he humbled himself and became obedient even unto death. Humility is the theme of this chapter. Humble thyself therefore under the mighty hand of God and in due time he will exalt you and lift you up.
Repentance in humility is the way to approach God’s throne of grace. Like David who repented and prayed, Create in me a new heart O God and cleanse me from all my sins, God will welcome us when we come to him with a broken and a contrite heart.
We are God’s plan. He has entrusted us with the gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. According to 2 Corinthians chapter 4, God has given us the ministry to reconcile his people back to himself and he has committed unto us his word of reconciliation. Through the power of Christ in us the hope of Glory, we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. Therefore let your conversation, your behavior be as it becometh the gospel of Christ. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
This is the gospel message. This is unfailing love. This is amazing grace.
May we ever live to praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael