<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Philippians 4;21-23<div><br></div><div><b>21. &nbsp;Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. &nbsp;The brethren who are with me greet you.</b></div><div><b>22. &nbsp;All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.</b></div><div><b>23. &nbsp;The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.</b></div><div><br></div><div>Why would Paul think it necessary to add, <i>“in Christ Jesus”</i>&nbsp;to the term <i>“saint”</i>&nbsp;in verse 21?</div><div>Should we not consider every saint (Believer) as being&nbsp;automatically <i>“<u>in</u>&nbsp;Christ Jesus”?</i></div><div>Is this an unnecessary phrase, or, is&nbsp;Paul identifying that not all Believers <i>“walk by the Spirit“?</i></div><div>(see, Galatians 5;16)</div><div><br></div><div>Certainly, it is the work of God the Holy Spirit using the Word to give us faith to believe in Christ.</div><div>But, do all Believers by that same Spirit and faith,&nbsp;daily, constantly, <i>“crucify the flesh with its’ passions and desires”</i>&nbsp;? (Galatians 5;24)</div><div><br></div><div>Sadly, the answer is obvious, many Believers&nbsp;walk according to&nbsp;their fleshly desires, especially in the churches of western Christianity (who are as yet to suffer&nbsp;violent&nbsp;persecutions such a Believers in China, the Middle East, India, and Africa do).</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;&nbsp;Being “<i><u>in</u></i><i>&nbsp;Christ Jesus” </i>involves a conscious, deliberate act of faith which identifies our own carnality as our enemy within, and responds to this indwelling enemy with a sanctified mind, the very Mind of Christ, which is set upon the will of the Father.</div><div><br></div><div>This is why Paul&nbsp;writes <i>“<u>to all</u>&nbsp;</i>(especially the ‘carnal minded’)&nbsp;<i>God’s beloved in Rome” </i>(Romans 1;7)</div><div><i><br></i></div><div><i>“For the <u>law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus</u>&nbsp;has set me free from the law of sin and death. &nbsp;For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh,</i>&nbsp;(carnality), <i>could not do: sending his own&nbsp;Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the just requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. &nbsp;For those who live according to the flesh set their minds </i>(plural)&nbsp;<i>on the things of the flesh, but those who walk according to the Spirit set </i><u>their mind</u><i>&nbsp;</i>(singular)<i> on the things of the&nbsp;Spirit. &nbsp;</i>(Romans 8;3-5)</div><div><br></div><div>Paul, (ever the evangelist), pointedly adds, <i>“especially those of Caesar’s household”, </i>even in his imprisonment, Paul is still making disciples.</div><div><br></div><div>Finally, as to underscore his greatest desire and concern, Paul concludes with the blessing: <i>“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, <u>be with your spirit.”</u></i></div><div><i><u><br></u></i></div><div>Again, has Paul casually added <i>“with your </i><u>spirit.”</u>&nbsp; or, is he once more pointing us to distinguish between Believers who have set ‘their mind’ on the things of the Spirit, and the carnal Christians who are still caught up in civilian pursuits?</div><div><br></div><div>For an exercise in meditation, consider the question: “What is the difference between the Holy Spirit and <u>our spirit?”</u>&nbsp; &nbsp;As we see the two set side by side in Roman’s 8;15, <i>“…When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ &nbsp;it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”</i></div><div><i><br></i></div><div>I maintain that the carnal minds of Believers are unable to be “<i>in Christ Jesus”. &nbsp; </i>Being ‘in Christ Jesus’ requires that we live by faith&nbsp;in our Baptismal death. &nbsp;(see, Galatians 2;20)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, bless us to abide in Christ and his own death to sin, (carnal, fleshly mindedness) given us in our Baptism into Christ. &nbsp;Grant that we truly live, denying ourselves, carrying our crosses and following Jesus in paths of righteousness. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Philippians 4;21-23
21.  Greet every saint in Christ Jesus.  The brethren who are with me greet you.22.  All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.23.  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Why would Paul think it necessary to add, “in Christ Jesus” to the term “saint” in verse 21?Should we not consider every saint (Believer) as being automatically “in Christ Jesus”?Is this an unnecessary phrase, or, is Paul identifying that not all Believers “walk by the Spirit“?(see, Galatians 5;16)
Certainly, it is the work of God the Holy Spirit using the Word to give us faith to believe in Christ.But, do all Believers by that same Spirit and faith, daily, constantly, “crucify the flesh with its’ passions and desires” ? (Galatians 5;24)
Sadly, the answer is obvious, many Believers walk according to their fleshly desires, especially in the churches of western Christianity (who are as yet to suffer violent persecutions such a Believers in China, the Middle East, India, and Africa do).
  Being “in Christ Jesus” involves a conscious, deliberate act of faith which identifies our own carnality as our enemy within, and responds to this indwelling enemy with a sanctified mind, the very Mind of Christ, which is set upon the will of the Father.
This is why Paul writes “to all (especially the ‘carnal minded’) God’s beloved in Rome” (Romans 1;7)
“For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death.  For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, (carnality), could not do: sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the just requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds (plural) on the things of the flesh, but those who walk according to the Spirit set their mind (singular) on the things of the Spirit.  (Romans 8;3-5)
Paul, (ever the evangelist), pointedly adds, “especially those of Caesar’s household”, even in his imprisonment, Paul is still making disciples.
Finally, as to underscore his greatest desire and concern, Paul concludes with the blessing: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, be with your spirit.”
Again, has Paul casually added “with your spirit.”  or, is he once more pointing us to distinguish between Believers who have set ‘their mind’ on the things of the Spirit, and the carnal Christians who are still caught up in civilian pursuits?
For an exercise in meditation, consider the question: “What is the difference between the Holy Spirit and our spirit?”   As we see the two set side by side in Roman’s 8;15, “…When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’  it is the Spirit himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God.”
I maintain that the carnal minds of Believers are unable to be “in Christ Jesus”.   Being ‘in Christ Jesus’ requires that we live by faith in our Baptismal death.  (see, Galatians 2;20)
Prayer:  Merciful Father, bless us to abide in Christ and his own death to sin, (carnal, fleshly mindedness) given us in our Baptism into Christ.  Grant that we truly live, denying ourselves, carrying our crosses and following Jesus in paths of righteousness.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”



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