"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain."
Philippians 2:15-16
Part 2
Yesterday:
“That ye may be blameless and harmless,”
We, believers, strive to live in a way that we don’t give anyone a reason to doubt our testimony. We are simply honest.
Today:
“The sons of God,”
What a beautiful thought, we who know God, personally, are the children of God. We belong to Him!
“But as many as received him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12).[1]
God gives those individuals who “receive Him” (“accept Him”) the authority, privilege, legitimate right, to become what they were not before, to be born into His family as His children. This “New Birth” comes only through belief, faith in Him.
“But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (John 20:31).
Dear reader, are you one of His children? If so, our royal parentage helps us to understand how He wants us to live in this world.
“Without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation,”
“Without rebuke,” means, “unblemished in reputation and in reality”[2] (Vincent). This state, of course, he has grown into after salvation and a changed life. We understand that anyone can level a charge against someone else, but with the believer who is “without rebuke,” there is no truth to the indictment.
“Without rebuke” = “without (giving handle for) reproach.” [3]
“Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12).
“We live in the midst of a crooked and twisted world.” This does not surprise us. One glance at a daily newspaper headline will clue us in on this truth. This world is dark, and its sin is gross, disgusting, and ugly. It is against this awful backdrop that we believers are to “shine!”
“Children of God,” what is our job description as long as we are living here on this earth? Come back tomorrow, and we will see how we are to “shine” for Him.
[1] “Sons of God.” John used the Greek word for “children” (tekna) here. We, believers, are the “children of God.”
[2] M.R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, the electronic version in eSword.
[3] Jamison, Fausset, and Brown. Jamison-Fausset-Brown’s Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.