Philippians 1:1,6,10-11 NASB Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons: [6] For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. [10] so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; [11] having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
It is fascinating to me how the Holy Spirit uses these verses that I’ve listed to magnify Jesus Christ as the center of Christianity. It is imperative that we never forget that at the heart of the Christian life is our inclusion into the very life of Jesus, and therefore, Jesus is not just the object of our walk and worship, but He is the very origin of our spiritual life. In verse 6 and verse 11, the phrase “until the day of Christ” or “until the day of Christ Jesus” is used. At face value, it seems as if he’s talking about living a certain way until Christ comes again, but I believe that is an improper interpretation and even translation of these Scriptures. In both verses, the word “until” is translated improperly. In verse six, instead of the word “until,” it would be better translated “during,” and in verse 10, it would be better translated “into.” The point is that as new creations, we are living into and during the time called “the day of Christ Jesus.” The reign of Christ began on the earth when he was resurrected from the dead, and the reign of Christ is personalized in every person who has given their life to Jesus and is therefore “in Christ.” Let those thoughts sink into your heart, for this is not your day any more than it is your story because you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. Christ is now your life, and your life is now happening during the day of Christ Jesus. It is his time, and it is all about him and your union with him. You have been crucified with Christ, and though you live, it is not the you you used to be, for it is now Christ in union with you living in and through you. You are in heaven now because he is in heaven, and he is on earth now because you are on earth, and it is His day. It is his time, his agenda, his rights, his purpose, his destiny, and his ability that you find yourself immersed in. Your problems are now his problems. They no longer belong to you.
Look a little bit further and see what else Paul says about our life being now immersed or baptized in the life of Christ. Verse 1 says that we are saints (holy ones) in Christ Jesus, and verse 11 says that you have already been filled with the fruit of righteousness because it comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. In other words, our pursuit of holiness, and righteousness has already been attained for us in the person of Christ Jesus. We were born into the holiness of Christ because we are in him and born into the righteousness of God because that’s the fruit of the life of Jesus that we’re in union with. Because of this magnificent truth, we are able to live a life of holiness and righteousness that brings praise and glory to God. This is not because we are trying to be righteous or holy, but simply because by faith we are manifesting the holiness and righteousness of Christ that we inherited as a free gift at our new birth.
It is gloriously true that the Christian life is a person, not just a set of principles. The Christian life is a “WHO TO” and not a “how to.” If you are a Christian, you are living in a time called the day of Jesus Christ. Make that very practical. It is his day today, and it is his schedule and his responsibility to live out through you, and all the obstacles that will come your way, planned or unplanned, will be His overcome.