Joy and Rejoice. Philippians 2:17-18. “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.” Paul considered his life a sacrifice to God on behalf of the saints. He is an example of someone who has the mind of Christ. As far as he was concerned, he was like the drink offering in the Old Testament that was poured out over the burnt and meal offerings. It was only visible when it was being poured out, and then it vanished into the offerings that point to Christ.
A life dedicated to sacrifice brings praise to God and directs honor and glory to the Lord. There is great worth in the life of an assembly and in the individuals who make it up when God is honored among us and is glorified by all our actions, testimony, and fellowship.
Paul was being poured out as a sacrifice to God, but there was no fear in his heart. From the day he spoke to Jesus on the road to Damascus, he knew Christ was his Lord. His joy was in God from the start of his Christian life, and then he sought to encourage others who were living and giving by faith. Their joy was for the same reason as his; they, too, had experienced the blessings of grace and were looking forward to the coming day of Christ.
I share in Paul’s joy when I witness faith alive in the children of God. There’s a realness when God’s people genuinely care for each other and lift up the Lord’s name together. When saints sing hymns of praise with sincerity and truth while gathered, my heart can rejoice. United prayers are offered when we come together as intercessors, bringing joy as we see answers arrive. The Gospel message and teachings go forth unitedly as the Lord’s servants push forward until victory is achieved.
Even in the face of death, someone dedicated to serving God will feel at peace knowing he is in the place His Master desires as he walks this part of the journey. He finds fulfillment in doing God's will, but more than that, the growth in the faith of his brothers and sisters brings shared joy, poured over a sacrificial act that benefits both the giver and the receiver.
Paul exemplifies in these two verses a person who has the mind of Christ and finds joy and fellowship in those who are holding forth the word of life. There probably weren't many Jewish believers in the assembly at Philippi, but all of them would understand what sacrifices are for. Paul wanted them to realize that their service, devotion, and fellowship toward the Lord was a burnt offering that pleased God. That offering was a symbol of the perfections of Christ, in which God was pleased.
Believers in Christ can present themselves to the Lord as living sacrifices that are holy and acceptable to God. The sacrifice and service of faith by God’s people is our expression of love and gratitude to Him. Paul viewed his experiences as the wine poured out on the sacrifice of the Philippians assembly. Wine symbolizes the joy that comes from the pleasure God takes in His Son.
When we find delight and joy in the sacrifices and efforts of others, that happiness adds to what they have given. In this way, we can glimpse the mind of Christ. There is no jealousy, no reservation, and no criticism in what others do as they serve the Lord according to God's will. When we rejoice with them and for what God is doing through them, our joy brings them joy, and this rejoicing blesses us all.
This is one of the delightful results of being laborers together with Christ, showing that there is a strong measure of the mind of Christ in His people. We find joy in our unity and communication; our Lord rejoices with us all. The mind of Christ includes genuine faith that is active and working in those who serve and love the Lord.
When we reflect on people and places we've been, and where the Lord saved precious souls, joy constantly returns to us. Remembering God's grace to us and others is a blessing. It encourages us to evaluate whether we have the mind of Christ today where we are or if we have strayed from that holy example. It is possible to have the mind of Christ at one time and then, again, turn to "seek our own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's."