“But my God shall supply all your need — according to His riches in glory — by Christ Jesus. Now unto God and our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Phil.4:19-20
The Philippians were especially near and dear to the apostle Paul’s heart and life in this world. As a particular group of believers they were used of God more than any other in ministering to his earthly necessities. Time and time again throughout the course of his travels — someone from their group was always showing up with supplies — of whatever he happen to be needing at the time — just in time!
He recognized this to be an actual answer to his prayers — and those praying for him. Therefore, he saw the meeting of his different needs — so that he could survive in this world — as coming directly from God! Of course the means that the Lord used were the Philippians — and their wonderful way of willingly and faithfully providing for him — but in the big picture of things, they were the secondary source of the supply of Paul’s needs. God was always the primary source!
What Paul is saying in this text is that there is at work here a divine principle. The resources of wealth and supply that they came to have and to own — from which resource there flowed forth God’s supply of Paul’s needs — that resource of theirs would, in turn, also be supplied accordingly! Peter explains this divine principle in this way: “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life — and Godliness…”! Our faithfulness is made possible — is divinely worked out — by His faithfulness.
Hence, it literally — descriptively declares: “God shall fully supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” And, that this supply goes way beyond the temporal necessities of this world is made obvious from Eph.1:3-14. Where four times it is alluded to: The praise and the glory of the riches of His grace! In which riches there is included: Our adoption into His family — and our being accepted in Him (which is our justification by His grace) — and our redemption through His blood — and His having worked out all things in this life, or the next, for us — according to His purpose and grace — and glory!
Paul is led of the Holy Spirit to stress this fact — because he writes to us: “Now unto God and our Father — be glory forever and ever — Amen!” It is, indeed, grand — that he is led to articulate that God is our Father. He is our heavenly Father, through Christ alone — and we know He is our Father, by the Holy Spirit alone. “Which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” Praise His Name!
In the riches of His grace — through which He has supplied all the spiritual blessings for our eternal salvation — all our need is supplied in Christ — who is our all in all!
-For Christ’s Glory Only
John Carpenter
