Philippians 1:7

‘Even as it is right for me to be minded in this way on behalf of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as, both in my bonds and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.'

And he considered it right that he should think in this way about them, because he saw them all as partakers along with him of the gracious working of God. That was why he had them in his heart. To be a partaker of God's grace meant that they were caught up in the whole stream of the working of God's grace as described in Romans 8:29; Ephesians 1:3. But it does not stop there. For we notice that ‘being partakers of His grace' also involved them in showing kindness and generosity to a fellow-Christian in bonds for Christ's sake, and in a responsibility to defend and confirm the Gospel. Being involved in the grace of God is not the guarantee of an easy ride. It is rather the guarantee of a blessed and secure one whatever the outward circumstances.

We should never overlook the wonder of God's grace, that is, of His unmerited and undeserved active favour shown towards those whom He has chosen. It is through this that we have been brought to enjoy and experience a salvation which is not at all of our own doing (Philippians 1:28; Ephesians 2:5; Ephesians 2:7; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24; Romans 4:16; Romans 5:2; Romans 5:15; Romans 11:5; etc). It is His work alone (Ephesians 2:8). For an overall description of the sovereign grace of God at work see Ephesians 1:3; Romans 8:29.

Note the reference to ‘my bonds/chains'. Paul was living in his own hired house (Acts 28:30), but he would be constantly chained to a Roman soldier. (The Roman soldiers would be replaced constantly, each having done his shift, with the result that Paul was able gradually to witness to large numbers of the Praetorian guard). This is a reminder that being subjects of God's grace does not protect us from the problems of this life. Indeed those problems often abound all the more, for they are the very things that God in His grace uses to fashion and shape our lives (e.g. Romans 5:2; Hebrews 12:3; James 1:2).