The call of Paul in this letter is to stand firm in the Lord, to not falter, to not align our minds on our earthly life but focus on the eternal life to come. Sounds like a big task, doesn’t it?

I woke up hearing the words sung by Sidewalk Prophets, but I was remembering the first words of the refrain as “stand firm in the Lord.” You should look up the beautiful lyrics online. As I had been thinking about the title I had given for this message, I wondered about the emotions Paul was feeling in this letter to the church at Philippi.

Paul is calling the people to focus on what is promised, rather than what is ― the current trials and benefits of this human life. Paul is calling us to know that our home is not here in this place. We are called not to live the letter of the law, not the human in…