Philippians 1:18b-26: Joyful Confidence

Paul uses the word “joy” 14 times in Philippians and ‘rejoice with me’ two other times. (See 1:4, 18, 25; 2:2, 17, 18, 28, 29; 3:1; 4:1, 4, and 10.) Despite jail, mistreatment, separation from his friends, the end of his career, and the threat of death, joy is not only possible in Jesus; Paul says it is required.

Joy is a happy contentment of the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22) when we see the beauty of Christ in our circumstances, or in spite of them.