THESE DO
"The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you."
Philippians 4:9 (NKJV)
READ: Philippians 4:8,9; 2 Timothy 2:1-13
Apostle Paul in this verse of our text was
talking about followership. When your heart is stirred by God to be committed to a particular leader and you are
following, you definitely learn a number of things through the person's life.
In fact, intuitively, you see yourself replicating some of the things you saw the leader doing. Humans are relational.
When you are relating, you cannot but be influenced, either positively or negatively. This is the reason why you have to carefully choose whoever to relate with.
The best in relating is that you follow whom you are stirred by God to follow.
Note:
• It is a thing that you should not be casual about.
• It is not what you do without careful consideration.
Apostle Paul was telling the believers in Philippi to do things which they have learned and received and heard him
saying and saw him doing, and the God of peace will be with them (Philippians 4:9).
This fact cannot be shunned off, humans are shaped by others. You follow some people's faith to get to where you are going (Hebrews 13:7).
And this by and large is determined by the kind of person or people you allow
into your space. Or the person or people you choose to pattern your life after (1 Corinthians 4:16).
If you pattern your life after a wrong person or people, the outcome would be there to see after a period of time.
And, if on the other hand, the person or people you pattern your life after is a good person, the outcome would also be there to see (Philippians 3:17-19).
Albeit, as a believer in Christ, whoever you are patterning your life after should be someone who is following God through Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 4:16; 11:1).
Some people have patterned their
lives after one celebrity or another who does not know God, but they ended up becoming a nonentity.
Pattern your life after the people who have walked with God, both those whom we have studied in the Bible and those who have proven records in our contemporary time (2 Thessalonians 3:7,9; Hebrews 13:7).
Apostle Paul knew he was following Christ that is why he was bold enough
to encourage others to follow him as he was following Christ: "BE YE FOLLOWERS OF ME, EVEN AS I ALSO AM OF CHRIST" (1 Corinthians 11:1 KJV).
Whoever you are following, or whoever you are considering to follow, make sure the person is following Christ Jesus.
Ultimately, Jesus Christ should be the standard and the One who every believer should pattern his or her life after (2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:13; Hebrews 12:2).
Note;
• Learning is mostly done through reading and listening to the teachings of
the person you have chosen to follow.
• Learning is also done through observations.
If the text, Philippians 4:9, is considered very carefully; Apostle Paul says: things you learned, things you received, things you heard, things you saw in me.
Now, learning is done through followership. And followership is done through reading and hearing and observation.
There are some people who you may not be able to see physically but they would impact your life so much if you are following them through their material—teachings.
• When you are learning through someone's writings, you surely would be imparted and receive something—the Grace on him would be extended to you.
• Also when you are listening to someone's teachings, you surely would hear something—the Grace on him would rub-off on you.
• And when you are privileged to see someone physically and you are following him, either working for him or serving under him, you surely would observe and see something—the Grace on him would be imparted to you (Numbers 27:18-20; Deuteronomy 34:9; 2 Kings 2:9-15).
It is those good things you learned,
you received, you heard, and you saw that you are being admonished to go and do or practiced.
Peace.