I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me - Philippians 4:13 I warn you not to quote it lightly, or take its promise as your own, unless God Himself illuminates it and transforms you through it, for “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” is no mere motivational phrase. Oh no! It reveals one of the deepest and most profound truths in the Bible. There is a great lesson in the text. The Apostle Paul had experienced this in his own life. It did not mean he could do everything. Obviously there were some things he could not do. But it meant he could do all things God required of him. His own experience in the various changes of life had warranted him in arriving at this conclusion; and he now expresses the firm confidence that nothing would be required of him which he would not be able to perform. In Paul, this declaration was not a vain self-reliance, nor was it the mere result of his former experience. He knew well where the strength was to be obtained by which to do all things, and on that arm that was able to uphold him he confidently relied - Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament, Baker Book House, 1983 reprint, note on Philippians 4:13 This does not mean that Paul was superhuman. He had a “thorn in the flesh” (II Corinthians 12:7). Whatever may be meant by that, God told him, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (II Corinthians 12:9). Spurgeon said : There is no doubt whatever that Jesus Christ makes his people strong by strengthening their faith. It is remarkable that very many poor and timid doubting Christians during the time of [Bloody] Mary’s persecution were afraid when they were arrested that they should never be able to bear the fire; but a singular circumstance is, that these generally behaved the most bravely…When John Ardley was brought before Bishop Bonner, Bonner taunted him, saying, “You will not be able to bear the fire”…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 [Bishop] 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 endured…Look at old Ignatius. He is brought into the Roman circus, and after facing the taunts of the [Roman] emperor and the jeers of the multitude, the lions are let loose upon him, and he thrusts his arm into a lion’s mouth, poor aged man as he is, and when the bones are cracking, he said, “Now I begin to be a Christian”… And [John] Rogers, the first put to death in England for Christ, died singing too – as if the noble army of martyrs marched to battle with music in advance…What a thrilling argument to prove our text! Verily, Christians can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth them (“All-Sufficiency Magnified,” The New Park Street Pulpit, Pilgrim Publications, 1981 reprint, volume VI, p. 481). To obtain this strength you must come to Christ by faith. He paid the penalty for your sin on the Cross. He shed His precious Blood to redeem your soul from damnation. He rose victorious from the grave. He lives on high, at the right hand of God. Come to Christ by faith. Rest your heart and soul on Him. He will not only save you – He will keep you saved. And, as the years roll by, you will see, over and over again, that His strength is sufficient for you, both now and forever. And in the end, when you stand on the golden streets of Heaven, you will fully understand the meaning of those words (Philippians 4:13).
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 08:22:50 +0000
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