Rejoice!

TEXT:

‘Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand’ (Philippians 4:4).

In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, the word “rejoice” is used eleven times, so it’s important to take note of why he used this word. As we move through 2025, let’s rejoice a bit more. Sometimes we cannot change our circumstances, but we can ensure that circumstances only change us for the better. Today’s Teaching focusses on some key reasons why Paul was able to rejoice!

1. Because he did not have to rely on his own efforts to please God to be saved – ‘We Christians glory (rejoice) in what Christ Jesus has done for us and realise that we are helpless to save ourselves’ (3:3 TLB).

Paul was brought up a strict Pharisee. He was hard on himself and others if God’s law was broken. Out of zeal for God he persecuted Christians. He prided himself on being blameless keeping the law of Moses (3:6). It was a shock to discover he could never do enough to have eternal life and that all he had to do was to believe in Jesus, the very One he was trying to destroy!

The things Paul had trusted in were discarded in favour of Christ. Through faith he was accepted, forgiven and born again. He would live out that new life from within. The good works he once did trying to gain God’s salvation, would become the fruit of God’s plan for his new life as a believer (See Ephesians 2:8-10). That’s why when he despaired over doing the wrong things, he rejoiced that he could look to Jesus. (See Romans 7:24 – 8:2). Thank God that for Paul, the answer to the question, “Are you going to heaven?” changed from an “I hope so”, to an “I know so!” That really is something to rejoice about!

2. Because his labours in the ministry were not unproductive – ‘Holding out and offering to everyone the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to rejoice greatly because I did not run [my race] in vain nor labour without result’ (2:16 AMP).

What the Philippians displayed as Christians, gave Paul pleasure and would later become part of his reward. He had genuine, visible fruit from his evangelism. So often we see little or no fruit. We must trust, ‘In due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart’ (Galatians 6:10) and ‘God is not unjust to forget your work and labour of love’ (Hebrews 6:10).

Paul ended up with doubts about the church he planted in Galatia when they quickly turned away to a different gospel, one that brought them back into religious rules and bondage, instead of freedom in Christ (See Galatians 1:6). Not so the Philippians! They were shining as lights in a world that was crooked and perverse (2:15).

If you are not seeing any apparent fruit, keep faithfully sowing, for you will reap a harvest and receive a reward.

3. Because when he was unable to evangelise, others took his place – ‘But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice. And I will continue to rejoice’ (1:18 NLT).

In prison, Paul couldn’t go out evangelising. All he could do was witness to anyone who came to him – prison guards, soldiers, friends, family, court officials – and he did (1:13).

Even though some started evangelising with the wrong motive, Paul saw beyond that and rejoiced that Christ was being preached (1:15-17). Jesus said to His disciples, ‘As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you’ (John 20:21 NLT).

For the gospel to be preached throughout the world, someone has to take the message. One to one, home to home, village to village, town to town, city to city. Wherever you have opportunity to preach Jesus, take it!

The Bible says, ‘This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia—both Jews and Greeks—heard the word of the Lord’ (Acts 19:10 NLT). Impossible to have achieved by Paul alone, but not when he inspired others to obey the command of Jesus to go and preach. Many did just that including the Philippians. Nothing thrills a tutor more than when their students put into practise what they have been taught.

4. Because the Philippians continued to support him when others did not – ‘I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it’ (4:10 NIV).

It wasn’t a case of “out of sight, out of mind”. The Philippians faithfully supported Paul when he was on mission and when he was in prison, sometimes being the only church to do so (4:15).

Paul also rejoiced that God regarded their giving as a well-pleasing sacrifice. As the Philippians sowed by supporting Paul financially, so they would reap God’s blessing. ‘And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus’ (4:19 NLT).

Thank God, even when no one supports us and we’re left to fend on our own, God doesn’t forget us. His promise to never leave us nor forsake us holds true, whatever life throws at us!

5. Because when a truth is that good, it’s worth repeating – ‘Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith’ (3:1 NLT). ‘Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!’ (4:4).

Paul wasn’t embarrassed to repeat himself. Sometimes we need to be reminded of what we once knew, because we have dropped our guard or we’re not rejoicing like we used to. Peter repeated truth also (See 2 Peter 1:12, 3:1). Doctrine can only be built on repeated truth.

The Bible says, ‘It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord’ (Psalm 92:1). Let’s determine that during 2025 we shall rejoice more often than we did in 2024, giving thanks that all things are working together for our good. Rejoice!