It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:7-8)

Does Paul feel that he needs to defend his joyful, thankful attitude in prayer for the Philippians? This next verse starts off as if he feels he does. “It is right for me to feel this way” he begins.

Always giving thanks when he remembers this church, always praying with joy—it does sound a little too good to be true. I mean, come on: have you ever met The Church? Have you met each other? Could you say of all your fellow church members: “I thank God every time I remember you.” “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.” “I have you in my heart.” “I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” Even if you think you could truthfully say those things in absolute terms about everyone within our church—could you say them about everyone in our denomination? Or, in the wider Church of Jesus Christ?

If you said yes—either you’re a Christian on par with Paul, or you’ve forgotten something. Like, for instance: the way that that one person cut you off in the parking lot or told you to move out of their pew; or the time when someone made light of your pain or avoided you all together when you were going through it; or the way that someone acted toward you or people you care about online or in public forums. The church is full of sinful, broken people (just like you and me) and it’s nigh near impossible to walk through a place like this and not find yourself frustrated, angry, or hurt by someone.

And why would you want to partner in the gospel with people like that? With judgmental hypocrites and insensitive administrators, bleeding hearts and short-sighted enthusiasts, culture warriors and political partisans? It’s often easier to strike out on your own: to another church, to another denomination—to be spiritual, but not religious somewhere off on your own.

I’m sure it was the same with the Philippian church. It was full of sinful, broken people too. Paul will allude to some of those realities later on in this letter. And yet, despite who they were, Pastor Paul still writes these words of thanks and joy in response. Knowing these statements might be hard to believe though, Paul also gives rationale.

“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you.” Why? “Because all of you share in God’s grace with me.”

In other words, Paul says: “when I look at you—when I remember you—I don’t think of all the wrinkles and stains. I know they’re there. But that’s not the most important thing about you. When I look at you—I see the good work of God. I see the saints—the holy people of God in Christ Jesus who have believed in Him and so have received His grace to cover all their failures and faults. And, we share in that grace together. We share in that Koinonia, that fellowship and partnership in the Gospel, together. We share in the bonds of Christian love, together. And because of that—because you and I are in the heart of God and he in ours—you are in my heart as well.”

It is only with this fundamental recognition of Christ and his grace in the other that we can come to love this unlovely person before us as we ourselves have been loved. Only then, in recognition of and sharing in the grace of God can we always given thanks in joy for all our fellow church members. Only then can we truly and Christianly hold them in our hearts. So: may your eyes be open to see the grace and face of Christ in your fellow Christians and in the church this week.