An Advent Devotional: Phil. 1:3-11

First Presbyterian Church Ann Arbor was gracious enough to publish my Advent devotional on Philippians 1:3-11. Read the whole post here.

Paul’s peace (eiréné) is literally a tying together—in Greek, the word derives from eirō (to tie together). Joined together in life’s creative wholeness, the united community of God, which “[shares] in the gospel” (koinōnia), joyfully perseveres through all hardships in thanksgiving and gratitude. The difficulties we encounter daily should not make the Good News of God’s “plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him” (Eph. 1:10) harder to believe. Instead, it is rather the faithful realism of God’s light that indicts our difficulties. Our peace is a spiritual power that enters us from the outside and dwells in the deepest recesses of our souls. Paul’s peace comes from Godself!

Salvation is created: The arrival of peace on Earth in the Incarnation is an apocalyptic event of unimaginable cosmic proportions. Everything is different now! As participants in the life of the risen Christ, Paul decisively does not call the community of God to become righteous—we are already saints in God’s eyes. We fulfill our election to God’s family by bearing the Lord’s “harvest of righteousness” in our lives. The third Fruit of the Holy Spirit, peace overflows from God’s loving heart and floods all of creation. At “the day of Jesus Christ,” the seedling imperfections of our peace will be fulfilled in all completion: “Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky” (Ps. 85:10-11).