Life Verse Philippians 4:13
RUMC 6/25/17
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Really? Can I?
• We have made great strides in feeding more people than ever… but I have yet to end world hunger. What am I doing wrong?
• The world, and particularly the Middle East, is always in turmoil. It is really in my power even through Christ to broker peace agreements between the various countries and religions, and factions? What am I missing here?
• I don’t know that I have ever prayed harder than when my dad was suffering from cancer. You know that I believe prayer is the greatest power in the world. When it comes to ridding the world of cancer, though, we need money, and laboratories, and researchers, and people a lot smarter than me. That’s not something I feel like I can do even with Christ’s strength in me.
Yet here we stand in front of Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
I hear it touted by prosperity preachers.
I hear it used to encourage people with great ambitions.
I hear it recited at baccalaureates to graduates who think they have the world by the tail.
The way it is commonly used, it draws a picture of the Christian being like the lowly ant able to lift 50 times our own body weight.
Or superman, you know “Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!”
I don’t know about you, but that is not how I experience the faith. So what is going on here?
This is the Life Verse that Debbie Knudtson shared. Thank you for sharing, Debbie.
She tells of growing up Roman Catholic and not feeling like she knew much about the Bible. She doesn’t recall hearing this verse until 2 of her daughters, Kim and Megan, were given the verse as their confirmation verse. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
That was about 17 years ago and since then the verse has seen Debbie through many hard times: the divorce, starting a new life on her own, and raising 3 girls by herself. This verse helps her as she walks beside Courtney in her struggles, as she builds a great marriage with Scott, and as she now walks with Scott’s kids and their struggles.
The verse keeps Debbie going. It gives her strength. It gives her hope. Just as it should
You see, I think Debbie understands this verse in a way that others seem to have missed.
Don’t let the prosperity preachers and the shallow encouragers mislead you here.
• Philippians 4:13 is not a promise of superpowers for those who believe in Jesus.
• Philippians 4:13 is not a promise that, “I can ACCOMPLISH all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
• Philippians 4:13 is not a promise that, “I can SOLVE EVERY PROBLEM through Christ who strengthens me.”
• Philippians 4:13 is not a magic incantation we can recite to AVOID PROBLEMS in our lives.
So what does this passage say to us? The context of a passage almost always helps us understand what the Bible means.
Notice the context of this passage. “I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
• Here, Paul is not talking about his accomplishments.
• Paul is not talking about his plans.
• He is not talking about doing what he wants at all.
• He is not talking about his strength, his victories, or his efforts.
• Paul is not talking about his actions, but about his attitude.
Paul had an interesting life. The book of Acts and his letters give us a glimpse into times when he was jailed, beaten, run out of town, on trial, and shipwrecked.
Paul is reflecting on his life and saying the only way I got through is because of Christ who strengthens me. He is saying that there is nothing in him that explains why he is still alive. It is only Christ in him that has given him strength.
• Paul had to admit his inability in order to accept Christ’s ability.
• Paul had to admit his own powerlessness in order to claim Christ’s power.
• Paul had to admit his own weakness in order to claim Christ’s strength.
• Paul had to stand face to face with his own limitations in order to receive the unlimited grace of Jesus Christ, which is his only strength.
Paul is saying that Christ’s strength is always ENOUGH.
• Whether he had little or had plenty Christ was enough.
• Whether he was stuffed or famished, Christ was enough.
• Whether he was celebrated or jailed and tortured, Christ was enough.
• Whether his life was smooth sailing, or if he was shipwrecked and nearly drowned, Christ was enough.
This passage is not about action, as some would have us believe--- you know, “you can do whatever you want through Christ who gives you strength.” No, this passage is not about what Paul did, it is about Christ being enough to get through anything.
• When you are in trouble, Christ is enough.
• When we have faced trials, Christ has been enough.
• In every season our lives, good or bad, Christ has been enough.
• And in this situation too, we trust that Christ will be enough.
If he were writing about an athletic career, Paul might have written, “After training my guts out and giving my all on game day, I can live with the results. Regardless of what’s at stake, I can play by the rules. Win or lose, I can genuinely treat coaches, officials, and fellow competitors with love and respect. I can express gratitude regardless of the outcome—all because of the strength I possess as a follower of Christ.” In other words I can do victory or I can do defeat and I am OK because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
If he had applied this to farming, Paul might have written, “I did everything I know to do. I tilled, I planted, I fertilized, I cultivated, I sprayed, I watched and I prayed. So now, when I harvest I will be grateful for what I receive. I pray for a bumper crop but even if it is a failure and I am OK because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
If Paul had applied this to parenting, he might have written, “I fed them, and burped them, and changed their diapers. I taught them everything I know. I taught them how to be good people and now I trust that God will care for them. I hope they are successful in every way, but if not… if they get involved in drugs, or have a mental illness, or are in a terrible accident, or can’t hold down a job, or get divorced 5 times, or end up in jail… I can do that too, I am OK because I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
I have said before, that I see other people going through things and I think, “I could never do that.” Then I remember that if I had thought about pastoring a church through a fire, I would have said, “I could never do that.” But I did it with Christ who strengthens me.”
If I had thought about doing flood relief in a major flood, I would have said, “I could never do that.” But I did it with Christ who strengthens me.”
If I had thought about raising a disabled child, I would have said, “I could never do that.” But I did it with Christ who strengthens me.”
On our own, I am sure that LILGHT would have been a failure, but it was a great ministry because we did it with Christ who strengthens us.
If I would have thought about the Celebrate what is GR8 event I would have said, “We could never do that.” But we did it with Christ who strengthens us.”
If I had thought about raising $25,000 for Safe T homes a few years ago, I would have said, “We could never do that.” But we did it with Christ who strengthens us.”
Notice I am saying, “WITH Christ who strengthens us.”
In the literal translation of the Greek, which you can see in the second line on the screen, the word “through” is implied. You see the literal translation is “All things I am strong for in the one strengthening me.” The word through is not there, but the translators had to add it in order to make a good English sentence. Why did they choose “through” instead of “with?” In isolation, there doesn’t seem to be any good reason to choose one over the other. In the context, however, I think using the word “with” makes a lot of sense. In fact, I think it makes all the difference in the world to the way I hear the passage.
“I CAN DO ALL THINGS WITH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME.”
• I can get the job or not; and I am OK, because I can do this with Christ who strengthens me.
• I can be loved and admired, or not; and I am OK, because I can do this with Christ who strengthens me.
• I can reach my goals or face failure; and I am OK, because I can do this with Christ who strengthens me.
• I can have the biggest church in the conference, or the smallest; and I am OK, because I can do this with Christ who strengthens me.
• I can have a house as nice as my coworkers, or I can live in a shack; and I am OK, because I can do this with Christ who strengthens me.
• I pray for healthy children, but if my child has a disability or is sick; I am OK, because I can do this with Christ who strengthens me.
• We pray that the biopsy comes back negative... That is natural, but even if it doesn’t, I am OK, because I can do this with Christ who strengthens me.
• We want more than anything for our loved one to sit up from the coma and say, “just kidding” but if they don’t… and if they die… I am OK, because I can do this with Christ who strengthens me.
Life is hard… really hard… you know that! I know that. Paul knew that.
But please hear this life verse for what it is intended to say.
• There is an internal strength that comes from having Christ in us.
• There is a spiritual strength that comes from having Christ in us.
• There is a supernatural strength that comes from having Christ in us.
“With Christ strengthening us, we can face anything.”
With Jesus, there is nothing we can’t handle. Nothing!!
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