“The Joy of Being in Christ” ¹

As we continue to experience the Word of the Lord together, Let us Pray. Gracious God, you have given us yourself, what could be better than that? We ask that we would be granted during this time the ability to receive you as the gift you have given to us, so that we might grow in grace and understanding. Speak Lord, your servants are listening. If these words are not Your Word, may they be forgotten and come to naught. But if they be Thy Word, may they adhere to our hearts, forever transforming us from glory into glory, into the creatures you would have us be, Thou who art our Rock and Redeemer, Amen.

Open your ears and hearts now to hear The Word of the Lord as it comes to us in Philippians. Philippians 4.1-9. The Word of the Lord…Thanks be to God.

Philippians is known as a very practical letter, wherein Paul offers the congregation helpful advice about their life in Christ. The verses read this morning are especially practical, for Paul turns from general help in the previous 3 chapters of this letter, to specific instruction about particular matters in the life of the church. Which is how we understand the word “therefore” at the beginning of this passage. Practical yet general advice, general acknowledged truths, more practical yet general advice, 3 chapters worth of this stuff, therefore, specific advice. Most recently, in chapter 3, Paul has written them to put away earthly thoughts and things, and find themselves transformed by the power of God. The power to accomplish what Paul wants these Philippians to accomplish is not in their own effort and energies, but that they live and work together in the context of the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

When Paul begins this section in verses 1-3, he turns to his former missionary associates, Euodia and Syntyche, and he calls for some sort of agreement or reconciliation. He does so by raising the theme of “having the same mind” as he has done with the most famous section of this letter, chapter 2, when he writes that all Christians should have the same mind of Christ Jesus. Paul thinks of Christians as people who live completely in and completely of the Lord. This life is obviously quite personal, but it is far from private. We are held together, as a people, in Christ. Faith is never only a matter of personal piety.

There are two things that are imperative to understand about faith. The first is that faith is a personal journey. As Paul writes in chapter 2 verse 12, work out your own faith with fear and trembling. Faith is a deeply personal thing, in which a person works out a relationship with Emmanuel, God with us. But faith is not only a personal thing. Faith calls us into community, and calls us into more than just our relationship with God. Jesus says that the commandments and the law are encompassed in two statements. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your strength, with all your mind, and with all your soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. We have a relationship with three different sets there. One, God. Two, others, read neighbor. Three, self. And if we understand the creation story well, we have a relationship with the world. Relationship with God says that you not only have a relationship with God, but also with others, with self, and with the world. Faith calls you to personal relationship with Jesus, and to public relationship with others and the world, and to healthy relationship with your self.

There are many churches that play up only one aspect of this. Churches are growing by leaps and bounds that simply say something like, “Get right with God,” “It’s just you and Jesus,” or “your relationship with Jesus is the only thing that matters.” There is truth in all those statements, but not the whole truth.

There are also many churches that play up the other aspect, saying things like, “Faith is all about helping others.” And there is truth in those types of statement, but the whole truth isn’t there either.

The whole truth is that your relationship with God is a deeply personal matter, that also places you in relationship with others, with yourself, and with the world. Paul points that out, by asking in verse 3, a “loyal companion” to mediate or in some other way help Euodia and Syntyche. Paul understands the Church as the Body of Christ where mutuality and unity of the members of the congregation is a strong witness. Do not be too quick to judgment as Paul writes about unity. For in urging for unity in Christ, he does not mean unity in agreement, which is obvious because there is some misunderstanding between these two, and whomever Paul disagrees with theologically or politically, or ideologically is not asked to recant. Unity for Paul is staying in fellowship even when we disagree, or have conflict. We do well when we remember to be so Pauline.

As Paul moves to verses 4-9, he turns to a lofty level of reflection and direction. First, in 4-7, Paul describes the characteristics and traits of Christian life: rejoicing, gentleness, lack of anxiety, prayer, thanksgiving and peace. He is always peppering those with the reminders that we live such life, “in the Lord,” verse 4, and that we do so because “the Lord is near,” verse 5. We do so pointing, “to God,” verse 6, and we get that life from a source – it is “of God,” verse 7. Paul is not writing to the Philippians, “Don’t Worry, be happy.” Instead he directs them to an active life of faith that is anxiety free because of the presence and power of the Lord.

Then, in verse 8 and 9, Paul gives a selected catalogue of Christian values – whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing, pleasing to God it should be understood, whatever is commendable, excellent and praiseworthy. As the Philippians give themselves to such values, “the God of peace will be with them.”

This remark is not a qualification of grace. They didn’t, and we don’t, have to do those things so as to unlock some favorable response from God. Rather, it is a reminder that there are good ways, as well as wasteful ways to spend the life God has given us.

The joy of being in Christ is knowing the good life that comes as the natural result of being true, honorable, just, pure, pleasing to God, commendable, excellent and praiseworthy, and knowing that we are held in God’s love forever. May we spend our lives wisely, both personally and publicly. Amen.