Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Philippians 4:9 KJV
Context and Charge:
Paul writes to the church in Philippi, and he is almost staking a claim to people's lives, asking them to observe his conduct, conversation, company and convictions and then emulate him. This is a strange but very powerful request, and nobody speaks like this without a clear understanding of what is at stake. Paul had travelled far and wide, with bible records indicating he went on at least three missionary journeys. Imagine the number of people he met and interacted with at the time, and the lives that had been impacted by him, and he could say, with conviction, that his life model could be copied. That is confidence and conviction in the values, principles, faith and hope that a man can have in Christ. It is not the product of a sound education, or the result of your circle of influence, or something your bank account balance can sort out.
This statement puts God on notice also that you are fully surrendered to Him and that He can use you anywhere He desires and in any way he wants. It is not for people who are immature and easily swayed from their opinions or views, but for people with unshakeable conviction in the God who calls and equips a man for effective service. Look at the connection between what Paul taught and gave out. There was no hypocrisy or deceit; he won't say one thing and mean the other. He won't tell people what to do without doing it himself. He would not show others the way and then go in the wrong direction. He lived a life of complete honesty, and so it was easy for him to correct anyone who erred in any way, including Peter the apostle. Can God find consistency and faithfulness in me? Can he entrust the lives of people into my hands? Can He trust my heart?
Conviction and Conclusion:
The heart is very important in this instance. It is in the heart that convictions are settled and fixed. If I have to wait for a problem to arrive before I settle on the conviction I want to hold on to, it is very likely that I won't find any I can hold on to. Yes, there are unusual instances that may require unusual steps to be taken, but they must not take your eyes off God into other false narratives. God wants to give peace and comfort, but these can only be accessed by those who are fully and totally surrendered to Him. He does not force submission on any one, but He will give heaven's backing to as many as would come to Him for help. With God's help, I can lay my life down as an example of God's grace, and ask others to emulate me. I can stand at the altar of God's mercy, and let him flow in and through me, so I can be a generational blessing to the people He has surrounded me with. God's time of favour is here.
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