What resources does Paul mention that make it possible for this prayer to
be answered?
·
God’s power (v11). It may be that this reference to power
applies to both the matter of goodness as well as the work of faith. But we have already seen (in the prayers of Eph.
1 and Col. 1) that faith needs power from God to do its work. That is what Paul counts on here. The desire to use trials for God’s purpose and
glory can assuredly have God’s power.
·
The grace of our God and the Lord Jesus
Christ (v12). The same can be said
of God’s grace, that such a noble goal will have God’s provision. But I would say that, given the sequence of
the phrases, the provision of grace from the Father and the Son is related to
the two accomplishments in v12. So let
us move on.
What is to be accomplished by fulfillment of the requests?
·
That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be
glorified in you. Paul had this
desire, to glorify Christ through his sufferings: according to my earnest
expectation an hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness,
as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by
death (Phil. 1:20). The “whether by
life or by death” attitude must permeate the Christian every day, whether he
thinks persecution is imminent or not. It’s
identical to the admonition to present your bodies a living sacrifice
(Rom. 12:1), being yielded to Christ. It
is the evidence of Christ when we know Him and the power of His
resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His
death (Phil. 3:10). It is being
crucified with Christ, yet living by His faith (Gal. 2:20). It is to deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow Christ, and losing one’s life for Christ’s sake (Mt.
24:24-25). Only in this setting can one
truly live so that Christ is glorified in them.
That is why Paul prayed v11!
·
And you in Him. Now, pardon the repeated scriptures in the
preceding paragraph. But I wanted to set
us up for this. When we use our trials
to please God and do the work of Christ, Christ is glorified in us, and WE ARE
GLORIFIED IN HIM! If you go back to each
of the above passages, in the context there will be what we can call an “upside”
for the believer. If you lose your life
for Christ’s sake, you find it. If you
present your body a living sacrifice you prove the will of God in your
life. When you magnify Christ in your
body, you find that to live is Christ and to die is gain (Phil.
1:21). The fact is, the sufferings of
this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us (Rom. 8:18). Our light affliction, which is but for a
moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory
(2 Cor. 4:17). Hallelujah! What a magnificent prayer. Let us pray this, and live this.
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