Steps to Turning Joy to Peace

Philippians 3:14 (KJV 1900)

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:20–21 (KJV 1900)

20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Philippians 4:9 (KJV 1900)

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Now there are only three ways to handle problems in life, only three ways to live life.

You either break out (you get a rash or a panic or you get angry), break down (you go inside and silently withdraw and eat your insides out and get all kinds of psychosomatic illnesses) , or break through in victory.

Paul has just said …

• there are enemies of the cross of Christ,

• the believer’s citizenship is in heaven,

• the Lord is going to return and take us out of this world into heaven, transforming our bodies;

… therefore, Step One is stand fast in the Lord.

Stand Fast in the Lord

Philippians 4:1 (KJV 1900)

1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

If a person wants the God of peace, he must do the things which Paul taught and did, and one of the major things he taught was to stand fast in the Lord. If a person wishes the God of peace, he must stand fast in the Lord.

The words stand fast (stekete) means simply to stand firm, persist, persevere. It is the picture of a soldier standing fast against the onslaught of an enemy. He refuses to give ground no matter the pressure and strength of attack.

Do not flinch; Do not get unstable and never be defeated.

The Christian believer is to stand fast …

• no matter how great the trial

• no matter the pressure of the temptation

• no matter the influence, offer, and allurement made by others

But how does a believer stand fast? When the temptation to surrender is so appealing and the trial is so terrible, where can the believer find the strength to stand fast? There are two places.

Recognize the Source of Strength:

The Lord Himself.

Note the words, “Stand fast in the Lord.” There is only one place the believer can stand fast, and that is in the Lord. The believer must be living and moving and having his being in the Lord; that is, he must be …

• praying, talking, and sharing with the Lord all day long

• keeping his thoughts upon the Lord: the glorious salvation, hope, and mission He has given believers

• serving and ministering for the Lord, bearing testimony of Him and meeting the needs of those who hurt and need help

When a believer is walking in the Lord throughout the day, his mind and thoughts are upon the Lord. Therefore, when the temptations and trials come, he is conscious and aware of the Lord’s presence and strength. He has been thinking and sharing and talking with the Lord—standing and walking in the Lord—all day long; therefore, he is much more able to stand fast against the temptation and trial. This is exactly what is meant by being “in the Lord.”

Recognize the Support of Servants

A minister or brother who loves and cares about his fellow-believer’s standing fast.

Note how Paul, the minister, feels about his flock—how deeply he feels for those under his care:

⇒ my dearly beloved brothers

⇒ whom I long to see

⇒ my joy and crown

1) He calls them my “dearly beloved” brothers: they were his brothers and sisters in Christ. They had all trusted Christ as their Savior and become sons and daughters of the family of God. They were all brothers and sisters of the Lord and Paul is reminding them of this relationship. Therefore, they should all stand fast in the Lord.

2) He says that he longs to see them. He is in prison and unable to be with them, but his heart is with his dear family, the family of God. Therefore, they need to please his heart by standing fast.

3) He says they are his “joy and crown.” This is probably a reference to the rewards to be given in the glorious day of redemption. The word crown (stephanos) refers to the crown or wreath that was given and sat upon the head of a victorious athlete after he had won the victor’s crown in his particular event. Paul says that his joy and crown will be the lives of the Philippians themselves when they all appear before Christ. Therefore, if he was to receive the joy and crown of their presence, they must stand fast in the Lord.

The thing to see is this: the need of believers for personal encouragement. If believers are to stand fast, they must be loved and cared for by each other. Nothing encourages us any more than knowing that we are loved and cared for by others. The love of others stirs us to live like we should and to stand fast against temptation and trial.

Be Agreeable in the Lord

Philippians 4:2 (KJV 1900)

2 I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.

There is no peace if people are …

• arguing

• bickering

• biting

• brawling

• wrangling

• disputing

• dissenting

• grumbling

• criticizing

Paul knew this, a fact that is easily seen by all, but too often ignored by some. Paul knew something else as well, something that the Lord Himself knew. There were some in the Philippian church who were being critical, arguing, grumbling, and quarreling. The Lord had already had Paul to charge the believers:

⇒ To stand fast in one spirit and in defending the gospel.

Philippians 1:27 (KJV 1900)

27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;

⇒ To love each other and to be of one accord and mind.

Philippians 2:1–2 (KJV 1900)

1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

⇒ To esteem others better than self.

Philippians 2:3–4 (KJV 1900)

3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

The plea is for all quarrelers to agree in the Lord. The source of the disturbance in the church was due to two prominent ladies in the church: Euodia and Syntyche. Who they were and what caused the trouble between them is not known. Only one thing is known about them: they were quarrelers—two women who differed and who bickered and argued, criticized and dissented, murmured and grumbled.

Note what Paul did: he pleaded for the two ladies to get their minds together “in the Lord.”

As stated in the former point, if a person is living and moving and having his being “in the Lord,” then he is walking and serving the Lord. He is consumed with the Lord and His mission. There is no time for arguing and divisiveness. In fact, the very opposite is true. He has time only for joining hands with others who are living and moving in the Lord—all seeking to fulfill the Lord’s mission upon earth. A person walking in the Lord is consumed with keeping the presence of the Lord alive in his heart and life. His thoughts are upon the Lord and His mission, not upon differences with other believers and arguing and divisiveness.

Step 3

Help Others in the Gospel

Philippians 4:3 (KJV 1900)

3 And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.

The need is for a true friend, a yokefellow, to step in and help any who are quarreling.

The word yokefellow (synzygos) is thought by some to be a proper name. Just who this yokefellow was is not known, but he must have been a man deeply respected by the people of the church. His name refers to the yoke or collar that was fitted around the neck of oxen for plowing. The collar attached the plow and held the two oxen together so that they would pull together and more quickly get the work done. Therefore, “yokefellow” means a person who pulls and works cooperatively with others. The very fact that Paul would ask him to help the two quarreling ladies shows that he was highly esteemed. Paul felt that he cared and that the two quarrelers would listen to him—that he could solve the dispute and bring about reconciliation.

The yokefellow is the person who should step in when quarrels and divisiveness begin to arouse their poisonous heads. The yokefellow is the person especially gifted by God to bring reconciliation and peace to the church.

Note also: there are two other reasons why he must help.

(1) The quarrelers were co-laborers in the gospel. They had helped Paul and Clement and others in the church. They needed to be serving in the gospel, not arguing and differing. Therefore, every effort possible had to be exerted in trying to salvage them.

(2) Second, their names were in the Book of Life. They were true believers who had slipped back into a life of sinful divisiveness. Despite their sin, they were true believers; therefore, every effort needed to be made to restore them.

Step Four:

Rejoice Always and Repeatedly.

Philippians 4:4 (KJV 1900)

4 Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Remember: Paul is in prison and the church is having a problem with some false teaching. Yet, Paul tells the believers that they are to walk about rejoicing in the Lord. In fact they are to rejoice in the Lord always—no matter the circumstances

Step Five:

Be Known

Philippians 4:5 (KJV 1900)

5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

The word moderation (epieikes) is a difficult word to translate into English. It is translated by others as gentleness, forbearance, reasonableness, consideration, agreeableness, courtesy, patience, and softness. There is a tendency to say that either forbearance or gentleness is the better translation. The meaning goes beyond this and claims that there is something better than justice—a gracious gentleness.

The point is well-taken: we must be gentle and forbearing in dealing with unbelievers. The last thing we must do is criticize, condemn, censor, neglect, and ignore unbelievers. We must reach out to the world with the gospel and treat them with a loving gentleness. We must be gentle, having absolutely nothing to do with harshness. Too many of us are harsh and critical or neglectful and withdrawn. Too many of us are wrapped in the cloak of religion having nothing to do with reaching out to the lost. The desperate need of the hour is for us to reach out with the gospel in a spirit of love and gentleness.

Why?

Because the Lord is at hand. He is ready to come, and His coming is near. This simply means that when He comes, everyone of us will need Him to treat us with gentleness. We are sinners—men and women, boys and girls—who sin too often. The Lord will have every right to be critical and condemning of us. Our only hope is that He will be gentle with us. Therefore, we must be gentle with all other men. Only if we are forgiving toward them will the Lord be forgiving toward us.

Step Six

Don’t Worry but Pray

Philippians 4:6 (KJV 1900)

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

There is the charge: be anxious (merimnate) about nothing. The idea is that the believer is not to worry or fret about a single thing. The word nothing (meden) means not even one thing. Humanly speaking, the Philippians had every reason to worry and be anxious.

⇒ They were suffering severe persecution (Phil 1:18–19).

⇒ They were facing a disturbance in the church, some disunity and quarreling (Phil 1:27, 30).

⇒ They had some carnal members within their fellowship, some members who were prideful, super-spiritual, and self-centered (Phil 2:3–4; 3:12).

⇒ They were facing some false teachers who had joined their fellowship, and the teachers were fierce in attacking the cross of Christ (Phil 3:2–3, 18–19).

⇒ Some of the believers were having to struggle for the necessities of life: food, clothing, and shelter (Phil 4:19).

There was little else that could confront these dear believers. They were facing about every trial and temptation imaginable, the kind of trouble that arouses anxiety and worry. Humanly, a person is going to fret, worry and suffer anxiety …

• when he is either about to lose or lacks food, clothing, or shelter

• when he is persecuted, ridiculed, abused, or threatened

• when he is surrounded by quarrels, disturbance, carnality, or false teaching

In the midst of such circumstances, the only way a person can keep from worrying is to receive an injection of supernatural power.

This is the very point of Scripture. There is an answer to worry and anxiety, a supernatural answer: the peace of God. God will enable the believer to conquer worry and anxiety. God will overcome the trials of life for the believer, no matter how terrible and pressuring they may be. God will infuse the believer with peace—with the very peace of God Himself—a peace so great and so wonderful that it carries the believer right through the trial. Of course, this does not mean the believer is not to be concerned about the problems of life. He is, but there is a difference between concern and anxiety or worry. Concern drives us to arise and tackle the problems of life with an indomitable courage and diligence. Concern drives us to tackle and conquer all that we can handle.

Anxiety and worry cause all kinds of problems …

• fear to act

• withdrawal

• hesitation

• cowardice

• depression

• discouragement

• a defeatist attitude

• quick, unplanned action

• unwise and harmful decisions

• physical sickness and infirmities

• emotional problems

• spiritual backsliding

• distrust and unbelief

The remedy for anxiety and worry: prayer. The four words used for prayer show exactly how prayer is the answer to anxiety and worry.

⇒ The word prayer (proseuche) refers to the special times of prayer that we share in periods of devotion and worship. We are to have set times for prayer, times that we especially set aside for devotion and worship.

⇒ The word supplication (deesis) refers to the prayers that focus upon special needs. We feel a deep, intense need, therefore, we go before God and supplicate, that is, pour out our soul to God. Need—great need—confronts us, and the only possible help and deliverance is God. Therefore, we come and lay our need before Him as a child: crying, pleading and begging for His help, comfort, deliverance, and peace.

⇒ The word thanksgiving (eucharistia) means that we thank and praise God for all that He is and for all that He has done for us.

⇒ The word requests (aitemata) means specific and definite requests. Our praying is not to be general, but specific. We are to lay before God exactly what is needed and we are not to fear that we are being too detailed with God or bothering God. Neither are we to hold back from asking because we fear He will not answer something so specific. Too often believers fear not receiving the answer to a specific request, fear that it will show how weak they are spiritually if the request is not granted.

Keep Your Hearts

Philippians 4:7 (KJV 1900)

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

The word shall keep (phrouresei) is a military word meaning to garrison, to keep guard and protect. The peace of God is like a most elite soldier who guards and protects the most precious possession of God: the believer’s heart and mind.

However, note that God can keep us “through Christ Jesus.” We can know the peace of God only if we have trusted Christ as our Lord and Savior and only if we walk in fellowship with Him. To be in Christ means to walk in Christ—to live, move and have our being in Him.

Step 8

Think Positively

Philippians 4:8 (KJV 1900)

8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Peace comes through positive thinking. The word think (logizesthe) means to consider, reflect, reason, and ponder. The idea is that of focusing our thoughts until they shape our behavior. The truth is:

⇒ what we think is what we become.

⇒ where we have kept our minds is where we are.

⇒ our thoughts shape our behavior.

⇒ what we do is what we think.

A mind set upon the world and the flesh is what leads to anxiety and worry, emptiness and restlessness. This was the stress of the former point (vv. 6–7). A worldly mind never knows peace—not true peace, not the peace of God. God will just never allow a worldly mind to have peace, for it is the restlessness of the human soul that He uses to reach men for salvation.

The point is this: when a person accepts Jesus Christ, his mind is renewed by the Spirit of God.

The charge is to think and practice positive thinking.

1) “Whatsoever things are true” (alethe): real and genuine.

2) “Whatsoever things are honest” (semna): honorable, worthy, revered, highly respected, and noble

3) “Whatsoever things are just” (diakia): right and righteous behavior. It has to do with right behavior toward man and God.

4) “Whatsoever things are pure” (hagna): morally clean, spotless, stainless, chaste, undefiled, free from moral pollution, filth, dirt, and impurities.

5) “Whatsoever things are lovely” (prosphile): pleasing, winsome, kind, gracious; things that excite love and kindness.

6) “Whatsoever things are of good report” (euphema): reputable, high-toned, worthy things; things of the highest quality.

7) “If there be any virtue [excellence] and if there be any praise [in any thought], think on these things.”

Positive thinking is the answer to peace for the Christian believer.

Do

Philippians 4:9 (KJV 1900)

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

The believer is expected to control and discipline his mind. He is to struggle against all sinful and negative thoughts, and fight to think only positive thoughts. Note the result of positive thinking: the God of peace shall be with the believer.

Do you have peace?

Are you standing fast, being agreeable, helping others, rejoicing, being known, not worrying, Keeping you heart, while thinking positively?

Basically, are you Doing?