Spiritually Stable
- David Fairchild
- Aug 22, 2004
- Series: Philippians
Philippians 4:6-9
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
INTRODUCTION
Again we come to a place in scripture which teaches us that what we believe about God will affect how we live.
This theme is so prevalent throughout the bible that it’s almost redundant to repeat it. Yet most of us forget this simple principle when we face difficulties in our life.
I was faced to acknowledge my own amnesia with this principle the first night we landed in
Anxiety, worry, despair, fear, hopelessness, bitterness, grudges, anger, manipulation, and every other emotional ailment comes from something we lack, not something we possess.
It isn’t that we have no rest because we own it, it’s because we don’t own what gives us rest. It isn’t that we possess anxiety that we are anxious, it is because we lack that which gives us peace.
Ultimately we are faced this morning with trusting in God’s sovereignty in every circumstance, every event, every season of our life.
I want to start by asking a simply question; do you believe that God is sovereign? If so, how sovereign is He?
STUDY
Last week Drew laid out for you in the scriptures some practical applications for developing and maintaining spiritual stability.
We’re going to continue thinking along those lines by looking at ways that you and I can grow in our stability and health. This morning we are going to learn how to grow in our stability by Trusting in God’s good purpose, meditating on Godly virtues, and obeying God’s good standards. Simply, it is trusting, meditating, and obeying God.
Trusting in God’s Good Purpose
Verses 6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Here it is; spiritually stable people react to trials and difficulties with thankful prayers. I’m not going to teach you all of the theology of prayer here, nor do I believe that Paul is intended to either.
But what can’t be missed is the overall attitude and mindset a person has when he come to God in prayer. Paul starts by telling us that we shouldn’t be anxious for anything. This is a tall order. But it’s only difficult to follow if our understanding of God is skewed. Who do you believe is in control? God or the devil? Your circumstances, or the one that caused your circumstances to come to pass?
Our understanding of God’s sovereignty in all of life is fundamental to overcoming anxiety. When we are anxious it’s because we really don’t trust God. Instead of having an attitude and spirit of rebellion against what God allows, we are to cast “all (our) anxiety on Him, because He cares for (us)” (1 Peter 5:7).
But what is prayer? What is coming to God with requests, with prayers and petitions? It is coming to Him with an attitude of complete helplessness. It is coming to God recognizing that we are utterly unworthy of His grace. It is being needy, because we recognize our feeble arms and hands are useless in providing what we really need.
All of this should be done with an attitude of thanksgiving. How many of us are worried, anxious, and fearful because we don’t trust in God’s wisdom, God’s power, or God’s goodness? What we are saying is that God may not be wise enough, strong enough, or good enough to care for us the way we need to be cared for. We are saying He is a poor Father. This attitude is sinful because it doubts God’s promises and His character.
The opposite of this is an attitude of thanksgiving. Thankful prayer frees us from fear and worry, because it affirms God’s sovereign control over every circumstance, and that His purpose in our life is ultimately for our own good (Romans ).
Then Paul tells us the benefit of this kind of attitude and mindset. He says that we will have the “peace of God.” In other words, we are going to have what each of us longs for; a tranquility of our soul. An active peace that is much more that simply an absence of conflict. We will have a confident trust in His perfect wisdom and infinite power.
But here’s catch; you and I can’t have the peace “of” God without first having peace “with” God. It is impossible to have the kind of peace that we seek after without first having peace with the God who made us.
Romans 5:1-5 says- 1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
This peace with God will cause us to be thankful, it will cause us to be humbled, and it will cause us to have a peace that passes all understanding and comprehension. It transcends human intellectual powers, human analysis, human insights, and human understanding and wisdom. It is superior to all of our scheming, solutions, and manipulations, since its source is the God whose judgments are always right and good.
It is beyond comprehension because it is supernatural. The real challenge for you and I isn’t to rid ourselves of every unpleasant circumstance, it is to trust in God’s infinity, holy, sovereign power. This will baffle the unbeliever and it will give us peace.
It will also “guard” our hearts and minds. It will stand as a military watchmen and protect us. Many of our internal struggles mentally and emotionally come from a lack of trust in God, which will cause a lack of peace, which will leave us unguarded.
I am convinced that one of the biggest problems in all our lives stems from this lack of trust. Paul teaches us that this doesn’t come from any human source, it only comes in Christ Jesus.
Meditating on God’s Good Virtues
Verse 8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things.
This is an important point; spiritual stability is a result of how a person thinks. This is not a suggestion from Paul it is a command to mediate. We are to think about there implications out of habitual discipline of our minds to set them upon the values.
Proverbs 23:7 says “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…”
If you have ever programmed a computer you have heard the term GIGO (Garbage in, Garbage out). The point is that a computer is dependent upon correct information that is input to respond correctly. Likewise, as humans, we are the result of our thinking.
Our focus today is on emotions and pragmatism. We hold in high esteem how we feel and the call to hold to biblical truth is downplayed. We are afraid to ask “is it true?” because we would rather ask “does it work?” and “how will it make me feel?” This is the mark of our society in and out of the church because the church is made up of people in this world.
We are often more concerned about whether or not something will be divisive or offensive over whether or not something is biblically true.
Most people go to church on Sunday to get their spiritual fix, and since they come looking for a fix if they don’t get it in the way they expect they will go elsewhere. They would rather “feel” good than “think” right. I would submit that feeling good, ultimately good, only comes from thinking right, and thinking right only comes from the source and final arbiter of all that is right and good, the bible.
Sin has a greater impact on our feelings because our feelings can be subjective and transient. Sin has a much greater difficulty overcoming our thinking because our thinking is checked by the word of God.
God’s saves us to be worshippers who “Must worship Him in spirit and truth” (John ). It is impossible to worship the God of the bible apart from truth. Yet this is what we are told to do today. Don’t think, just feel. Don’t question, just act. Don’t analyze, just actualize.
True truth should be our aim. This is why Paul says to think on “whatever is true.” We are to read, analyze and meditate on the Word of God where we find what is true.
Whatever things are noble- means whatever is dignified and worthy of respect. It means to revere or “to worship.” We are to think about whatever is worthy of honor. How do we know what is worthy of honor? By reading the bible.
Whatever things are just- means whatever things are right. It describes whatever is in harmony with God’s eternal, unchanging standards, revealed in scripture. We are to think and focus on the good law of God.
Whatever things are pure- This describes what God declares in scripture as holy, morally clean, undefiled. We are told to purify ourselves from the opposite, because Christ is pure.
Whatever things are lovely- This means whatever is sweet, or gracious. It means whatever is generous or patient. We are to learn from God’s word what it means to be pleasing, attractive and lovely before God.
Whatever things are of good report- This means we are to think about what is to be highly regarded and well thought of.
If there is anything excellent and worthy of praise, it will be found in scripture and should be meditated upon. We need to think rightly.
Obeying God’s Good Standards
Verse 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
This is the last thought to spiritual stability that Paul speaks of in this passage. Godly thinking can’t be divorced from Godly actions.
We are to live obeying God’s good standards. Spiritual stability comes down to living a disciplined life of obedience to God’s word. This causes us to be unmoved because we know God, and know His will from His revealed word to us.
Paul says we are to “do” these things, or “practice” these things which we have learned and received. This kind of living can only come when we trust in God and have right thoughts. The result will always be a way of living that flows naturally.
Are you “learning” like the Philippians? Are you receiving those things you have learned? In other words are you moving beyond information to reception? Are you following the pattern of Paul’s life?
The promise to you and I is that the God of peace will be with us. The God whose character is peace is the giver of peace. The title “God of peace” is one of Paul’s favorites. Because without God, there is no peace.
We must be disciplined to add to our faith the proper attitudes, thoughts, and actions described in this passage. Only then will you and I develop into mature, spiritually stable people who posses the “peace of God” we yearn for.
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