MinistryMessages
July 4, 2013
This entry is part [part not set] of 3099 in the series Daily Words for the Christian Life
Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.
— Philippians 1:1
Paul wrote that he was a bond-servant of Christ Jesus. “Jesus” implies the suffering One, and “Christ” implies the exalted One. A bond-servant of the Lord experiences the suffering Jesus and follows the exalted Christ. Paul could say, “I am enslaved to a wonderful Master—the ascended, exalted, and enthroned Christ—but in my daily life, I experience the suffering Jesus. He was despised, and I am despised. He gained no respect, and I gain no respect.”
Adapted from Philippians: “That I May Gain Christ,” page 14.
Tomorrow: “A Bond-Servant of Christ Jesus” (2)