Charles W. Holt
email: cholt@gt.rr.com
THE WINNING ATTITUDE
But I would ye should understand, brethren, that
the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; (Phil. 1:12)
I had a dream the other night. I dreamed a large and prosperous church called me to be their new pastor. I remember this news created mixed feelings in me. On one hand I was excited. But my excitement was somehow tempered by an impression of uncertainty that bordered upon a feeling of dread. In my dream I remember being suddenly transported into a large and elegant home. I saw myself walking slowly through a very large, well lit, room. I looked at the beautiful furniture and lamps. I saw beautiful paintings on the walls. Everything blended into an exquisite pattern of perfection it seemed. I remember looking down at the carpet on the floor. The dream was in color. I recall the intricate patterns and colors of the carpet—somewhat of a paisley pattern. The very texture—the feel--of the carpet under my feet let me know it was very expensive. I don’t remember seeing another person with me but I had an awareness that this place belonged to one of the most prominent families of the church I was asked to serve. The man was walking with me. He was given me a tour of his home. He spoke, describing the things I was seeing. Although I don’t remember his words I had the sense that he was happy to have me there. The conversation was light, breezy, open and inviting. I felt welcomed, wanted. As we moved slowly through this elegantly decorated room, hearing the voice of my newfound friend I was seized with a feeling of great sadness. This feeling of sadness was so overwhelming that it blotted out all the sunny, bright, uplifting, even joyous, feelings that flooded the room. Walking along, enjoying the atmosphere of this beautiful home and the pleasure of meeting a new friend one thought emerged. I thought: how sad, that the day will come when this very man who now is so eager to welcome me as a friend, and his new pastor, will with the same intensity of his spirit turn and focus all his energies against me to drive me away. That he will do everything possible to poison the very atmosphere that is now so hope-filled. Poisoning it with venomous lies. I remember the sadness of that thought settled over me like a shroud. I felt it so deeply. It was so real. And the dream ended.
Sometime later as I reflected upon the dream I thought: this is really not all that unusual. Despite what the Biblical Proverb says, sometimes friends do not, "sticketh closer than a brother." They shed their skin of friendship like the serpent and take cover in the weeds of forgotten promises. Suddenly, unexplainably, a mountain is made out of a molehill and you are left with a feeling of sad emptiness. We have all probably experienced some degree of this. I suspect it is more common than we know because people don’t talk about it much except maybe to their closest friends. When it happens you may be shocked, dismayed, confused, certainly hurt. If I were to ask, "Has something like this happened to you?" it would probably immediately trigger a memory. You may not remember the details but you’ll never forget how it made you feel.
I think it is interesting to remember that it happened to Jesus. A prophecy found in the Psalms foretold the day when He would experience it. "Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me" (Ps. 41:9 KJV). In the Upper Room at the Last Supper Jesus quoted that passage from the Psalms. He said to his disciples, "I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me" (Jn. 13:18 KJV). He spoke of Judas.
Jesus experienced it. You and I have, as many others have also experienced it. The Apostle Paul too and he tells us about it on at least two occasions. First, in passing, let me remind you of what he said in his second letter to Timothy. Paul is imprisoned and no doubt lonely and longing to see his young protégé. He writes, "Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world" (2 Tim. 4:9,10 KJV). The Amplified Bible translates it: "For Demas has deserted me for love of this present world." Forsaken, deserted—these are strong words that arouse strong emotions. It is, however, what he says in his letter to the Church at Phillipi that we want to bring into focus. Because in this passage Paul talks about "brethren" who want people to believe they are his friends but who are in fact out to make life as miserable for him as they possibly can make it. The actually want to add to his pain and affliction while he is in prison.
As we turn to his letter, let no one make the mistake of thinking that we will be listening to a man whose heart is breaking, down in the dumps, singing a sad song. Quite to the contrary. If one would choose a theme for this letter it would be, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, REJOICE!" (Phil. 4:4). He chooses to sing, "Victory in Jesus my Savior forever," rather than, "Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen . . . " How he triumphed over his troubles is our theme.
Our Scripture reading is found in chapter one beginning with verse 12 and continuing through verse 21 (1:12-21). While this extended passage is so rich in faith and hope, I nevertheless want to come back to a small section of verse 12 to use as a text. It reads: "But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel" (Phil. 1:12 KJV). First, here is my personal overview of the extended passage (vss. 13-21). Paul says,
"I want you to be absolutely confident and assured that this imprisonment of mine has been and it is serving for the advancement of the Gospel. It has actually spurred a boldness and confidence in everyone around here. The things that have happened to me have touched the imperial guard and everyone in Caesar’s palace. Everyone knows that it is for Christ that I am imprisoned.
"As a result of this some of the brethren are acting with more freedom in preaching and are less afraid of the consequences of preaching. Now I know that not everyone is preaching for the right motives. Some of them are preaching Christ because of their love for him. They are genuine and true ministers of the Gospel. Others, however, are preaching for a wrong motive. They are actually preaching Christ for the sole purpose of hoping that, in some way, they will add to the pain and bitterness that my being imprisoned could cause. They are trying to make life miserable for me.
"No matter. Christ is preached, whatever their motives may be. And I am going to rejoice! I am going to continue to rejoice because of your prayers on my behalf and because as a result of your prayers I will be supplied with an extra portion of the Spirit’s power and grace. I am determined to glorify Christ either by life or by death. Either way is fine with me. For me, to live is Christ—His life in me; and to die is gain—[the gain of the glory of eternity]" (vs. 21 Amplified Bible).
In his role as Saul of Tarsus, he breathed out threats and slaughter against God’s people. In his role as apostle of Jesus Christ and church leader he breathes out encouragement, hope, and confidence. In his testimony to the church at Corinth he says, "For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life" (2 Cor. 2:15,16 KJV). In other words, Paul is saying, "My life and ministry is a sweet, wholesome fragrance. It is the fragrance of Christ within us. To those who know Jesus as Savior we are a life-giving perfume" (see Living Bible). Our passage from Philippians is alive with the wholesome fragrance of his victory and joy in the Lord. This is so clear in our text. "But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel" (Phil. 1:12 KJV). That is the sweet fragrance of faith, optimism, and confidence at its best.
Through our ignorance, misunderstanding, our mistakes, and the weakness of our faith, we often consider things to be against us that in reality are for us. We are afflicted in body, finances and relationships; and we think all these things are against us, whereas these are really working for us an eternal weight of glory. Paul writes: "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us [my emphasis] a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17). The key to victory is found in the next verse. He says, "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal" (vs. 18).
What happened to Paul?
In order for us to know what had happened to him, as mentioned in our text, we have to go back about four years. In Philippians, Paul doesn’t tell us precisely what had happened to him. In the book of Acts, however, Luke tells us in some detail of the events leading up to the writing of this book. Four years before this Paul had gone to Jerusalem for the Feast of Pentecost. He had been worshiping in the Temple and, because the Jews of the city thought he had brought a Gentile into the inner court of the Temple (an act punishable by death), they dragged Paul out into the street. He was beaten severely, and was nearly killed. He narrowly escaped, thanks to the swift intervention of the Roman soldiers and centurions (Acts 21:31,32), but he was kept in custody of the Roman guards. Paul appeared before the local Roman authorities. A plot was hatched against his life. Forty Jews took a vow not to eat nor drink until they had killed him. To foil their plot he was whisked out of the city under the cover of darkness and taken to Caesarea under Roman protection.
He spent two years in a rat and bug infested prison in Caesarea. He had to wait in prison until he could make an appearance before Felix, the Roman Governor. Felix, practicing the politics of Rome, thought he would try to extort some money from Paul. Little did he know it would be like getting "blood out of a turnip." While he was waiting for payment he kept him in prison. Finally, because Paul appealed to have his case heard by Caesar, they put him aboard a cargo ship and sent him to Rome.
On the way the ship was wrecked. He and the others, clinging to bits and pieces of the broken ship, were washed ashore and he was forced to spend the winter on the Island of Malta. When they were gathering sticks to make a fire Paul was bitten by a poisonous snake. To the amazement of everyone he didn’t die. In the spring he went on to Rome and was placed under house arrest for at least a year, perhaps eighteen months. It was during this confinement that he wrote the Book of Philippians. We will return to this scene in a moment but first let’s hear in Paul’s own words the kind of life he was accustomed to living. I want to paint this picture as graphically as possible. First because all these things did happen and secondly because they serve as a backdrop for Paul’s confession of faith, confidence and victory in our Scripture text.
In his first letter to the Corinthians he says, "For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honourable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace; and labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day" (1 Cor. 4:9-13 KJV).
In his second letter to this same church he elaborates, saying, "...in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. . . . If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: and through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands (2 Cor. 11:23-27, 30-33 KJV).
These are grim scenes. None of this was by accident. Actually they were a fulfillment of the prophecy given by Ananias in Damascus when he first met Saul of Tarsus, now Paul, after he had seen the Lord. "But the Lord said to him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake" (Acts 9:15,16 KJV).
After everything we have mentioned, Paul is now under house arrest in Rome. He may have visitors but his activity has been greatly curtailed. This may not sound like much to some of us. I know, however, that to anyone who is an active, always on the go, can’t sit still for a minute, kind of person it would be the worst kind of punishment. Paul had been unrelenting in his journeys to preach the gospel. Go, go, go was his trademark. Suddenly he is at a dead stop. Whump! How do you think you would feel? How do you think he felt? But he was not alone. He had some special people keeping him company. They are known as the Praetorian Guard. Let’s meet them.
The Praetorian Guard was a unit of ten thousand hand-picked Roman soldiers, the elite men of the Roman Empire. The guard was essentially Caesar’s personal bodyguard. They were quartered in the Emperor’s palace. They were paid higher wages than any other soldiers. They were granted Roman citizenship, which was a great honor. Augustus Caesar had instituted them some seventy years earlier, so they had a great heritage and tradition. They were courageous, brilliant, sophisticated, strong young men. They served for 12 years and then were retired. As the years went by a large number settled right in Rome and so they became an extremely potent political as well as military force and they enforced their will on the Senate and on the people. The Senate always confirmed their candidate as Emperor. They were, essentially, the kingmakers of their day a very, very powerful group of young men.
If you were going to evangelize the Roman Empire you could not pick a more strategic group with which to begin. These were the opinion makers, the leading men of the nation, the men who went on to become commanders in the military and leaders in politics. And what was happening was that those men, in four-hour shifts, were being chained to the Apostle Paul. You can imagine what that must have been like! They looked over his shoulder as he wrote the books of Philippians, Colossians, Ephesians, Philemon, and hundreds of other pieces of literature that we don’t have available today.
I am sure that few of us have ever gone through anything quite like that and most of us probably never will. You would expect a man who had undergone that kind of treatment, and who had been jailed for at least four years, to be very frustrated. Paul was a very aggressive, hard-driving, go-for-broke type of person who wanted to preach the gospel where it had never been preached before. He wanted to found churches where no churches existed. But for four years now he has been hemmed in and restrained. Yet you do not hear one word of complaint from him, not one word of discouragement. He is not depressed, doesn’t feel frustrated or hampered in any way. He doesn’t feel that God has put him on the shelf. He doesn’t hold up his chains and moan miserably and try to attract attention to himself. Throughout the book of Philippians there is a note of confidence and excitement and enthusiasm about what God is doing and is going to do.
He tells us in this passage that his imprisonment, far from being a negative experience, has become very positive. Two things have come out of it. The first he gives us in verse 12: ". . . my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel." The first result is that the gospel is spreading rapidly, and he describes that for us in verses 12 through 18.
In verse 19 he gives us the second result; "For I know that this [imprisonment] shall turn out for my deliverance...." That is, the Apostle himself is being saved. So, as someone has said, "Paul was neither frightened, frazzled, nor finished."
Three tenses of the word "salvation" are given to us in the Scriptures.
1. There is a past salvation that refers to our justification. This secures forgiveness for sin and reconciliation to God. It is the foundation for everything else that God is going to do in our lives.
2. There is a present salvation which is taking place right now and which has to do with sanctification. That is the process that God is working out in our lives to conform us to the image of Jesus Christ.
3. There is a future salvation which pertains to our glorification, our eventual, complete conformation to the image of Jesus Christ, that time when we will stand before him and be just like He is.
It is this present salvation that Paul is talking about here. It is the process that God is working out in his life to magnify the person of Jesus Christ. And Paul says, "My imprisonment is accomplishing that. It is working for my salvation. It is producing a greater and greater manifestation of Jesus Christ in my life." He says, "I don’t care if I live in dignity or dishonor. I don’t care if I am in chains or free. I don’t care if I live or die. I don’t really care what is happening to me as long as it is producing in my life the character of Jesus Christ. I want the majesty, the grandeur, and the beauty of Jesus Christ to break out and enlighten this frail body of mine."
PAUL’S EXPERIENCE
Paul said, "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press" –notice he didn’t say, "I park," He said, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus " (Phil. 3:13,14).
Not by shipwreck did Paul stop. Not by stonings, by dungeons, by suffering, or by any experience that life could fling at him. He refused to park at any of these places. He did not whine, accuse or blame others for his plight. He continued to press on, to move on, to achieve on, to write on, to believe on. He "pressed" on until he could confidently say, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing" (2 Tim. 4:7,8 KJV).
Some seem to be able to cope better than others. It isn’t the degree of trauma we experience. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with our background, our education, and our material wellbeing. Some of us find ourselves tied down by the past while others simply shrug it off and move on. Where does the difference lie? What is the key element that should guide us all through our times of fear, failure, hurt, disappointment, and sorrow? Certainly Paul’s example in his letter to the Philippians sets a standard. He exhorts them: "Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample" (Phil. 3:17 KJV). He expresses the same sentiment in 2 Thessalonians 3:9 declaring he had made himself, "an ensample unto you to follow us."
Inasmuch as Paul sets the example we are convinced it is possible to move beyond our fears, failures, sufferings, resentments, sorrows until Paul’s testimony is our testimony: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course."
This is the same thing that Paul says in II Corinthians; "I am being given over to death daily in order that the life of Christ may be manifest in my mortal flesh." As Paul’s circumstances crushed him, weakened him, canceled out the areas of human wisdom and strength that he had been inclined to depend upon, he was able to lay hold of the life of Christ and Christ’s life could be seen. And so Paul says, "This is the second result of my imprisonment. Not only is the gospel making progress, but I am making progress. The majesty of Jesus Christ is being seen in my life." And he sums it up in verse 21: For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
When life beats us up and knocks us down--as we all have experienced it--we are faced with a decision. It is a decision that has profound effects upon not only us but also others. In other words, we don’t always come out of a fight smelling like a rose. The important thing is to come out! The point I want to make is that if we are knocked down into the mud, we don’t have to stay in the mud! Even the prodigal son came to his senses, got up, walked away from the hog pen and headed for home and complete restoration. So can we. The central question becomes, "When life treats you unfairly how will you respond to it?" How have you responded to it thus far? Or, how are you responding today? In other words, if you were to talk about The Things Which Happened Unto Me, would it be a story of success or failure? Victory or defeat? A lot depends upon ones perspective, one’s attitude.
I remember seeing a bumper sticker that said, "Life is Fragile! Handle with Prayer!" All of our life issues should be handled with prayer. This is especially true of the disappointments we face when a loved and trusted friend decides to no longer be a friend. A good relationship ends. Lies may be told. There is more than enough hurt to last a lifetime. Unless we face these disappointments with a courage that flows from our faith in God’s faithfulness they can wreck and ruin us forever.
Handling these situations may not be easy but there is a road we must take if we intend to move past our disappointments.
1. Pray about it. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (Ja. 5:16 KJV).
2. Have others pray for you. Paul did as he says to the believers in Philippi. "This shall turn to my salvation through your prayer" (vs. 19).
3. Draw upon the full measure of the Holy Spirit’s availability. Expect to be strengthened with might by His spirit in your inner self. Paul said, "I know that this shall turn to my salvation through …the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ."
4. Expect a positive outcome. Paul said, "According to my earnest expectation and my hope."
5. First and foremost, be committed to the will of God and the single purpose to live to magnify and honor Christ no matter the ultimate circumstances or the ultimate outcome. Paul said, "as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death."
6. Using Paul as an example, let’s embrace his philosophy. He said, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain."
