Have you ever tried to tell someone something but have found it difficult either because you feared it might be offensive or because you knew the person might not understand? If so, you can understand Paul’s position as we consider the fourth chapter of Philippians, verses 2-5. Paul was trying to say something to the Philippians that was difficult for him to say because he was afraid that the persons involved might resent it.

Apparently there had been trouble at Philippi. Two of the Christian women had been at odds with one another and the disagreement had grown to the point where it could hinder the unity and effectiveness of the church. Paul wished to warn them of the danger and wanted to urge a more cooperative spirit. But these women were his friends, and every time he approached the subject of unity in the letter he seemed to come short of a direct application. With our verses we are studying today Paul has finally pointed directly to the lack of harmony within the church. Notice he does not elaborate on the problem; he does not even reprove or command those involved. Instead he quietly points to the means by which unity may be restored among us and other Christians.

We must recognize at the outset, however, that the unity referred to here is a Christian unity, and this means a unity only among those in God’s family. Paul says that Euodia and Syntyche are “to agree with each other in the Lord.” Who are those “in the Lord”? Only those, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ; Christian unity is only possible for them. There are some practical ways in which the harmony that exists initially among God’s children is to be expressed and maintained. Paul tactfully lists them in his brief remarks to Euodia and Syntyche.

First, Paul says that Christians are to agree with each other in the Lord. This means they are to have the mind of Christ. It is the same thing that Paul had in mind earlier in 2:5. He is speaking of the attitude that Jesus had in relation to others. For the mind of Christ is the humble mind, the lowly mind. It is the mind of One who did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but who emptied Himself to die for the salvation and well-being of others. This will never occur apart from a personal and intimate walk with God, for in ourselves we do not like humility, and we cannot achieve it without Him.

Second, we must work with other Christians. Paul calls attention to this aspect of unity by referring to his fellow workers at Philippi. Paul is saying that it is not enough for Christians merely to be thinking in a spirit of unity, they must be working in a spirit of unity also. Paul was looking back to the glorious days he had spent in Philippi among the Christians. He was thinking of the great joy he had as he worked with them for spiritual ends. Now that unity is threatened, he says to them, “Keep on. Do not let your unity be ruined by friction between your members. Work together. Make sure your unity can be seen in your actions.

The third thing that the Philippians must do is to rejoice in the Lord (v. 4). Paul knew that if Christians are rejoicing in God’s mercy and goodness they are not so likely to be nitpicking with their fellow Christians. The word “rejoice” is interesting, for it is only a variant form of the word “joy,” which is one of the great Christian virtues and the fruit of God’s spirit. Consequently rejoicing, like joy, is supernatural. Joy is the Christian virtue; happiness is the virtue of the world. There is all the difference in the world between them. Happiness is entirely external and circumstantial. Joy issues from the nature of God, and it is intended to well up within those in whom God’s Spirit dwells. It is not external; it is internal. It does not hinge upon circumstances. Things may happen to the Christian that no one, including the Christian, would be happy about. But there can still be joy. The Christian who is filled with this supernatural, abounding joy will not be finding grounds for disagreement with fellow Christians.

Finally, Paul says that Christians are to let their “gentleness be evident to all” (v. 5). Literally, Paul means they should be “reasonable.” The sentence is a warning not to be unduly rigorous about unimportant matters. This does not mean that Christians are to be compromising in their doctrinal beliefs. Actually, he is merely saying that those who profess the name of Christ should be a bit bending in their attitudes, especially where other Christians are concerned.

None of these high standards of conduct is easy. The difficulty of doing them and living them is where the problem of unity lies. It is one thing read these Scriptures, but it’s quite another thing putting the words into practice. Fortunately, Paul knew the difficulty also, and he has given us the solution to the problem. Have you ever noticed how many times he speaks of being “in the Lord” in the first four verses of this chapter? Three times! And once he reminds the Philippians that “the Lord is near.” The solution is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is He who will do in the lives of yielded Christians what we might judge impossible. Christian unity will occur only as we surrender ourselves to Him and seek His will, as his Holy Spirit enters our lives and begins to make us into the kind of men, women, children, and young people that He would have us be.

Philippians 4:2-5 Reflection Questions:

Do you have an ongoing personal and intimate relationship with God?

What does “being in the Lord” mean to you? And how does that help you have Christian unity?

What are some examples of happiness verses being jofuly?

Because of what Jesus Christ has done for us – because of His life, death, and resurrection, and the resulting victory over sin and the devil – we are now to stand fast in Him, united as God’s soldiers against a spiritually hostile environment.

It’s a remarkable fact that at several crucial junctures in Paul’s letters the practical outcome of the Christian’s warfare against the world and Satan is defined as a matter of “standing,” and this is even more remarkable because it is part of a military metaphor. If we were writing the passage and were using Paul’s image, we should most likely speak of invasion, marching, or conquest. But Paul does not do that; instead, he speaks of standing. God does not tell us to march into battle or to conquer, God tells us to stand, and the implication of that command is that God has already done or is doing the conquering. We are only to hold the ground He conquers.

The difference between marching and standing is the difference between offense and defensive warfare. It’s like a football game; the defense has the ground (goal) and the offense is fighting in order to get the ground (goal). And that is precisely the difference between the warfare waged by the Lord Jesus and the warfare waged by us. Jesus was offensive; our is defensive. Jesus warred against Satan in order to gain the victory. Through the cross He carried that warfare to the threshold of Hell itself, to lead forth thence his captivity captive (4:8-9). Today we war against Satan only to maintain and consolidate the victory which He has already gained. By the resurrection God proclaimed His Son victor over the whole realm of darkness, and the ground Christ won He has given to us. We do not need to fight to obtain it. We only need to hold it against all challengers.

Standing on the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and on His promises does not mean there will not be work for us to do. There will always be testing. There will often be much strenuous activity. It does not mean escape. But it does mean that even in the activity and even in the testing there can be and overriding confidence in God and in His promises. We shall know we are merely standing on ground that He has already won and given to us. By His grace we shall expect at the end of the battle still to be standing with Him victorious and in triumphant possession of the field.

Philippians 4:1 Reflection Questions:

What are the conquests that Jesus has made for those who trust Him?

How are you doing your part in standing with Jesus?

What is He calling you to do for Him

In the early days of the Christian church the doctrine of the last things had three great points of focus: the return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the body, and the final judgment. Of the three the most significant was Jesus Christ’s return. This was the blessed hope of Christians; it was for this they prayed. With this thought they comforted one another in the face of sorrow, persecutions, death, and martyrdom. We can imagine that as they lay in prison, suffering and tormented, often near death, they looked for His coming and thought that perhaps in an instant and without warning Jesus would appear and call them home. Unfortunately, in our day belief in the second coming of Jesus Christ has faded into a remote and sometimes irrelevant doctrine in many large segments of the Christian church. It is entirely possible that our present lack of courage and lack of joy flows from this attitude.

It’s hard to see how any professing Christian can dismiss the return of Jesus Christ, but some today do. The return of Jesus Christ is mentioned in every one of the New Testament books except Galatians and the very short books such as 2 and 3 John and Philemon. Jesus quite often spoke of His return. John wrote, “Look, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7). It’s the same in the verse that is our text in Philippians 3:20-21. In these verses and in many others the early Christians expressed their belief in a personal return that was to be closely associated with the resurrection and transformation of their own bodies and a final judgment of individuals and nations. They acknowledged that their lives should be lived on a higher plane because of it.

The personal return of Jesus Christ should have a profound bearing on our own life and conduct. The greatest consequence of belief in the return of the Lord Jesus Christ should be a purification of our conduct. Another consequence of a firm belief in the return of Jesus Christ should be a transformed understanding of suffering. For suffering strengthens our hope and makes our present fellowship with Jesus more wonderful. All of God’s children learn sooner or later that tribulations will come. But the Christian can have a hope in the midst of tribulation that transforms suffering and is strengthened by it.

Up to this point it has been encouraging and it has been intended for Christians. But there is a somber side, for those who do not know Christ and who therefore do not expect Him; Christ is coming, it will be a joy for Christians. But it will also mean the beginning of Christ’s judgments. These will be terrible for those who do not know Him. People react in one of two ways to Christ’s judgment. Some simply disbelieve it, for they think that judgment is incompatible with the character of God. For the unbeliever, who has heard the offer of salvation by grace through the gospel but refers to deal with God’s justice. Pity the man who wants nothing from God but God’s justice! Justice will condemn a person to hell. The only hope for anyone lies in God’s mercy. Humans are condemned by God’s justice. If you seek nothing from God but justice, you will be condemned at Jesus Christ’s return. Fortunately there is no need to meet Him as Judge. For the One is coming in judgment is also the One who once came as the Savior, to die for your sin, to bear your judgment, and to meet you thereafter as your Lord, your friend, and your bridegroom. You must decide how you will meet Him. The decisions of this life affect the issues of eternity.

The resurrection of Jesus is the great historical fact upon which all the Christian doctrines are suspended and before which all honest disbelief must waver. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the unshakeable evidence for our own resurrection. Because He lives we shall live also. That is why Paul says what he says in the verse we have now come to in our study of Philippians 3:21. This verse teaches three things: 1) Jesus is living, 2) because He lives we shall live, and 3) because He was transformed we shall be transformed. Moreover, we know all of these things through the fact of His own resurrection.

Apart from the resurrection of Jesus himself there are only three resurrections recorded in the four Gospels. Each began in mourning and sorrow; each ended in exuberant joy. What made the difference? Nothing but the coming of Jesus! Jesus said of himself, “I am the life,” and where life meets death, death is vanquished. Death was vanquished, and it will be abolished forever for us when Jesus Christ returns. Perhaps you are saying, “Can I really believe that is possible? Is Jesus really able to do the things claimed? Of course, He is! Think of the things for which the Bible tells us He is able in 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 2:18; Jude 24; Eph. 3:20; and Heb. 7:25. Can He do these things? Of course, He can. In the same way He is able to raise up our bodies, transform them by “the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control” (Phil. 3:21).

Philippians 3:20-21 Reflection Questions:

Are you looking for Jesus’ return? If so, how is that affecting your personal conduct and concern on social issues as well as other things?

Does your suffering (whatever that currently may be) bring you closer to fellowship with Jesus Christ?

Do you know Jesus Christ personally?

Do you believe that Jesus is able to rise up our bodies and transform them? If so, how does that affect your living on this side of heaven?

Have you ever noticed that the way a person walks quite often reveals his character? A coward will often slink away or perhaps walk along with a smug, blustery air.  The way people walk reveals something of their ambition, state of mind, and values. It’s for this reason, perhaps, that Christians are called to an exemplary walk in the Bible. They are told to “live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Eph. 4:1). They are to walk “wisely” (Eph. 5:15, “with respect” (1 Thess. 4:12), and “in the light” (1 John 1:7). In Philippians 3:16-19 Paul speaks twice of the Christian’s walk and once of the unbeliever’s walk, teaching that the walk of the believer in Jesus Christ is to reveal the true nature of his calling.

The first thing that we must understand about the walk of the Christian is that it is to be different from the walk he had before becoming Christ’s follower. In other words, the standards you had before you became a Christian are to be replaced by new standards now. Why is it that Paul speaks here of those who are enemies of the cross of Christ? It’s because Paul knew that this is the way we all were before we became followers of Jesus Christ, and he wished to stress it. He wanted his readers to know that their new calling was to be entirely different. This is the true meaning of conversion, to turn around. Before you believed, you were going down a path that led away from God. Then God saved you. He reached down and in grace turned you around, reversing your values to His values, and setting you on a path of His choosing. Because of this reorientation “the old has gone the new has come!” (2 Cor. 5:17); if you are to walk as a Christian, you must begin with this primary reversal of your standards.

A second important thought about the proper walk of a Christian occurs in verse 17.Here the apostle says clearly as he can that the walk of the believer must always be a walk with, and therefore in harmony with, other Christians. The successful walk of the Christian depends not only on his own goals or on his own doctrine; it also depends upon the success of his walk with other Christians. This doesn’t mean that the Christian ceases to be an individual before God, of course. But it does mean that he must be conscious of the other individuals. He must be concerned for them and cooperate with them in common objectives.

Then we must also walk with the Lord, for we take our orders from him and not from one another. The ship sailing in formation does not take its directions from the ship beside it but from the admiral on the deck of the flagship. Similarly, Christians must take their orders from the Lord Jesus Christ. This will not come through a mystical experience. It will come only through knowledge of God’s Word. Think of the blessings that are promised to an individual as the result of a personal and prayerful study of God’s Word. First we become Christians by exposure to the truths in the Bible. Peter said that we are “born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). The second is our sanctification, for it’s by a study of the Bible and fellowship with God that we are made increasingly as He would have us to be. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them by truth; your Word is truth.” Third, the Word of God is the primary means by which God reveals His will to us. God’s Word contains unshakable facts and great principles, and through these God teaches us that certain things are His will for us and other things are not. You must spend time reading the Bible daily. If you are a Christian, God has a path marked out for you. You will find it only as you discover His will for you through Scripture.

A final function of God’s Word, as we fellowship with Him in it, is to keep us from the counterfeits of truth. Whenever the truth of the gospel is preached, the devil will immediately set about to erect a counterfeit beside it, an idol that looks like the real thing but that is dead because it omits the life-giving heart of the gospel. There is much we need to know, but we do have the Bible. Shall we neglect it or not? Christian friends, let us fill up our souls with the Bible. For only then shall we see clearly the way we should walk.

Philippians 3:16-19 Reflection Questions:

Is your walk as a Christian harmonious with other Christians regardless of denominational and doctrinal differences?

Do you know how relevant the Bible can be to your life and how God can use it to reveal His will to you? If so, How.

Do you read and meditate on the Bible daily?

How can you know God’s will? How is it possible for a person to know the mind of God? If God has a plan for your life, how does He reveal it to you? How does a sinful, finite human being come to know what a holy and infinite God desires? Our starting point for finding the biblical answers to these questions is the text we have now come to in our study of the Book of Philippians.

In the verses immediately preceding verse 15 Paul has written of the aspirations that should characterize our Christian conduct. At this point however, he turns directly to his readers and admonishes them to likeminded. He adds, “And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you” (v. 15). In this verse Paul says that in spiritual things the Philippians could be totally certain of God’s guidance. I believe that this verse can be rightly applied to every aspect of our lives, for all of life bears on God’s calling. Our text does not mean that we shall always be able to see more than one step ahead in our Christian lives. It does not mean that we shall even always be able to see ahead at all. But it does mean that God has a plan for our lives and that He promises to reveal the steps of that plan to us.

The basis for this assurance lies in the nature of God. For it is God’s nature to reveal Himself and His purposes to us. This statement brings us to the first of the biblical principles by which a Christian may unquestionably come to know God’s will. If you really want to know God’s will, you must be willing to do His will even before you know what it is. This is clearly taught in John 7:17. In this verse, although Jesus was speaking literally of the rejection of His doctrine by the Jewish leaders, He was actually teaching the greater principle that knowing the will of God consists largely in being willing to do it.

The second principle for knowing the will of God is that nothing can be the will of God that is contrary to the Word of God. The God who is leading you now is the God who inspired the Bible then, and He is not contradictory in His commandments. Consequently, nothing can be the will of God for you that is not in accordance with His Word. God’s will is expressed in great principles like: John 6:40; Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:23; Ephesians 6:5-6, are some examples. Perhaps you are saying, “Well, these are good, but they do not touch some of the small things I’m wrestling with. You want to know whether you should go to certain movies as a Christian, make friends with the people at work, join in social drinking, or some other thing. Let me give a final principle that covers some of these, Philippians 4:8. God says you are to pursue the best things in life. If these things are the best things for you, then do them. If not, you are to go another way. Just be sure that you take your guidelines from Scripture.

The third principle is also important. It’s the principle of daily and even hourly fellowship with the Lord. Psalm 32:8 states it this way: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.” The King James Version says, “I will guide you with my eye.” Clearly, if God is to guide us with His eye, He must first catch our eye. This means that we must look to Him regularly throughout the day. The Lord knows we shall go astray because it’s our nature. We will always do things that displease Him, but we must get into the habit of looking to Him often – in church, in our quiet time, in the various periods of our day – to catch His eye, to notice His sign. If we do, we shall find Him watching and He will direct us and guide us with His eye.

There is only one more point that I need to make, and it’s not difficult at all. If you are serious about knowing the Lord’s will and honestly seeking it, then you must be prepared for the Lord to guide you into new ways. If there is one thing that I have most learned about the Lord’s guidance it is that He does not often lead us in old ways. God is creative; He is creative in His plans for His children.

If you will seek God’s will, determining to do it even before you know what it is, if you will look to Him while responding to His voice in the Bible, then God will reveal His way and direct you in ever widening and ever more interesting paths. He will be close to you, and He will lead you in the way that you should go.

Philippians 3:15 Reflection Questions:

It what new ways is God leading you? Are you open to new ways?

Do you really want to know God’s will for you or do you fear what He might ask you to do?

How often do you look to Him?

In Philippians 3:13-14 Paul writes about his goals, setting himself as an example. Paul was not complacent, and we shouldn’t be either. Instead of smugness Paul knew a sanctified ambition, and he threw himself eagerly into the race that God had set before him. Paul says that he had learned to press ahead in three ways. First, he forgets those things that are behind. Second, he looks forward to those things that are ahead. Third, he presses on toward the mark of the prize of God’s calling. In Paul’s mind there was a sanctified forgetting, a sanctified looking ahead, and a sanctified striving for that to which God had called him.

In the first place, Paul says that he forgets those things that are behind. What are they? It’s the kind of forgetting that occurs when we cease to let things that are in the past overshadow the present, that lets the past be past, both the good and the bad, and that constantly looks forward to the work that God still has for us. This does not mean, of course, that we are not to be thankful for past blessings. But if your Christian testimony is entirely taken up with what God did for you thirty or forty years ago, or if you are constantly talking about the good old days when God’s blessing on your life seemed great, then you are looking to the past. You can never do that and move forward. Someone described old age as the point in life when a person ceases to look forward and always looks backward. If that is accurate, then there are certainly a lot of old Christians – and I don’t mean in terms of their years. They are living in the past, and Paul warns against it. Past blessing are fine. We have received them from God’s hands, and we should be thankful for them. We rejoice in everything that He has done in our lives. But now we must let those things lie in the past and move forward. There can be no progress without this proper forgetting.

The second thing that Paul claims to have done is to have fixed his gaze on the many things that God would yet be doing. Paul’s sense of the Lord’s leading was always linked to his awareness of open doors. Paul expected the Lord to open doors, and when He did, Paul went through them instantly. Through those doors Paul was constantly striving toward those things that were ahead. We should awake in the morning to say, “Lord, here is a new day that you have given me. I know that there are new things to be done and new lessons to be learned. Help me to use this day as well as I possibly can – to raise my children properly, to do well at my job, to help my neighbor.” And when we go to bed that night we can pray, “Lord, I have not done anything today as well as I should have, and I missed many of your blessings. But thank you for being with me. Help me now to place today’s experiences behind and rest well so that I may serve you better tomorrow.” God will do it, for He is anxious to lead us onward in our experience and our service for Him.

There is a third point to Paul’s statement in these verses. The life of Paul wishes to live involves not only a forgetting of the past and looking forward to the things that lie ahead. It also involves a striving for these things. This involves perseverance, discipline, and concentration. If we are really to engage in that great struggle for God’s best that Paul is speaking about, we must also be prepared for vigorous spiritual conflict; for our striving is not only against ourselves or our circumstances but against the spiritual forces of this world that seek to hinder us. Paul calls them principalities and powers, the rulers of the darkness of this world. If you want an easy time as a Christian, all you have to do is to get far away from Jesus Christ – move away to the periphery of the battle. Satan isn’t going to bother you much out there because that is where he wants you. However, if you draw close to the Lord, as Paul wished to do, and join with him in the battle, then you will find it necessary to use God’s weapons for the conflict. All too often Christians arm themselves with the weapons of the world (wisdom, self-confidence, financial security, success, and popularity) instead of God’s Armor (truth, righteousness, and the gospel, faith, salvation, and the Word of God, see Ephesians 6).

We engage in the battles of the Christian life that result from our striving for the victories that God sets before us, we can take confidence in the fact that the victory of Jesus Christ has already guaranteed the outcome. By His death and resurrection Jesus Christ decisively defeated Satan and the forces of darkness, and we now advance under His banner to enforce His conquest. We are to wear His weapons. As we go we are to echo Paul’s challenge in Philippians 3:13-14.

Philippians 3:13-14 Reflection Questions:

Have you lost your vision for God’s future blessing on your life?

Have you ceased to work hard in His service?

Do you concentrate on the Christian life, or is your mind filled with the things of this world?

Do you fix your mind on the things God has for you, or do the temporary, passing and insignificant things of this world crowd out the lasting, eternal things?