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"And in this I rejoice..."

Text: Philippians 1:18

SPIRITUAL MATURITY

What was the personal response of the apostle Paul to his detractors? Paul showed tremendous spiritual maturity as he shared with the Philippians his response.

“What then? Only that in every way,
whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is preached;
and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice.”
Philippians 1:18

1. “What then”

a) Paul was not unaware of what was happening in the church scene despite being incarcerated.

b) He had been kept well informed.

c) What was his response?

2. Spiritual maturity evidenced

a) He was not personally wounded or upset in any way.

b) He would not judge or condemn his detractors.

c) His focus was not his personal ministry.

3. Paul’s single focus

a) His focus was always the Lord Jesus Christ.

b) What mattered was whether the true gospel of Christ was preached.

i) The message must of course be true.

ii) A compromised gospel would be defective.

4. “And in this I rejoice”

a) Personal advancement was not in his mind.

b) He was not concerned if his detractors became more famous or more successful.

c) His joy was found in Christ Jesus.

d) This joy was deep and very real even in difficult and complex situations.

5. Practising the art of rejoicing

a) He actively rejoiced.

b) Joy was not just an emotion he felt when it came to him.

c) He actively created a sense of joy by focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ.

d) This special sense of joy may indeed be seen as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).