In my Heart. Philippians 1:7. “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.” Even though the apostle was separated from the believers at Philippi by many miles, it was appropriate for him to open his heart to them through written words. “It is meet (right)” conveys a sense of moral uprightness, meaning “It is righteous” that he thought of them and shared what was in his heart. They were those whom God was using in the work of the Gospel to reach others, even as they sent him the encouragement and financial support he needed. The bond of love is not limited to being physically in the same place.
There are no limits to the bonds of love in the soul and spirit. They are still workers together in the Lord with the same goal of blessing others with the message of salvation. Defending the Gospel involves faithfully sharing the way of salvation and making it clear through spoken words. The “confirmation” of the Gospel refers to the message being validated or guaranteed. This is done through visible evidence of the new birth seen in the loyalty of those who accept Christ. Confirmation is actually a legal term used in business – a commercial word similar to an “earnest” payment made when an agreement is reached.
Among believers who are united by the bonds of the Gospel, we share a unique oneness that feels strange to others. “How do you know them? You don’t look like brothers!” people often ask when we mention those believers in distant and unusual places. The common bond of the Gospel makes us one with those we’ve never met before but are willing to discuss the fullness of God’s grace through the Gospel. The Gospel is near to the hearts of all who know the Lord Jesus Christ by faith. Our hearts are connected because of Him, and we willingly identify ourselves as those who know the Lord and accept the truth of God.
Some people we meet are rich, and others are poor; some are old in faith, while others are young, new believers just starting their journey with the Lord. The foundation of our shared bond goes back to when God began His work of grace in us by allowing us to hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that message, we believe in Him, who paid the price for our redemption, and through the Holy Spirit, He has placed us in God’s family. The common bond we share is being born of God. When we meet other members of God’s family, the bond of faith in Christ is special. It is a work of God, and all across this land, when we find those of like precious faith, a joyful bond unites us in our souls and spirits.
We all have been made partakers of the same grace; all of us have the same Holy Spirit dwelling in us. We all have the same heavenly Father and the same Savior, who has promised never to leave us and to be with us in dark valleys and deep waters. We all use the same Holy Book to find our instruction and guidance. We all have a new love given to us that motivates us to reach out to others with the blessing of the Gospel message. We all have a divine Teacher to guide us into all truth, to reveal Christ to us, and to show us things to come. We are all heading in the same direction because we are all walking on the narrow road. We all love one another because we have passed from death into life, and we are all willing to bear each other’s burdens. We all have eternal life; we all have a desire to pray. We all love the souls of others; we all will be in heaven someday.
Remarkably, our hearts are warmed when we hear about what others are doing and rejoice with them in their successes. When we meet new members of God's family, we ask, “How are things going?” They automatically understand we are inquiring about the state of their spiritual life and share comments that help us walk in the light. How gracious and miraculous of God to bind His children together with cords of love and interest that stem from the divine nature He has given us. From place to place, from country to country, I have seen this blessing in the hearts of those in God's family; the life of God abounds.
The same grace that enabled Paul to endure imprisonment and defend the Gospel also allowed the saints to join him in the cause of Christ. The believers in Philippi were happy to identify with Paul and sent Epaphroditus with financial support for him there.