Christ Is Enough

“Christ Is Enough”

Philippians 4:12

I would like to tell everyone that IF you come to Christ all your troubles will be solved.

I would like to tell everyone that IF you come to Christ all your money problems will be settled.

I would like to tell everyone that IF you come to Christ all your requests will be answered just like you want.

I CAN tell everyone that WHEN you come to Christ He alone will save.

Christ alone is our redeemer.

No works allowed!

Holy Spirit will be our Comforter through trials.

God will honor His Word and care for every one of His children.

All prayers WILL be answered according to His good pleasure.

Paul is about to close his letter and reminds us of the sufficiency of Christ.

Vs. 12 “I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.”

Abased = to bring into a humble condition, to be assign a lower rank or place to, to be ranked below others who are honoured or rewarded. Devoid of all haughtiness

(Webster 1828) haughtiness = pride mingled with some degree of contempt for others; arrogance.

Paul is saying = I have been in the place where others have been credited with success from my work.

I was brought low with no defense.

I know both how to be abased,....

Or "humbled"; to be treated with indignity and contempt, to be trampled upon by man, to suffer hardships and distress, to be in a very mean and low condition, to work with his own hands, and minister to his own and the necessities of others in that way; yea, to be in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, and have no certain dwelling place; and he knew how to behave under all this; not to be depressed and cast down, or to fret, repine, and murmur: (John Gill)

I wonder how that could possibly be in God’s plan for my life?

I want God to be exalted but I want others to know the hard work that it took to accomplish the job…

Paul is showing that being exalted or lifted up can be a dangerous place to be.

James 4:10 “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

1 Peter 5:6 “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:”

Secondly: and I know how to abound….

Abound = to exceed a fixed number of measure, be at hand in abundance, to excel, superiority, advantage.

and I know how to abound;

or "to excel"; to be in the esteem of men, and to have an affluence of the things of this world, and how to behave in the midst of plenty; so as not to be lifted up, to be proud and haughty, and injurious to fellow creatures; so as not to abuse the good things of life; and so as to use them to the honour of God, the interest of religion, and the good of fellow creatures, and fellow Christians: (John Gill)

every where; and in all things;

Whether among Jews or Gentiles, at Jerusalem or at Rome, or at whatsoever place: always, in every season, whether of adversity or prosperity: in all circumstances of life:

Every day is a lesson

Every day is an opportunity

Every day and every breath belongs to God.

I am instructed;

Ever since Paul embraced Christ, he was taught this lesson of contentment, and trained to the exercise of it.

Paul was trained up and instructed how to behave himself in the different changes came into:

Instructed = initiated into the hidden things of God.

Matthew 13:11 “He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.”

To the natural man (lost), they do not understand the wonders of salvation and the relationship that God wants with man.

Both to be full, and to be hungry;

To know what it was to have plenty and want, to have a full meal and to want one.

Both to abound and to suffer need;

The whole of what he here says is an explanation of the lesson of contentment he had learned; and the knowledge he speaks of was not speculative but in practice; and now lest he should be thought guilty of arrogance, and to ascribe too much to himself, he attributes all to the power and grace of Christ.

Conclusion:

Throughout the Bible we see example upon example of God’s GRACE and MERCY while interacting with man.

God’s Grace and Mercy is enough to save me.