Study Desk

God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.

God knows that I want to see you very much, because I love all of you with the love of Christ Jesus.

that you will be filled with the good things produced in your life by Christ to bring glory and praise to God.

Because I am in prison, most of the believers have become more bold in Christ and are not afraid to speak the word of God.

They preach because they have love, and they know that God gave me the work of defending the Good News.

and that you are not afraid of those who are against you. All of this is proof that your enemies will be destroyed but that you will be saved by God.

God gave you the honor not only of believing in Christ but also of suffering for him, both of which bring glory to Christ.

Christ himself was like God in everything. But he did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for his own benefit.

But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing. He was born as a man and became like a servant.

And when he was living as a man, he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross.

So God raised him to the highest place. God made his name greater than every other name

And everyone will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and bring glory to God the Father.

My dear friends, you have always obeyed God when I was with you. It is even more important that you obey now while I am away from you. Keep on working to complete your salvation with fear and trembling,

because God is working in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.

Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. If I have to offer my own blood with your sacrifice, I will be happy and full of joy with all of you.

Yes, he was sick, and nearly died, but God had mercy on him and me too so that I would not have more sadness.

We are the ones who are truly circumcised. We worship God through his Spirit, and our pride is in Christ Jesus. We do not put trust in ourselves or anything we can do,

and to belong to him. Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law, but because I believed in Christ. God uses my faith to make me right with him.

I do not mean that I am already as God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal, but I continue trying to reach it and to make it mine. Christ wants me to do that, which is the reason he made me his.

I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.