But For the Grace

8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment;

To All the Saints in Christ Jesus Which are at Philippi 1:7-9

Paul here has a very significant problem in case you were having troubles picking it apart from the text. It is worth a notice most certainly how that the focus has shifted from one of to live is Christ to die is gain unto this spoken of as one from this life and into the next. The issue was not on Paul, it was not for that he had not suffered and died. Much rather, it was on Christ Jesus who was hereby alive, risen again, seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven making intercession for us all. Therefore, it very much speaks of a focus here of being found after love. It seems we were going back to Pauls issue as one that had not forgotten about Christ and truly. Though with the trials faced in this life, it is certainly a temptation at first. I do not know if any of you have ever sat at a table and been tempted to think it had all been provided by your own natural effort. Such is certainly not the case here to be sure. Otherwise, the story of Paul would have been mercifully short and with very good reason. Having forgotten Christ and misplaced the focus onto himself very much later, it left him open, laid bare for the picking apart of the doctrinal wolves. Paul it seems here had gone through some issues. He had been down to the grave almost and from there on back to the grace. You know, as though the gospel were some babe abandoned and left for dead in the woods. Then our beloved apostle has come along just all high up and mighty much as a hero rushing in for the rescue. He is just in time for saving the babe with his mighty big sword, that he himself also forged through much trials and afflictions in the furnace of gold, enough to return it back home to its parents for its christening later. At which point, he also preached the whole baptismal service most certainly despite also being in chains for the gospel. Come on now, my friends, what nonsense is this especially being at such a time as in the bowels of affliction. Is not it wonderful indeed that Paul has come along with his own natural grace. He had need it certainly for all that he faced and so would you I was afraid for what he had just rendered. Do not worry though, Pauls heart is enough for them both so I was told. Then all at once you were probably wondering how on earth Jesus Christs bowels came into the bargain. You know, with his being seated way up on high, the mighty King, and all that how he has allowed it to prosper. It is certainly worth seeing how that our apostle Paul had gotten swallowed up on the whole much as one would a lions cub you were currently defending or the worlds best most popular martyr only to find Christ come inside. The floor is swept and most definitely clean by itself with all this other stuff quite gone out of the house. Still though, it is almost worth it to see our Apostle Paul so swallowed up of the Lord. It would be almost as the lesser swallowed up of the higher lest he himself as anyone else should also boast. Surely the Lord knows though oh so well that we have got our own personal, pet, and private opinions on up to everything and including our teachers. The bowels though speak very much of the longing the Lords much as the eternal Father does for his church. Then too, the much smaller tabby of that had finally met up with the much larger than life doctrinal cat just as he Lion of the Tribe of Judah that sees there for us all and so catches when we fall. To him alone who gave his all. That is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and the Lamb above to you though in case you would hardly knew of yet having not then met him yet. Though you probably should being that from which our very hearts entered in all his fullness and truth with his love. Though there remains to be seen an abounding of judgment which is the wisdom to do anything much. Knowing him then by whom all these things hold, far better still to have commended you back to the grace of our Lord.