Paul begins Philippians by writing to a church he knows and loves deeply. These aren’t strangers. Paul helped start the church in Philippi, and the believers there had continued to support him and participate with him in spreading the gospel.
That relationship helps us understand the opening words of Philippians. Paul isn’t simply beginning another letter. He’s writing to people who have become his partners in the gospel.
We Follow Jesus Together
One of the first things Paul does is thank God for the Philippian believers. When he thinks about them, he remembers how they have partnered with him in the gospel.
That word partnership is important.
The Philippians weren’t just watching Paul do ministry. They were involved. They prayed, gave, served, suffered, and supported the work of sharing Jesus with others.
The same should be true for us.
Following Jesus is personal, but it was never meant to be something we do completely by ourselves. God places other believers around us so that we can encourage one another, pray for one another, serve together, and help others know Jesus.
You Can Participate in the Gospel By:
- Praying for someone who needs Jesus.
- Encouraging another Christian.
- Serving others.
- Supporting missionaries.
- Inviting someone to church.
- Telling someone what Jesus has done in your life.
God Isn’t Finished With You
Paul is also confident that the God who began a good work in the Philippians will continue His work in them.
That’s an encouraging truth.
When you trust in Jesus, God begins changing you—but you don’t instantly become everything He wants you to be.
You are still growing.
You’ll have victories, and you’ll make mistakes. You’ll understand some things about God today that you didn’t understand before. As you continue following Jesus, God will keep shaping your attitudes, choices, priorities, relationships, and desires.
Spiritual growth is a lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus.
That doesn’t mean we don’t have a responsibility to obey God. Throughout Philippians, Paul will challenge these believers to make real choices about how they live.
But our confidence isn’t simply in our ability to make ourselves better.
The same God who saves us continues working in us as we follow Him.
Paul Prays for Their Growth
Paul doesn’t just tell the Philippians that he cares about them. He prays for them.
And notice what he wants for them.
Paul wants their love to keep growing.
But he isn’t talking about a love that is based only on feelings. He prays that their love will grow with knowledge and discernment.
Key Word
Discernment means learning to recognize what is right, wise, and pleasing to God.
That’s incredibly important because every day you make decisions about how you’re going to live.
What should you watch?
What should you listen to?
How should you treat someone who annoys you?
What should you do when friends pressure you to do something wrong?
Which relationships are helping you follow Jesus?
What deserves your time and attention?
Following Jesus isn’t just knowing a list of rules. As you know Jesus better and understand God’s Word, you should become better at recognizing what honors Him.
Your love should become wiser.
Your choices should become more like Jesus.
Your life should increasingly show that you belong to Him.
Growing Until Jesus Returns
Paul’s prayer looks beyond today. He wants these believers to continue growing so that their lives will honor Christ all the way until the day of Christ.
In other words, Paul wants them to keep following Jesus until Jesus returns.
That’s an important picture of the Christian life.
You haven’t arrived.
Paul hadn’t arrived. The Philippians hadn’t arrived. Following Jesus means continuing to grow.
We learn His Word.
We pray.
We obey.
We love people.
We serve.
We make wise choices.
We participate in His mission.
And through it all, God continues His work in us.
Bring It Together
Philippians 1:1–11 shows us what the gospel begins to create in God’s people.
The gospel creates partnership. We follow Jesus and participate in His mission together.
The gospel produces growth. God continues working in us and making us more like Jesus.
The gospel changes how we love. Our love grows with knowledge and discernment so that we learn to choose what honors God.
And Paul shows us something else by his example: Growing followers of Jesus pray for other people to grow too.
Before You Move On…
Don’t only ask, “What did I learn?”
Who is helping me follow Jesus?
Who can I help follow Jesus?
Where is God still growing me?
What is one choice I can make this week that reflects growing love and discernment?
One Big Idea
God is at work making us more like Jesus, and He calls us to grow and participate together in the mission of the gospel.