Philippians 4:4-9
I think that many of you are aware that the book of Philippians is one of my favourite Bible books. As a missionary on home assignment I would go to various churches to report on the work and to thank them for their participation in finances and prayer. Both are important. Without financial backing we could not serve in the overseas. Without prayer there was no purpose in going. At one point when I realized that the letter to the Philippian church was a thank you letter by Paul to his supporters, it began to be very special for me.
But I really appreciate the book because of its joyful nature and deep truths that are set out for all to read and love. It is a very positive book. At various points in his many scriptures sent to the churches in the gentile world, Paul refers to the importance of how we think, what we think about, and the importance of controlling our thought life. And that is true in this brief letter to his missionary supporting church.
I would like to draw your attention to chapter 4 and verses 4-9, in the letter to the Philippian church. This is a wonderful exhortation for all of us. The definition of an exhortation is a challenge paired with encouragement. Let’s read these verses. (read)
So, what is the first challenge that Paul gives us? (listen) Right, what word makes it a huge challenge? Yes, “always” is a challenge. Sometimes rejoicing comes easily. Sometimes less so. But Paul realizes that and so says, “I will say it again: Rejoice!” Okay, even when it is not easy, rejoice. Now you may have found out in your own life, that when you rejoice when you don’t feel like it, you begin to feel better. But Paul does not say that he just tells us what we should do.
Immediately, he turns to the next challenge. “Let your gentleness be evident to all.” Living out the Christian life in Philippi was not easy. Paul was forced to leave the city shortly after being rescued from the city jail by a miracle. Those left behind would have to be tough to stick it out. But they were to be gentle with all men, even those who made life miserable for them if they could.
Paul then reminds them that the Lord is near them and us. Even when things are tough, remember, the Lord, the source of your strength, is close to you, available in times of need. What an encouragement!
Because of the Lord’s help, you cannot only be gentle, but you can also meet the next challenge; “Do not be anxious about anything”. Are you kidding Paul. No anxiety? How do we do that? Well, “in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your mind in Christ Jesus.” Wow, what a formula for peace of mind, for not being anxious, for rejoicing in every situation. It can even enable you to be gentle in your dealings with all men, even some who are not the best of neighbours.
You may be inclined to think that this set of challenges would be enough for one dose. We might say, “let’s move on to something more easily put into practice.” But Paul just keeps the focus moving forward. He goes on to say, “Finally brothers and sisters” and that include you and me if we are in Christ, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”
Once again Paul is challenging us in the area of our thoughts. What do we think about? Does the news on the radio or TV challenge us in this area? Do the present economic woes in Canada and much of the world have us worrying about how we can all survive? Do we feel overwhelmed by things we have no control over? If we do not control our own thinking and what we think about, the enemy has lots of suggestions for us to worry about. I am not suggesting that we do not need to be concerned with the situation, but we need to control our thoughts and still be in the place Paul suggested earlier where we can rejoice in every situation.
So, if we are not to go crazy thinking about every situation that presents itself, what do we do? We need to find things that are worth thinking about: true, noble, right. pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Now, as I just recited those categories of things to think about what popped into you mind? What is one thing you thought of right away that we need to be thinking about?
Thank you.
So as we begin thinking of a list of true things, a list of noble things which could also be called things that are worthy of honour, a list of pure things, and so on, we will soon come to see that there are any number of things that belong on two or more of the lists. So, it is not to make separate lists and compare one list to another. It will likely be more of a composite list. This could be a project for the summer. Or it might be that you never end the list but keep adding to it.
And what this command assumes is that we, as Christians, can control our thoughts and that our thought life should be characterized by what is good and uplifting. Negative thoughts lead to negative results, negative lives. Thoughts based on truth bring positive results in our lives.
Paul is an example of doing this when he talks in chapter one about being imprisoned and treated like a criminal. Does he complain about his situation? No, rather, he says that what has happened to him will further the progress of the gospel. Paul also tells the Philippians to imitate Jesus’ attitude when he humbled himself and was crucified for our good. We like Paul and Jesus can control our thinking, so that it is in line with God’s will for us.
So, when Paul tells us to think about such things as are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, excellent and trustworthy, he is confident that we can do that and control the thoughts that control our lives. It is for our good that we adopt this approach.
As I was writing this it came to me that we are to act like our God. God was upset by the Jewish nation so often reverting to worshiping idols, which God himself and the prophets ridiculed as being unable to see or hear or speak or move. And result that God warned them about was that those who worshipped them would be like them, unable to think, see, hear or speak. What a contrast to Paul’s challenge to us in these verses.
As one author wrote, “Paul reminds us that we must constantly reject those things that do not draw us closer to God and consciously focus on the things that do. We have the ability to choose what we think about.”
We are to think about whatever is true. And it might be that the other things we are to think about are sort of categories of thinking about the truth. But the main source of things that are true is the Scriptures. His word is truth. And as Christians we know that the New Testament is where the truths suggested in the Old Testament are more fully and clearly shown. There is a God that we can know. He exists eternally as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is basic truth often missed in the modern media. Jesus Christ, the human son of Mary is the eternal Son of God, who became one of us, though without sin, and who offered himself to redeem us and make us children of his heavenly Father. These are the basic truths that all other truth is built around. You mentioned several aspects of this truth when I asked for truths at the beginning of the message. You know these truths. Paul says, think about these things.
Have you ever listened to the preacher make a particular statement and you grabbed a pen and wrote it down because it was worth taking note of. Most of us have. What do you do with that note that you stuck in your purse or Bible or even your shirt pocket? Had you forgotten about it by the time you got back to the car after the service? Or did you take it out and think about it later in the day. Maybe even for several days afterword. That is what we are to do with truths that God impresses upon us. We are train ourselves to act in that way. Pay attention to your thinking. It is a biblical truth.
Besides telling us to think about what is true and thus implementing truth in our lives, he then adds that we think about whatever is noble. M. Anders writes that whatever is noble “refers to lofty, majestic, awesome things, things that lift the mind above the world’s dirt and scandal.” Earlier this week June and I watched a presentation about the heavens and the awesome creation of God. How refreshing. Of course if we are looking for noble things we find them in the Word and in God’s creation. However, any one night of TV fare can provide us with a virtual feast of poisoned ignoble thoughts and godless thinking. As believers we need to be careful what we look at whether online or on TV or even in print. Thinking on whatever is noble involves constantly filling our minds with God-honouring thoughts. And again, our bibles, God’s Word, is full of things that are lofty, honourable and noble.
Thinking on whatever things that are right means things that are just, morally right and proper. The King James Bible uses the word ‘just’ rather than right. When referring to Jesus’ example Paul encourages the Philippians to “make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and one mind.” Right thinking is unselfish thinking.
The prevalent thinking of today that says “might is right” has it all wrong. If you have enough money or power or authority you can do whatever you like and get away with it. But that is not right or just. It ends in error and terror. It ends with harm not only for the victims but for the conqueror. The goal of filling our minds with things that right is to become like Jesus, the righteous one.
We are also enjoined to think on things that are pure. We are to fill our minds with things that are innocent, virtuous, and clean. And it may be difficult at times to find things that are 100 % pure, but that is what we should fill our minds with. The word has the sense of moral purity or holiness. We are encouraged to be thou holy even as our saviour is holy. We are encouraged even in the Old Testament to hide the word of God in our hearts so that we will not sin. The purer our thoughts, the more pure our lives. This is an ancient truth that still serves us well.
The comparison to this is that when we were unbelievers our thoughts were in Paul’s words, “Full of darkness.” This in turn produced dark deeds and thoughts that left us powerless to obey God. How thankful we are that, regardless of the sins we have engaged in, there is forgiveness as we turn in repentance to our Saviour. The sins of the past are not held against us if we have repented and moved forward with God by the Spirit. We are not going forward as ‘damaged goods”, but as men and women free to live pure lives as we think about things that are pure, in the authority of the Holy Spirit. We have been chosen to be holy and blameless. And we need to think upon such things as they become the means to bring purity to our lives.
As you consider the list of things we are to think about you may wonder how “whatever is lovely” made the cut. You have heard people say about all sorts of things, “isn’t that lovely”. And you have thought, why would you say that? The word translated “lovely” is only used this one time in the Bible. It was used to mean “pleasing, attractive, or giving pleasure”. M. Anders wrote, “such thoughts bring people together in peace rather than separating them in fighting and feuding.” When we are thinking this way we are dwelling on things that inspire us and others to love one another and as you know that that is a command quite often repeated in the New Testament.
And again we know that we do not fulfill our duty to love one another with our words. If we do not act according to the love we are to have for each other, we really don’t love as Christ instructs us to live. Our words should lead us to action and when we speak such lovely words we can inspire others to act in love toward the people with whom they deal. We know what real love is because of the example of Jesus as Paul had reminded the Philippians in chapter 2 of the book.
As we think about words that encourage love for one another, we realize that such ideas inspire unity, peace, and love for other people. If we love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind, we will love our neighbors as we love our selves. This is counted the same as fulfilling the law. We may have enemies who hate us, but we should still speak to them, and act, in such a way as to produce love and friendship.
We turn to the next category of things we are to think about your may find that your Bible lists it as “things of good report” rather than “admirable” as in the NIV. Others translate the word as “commendable”. Paul was always quick to acknowledge people who have had good reports. He talks about people and their service.
Paul inserts, “if anything is excellent or praiseworthy” before finishing the long sentence that contains all eight ideas about which we should think. So it may be that things that are admirable, excellent and praiseworthy are very similar to each other.
Paul was always praising folks for things he thought praiseworthy. For instance he writes in his letter to Philemon, “I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus.” You find many times in his books simple ‘thank you’ notes of appreciation for his fellow believers and co-workers. We would do well to follow the same appreciation of those we know who are serving the Lord faithfully. By that I do not mean just official Christian workers, but the many unsung heroes of the faith in your local church. Maybe you are the only one who knows how much time he or she spends in prayer for the needs of people in the congregation. It may be that you should let them know that you find their faith in Jesus and their love for all of God’s people, worthy of admiration. Paul did in Colossians 1:3-4.
Then Paul reminds the Philippian believers of all he has taught them in words and actions. “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me –put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” And this ends his final exhortations. The end of his first list of things to do, he promises that “the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” He promises us both the peace of God and the presence of the God of peace if we not only obey his teaching but his very lifestyle. How many of the faithful teachers you have had lived lives that were worth following because they lived out their teaching.
It appears that this is what Paul is finishing up with here. We should be quick to learn not just from someone’s words but also from their faithful lives. And the reward is huge is great when we do that. This ends Paul’s final exhortations. And may it lead to our bringing our thoughts under control and living lives of great blessing. Think on these things. Amen May it be so.
Ron MacKinnon
