Closer To Heaven
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Join It Is Written Sabbath School host Eric Flickinger and this quarter’s author, Dr. Clinton Wahlen, as they provide additional insights into this week’s Sabbath School lesson,
View an in-depth discussion of Reasons for Thanksgiving and Prayer in the Hope Sabbath School class led by Pastor Derek Morris.
Click on the image below to view the video:
With thanks to Hope Channel – Television that will change your life.
Daily Lesson for Tuesday 6th of January 2026
The Philippians were understandably distressed when they heard of Paul’s imprisonment. Now his work was severely limited. He could not travel. He could not preach. He could not visit the synagogues and teach people about Jesus as the Messiah. He could no longer raise up churches. The Philippians sent Epaphroditus to ascertain the apostle’s condition, to encourage him, and to ensure that his physical needs were being met.
Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com
The message Paul sent back with him must have surprised the Philippians. Paul saw his circumstances through different eyes. His spiritual discernment led him to see his imprisonment as a good thing. It didn’t hinder his work at all but “actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12, NKJV). Where others saw only chains and bars, Paul saw his Roman guards as potential souls in God’s kingdom. He saw also that his imprisonment greatly encouraged others to be more active and more determined to spread the gospel, to speak boldly for Christ without fear of the consequences.
It may be hard to imagine, but some actually thought to benefit from Paul’s imprisonment. Apparently, they thought his obscurity would lead to more attention for themselves and their own preaching of the gospel. What a powerful but sad example of human selfishness, even in the church. As Jeremiah said long before Paul: “ ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, / And desperately wicked; / Who can know it?’ ” (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV).
Fortunately, in contrast, some faithful workers also became more zealous to spread the gospel. They loved Paul so much that the suffering they saw him endure for his faith led them to trust Christ more and emboldened them to be even more active for the Lord. It energized them to go where before they were afraid to go; it led them to speak in situations during which before they kept silent; it led to even more people accepting Christ and spreading the gospel of salvation.
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What lesson have you learned from experiences that, though unquestionably bad, also brought about some benefits? Even in cases in which a benefit might not be apparent, how can we learn to trust God regardless? |
Daily Lesson for Monday 5th of January 2026
Some years ago, there was a pastor who talked about prayers that revolve around me, me, me, and my needs or desires. He aptly characterized them as “selfish little prayers,” because God has bigger things in mind.
This prayer is only forty-three words in Greek, but it encapsulates all of Paul’s concerns, which he will expand on in the rest of the epistle: love, knowledge, discernment, being sincere, not causing offense, and the righteousness we have through Jesus Christ. Underlying this prayer, as well as Paul’s previous expressions of thanksgiving, is an emphasis on the church as a whole. Paul’s prayer is completely others-focused, on behalf of the whole church and for its well-being. Let’s look more closely at some of the individual elements of the prayer:
Image © Lifeway Collection at Goodsalt.com
Love to abound more and more. Paul doesn’t just pray for more love but for love guided in a specific direction: “in knowledge and all discernment” (Philippians 1:9, NKJV). The reference to knowledge is not to merely intellectual knowledge but implies a knowledge of spiritual things that can be gained only by fellowship with God and study of His Word (see Ephesians 1:17, Ephesians 4:13, 1 Timothy 2:4).
Discernment. This is explained by Paul as being able to “approve what is excellent” (distinguishing it from what is morally harmful) “and so be pure and blameless” (Philippians 1:10, ESV).
Being sincere. The word in Greek means “judged by the sunlight” and refers to an untainted purity of action: “Everything that Christians do should be as transparent as the sunlight.”—Ellen G. White, Reflecting Christ, p. 71.
Not causing offense. This means not being a stumbling block, not saying or doing anything that would make it more difficult for a person to believe.
Righteousness through Christ. Paul dwells at length on this in the epistles of Romans and Galatians and will expand on it also in Philippians 3:1-21. We have no righteousness of our own but only what we receive through Christ.
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Whatever else we do, how can our love “abound still more and more” (Philippians 1:9, NKJV)? Why is that so important for the Christian life? (See also 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.) |
But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, Philippians 1:12 NKJV
While no one wants to go to prison, especially if falsely accused of a crime they did not commit, would it be worth it to you to be falsely accused and sentenced to jail if you could lead just one person there to eternal salvation?
Photo by Ye Jinghan on Unsplash
In Philippians, Paul says that his imprisonment actually helped spread the Gospel and encouraged others to be bold in spreading it. Acts 16 also mentions Paul and Silas being imprisoned in Philippi. They were singing songs of praise while the other prisoners were listening. If you were wrongfully imprisoned, would you be singing songs and praising God? I hope so, because something extraordinary happened. An earthquake opened up the prison. Instead of running for it, Paul and Silas ministered to the correctional officer and led him to salvation. You can read this fantastic story in Acts 16:25-34.
Much more recently, the Christian Post, among other Christian news agencies, has shared the testimony of a Chinese woman known as Sister Tong. Chinese officials arrested her for having an underground church in her home. After serving her 6-month sentence, instead of complaining, she was beaming with joy about the women’s ministry she had begun right there in prison. Like Paul, being in prison helped sister Tong spread the Gospel and has inspired others in countries where Christianity is illegal to be bolder in spreading it as well.
When you consider that Jesus left heaven to come to this cold, dark world to live and die to save others eternally, is there any place that is too cold or dark for you to go and save others? Jesus did not complain about coming to this cold, dark world to live and die, but came willingly. See John 10:17-18. Likewise, Paul and Silas were not protesting or pleading their innocence while in prison. They were praising the Lord. What a testimony to the warden and other prisoners! And more recently, instead of complaining about the terrible living conditions in a Chinese prison, Sister Tong beams with joy over being able to lead several women prisoners to Jesus and salvation.
Paul, Silas, and Sister Tong not only endured prison and persecution to save others eternally, but did so joyfully. Is there any place you are unwilling to go joyfully to lead others to eternal salvation?
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