My Joy and Crown. Philippians 4:1. “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.” Therefore, the first word in this verse reminds us of the examples from previous verses and emphasizes that our citizenship is in heaven as we await our Lord's return. In light of these truths, we are to “stand fast in the Lord.” Believers in Jesus Christ are loved by those who care for their souls because they are brothers and sisters in Christ. There is joy when someone entrusted with the Gospel message sees those who were saved at the place where he preached standing firm in the faith.
Some of my personal experiences with those whom God saved still humble me because I believe the Lord allowed me to speak for Him, and by His grace, He has saved precious souls. I can definitely relate to the words of the apostle Paul as he thought about those who were “beloved brethren” that he hadn’t seen in quite a while.
It came unexpectedly, “Please show me how to be saved.” Again, after a long period of silence, “Would you come in for a cup of tea?” The next day, “I got saved this morning, and I thought you would like to know.” Another voice responded, “So did I.”
Sitting in the van after everyone else had left, “I want to be saved now.” At a kitchen table with open Bibles and tears, “How could I have missed it for so long?” With voices thick with emotion, grown men confess Christ. Young ones with child-like simplicity, “Thank you, O thank you.”
In the midst of soul trouble and guilt, I wonder, “Is there any hope for me?” Sitting on the edge of a bed, reading a verse from scripture out loud, after a Gospel meeting, with a determined voice—and tears—God reveals Himself through the Word, and souls are saved.
In a snow-covered store, reading Isaiah 53, “He was wounded for my transgressions…” In the back room of a Gospel Hall, “He was bruised for Mary’s iniquities…” In the wheelhouse of a boat, “The chastisement of Don’s peace was on Him…” In the front room of a house, “By His stripes, I am healed.”
At 3:00 a.m., “What does whosoever mean? Is that really me?” At 10:00 a.m., “It was for me, yes all for me, O love of God so great...” At 8:00 p.m., “I want to be saved now. I am not leaving till I get it.” At 9:30 p.m., “O yes! God says I have everlasting life. How could I have missed it?”
After a Gospel meeting, someone says, “I am this close. I really want to be saved.” Another voice declares, “I don’t care about what my friends say; I want to be saved now.” A child comes back through the door and says, “I want you to know I just got saved.” Then, someone who just came through the door with smiles of joy exclaims, “God just saved me.”
One person says, “Christ died for the ungodly. I am ungodly, so Christ died for me.” Another says, “I was under God’s judgment, but Jesus took the judgment for me.” Another, “Whosoever means me. I do believe Jesus died for me. I have eternal life.” And again, “I confess that Jesus died in my place, and I receive Him as my own Savior.”
“How do I receive Him?” – By opening the door and asking Him in. “How can I know I have everlasting life?” – Who is speaking to you in this verse? “What does ‘believe’ mean anyway?” – It is not what you believe, but in whom. “Is it really that simple?” – Ask God how much it cost Him and then ask that question.
A young child thinks and understands, “It is not how sinful I’ve been. It’s, I’m a sinner.” A young adult said, “That’s what God says, and I believe Him. Jesus is my personal Savior.” An old man said, “After all these years of sinning, and God is willing to forgive me –Yes.” An old lady said, “This is the best three weeks of my life. It is like coming home.”
Paul cared deeply for the believers at Philippi. This example shows the attitude believers should have toward each other, which influences our actions. When affection and warmth are shown to others, they are often returned. My joy and gratitude can often lead to that same response from others. As a result, when a concern needs to be expressed, it is much easier for those involved to accept it.
Standing firm is not really complicated. It simply means staying where you are—not moving. To “stand fast” for some people means doing nothing; naturally, nothing changes, and for others, it means you're doing the right thing. It shows you won't let go of what matters. Not moving from your position because you're unhappy is what was encouraged for the Philippian saints, for whom the Apostle Paul was concerned. It’s not easy to stay at your post, resolute and watchful when the focus is somewhere else. Faithfulness in duty requires my dedication to my Leader—He who understands and cares whether someone is a mother, a shepherd, a soldier, or a friend, and remains steadfast with true concern. Standing firm demands conduct that is “becoming,” whether commanded or learned from the example of others.
There is a strong reason to commit to stability here because, at any moment, the Lord will appear to take His people home to be with Him forever. All chances to serve the Lord in a hostile environment will have passed forever at that revealing moment. So, stand firm in your service and be someone who can be trusted with important things. Your calling comes from the Lord; you represent God in human flesh right where you live. He who chose and called you to speak for Him has the right to expect stability from us in every situation we face.
We belong to an elite group—the family of our God. It is no trivial matter to be saved and called by the Lord to be part of His family, serving Him as adult children who honor a benevolent Father. All around the world, people like you walk the narrow road to heaven. Though they are few in number, they are strong in faith and show the grace of God in these sinful times. Being in God’s family is hard to explain. We come from different backgrounds, but our interests are the same. When we meet for the first time, we share common interests, and the greatest bond of all is our Lord Jesus Christ, along with the divinely given love that brings us joy even if we come from different cultures or nations.
Often, when we hear about tragic events here and abroad, the first thing that comes to mind is to find out how our brothers and sisters in Christ are doing during the crisis. We long for their safety and protection and want to know if there’s any way we can help them in their time of need.
When we hear their news, we praise our God, who blesses His people and cares for them more than we do. There are special people God has sent into our lives who, when they hear the Gospel, let us be a light to them. We find joy in hearing about them doing well for God, especially when we know they are leading others to the Lord. There is no time or place when we can slack off and delay our efforts. There are many people around us who do not know the Savior. They may not openly pay attention to what you do, but fidelity to truth and righteousness is what they observe in you.
We stand firm in the Lord by resisting temptations when they come. The Lord will, with the temptation, "make a way to escape." There are also false teachings, against which we must stand firm in the Lord. Any teaching that in any way demeans Christ, His work, or His word cannot be accepted. Challenges and opposition—perhaps even persecution—may come against us, but in the face of all this, do not quit. Instead, stand firm in loyalty to the Lord and rely on His power.