Philippians 4:1-9

Philippians 4:1-9

Peace

I.                    True peace in life only comes through the peace of Christ, so we must look to Him for peace in conflict within our relationships (Vv. 1-3)

a.       The word “Therefore”, reminds the Philippians and us that we aren’t citizens of this world, but are citizens of heaven who belong to Jesus and look eagerly for His return and our completion in Him according to His power. This reality is critical to our ability to “stand firm in the Lord”. The phrase “stand firm” is military in nature, and reflects a soldiers duty to remain at their post regardless of the attacks of the enemy. We’re not called to advance, but to stand firmly in the ground which has already been taken by God in Christ Jesus. Paul also reminds the Philippians of his tremendous love for them, how they are both a source of joy for him now, and reward for him in the presence of the Lord. His reminders of who they are in the Lord, and how Christian love and fellowship is the source of joy and reward, begins to paint a picture of how to maintain a life of peace in the midst of a world of conflict, and prefaces his address to the conflict between two women in the Philippian church. Their disagreement doesn’t appear to be doctrinal or theological in nature, but their important roles in the church moved Paul to name them, and to involve the entire church and its leadership. Paul is reminding these ladies, the whole church, and us that it is our relationships in Christ themselves which are a source of present joy, future hope, and peace for us in a world of conflict. We’re not called to uniformity, but are called to unity in Christ. We must remember that we are united together as those whose “names are in the book of life”, by which we can stand firmly in what Christ has already conquered on our behalf, and love one another, considering others and their interests as more important than our own. (Vv. 1-3; Luke 10:20; Acts 16:11-15; Rom. 12:16-18; 15:5-6; Phil. 1:27; 2:3-4; 1 Thess. 2:19-20; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 20:15; 21:25-27)

II.                 True peace in life only comes through the peace of Christ, so we must trust in Him for peace in conflict from within ourselves (Vv. 4-9)

a.       Unity, harmony, and peace within the church and world begin within our own hearts and lives. While joy and peace are fruits of the Spirit and can’t be earned, they must be cultivated in the soils of our imperfect hearts and in the midst of a broken world. For this reason, Paul twice calls us all to “rejoice”. The only means to rejoice is “in the Lord”, and the time to rejoice is “always”. Joy in life isn’t a function of what we have or what we can accomplish, it’s a function of who we are. True joy is only found in being in Christ and growing into who we are in Him. The phrase “gentle spirit” speaks to a spirit which yields its rights, is ready to forgive, is reasonable and agreeable. Those who are in Christ and continually seek to rejoice in Him will exude this spirit because it’s their experience in Him! They know He’s near both in His continual presence and involvement in their lives, and in His immanent return and judgement. (Vv. 4-5; Ps. 34:8; 40:1-3; 86:3-5; Prov. 15:1-3; Matt. 5:5, 7; 28:20; John 15:4-5, 8, 11; 2 Cor. 6:10; 13:11; Gal. 5:19-23; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Thess. 5:16; 1 Pet. 2:21-24)

b.       We all face the difficulty of sin in life, struggling in some areas more than others, but likely both the number one area of struggle for all us and the area, which is least confessed as sin, is worry. Paul calls the Philippians and us to never be anxious. The word “anxious” has the idea of being pulled in two directions. Worry leads to anxiety, and anxiety robs joy and prohibits peace. When we worry, our hearts are conflicted because we don’t trust God’s sovereign rule and provision. Thankful prayer before God is the antidote for worry and anxiety, because as we thankfully and continually bring all our needs, blessings, and the needs and blessings of others before God, we’re continually reminded that He has everything under control. His grace is set as guard over the thoughts of our minds and the feelings of our hearts, and He prevents the enemies of worry and anxiety from invading our lives. (Vv. 6-7; Ps. 55:22; 91:1-4; 100:1-5; 127:1-2; Matt. 6:24-34; 7:7-11; 11:28-30; John 14:27; Rom. 7:15-25; 8:28; Eph. 3:20; 1 Thess. 5:17-18; 1 Pet. 5:6-7)

c.       The key to experiencing the constant presence of God and His peace in our lives is continually setting our minds on His excellent and praiseworthy characteristics, considering the godly example of others, filtering our lives and world through God’s Word, and continually practicing His commands. In this way we hand over the conflict, pressure, worry, and anxiety, which weighs us down and separates us from His joy and peace, and through prayer, giving those burdens to Him through prayer, experiencing His peace, and living for His glory. (Vv. 8-9; Ps. 139:23-24; Isa. 26:3-4; Luke 11:28; John 16:33; 17:17; Rom. 12:1-2; 2 Cor. 10:5; Eph. 4:17-24; Jas. 1:22)