This final chapter of Philippians encourages us to develop the characteristics of Christ Jesus so that we learn to live a life of contentment, humility, and stay in unity with Him and our fellow Believers.

In this chapter of Philippians we learn to look to Jesus as our pattern for living as citizens of the Kingdom of God our Father.

Our lives should reflect the character and life of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul stated that his life was hidden in Christ. Ours should be also. His life should flow through our lives as we seek to imitate Him in every aspect of our character and behavior.

Having the same mind as our Lord Jesus develops our sense of belonging to the family of God our Father. Our identity as a Believer is firmly established upon who God says that we are.

The book of Jude confronts those people who pose as Believers within the church but are not. He clarifies how to distinguish between those who truly follow Jesus Christ and those who seem to be Believers outwardly but inwardly serve only themselves.

As we look into John III, we find the apostle’s contrast between leaders who example Jesus’ life of speaking truth while loving people and those who promote themselves while opposing others.

This is a study of II John. Knowing the difference between true doctrine, teaching, and false helps our lives overflow with grace, mercy, and peace as we love others well.

In living the life God has infused us with, we come to enjoy keeping His commandments, find power to overcome in this world, and bear within us the confirming testimony from God our Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit that we belong to Him.

To grow to mature faith in the Lord we must learn the difference between the Spirit of the Living God, who always speaks truth, the spirit of man that stems from earthly reasonings and desires, and the spirit of the world that is under the influence of the wicked one. Testing the spirits must be intentional, guided by the scriptures and the Holy Spirit, and training our senses to rightly discern the difference between what we hear, read, and see.

God’s love fills us with the capacity to know Him more fully. We become members of His household through faith, sons and daughters who walk in peace. We have been reconciled to God. Our lives should become testimonies that He dwells within us and reveals Himself through us as we grow in maturity in the word of Truth.

Experiencing the love that God has for us empowers us to defeat false beliefs with His Truth, enriches our approach to God with bold confidence, and causes us to life a life of Kingdom authority with discernment of good and evil, knowing that we are accepted in His love for us.

When God defines Himself as Light, He is telling us that there is no lie or falsehood in Him ever. He is the author of complete truth and brings to our hearts an understanding of what He reveals to us through scripture about Himself and about who we have been created to be. He created us to experience and live in His love and to share His love with others.

Asking the Lord to help shift our focus from what we are experiencing to His Kingdom perspective produces a rejoicing heart.