As for The Measure Of It. If our Lord’s assertion may be credited, “without him we can do nothing;” we are like branches severed from the vine. Acts 15:10 "Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? Likewise, only when we engage Christ in the work, can we bring down the house upon the head of our lusts! QUESTION. Sources. Many men might be Christian victors, if they had known how to use the all prevailing weapon of prayer; but forgetting this they have gone to the fight and they have been worsted right easily. There is no temptation which we cannot master; no privation which we cannot patiently bear; no difficulty with which we cannot cope; no work which we cannot perform; no confession or testimony which we cannot make--if only our souls are living in healthy union with Jesus Christ, for as our day, or hour, is, so shall our strength be: so much so, that we shall be perfectly surprised at ourselves, as we look back on what we have accomplished. Philippians 4:11 Parallel Verses [⇓ See commentary ⇓] Philippians 4:11, NIV: "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." (McGee, J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Nashville: Thomas Nelson), Dwight Pentecost sums up this verse writing that…, We are commanded to live victoriously over sin. Paul mentions that the Philippians had revived their concern for him. Take care, masters and mistresses, lest your servant’s souls be required of you at the last great day. No! Let us “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” and “his strength shall assuredly be perfected in our weakness.”, ALL-SUFFICIENCY MAGNIFIED We too can live by Paul's secret. Difficulties are God's way of leading us to rely on His almighty sufficiency. (Wiersbe, W: Bible Exposition Commentary. And there are times when “even the youths faint and are weary, and the young men utterly fall,” But “if we wait upon our God we shall certainly renew our strength, and mount up with wings as eagles.” If we look “to Him on whom our help is laid,” the experience of David shall be ours: “In the day when I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.” Let not any difficulties then discourage us. Reprinted by permission. I will never leave you or forsake you (He13:5) Please use me as You wish." So while we are fighting, let us be praying (Ephesians 6:1318). Every child of God by faith may say, “I can suffer all things.” What though to-day we be afraid of a little pain? "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me!" 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books), Our thinking: It’s impossible In this life, we will face trials and hardship. Php 4:1-23, Philippians 4:13 I can do (1SPAI) all things through Him who strengthens (PAPMSD) me. The two can no more co-exist, than light and darkness can co-exist in the same space. Finally, Philippians 4:13 is part of a larger passage that addresses Christ’s ability to meet our needs. Is Paul advocating a veritable "holy omnipotence?" No doubt as he looks at the blazing Kremlin, he thinks, “I can do all things.” But thou shalt come back to thy country alone, thou shalt strew the frozen plains with men; thou shalt be utterly wasted and destroyed. He uses all our circumstances to train us in godliness if we submit to Him and trust Him. Php 4:12—"Sometimes I find myself with plenty of food and sometimes I have nothing to eat. He knew the power of “positive thinking.” But he did not go on to say, “I can do all things through my thoughts which strengthen me.” He knew, and so do we, that often our thoughts are not as true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and gracious, as we know they ought to be. Whatever Christ has for you to do, He will supply the power. Often do I find brethren who say, “I hope I am not too timid or too rash in my temper, or that I am not idle, but I find myself inconstant, I cannot persevere in anything.” My dear brother, thou canst. Paul said in relation to his ministry, “our competence comes from God” (2Corinthians 3:5), and “I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me” (Colossians 1:29). If the Lord has given me to know anything of this matter, after being upwards of twenty years in precious Christ, I sincerely declare, thatI find myself to be just that weak, helpless sinner I was when I first came to Jesus with, "Lord help me! “I can do all things through Christ. CHOOSE YOUR COLOR - A college student decided one summer that he would earn money for his tuition by selling Bibles door-to-door. Part of seeking first God’s kingdom means serving Him with your money and possessions, which are not really yours, but His, entrusted to you as manager. He decided not to retrace his steps then, but to drop off something that evening. If his master should appoint him to a throne, he would rule well, or should he bid him play the menial part he would make the best of servants: in all places and in all duties the Christian is always strong enough, if the Lord his God be with him. He can lose all things, because he is already prepared to do it; he can suffer all things, because he does not value his body as the worldling does; he can be brave for Christ, because he has learned to fear God, and therefore has no reason to fear man. 4:13; Gal. ; New York, NY: United Bible Societies), 79.64 [1:700]. This verse is not a blank check. Go and say to Him, in the words of that beautiful hymn, "Nothing in my hand I bring, But let me notice that Paul here meant that he could endure all trials. Finally, the last message that I have is this: Paul says, in the name of all Christians “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” I say, not in Paul’s name only, but in the name of my Lord and Master Jesus Christ, How is it that some of you are doing nothing? 1989. 1. The Stoics elevated this word, the ability to be free from all want or needs, as the chief of all virtues. They toil and labor and turn over many new leaves and make many changes; and yet, like the woman with the issue of blood, before she came to Christ, they feel "nothing bettered, but rather worse" (Mark 5:26). He will stand by us; He will dwell in us; He will live through us--strengthening us with strength in our souls. One moment’s intermission of either, would instantly produce a suspension of all effective industry. All things are from Him, through Him and to Him. (Philippians 4:13.) I am glad to see so large a proportion of men here. Without Christ he can do nothing, but with Christ he can do all things. God does not offer us his Son as a better way of getting what we want. III. I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28, 29, 30), “Nobody really loves me” I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Phil. Christ my all-sufficient Provider, above me, In the financial realm Phil. Holiness comes from Christ. Paul knew his God, a faithful and merciful Father able to take care of him whether he was in need or want, trial or ease. Hath he made rivers that shall not be filled with water, and mountains that shall not stay the clouds? We receive the promise of eternal life with God. While these versions of Philippians 4:13 may be accurate to the original Greek, they are incredibly misleading for … Philippians 4:13 is one of the most well-known New Testament verses, but it’s also notoriously misused. 32:17); God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. Tradesmen! Well, we don’t answer them; we bring them Goliath’s head, and request them to say whether that is the effect of our pride and the naughtiness of our heart. If God has called you to get up in public and speak, He will give you the power to do it. Would you be holy? Paul has been encouraging the Philippians towards joy, reasonableness, lack of anxiety and God’s peace, to focus on that which is true. Mark 14:37 And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? (Young's Literal reads "very strong is a working supplication of a righteous man"). We know that we can be strengthened with the courage to “keep on keeping on” because we have what we need most—God Himself. The phrase “to be content” is key. First 30-days on us! You must not only be rooted, you must also be built up in Him. Jane Bouchier, our glorious Baptist martyr, the maid of Kent, when she was brought before Cranmer and Ridley, was able to non plus them entirely; of coarse we believe part of her power law in the goodness of the subject, for if there be a possibility of proving infant baptism by any text in the Bible, I am sure I am not aware of the existence of it; Popish tradition might confirm the innovation, but the Bible knows no more of it than the baptism of bells and the consecration of horses. A brave heart can master even a sluggish liver. So no matter what happens to us or what others do to us, we have the steady assurance that the Lord is for us and He will not forsake us. It matters not what suffering his persecutors might put upon him, he felt that he was quite able through divine grace to bear it, and no doubt though Paul had seen the inside of almost every Roman prison, yet he had never been known to quake in any one of them; though he understood well the devices which Nero had invented to put torment upon Christians; though he had heard doubtless in his cell of those who were smeared with pitch and set on fire in Nero’s gardens to light his festivities, though he had heard of Nero’s racks and chains and hot pincers, yet he felt persuaded that rack and pincers, and boiling pitch, would not be strong enough to break his faith. the Peace The correct biblical balance is that I do it, but I do it by constant dependence on the power of Christ who indwells me. Yes, I find myself more helpless now—than I thought myself then. It is in response to this that Paul tells the Philippians, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. bravely spoken, beloved Paul. Grace itself, if it is not strengthen by Christ, will be beaten out of the field. Knowing the trials that Timothy would experience, Paul exhorted him, You therefore, my son, be strong (present tense = be continually empowered) in the grace (God's enabling power) that is in Christ Jesus." The NIV version of the Bible brings out an important aspect that shows the true meaning of Philippians 4:13. The Greek preposition is “in,” not “through.” It points to that vital, personal union with Christ that we have seen repeatedly throughout Philippians. Author unknown, William Mason (1773) had the following thoughts some of which relate directly and some indirectly to Philippians 4:13…. It has been a great joy to me that after all this time you have shown such interest in my welfare. We aren’t content to live within our means, so we go into debt to live just a bit better than we can afford, but then we suffer anxiety from the pressure of paying all our bills. God always gives enough strength for the next step. Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider (logizomai - word study) anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy (Greek = hikanotes = sufficiency, competency, ability, capacity, fitness = state of being qualified for something) is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. He got it right. He began at the home of the school president. It is the result of vital union with Him. Check out more posts from the Verse Study Series.Enjoyed this post? ( Log Out /  Muller noted in his journal that if God did not send help before nine the next morning, His name would be dishonored. How may we fight the good fight so as to overcome? In knowing the truth of who our God is in this way, we can be at peace. Verse Thoughts ... Jesus had warned us that without Him, we can do nothing and once Paul understood the deeper meaning of this, he boasted in his own weaknesses while rejoicing that through Christ he could do all things. Kregel Publications). (Cranford, C. W. Cups of Light : And other illustrations. Reprinted by permission. The thing that is of power to effect a transformation in the life is faith, the faith of the justified person which issues in love in his life, a love produced by the Holy Spirit. You see, I can’t do all things, but I can do all things which God has for me to do from the time He saved me to the time He will take me out of this world." But this doctrine is under attack by the “Christian” psychology movement, which claims that Christ is sufficient for your “spiritual” needs (whatever that means! Peter's shield was bruised—but Christ ensured that it was not broken. He not only gives us our garland when we overcome—but our strength whereby we overcome. When Paul says, "I can do all things through Christ," he is being very specific not general. 10:10): a strong consolation (He 6:18-note): a mighty angel (Re 18:21-note). It made him angry with God and bitter about what life didn’t seem to offer. “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.” Some Christians are called to sudden changes, and I have marked many of them who have been ruined by their changes. We have the simple form of the verb in Col 1:11. The strength of Christ is never found in the heart that boasts its own strength. That ass's jawbone lying on the earth, what can it do? You can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth you. The friend had meant well. The Apostle Paul knew the secret, too. I keep thinking that I can't be content as long as he's not a believer. Knowledge is power; and the apostle rises from knowledge to power—tells what he knows, and then what he can achieve. Because I have access to the everlasting strength of Jesus Christ. As the source of power for godliness is Christ, so the means of experiencing that power is through our relationship with Him. Some think that because they were converted fifty years ago they can do without daily supplies of grace. He lived in 19th century Bristol, England where he founded an orphanage. Also the verb ischuo. If He has called you to give large amounts to further His work, He will provide you with those funds. Let me remind you of some of the sayings of the martyrs, which I have jotted down in my readings. ‘When St. Paul bids us in the text to forget the things which are behind, he cannot mean that the Past is not to live in us, he must mean that we are not to live in the Past. We are to feed upon Him daily. But, also, we seek to use it for His purpose by being generous. Prayer whips the devil. KJ21. May all who read these pages know these things by experience and not by hearsay only! Amplified: I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency]. “I can endure all things,” he says “for Christ’s sake.” He daily expected that he might be led out to die, and the daily expectation of death is more bitter than death itself, for what is death? Holiness is His special gift to His believing people. When John Ardley was brought before Bishop Bonner, Bonner taunted him, saying, “You will not be able to bear the fire; that will convert you; the faggots will be sharp preachers to you.” Said Ardley, “I am not afraid to try it, and I tell thee, Bishop, if I had as many lives as I have hairs on my head, I would give them all up sooner than I would give up Christ.” That same wicked wretch held the hand of poor John Tomkins over a candle, finger by finger, saying to him, “I’ll give thee a taste of the fire before thou shalt come there,” and as the finger cracked and spurted forth, Tomkins smiled, and even laughed in his tormentor’s face, being ready to suffer as much in every member as his fingers then endured. They are none of them insurmountable; they are the triumphs of His art; they are meant to reveal to us resources of which, had it not been for their compulsion, we might have lived in perpetual ignorance--just as hunger has led to many of the most wonderful inventions. The qualifying phrase is all things that are in God's will. O consider—Christ is given to us—to be enjoyed by us! Also, he was firmly committed to the principle of not making his financial needs known to anyone, except to God in prayer. What Does Philippians 4:12 Mean? The fog comes chilling around, He is good and uses all things for our good, and—note this—according His purpose as well, in order to fashion us into the likeness of Christ (Romans 8:28-29). But look at the list of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22, 23-see notes Gal 5:22; 23), look at the qualities of the godly person as described throughout the New Testament, and you’ll find an emotionally stable person. Use this table to get a word-for-word translation of the original Greek Scripture. The boy commented, "I understand. ), but not for your emotional needs. Wait for nothing. Have Oh what beauty there is in the comparison! God is all we need, and therefore all we ought to desire. “The goat is filthy.” The rabbi said, “Go home and let the goat out, and come back in a week.” A week later the man returned, radiant, exclaiming, “Life is beautiful. He could attempt all which duty required, and he could succeed in all; for to him the epithet "impossible", in an ethical aspect, had no existence… It is also to be borne in mind that this ability came not from his commission as an apostle, but from his faith as a saint. Barclay: I can do all things through him who infuses strength into me. Linger not. It was the very note which his eagles screamed amid the battle. 2:2; 1 Chr. Look what multitudes of Christians there are in the world; do you believe if they were all what they profess to be, and all to work for Christ, there would long be the degrading poverty, the ignorance, the heathenism, which is to be found in this city? In Philippians 4:10, 11, 12, 13, a man who sits in prison because of corrupt officials awaiting possible execution over false charges tells us how to find contentment. If the experience of the most eminent Apostle will serve as a criterion, he confessed, that he “had not of himself a sufficiency even to think a good thought; his sufficiency was entirely of God.”, His power even to do the smallest good is derived from Christ—, “It has pleased the Father, that in Christ should all fulness dwell,” and that “out of his fulness all his people should receive.” It is he who “strengthens us with all might by his Spirit in the inner man:” it is he who “gives us both to will and to do.” If we are “strong in any degree, it is in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Whatever we do, we must give him the glory of it, saying, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:” “I have laboured; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me:” “by the grace of God I am what I am.”. 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