Think About These Things

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Phil 4.8).

This is not a difficult passage to understand, so it will not require a lot of comments. Paul simply tells us to think on things that are beneficial to our spiritual journey. What goes unsaid in this passage is just as important as what is mentioned. If you are thinking on true things, you can’t be draw in by that which is false. If your focus is on things that are lovely and commendable, you cannot be thinking about things that are ugly and shameful. The same goes for each item listed.

It may help us to regularly read Paul’s list of things to think about. We can always consult Phil 4.8 to see if our thoughts are headed in the right direction.

Rejoice In The Lord Always

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4.4-7).

It is difficult to rejoice in the Lord when those “In the Lord” are fighting with one another. Our fellowship in Christ should not be marked by quarreling, but by our rejoicing together, whether in good times or bad. The qualities that often lead us to divisions and fights are impatience, illogical thinking, and over-reacting. The word translated “reasonableness” in verse 5 speaks to the antithesis of these qualities. The Greek word επειεκεσ means “to be mild, moderate, and patient.” One who reveals these qualities “To everyone” will often find little time to quarrel. Rejoicing will be the nature consequence of such an attitude.

Our anxieties are caused by an over-emphasis on the material coupled with a lack of trust in God. Therefore, if we will cast our cares upon God, rather than attempt to bear them alone, we will experience a peace that can only come from God. When we place it in His hands two things happen: 1. Our request has reached the highest power. Therefore, we realize there is nothing more we can can do. Worrying has no benefit. 2. Along with that, we learn to find contentment with God operating according to His will, and in His time.

Agree In The Lord

“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Phil 4.1-3).

There are many parallels between this passage and the one found in chapter 2.1-4. In chapter 2 Paul encourages them all to be of the same mind and spirit. He desires that they be in full accord. Chapter 4 may reveal why he emphasized these issues so much in the letter. Two women are at odds with one another, and their personal issues are affecting the work of the church.

Sometimes personal issues can influence our spiritual fellowship in Christ. Whatever disagreement these women had, it was causing them to not “agree in the Lord” as well. It is a terrible thing when we allow personal issues to influence things that are so much more important. When we follow Paul’s instructions in chapter 2 personal feelings and opinions will not become the center of disputes: “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but In humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2.3-4). Rather than create problems over petty issues, we must save moments of contention for the times that really matter; for example, disagreements on the doctrine of Christ. Studying these issues will make us stronger. Fighting over opinions and feelings will devour us (Gal 5.13-15).

Our Citizenship Is In Heaven

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Phil 3.20-21).

We are surrounded by political discussions on a daily basis. Friends at work, new reports, and signs all have something to say about what is happening in our country. These matters are important to a certain degree. We all enjoy the benefits and blessings that come from living in the United States. But this verse tells us there is something much more important than earthly things. Those who have no relationship with God put a lot of stock in this life. They want to be rich, live a luxurious lives, get plastic surgery to try to stay young and beautiful. This life is all they have, so it means a great deal to them.

On the other hand, God’s people are focused on “storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold on that which is truly life” (1Tim 6.19). God’s people realize this body is going to decay, but will one day, by faith, be transformed “to be like his glorious body.” The faithful know it is much more important to life a holy life, than a luxurious one. Although we may care about things in this world, because we live in this world, we understand that, ultimately, we belong up there, not down here.

Walking According To The Example

“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (Phil 3.17-19 ESV).


In the preceding verses Paul described the mindset by which he lived his life. He intended on reaching the goal, and was willing to suffer to acquire the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Those who are mature have an attitude like Paul’s.

Verse 17 focuses on the importance of choosing the correct people to emulate. There are many who do not live according to the commandments given by God. Paul calls them “enemies of the cross.” These individuals set out to please themselves and do things their way. But the very thing they glory in will be their shame. The wicked focus on earthly matters rather than spiritual. But all that matters in the end is our relationship with God. Rather than imitating the materialistically minded people of the world, our examples should be those who set their minds on things above(Col 3.1-2).

Hold True To What We Have Attained

“Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, Join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Phil 3.16-18)


There will be more to say about this section in connection with the final verses of Philippians 3, but let’s focus on the first line for now. Since my job involves a lot of study time, it is common for me to come across arguments against the gospel message. I’m sure many of you find these things during your study as well. When coming across these writings I would encourage your first instinct to be to hold true to what you have attained by way of your faith, which comes by hearing the word of God. Unfortunately, it seems many first question their faith, rather than the highly deceptive document they are reading, written by a Bible critic (and yes, many of them are totally inaccurate, and meaningless). Give it time, and criticize the writing as carefully as they criticize the Bible, and you will see that their claims are often completely bogus. There are a few things I commonly notice in such material:

1. They make themselves the authority on the subject. For example, critical scholars will say things like, “we know that Daniel was written in 165 BC, not hundreds of years earlier, because his prophecies begin to lose accuracy at that point.” It is my estimation that they are completely wrong about the meaning of Daniel’s prophecies, as many are the prophecies in Revelation. Since the very basis on which they decide 165BC must be the date is not valid, neither is their belief that it was written hundreds of years later than the book claims internally (not to mention they are questioning the integrity of Scripture). They have a huge burden of proof. But rather than bear the burden, they just speak as if they know the facts already. Daniel’s dating is just one example. The same goes for Paul’s authorship for some of his epistles. Their assumptions are inaccurate, and therefore so are their conclusions. These leads to the next common flaw I notice.
2. You know the Bible better than they do. I must admit that there are brilliant Bible scholars with whom I have huge disagreements. In many ways these men are far above my level of expertise in Scripture. But it seems they sometimes miss the simplicity of Scripture. But I’m not talking about these individuals so much as I am the skeptic. Skeptics often try to make arguments from Scripture, as if they really understand it. With a few minutes of study it becomes clear that they have no understanding of the passage in question, or its context. Do not be fooled by poor use of Scripture. Many times, they will selectively leave out significant parts of a passage they are using counting on the fact that people will only look at their quotation. Most, if not all, documents I read questioning the integrity of Scripture, or the character of God, abuse the Bible text. This leads to the final thing I notice about most of these writings.
3. They masterfully craft their documents to deceive. Unfortunately, those who are good at creating doubt in the minds of others are able to spin their ideas into what seems to be an air-tight argument, at least on the surface. I do not always think these individuals are setting out to deceive others. Many of them are self-deceived. They have reason to doubt there being a God, or Christ being the answer to sin, etc. They don’t want to be told what to do, or how to live. Few of us really do. The power of prejudice is unmeasurable. Peter said of such people, “they promise you freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption” (2Pet 219). Speaking of the skeptic, Peter says, “they deliberately overlook this fact...” he goes on to discuss the actions of God in the history of man (2Pet 3.3-7).
   

Although I am first to admit the need to challenge our faith- we might need to change our views in certain areas-- we must also remember to hold true to it until the evidence truly denies it. If anything should be doubted, let it first be the claims of men, often based in false assumptions, not the integrity of Scripture.

Press On Toward The Goal

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way...” (Phil 3.13-15)


Paul realized that he had not reached full maturity yet. He was still striving for the kind of relationship with Christ that he described in Philippians 3.8-11. But he made it his aim in life to press on toward the the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
There is a wonderful prize waiting for those who reach the goal. As long as we are in this life, we must be straining forward to attain the resurrection from the dead (v. 11). The only way to move forward is to keep the past behind us. Many people struggle in this area. Many want to drag the past back into the present. There is nothing wrong with learning lessons from the past, but dwelling on doesn’t allow us to press forward.
“Those...who are mature think this way...” As our spiritual life grows stronger, we learn to keep our eyes on the goal, rather than on the path behind us. The mature learn to exhort others in the same way they encourage themselves. Although it may be necessary to discuss past mistakes at times, often the best words we can offer are “Press on, brother.”

That I May Gain Christ

“...That I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Phil 3.8-11)


Paul packed so much power into one sentence that it is hard to know where to begin, or how to explain the totality of his thoughts. But we will consider at least some of what he said in context with verse 8. He discussed counting all things as loss that he may gain Christ. Gaining Christ was not contingent upon keeping Moses’ law, or the traditions of his fathers. Paul explained this as being “a righteousness of my own that comes from law.” Declaring ourselves righteous or justified has little value. Imagine the defendant who stands up to leave the court room upon declaring himself innocent to the court. We know that is ridiculous. He is only deemed righteous when the judge proclaims it so. This is the idea of “the righteousness from God that comes by faith.” Upon receiving the blood of Christ, God declares us innocent of all charges. It has nothing to do with God transferring his righteousness to us, or any such thing. These concepts are not found in scripture. Being righteous before God has to do with our status before him. We are not considered guilty, because God proclaims us blameless through faith in Christ Jesus.

Paul continued his thought by relating his desire to become one with Christ. He wanted his life to be in complete harmony with Christ’s: He yearned to know Christ, to fully grasp the implications of resurrection, to share in the reproach and shame --even death-- that Christ faced due to his obedience to God, and ultimately to experience the joy of resurrection by the glory of the Father. What he faced in this life was of no concern as long as he gained Christ. We must pray for that same attitude.

I Count Everything As Loss

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ...” (Phil 3.7-8).

After his experience on the road to Damascus, Paul gladly gave up all the benefits and privileges that came from being who he was. King Manasseh may be the only other biblical figure who turned his life around as completely as Paul; however, there is no doubt that Paul had a much greater influence. If you feel like you are too far gone to receive God's grace, remember Manasseh and Paul.

Greek scholars like to point out the vulgarity of the word translated “rubbish” in our text. Paul uses a word most of us would not dare say in our own language (it has been tamed in translation for that very reason) to describe how worthless his past life was compared to the life he found in Christ. Whatever it is we think we are gaining in the world, it is not worth sacrificing “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.” Many earthly endeavors are fine, and do not stand in the way of service to God. But those that do must be “counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” There are some things we just need to count as "rubbish" if we want to gain Christ.

We Are The Circumcision

“For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil 3.3).

In this passage Paul offered helpful words to the Philippian brethren who faced ridicule at hands of Jewish Christians demanding the keeping of Old Law practices. These Jews claimed to be the covenant people of God, and taught that all who wished to have this relationship must follow the Judaic system as well as Christ. In a short statement Paul puts this idea to rest. He said, “We are the circumcision...put no confidence in the flesh.”
The new covenant was not focused on fleshly marks, but on the circumcision made without hands within the heart. Paul connects this circumcision of the heart to baptism in Col 2.11-15. Those who subjected themselves to this covenant practice could rightfully be considered God’s covenant people. They need not feel intimidated by the empty claims of others. As long as we have fulfilled the teachings of Scripture we must not feel intimidated by those who demand more of us today either. They are simply modern day Judaizers, attempting undermine our faith. Such individuals are the “dogs” Paul referred to in Philippians 3.2. Keep moving forward glorying “in Christ Jesus,” and nothing else.

Look Out For Dogs

“Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord, to write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh” (Phil 3.1-2).


Sadly, there are always people who stand in the way of kingdom progress. In Paul’s day, the Judaizing teachers had a substantial influence on both Jewish and Gentile converts. The destruction caused by their doctrine was enough to cause Paul to write about them on numerous occasions, this passage being one example. These men tried to destroy Paul’s reputation and the work he was accomplishing for the Lord. If we want growth to continue we must look out for individuals who share similar traits with the “dogs” Paul referred to. These individuals are more interested in ruining reputations, than finding and teaching truth. To borrow the words of Jesus, They will “travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte” (Mt 23.15). They want to win people to their side so they can, “boast in [their] flesh” (Gal 6.13). They believe the ends justify the means. Therefore, they will falsely accuse (as they did Jesus, and Stephen), judge motives, and speak evil of another without full knowledge of the situation. Paul dealt with these problems often during his ministry.

On the other hand, those who facilitate growth are “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” not destroy it. Of course, this doesn’t mean division will never occur. Certainly some will depart, and we must be careful to handle these situations properly, but we shouldn’t actively seek out division as if we want it to happen. “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way...” (Eph 4.15). The truth will offend some, even when it is spoken in love, because people love “the darkness rather than the light” (Jn 3.19). The truth does not need to be barked, it is actually more powerful when spoken in love.

Work Out Your Own Salvation

“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Phil 2.12-13)

It is not too surprising to us when our children follow our rules when we are looking directly at them. They have learned that disobedience in the presence of mom and dad is a bad idea. A better way to measure a child’s loyalty to their parents is to observe their behavior when they are not around. Even better, how do they respect their parent’s rule when they think no one else is watching? Paul’s exhortation to the brethren in Philippi is to be obedient whether he or others are watching or not. Salvation is a personal endeavor. Working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, means we have a personal respect for the power of God, and faith that he can deliver us from our sins. It means that I am willing to follow God’s plan whether someone is watching or not. It is a commitment to allow God’s will to work in my life “for his good pleasure.”