I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 NKJV
I’m willing to bet that if you have been to church a time or two you have heard this verse. It’s so encouraging! What things can we do? All things. The easy things, the hard things, and the impossible things. All things!
Where does the ability to do all things come from? The verse is clear. Through Christ. Through. This word is really standing out to me today. It’s not just because of Christ but through Him. This verse is giving full contact Christianity vibes and sets us on a collision course with Jesus. We don’t just do these things because of all He has done, but we must be in Him and so deeply intertwined with Him.
The word used here is a preposition, and a preposition’s job is to show us the relationship between two things. The two things are the author of Philippians and Christ. Paul is speaking about His ability to be content in whatever God is currently providing. He says that he has learned to be content in so much and so little and then He says how. Through Christ this contentment and all things are possible. As long as Paul is in Christ all things become possible.
Christianity is a full contact religion. In fact, without full contact there is no Christianity. God initiates the relationship and does everything that is needed to connect us. The Bible says that no one can come to Jesus without being drawn by the Father (John 6:44). He initiates and does all the work! Praise God that my salvation does not rely on me. Praise God that He has pulled me from the pit.
Once we are together with Jesus by faith through grace we are told to abide. To stay in there, grow roots there, and dig in our heels. We are called to get to know Jesus and come to Him again and again even though we can never be separated. No, I can’t explain it perfectly, partly because I have a lot of learning to do and partly because our human capacity to understand the amazing, beautiful, glories ways of God are limited, but He is growing our capacity.
Meanwhile we keep trying to do things without Him. We are going after the “all things” and trying to figure out why we fail, trying to understand why we can’t do what we know God wants us to do. We see other Christians and wonder why one person is able to do what God is asking them with joy but why the other one can’t.
We let distractions, our flesh, and failures distance us from that relationship with Christ then we try “all things” and fail. We fail to be content, obedient, anointed, loving, and wise and we start to think that the blood is the problem. We think that maybe God doesn’t answer prayers anymore, and miracles are a thing of the past. We think if we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us then maybe Jesus didn’t hold up His end of the bargain and things get very swampy very fast. We fall into all out deceipt.
We do things through Jesus. In Jesus. Or we can’t do all things. I am learning currently that I can’t do ANYTHING without Jesus. I mean it is ridiculous. I’ve got nothing on my own. I can’t take a breath without Him, hold the atoms together in my own body, grocery shop, parent, write, or love without Him. If I’m not in Him and doing things through Him then I will fail more and more every day.
Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4 NIV
What does is look like to be in Jesus, to abide? We must be single minded. Our time and submission to Jesus have to become the priority more and more. It is an area I have failed in many times and only return because of the unmatched grace and love of God.
We have to worship every day. Worship means to bow down and is tied to sacrifice so you can do that musically and through your obedience throughout the day. Spend intimate time alone with Jesus. Spend time in prayer and worship with the rest of His bride, the church. Lean on Him, the whole way. We are not a light to our own path, His Word is! Crack that Bible open and meditate on it with Him.
Let’s immerse ourselves in Jesus. Let’s eat the Bread of Life every day. Let’s drink from the well of Living Water every day. We should set up camp in Him and just live there. Then all things are possible, and only then.
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