The Secret of Enjoying Grace in the Organic Body of Christ


	The Secret of Enjoying Grace in the Organic Body of Christ Philippians 1:7 Even as it is right for me to think this concerning you all because you have me in your heart, since both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel you are all fellow partakers with me of grace. The Philippians Had the Apostle Paul in Their Heart We have seen that the apostle Paul had confidence in the Philippians. Paul knew that the Lord would complete the good work He had begun in them. Paul then went on to say, "Even as it is right for me to think this concerning you all because you have me in your heart" (v. 7a). This is not a small thing. The apostle would tell the church in Philippi, "I am so thankful that you, a local church, have me, a servant of the Lord, in your heart. This is so encouraging to me. I am thankful that you love me and remember me to such a degree that I occupy your heart." Verse 7 continues, "Since both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel you are all fellow partakers with me of grace." The apostle was in one place, and the saints to whom he was writing were in another place. Paul said that the saints always had him in their heart. Because they had him in their heart, and because he was of Christ Jesus, they entered into the same enjoyment of grace. All the grace that came from Christ to the apostle was shared in by the ones who had the apostle in their heart. The Philippians were co-sharers, fellow partakers, with the apostle. They were able to take in all the blessings from the Lord that the apostle was enjoying. This verse describes a very different psychology from the one we usually have. Our concept is individualistic. We think that we should stand alone. We are in a local church, and now we are growing and developing on our own. We are becoming more spiritual and more effective by ourselves. But the apostle Paul would say, "No, it's not like that. We are all in Christ Jesus, and together we are in a life union. If you have me in your heart, then that becomes a blessing to you." We prefer to be by ourselves and develop by ourselves. We fail to realize that our growth and development depend upon whom we have in our heart. The Philippians Enjoyed the Same Grace That Paul Received The reason the local church in Philippi was so blessed was that they remembered the apostle. They remembered who had preached the gospel to them, who had labored among them, who had watered them, who had taught them, and who had given them life. The church in Philippi was healthy because they always had the apostle Paul in their heart. Paul could say, "When I am here in prison, in my bonds, it is a matter of grace. And when I confirm or defend the gospel, it is a matter of grace. In my present situation I receive so much grace from the throne of Christ Jesus. Grace comes to me in so many forms. The Lord has become my rich enjoyment, my rich satisfaction, and my rich source of blessing. Yes, I am in bondage, but I can testify that I am so graced by the Lord." This situation should have been unique to Paul. He was receiving grace, but the Philippians had nothing to do with it. They were far away from Paul, bearing the testimony of Christ in their local church. But Paul could say to the Philippians, "Because you have me in your heart, you receive all the grace and all the blessings that I enjoy. You are fellow partakers with me of grace." The grace that Paul enjoyed became grace for the Philippians as well. This is a marvelous picture of the organic Body of Christ. There was something mutual between Paul and the Philippians. Whatever Paul experienced became the experience of the Philippians. Whatever grace he received became their grace. Whatever blessing he received became their blessing. This was because the saints had the apostle Paul in their heart. Paul could say, "Everything I am experiencing is related to grace. My bondage has become grace, and my defense and confirmation of the gospel have become grace. But since I am in your heart, these things are also grace to you." We should make this practical. Do you have your serving one in your heart? Do you have an elder or a leading one from your locality in your heart? Is the brother who serves your children in your heart? If so, then you become a fellow partaker of that brother's grace. You enjoy his grace along with him. Any serving one who is with us should be in our heart. Then his grace becomes our grace. The blessing that the Lord gives to His servant can become our enjoyment. When we have a servant of the Lord in our heart, we share that servant's grace. Paul Defended the Gospel, Which Was the Meaning of His Existence Paul received grace because he was defending the gospel. The Greek word for "defense" is apologia, which is from apo, "from," and logia, a feminine form of logos, "the word." In his defense of the gospel, Paul fully believed in the gospel, knew the gospel, was equipped with the gospel, and was even constituted with the gospel. This is why he could defend the gospel. This word, apologia, implies that Paul defended what he knew and what he firmly believed. He defended what was crucial to him. In actuality, he defended the meaning of his existence. Paul's person was one with the gospel, so he could defend the gospel. It is important that the Greek word for "defense" is related to logos, "the word." To defend the gospel requires being equipped and constituted with the word. Defending the gospel cannot be based on our opinions or our subjective feelings. This is why we must spend time in the word of God, so that we can be adequately prepared to defend the gospel. Then when someone says, "Jesus is not the Son of God," we will strongly react to defend the gospel. It won't be based on emotion; it will be based on our constitution, our very person. If someone says, "You don't need to love the Lord," we will know how to respond, not only because we love the Lord but also because we are equipped with the logos. If someone says, "We don't need the local church," we will know how to say, "That is not according to the word of God! We do need the local church!" This defense of the gospel is actually the defense of our very existence. If we are people of the gospel, then we will live for the gospel. Paul Confirmed the Gospel, Which Was His Daily Living Paul also received grace because he was confirming the gospel. The Greek word for "confirmation," bebaiosis, comes from the word baino, "to walk." The gospel was not only Paul's belief; the gospel was also his "walk." His living matched the gospel, upheld the gospel, and established the gospel. We should realize that confirming the gospel is related to our walk. Many times we try to confirm the gospel by arguing, but the real confirmation is based on our walking. Paul had this confirmation. He could say, "The Lord is with me. I don't just preach the gospel; my very walk is the gospel. My daily living matches what I say. My operation is effective because I am just this kind of person. My defense of the gospel is related to my existence, and my confirmation of the gospel is related to my living. People are affected by what they see in me." In this situation of defending and confirming the gospel, Paul was enjoying grace. Because the Philippians had him in their heart, they became fellow partakers of Paul's grace. Our Enjoyment of Grace Is Determined by Who Is in Our Heart Paul wrote to the Philippians, "I'm in bondage, so I'm enjoying grace. And you have me in your heart, so that grace is also yours. I am defending the gospel, so I enjoy grace. That grace I enjoy is yours as well. And I am confirming the gospel. I am living out the gospel and magnifying the gospel through my situation. Since I am in your heart, you are fellow partakers with me of that same grace." There was such a sweet relationship between the apostle and the saints. If a serving one is with you in your locality, are you enjoying his grace? Is his grace yours? If not, it means you don't have him in your heart. Perhaps you have your career in your heart, or your material possessions in your heart, or even spiritual activities in your heart. But if you had that serving one in your heart, then every day his enjoyment of grace would be yours. It is hard to believe how precious this is. It is such a beautiful and spiritual life. Because Paul and the Philippians were in the organic Body of Christ, all the grace he enjoyed became theirs. We should never be isolated from the saints or from other local churches. God's enemy Satan is always doing his best to divide people, even in the Body of Christ. Satan will try his best to damage the oneness. For this reason we should never have our own "turf" to defend. Do you have your own "turf," or do you have someone in your heart? Which serving one is in your heart? The entire church in Philippi was healthy because they had Paul in their heart. The elders there would never say, "This is my church. This is my turf." They not only had the Lord in their heart; they also had the serving one in their heart. This enabled them to enjoy grace, and it kept them in a very healthy situation. Paul was so thankful and joyful that the Philippians had him in their heart. Then they could all enjoy the grace of the Lord together. The saints in Philippi had the apostle Paul in their heart, which implies not only the existence of one accord among the saints in Philippi, but also that the apostle's person and operation possessed their heart. Our heart might be to pursue a career, success, or material wealth, but Paul's heart was to gain Christ, and the Philippians' heart was to remember Paul. Because of their heart for Paul, the Philippians were in one accord in their care for the apostle. That is why the singular word "heart" is used. Not only Paul's person, but his entire operation possessed the heart of the Philippians. Praise the Lord for this wonderful secret of enjoying grace. If you have the saints who serve you in your heart, then their grace will become yours. If they are not in your heart, then their grace will remain very remote from you. If the serving ones are in your heart, then all their grace belongs to you, and this in turn will become a supply to them. This is the secret of enjoying grace in the organic Body of Christ.