Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Philippians 3:1 (ESV)
This passage begins with the exhortation “rejoice in the Lord.” It is a beautiful phrase, but what does it mean? Earlier, in speaking of his imprisonment, Paul says, “ Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance…that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death” (1:18-20, NASB). Paul makes it clear that he rejoices in the exaltation of Christ. Paul does not see his deliverance in terms of human chains but in terms of what Christ can do through him. This is why he can speak of being delivered whether he lives or he dies, for he is confident in either case that Christ will be glorified. Thus, Paul does not derive his joy from his circumstances but from the glory of Christ.
It is into this kind of joy that Paul has already called the Philippians. This is why he speaks of writing it again. In chapter two he says, “even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. You too, I urge you, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me” (17-18). This joy is of the same kind that Paul has previously discussed. It is joy in the glorification of God. Thus, Paul cares not if his life is to be poured out, emptied, or used up in the service of the kingdom. He is following the example of Christ who “emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men” (2:7).
To rejoice in the Lord, is to rejoice in his glory. There are many things in this world in which we are tempted to rejoice. We rejoice in our accomplishments, in our jobs, in our school work, in our spouses, in our children. These things are not bad and it can be good to derive joy from them. Indeed, Paul speaks of praying for the Philippians with joy (1:3) and encourages them to receive Epaphroditus with joy (2:29). But if we rejoice only in the things of this world and fail to rejoice in the Lord, we will find our joy to be temporary, hollow, and unfulfilling.
Imagine if Paul had rejoiced in his missionary work, but not in the Lord. What a disaster imprisonment would have been. Unable to travel and plant churches, Paul would have found his life purpose gone and his joy sucked away. But this is hardly the picture we get in Philippians. Instead, Paul rejoices that his imprisonment has “turned out for the greater progress of the gospel” (1:12). He cares not whether he is chained or free, living or dying only that the gospel and glory of Christ are advanced.
This is so important that Paul does not mind if he seems to be repeating himself. Indeed, in chapter four verse four he will say it again, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” To rejoice in the Lord is an essential aspect of the Christian life. Until I learn to get my focus off of myself and put it onto God, I cannot follow the example of Christ. If the glory of God is not my number one priority then my priorities are misaligned. I am more likely to succumb to temptation, less likely to live in obedience, and I will miss out on the joy that the Lord has in store for me.
Paul also gives us another reason to rejoice in the Lord, he says it is safety or a safeguard. The word in Greek (asphales) means something that is firm, immovable, trustworthy, or safe. So rejoicing in the Lord provides us with stability and safety. But what sort of stability? Or safety from what? I believe Paul is saying that rejoicing in the Lord gives our joy safety and security when compared to the precarious position of those who find their joy in the world. As we have already seen, joy found in anything other than the Lord is transitory. The person who seeks their joy in this way cannot find safety and security because their joy is only temporary. They are always in danger of losing it. The person whose joy is in the Lord has security. Their joy cannot be taken away or diminished. In this way our hearts are sheltered from vicious cycles of joy and despair. If my joy is in the Lord, I will rejoice in his power and not my own, in his ability and not my own, in his glory and not my own.
If we, as believers, learn to rejoice in the Lord, we will be prepared to encounter any situation. There is no blessing so great that we would take pride in it for the blessing would only be important to us insofar as it advanced the glory of God. And there would be no trial or suffering so painful that we would be driven to despair for Christ will be exalted whether by our life or by our death. We can say with Paul, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (4:11-13).
