Philippians 2:17 “Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. 18 For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.”
Paul declared that the Spiritual Welfare of the Church was worth him expending himself to serve the Lord and His Church to the maximum degree of his God-given abilities, even to the point of sacrificing himself. In Paul’s day, as well as in ours, it was common for people, including ministers, to “seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s” (Philippians 2:21); that is, they valued their own, personal safety, prosperity, and welfare over their full obedient “service” to “Jesus Christ”. It is indeed painfully difficult to give up the comforts and pleasantries of life in order to fully serve our Lord. It has been said that God would not expect such a “sacrifice” from His people. Some have said that they just could not give up (“sacrifice”) the comforts of life. But, Paul makes it clear that, if necessary, it is our duty to do so, and he told the Philippian Church that Timothy was “likeminded” (Philippians 2:20); that is, he also was joyfully willing to “be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith”. To “be offered upon the sacrifice and service of … faith” is to joyfully endure all disadvantages, deprivations, obstacles, pains, etc. that may rise before us to hinder our “service” to our Lord and His Church. In this context, their “faith” refers to their God-given ability to know and believe and joyfully live the Truth of Jesus Christ. The minister’s duty is to preach and teach those blessed truths of Jesus Christ that our “faith” hungers and cries out for. It is the duty of us all to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3) and “count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations” (James 1:2). When the Children of God commit themselves to the Lord in such high degree, there is “joy” in the Church. The Philippian Church was made up of those willing to “sacrifice”; for Paul said to them, “For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me.”. So, a little self-check, just how committed are we to the Lord!?