Philippians Homepage
Joy. The
dictionary defines joy as: “Intense and especially ecstatic or exultant
happiness.” Yet, the Bible defines joy
somewhat differently. In the Bible, joy
is not as much an emotion as an attitude of mind. An emotion is determined by outside
circumstances. For example, it is very
hard to decide to be happy. Happiness is
a result of good things happening to you.
You get a promotion and a big raise at work, and that makes you
happy. You get fired from your job and
that makes you unhappy. Joy, on the
other hand, is not spoken of that way in the Bible. We are actually commanded to be joyful (“Rejoice
in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Philippians 4:4).
God doesn’t give commands he knows we can’t
perform, so if he tells us to rejoice, we can, and should, rejoice. That is why I like to think of joy as an
attitude. An attitude is a frame of
mind, a pattern of thinking, formed over a period of time. We can cultivate a lifestyle of continual joy
if we do the right things, and that is what the book of Philippians is all
about. This book is all about joy. Written by the apostle Paul in approximately 62
– 62 A.D. from his house imprisonment in
The following excerpts are this author’s attempt to
hit the highlights of this book. They
are not intended to be full expositions of this text, but it is hoped that the
reader will be edified by them. I praise
Almighty God for the ability to present these articles, and it is my prayer
that He will use them to illuminate.
Amen!
Paul’s Letter to
·
God Finishes What He Starts (Philippians 1:6)
·
Rejoicing in the Proclamation of Christ (Philippians
1:18)
·
Joy in Living for Christ (Philippians 1:21)
·
Joy in Humility (Philippians 2:5-8)
·
Joy in Obedience (Philippians 2:13-14)
·
Rejoice in the Lord (Philippians 3:1)
·
Joy in Sacrifice (Philippians 3:7-9)
·
Joy in Perseverance (Philippians 3:12-14)
·
Joy in Being Free from Anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7)
·
Joy in God’s Provision (Philippians 4:19)