Philippians 4 Rejoice

 Philippians 4 Rejoice

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Philippians 4:4

The Bible book of Philippians is amazing. It is one of the most positive books of the Bible and chapter four is the gemstone of the book. It offers joy, freedom from anxiety, soundness of mind, and the happiness that comes from both giving and receiving. Add to that the power of prayer and the strength of Christ through and for all things. It also has personal restoration and grace. It is a Bible chapter impossible not to love. As we delve into chapter four of the book of Philippians the wealth, wisdom, and goodness of God fills us.

Philippians 4:1 Stand Firm

Therefore, my beloved brothers and sisters, whom I long to see, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.

When the storm arrives, the wind is howling, lightning flashing, and multiplied troubles come with it, we must stand fast in and through the power of the Lord Jesus. What follows tells us how to do so.

Philippians 4:2-3 Trouble And Dissention

I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. Indeed, true companion, I ask you also, help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement as well as the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.

The Church is not always a trouble-free refuge. People bring their issues from outside of the church within its walls. Euodia and Syntyche are two ladies who appear to have locked horns like a couple of stubborn rams. The Apostle Paul, who God used to write this wonderful book, understood that without peace in the ranks no peace in the collective heart of the Church was possible. Reconciliation was necessary to restore Christian unity.

Philippians 4:4 Keynote Of The Book

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Rejoice! Again Rejoice! As if the Apostle could not contain the joy within himself he repeats the word, driving it home for emphasis. Our rejoicing comes from the Lord. He is the source of it, and Christian Joy is of course impossible without Him. Keep in mind the Apostle Paul is writing this letter from prison. His surroundings are not conducive to happiness, but joy depends neither upon our feelings nor our surroundings. The Christian takes joy in the Person and Presence of Christ in our life.

Philippians 4:5 Moderation

Let your gentle spirit be known to all people.The Lord is near.

Back at the beginning we have a battle between the wills of two Christian ladies. Gentleness, or as some translations have it, moderation, is not found in being stubborn and hardheaded. It comes from gentleness and frankly, a bit of humility. No human who ever lived except Christ Himself has always been right in every regard. Something we all should keep in mind as it makes that above mentioned joy possible. Our gentleness and humility is made possible through Christ’s Spirit.

Philippians 4:6 Don’t Be Anxious

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

I know, I had you up until this point. How can anyone be free of anxiety and fear? It is the albatross that hangs about our necks. Our lives are filled with fear and worry. Again, Paul is writing this from prison, do you think he was in the most worry-free circumstances? But Paul knew how to dispel anxiety and fear. Prayer. Prayer kills fear, worry, and anxiety. How? It gets our eyes off of our troubles as we hand them over to Jesus and we fill our thoughts with Him. Once we give our problems to Jesus it frees us to begin thanking Him. Our mind is reset. Instead of counting up the difficulties in our lives we start adding up the blessings. Faith takes the place of fear as the Object of our faith fills us with Himself.

Philippians 4:7 Peace

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

This verse should not surprise us. Once we have put our anxiety and worries into the arms of Jesus and let them go we have turned from fear to thanksgiving. Then peace is sure to follow. Christian Peace is a powerful force from God, a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). The peace of God protects our hearts and minds from the fear of the enemy and the general fears and anxieties that try to steal God’s peace from our lives. Peace was proclaimed at the birth of our Lord by God’s angels (Luke 2:14). True peace arrived on earth with the birth of our Lord, and continues in the hearts of His followers as we look to Him to meet our needs, and help us through all of life’s challenges.

Philippians 4:8 Think On Good Things

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Philippians 4:8 has been of such practical help to me over the years. Whenever I feel depressed, discouraged, and generally find my mind is traveling down dark paths that lead to nothing but trouble, I stop and remember this verse. I consider whether I am following its advice. Then I apply its principles. Of course there is nothing so true, noble, honorable, and lovely as Jesus. Reading and meditating upon God’s Word is the place to start. Applying Holy Scripture as a healing balm to our troubled souls is the first step to driving away gloom and discouragement. There are also wonderful works of art, literature, and music. Though not as common as in the past you can still find movies and TV shows that are decent, some even virtuous. And do not forget God’s own artwork–the beauty of the creation around us from the flowers beneath our feet to the blue sky overhead, and the vast and amazing creatures God filled this earth with. Good things abound if we only look for them and open our hearts to receive them.

Philippians 4:9 Practice What He Preached

As for the things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

The verse speaks for itself. Do what is written in the Word of God, and live like the good saints of old. We might also look around us at the faithful people in our lives and emulate their good actions and behavior. But above all, be like Jesus. We have the entire New Testament filled with His teachings and telling about His Life, and within every believer the Holy Spirit guides and teaches us how to live godly lives. Doing these things allows peace of God to flow and remain within us.

Philippians 4:10-14 Giving And Receiving

But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked an opportunity to act. Not that I speak from need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with little, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my difficulty.

I have clumped these verses together for a purpose. There is a gem within, especially verse 13: I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. That has long been one of my favorite Bible verses. I carried it written on a card in my pocket when I was a salesman. I remember reading Norman Vincent Peale’s book on positive thinking and that verse was used to cheer the Christian on toward reaching goals and accomplishing great things. And there is truth in that idea, but that is not the whole truth. Not only can God help us accomplish much in good times, He helps us through some very bad times. Look at the verses above, whether rich or poor, suffering need, going hungry, in every circumstance, including the very bad circumstances of life. This verse about doing all things through Him grows to include surviving terrible circumstances. Rather than being just a “cheerleading stanza” the verse becomes an answer to our difficulties. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Who? Jesus. How? His Strength in you and me.

    The scriptures here cover the generosity of fellow Christians supporting the Apostle Paul and his gratitude, but these verses encompass so much more if we pay attention. Be generous, give in whatever way you can to others, and especially toward the work of Christ on this earth. Then be content with what God gives you, including the strength He gives us in and for all circumstances. For in Him we all ultimately thrive and are rich in ways beyond counting.

Philippians 4:15-20 We Meet The Needs Of Others And God Meets Our Needs

You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving except you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

These verses amplify the previous ones and add a promise. When we are generous and give to others in need God will certainly meet all of our needs. This is not the prosperity gospel, this is The Gospel. God takes care of His kids. Sowing and reaping, planting and harvest applies to the spiritual world as well as the material world. You have heard the saying “you can’t outgive God” and it is true. But what you need in return for your generosity may not be money or material gain, but a spiritual need, or for some family member in need. Do not limit God in your imagination, and never look at your giving as God merely being a Banker who gives you back $100 for every $10 you give to the ministry. Rather consider your giving as investing in God’s kingdom, for even a cup of cold water given in the Name of Jesus will pay eternal dividends (Mat. 10:42).

Philippians 4:21-22 Final Greetings And Grace

Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brothers who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

What a great ending to this chapter and the book of Philippians itself. Grace. The grace of God permeates the Christian. From the moment He calls us to Himself and we accept, until the day we die and enter into that eternal place of His love and grace. 

Conclusion

Phillipians chapter 4 is a wealth of Biblical wisdom and practice. And the key to understanding the chapter is rejoicing–joy. If we follow the wisdom and teachings found here, joy is the result.

Praying with thanksgiving gives us an object to take us beyond our gripes and frustrations to consider what God has already done for us. Then we can let go of our anxiety as we consider that we serve a faithful God who has come through for us time and again. We maintain our joy and equilibrium as we think about good things, beginning with God and our relationship with Him and the blessings He has poured upon us all. Placing everything into perspective we realize that we can indeed do all things through Christ, survive and endure all things, and even place the end of our days into His capable Hands.

A chapter that began with reconciling and creating peace with two church members takes us on a ride that brings peace back to our own hearts as we realign our needs with giving to others. We learn to let go of our anxieties, and find strength to endure and accomplish God’s will for us. And we stand in the grace He has given us rejoicing in Jesus. This single Bible chapter is yet again a reminder that God’s word is not only rich in wisdom, but that we will never fully plumb its depths. It is His Word that brings us joy and so much more.

Prayer: Thank You Lord for the riches of Your Word! May we all grow wiser as we grow in Your grace. Amen.