Right Thinking In A Troubled World -5

Introduction- Bringing a close to this short series, I would like us to consider what we find concerning right thinking in the epistle of Philippians.

Would you turn with me to that small New Testament epistle?

Oftentimes, the book of Philippians is referred to as the epistle of Joy.

Many have called this epistle the epistle of Joy because it emphasizes our joy in Christ.

The joy described in this epistle is contrary to the thinking of the world.

The joy of the Christian is not based on circumstances, but rather is based on our life in Christ.

This local church and Paul himself were a gleaming example of this as he penned the words in Philippians 4:11–13 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Because the joy of the Christian is determined by our life in Christ, we can live with joy regardless of the circumstances of this life.

The proof of this is displayed in the life of Paul and many of the New Testament Christians.

They discovered that the most precious thing, what gave them joy was their relationship with their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

But I want you to consider another major theme found in this wonderful epistle.

Let’s read

Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

Let’s pray

The book of Philippians is one of my favorite New Testament epistles.

The verse we just read out of chapter 2, sums up for you and I the pursuit of our lives, which is Christ Himself.

In this epistle, there are seven references to the mind and consequently our thoughts.

What is declared in Philippians is a description of how our thinking ought to be.

In Psalm 77, we saw the psalmist Asaph struggled with some wrong thinking.

But as that psalm progresses, Asaph eventually came to himself and realized his infirmity.

We are exposed to and taught by his wrong thinking— but then we see he realized and identified his wrong thinking.

Then, we are given a brief look at some right thinking. It is thinking that was permeated with right thoughts of our all sufficient God.

But I think as we look at this New Testament epistle, the book of Philippians, you and I can get a better idea of what the right kind of mind ought to look like.

It is expressed here in the 5th verse of chapter 2.

Paul tells the church of Philippi— “Let this mind be in you…”

Friend, could we begin this morning by asking the question, “Will you let the Lord have his way in your life?

It is interesting to note that this word ‘mind’ is in the verb form. In other words, we are not speaking of a passive thing. The underlying word means ‘to think.’ It is connected with the word ‘Let.’ The tense of the verb signifies an action with no completion in mind (present tense), in other words continually.

Here we see this matter, will you let this mind be in you?

This is the ultimate question for the Christian—Will you let God conform you to the image of His Son?

For the lost the question is what think ye of Christ?

For the Christian, the question is will you let God work in you and through you?

The Christian life is not about what you can do in your own strength.

Paul in this epistle stated Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Some would attempt to apply this to all situations—-and I would tell you this morning if you choose to think wrongly—you can quote this verse all day long and you will not have victory.

The key to the Christian life is to allow God to have control.

Say yes to biblical thinking and no to carnal thinking.

Say yes to the leading of God and no to the temptation of the flesh.

Say yes to the Lord when He reproves you and no to the world and the Devil when they attempt to fan the flames of your fleshly desires.

The truth is that if you and I are left to our own devices we will miserably fail.

But if we let God use us and work in and through us we find victory.

Paul states in this same epistle in chapter 3 his deepest desire—- He says Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”

I love that phrase—- you might underline it.

This should be the expression of our heart and what captures our thoughts…

The great pursuit for you and me is to know our God and Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul, how would you suppose to know the Lord in a more intimate and deep way?—His answer is found in that verse.

Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”

By losing all that this world has to offer, by suffering like He suffered, by giving my life for his glory and his honor.

We win by losing…

I remember one time that President Trump was asked this question—well how do you suppose to win—to which he replied I will win like winners win…

I don’t know about that philosophy—but I do know about biblical theology which states, We win my friend by losing.

Have you my friend lost yourself and your life in Christ?

Mark 8:35 states, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”

Likewise, how can you I have right thinking in a troubled world?

We find summed up in this introductory text, by having the mind of Christ.

In this epistle there seven occurrences of the word ‘mind.’

I will endeavor to look at each of these.

If you would like to mark them in your Bible— they are found in:

Philippians 1:27 “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;”

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

Philippians 2:3 “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.”

Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

Philippians 3:16 “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.”

Philippians 3:19 “Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)”

Philippians 4:2 “I beseech Euodias, and beseech Syntyche, that they be of the same mind in the Lord.”

Let us look at the first of these this morning found in the first chapter.

We will read beginning in verse 12 down through the end of the chapter.

Philippians 1:21–30 “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith; That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. 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; And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; Having the same conflict which ye saw in me, and now hear to be in me.”

Set in this wonderful passage is the first reference to biblical thinking in the book of Philippians.

Paul begins by stating a marvelous truth in verse 21.

This truth can be applied to you and I—a way of thinking.

It is this, whether God keeps me in this earth or takes me home to be with Him, it is a win-win situation.

For the Christian to live is Christ.

What exactly does that expression mean?

What does it mean to live is Christ?

Now this was spoken by the apostle Paul, and I believe He could state that.

Unfortunately, we would have to admit that many times for ourselves that we do not live yielded to Christ.

But when we live the life God designed for us, to live is Christ.

In other words, we continue the work of Christ here on this earth as He walks in us.

Consider the first verses of the historical book of Acts.

Acts 1:1–2 “The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:”

The book of Acts is the continuing work of Jesus Christ by the Apostles through the indwelling power and enablement of the Holy Spirit.

Of whom by the way, half of that book focuses on Paul.

Paul states here, “For me to live is Christ.”

For Paul, to live, meant that He could continue to accomplish the will of His Master.

He saw Himself as the instrument that God furnished Him to be.

Some have come to the place, where they loath this life.

Perhaps it is unrealized expectations.

Perhaps it is unusual circumstances.

Perhaps it is unyielding burdens.

Perhaps it is undeniable difficult relationships.

My friend the lens by which we view the events of this life and the motions of our everyday work is vitally important.

Imagine for a moment, Paul, is sitting in a prison house.

Paul is sitting in stench, perhaps in rags.

Paul no doubt has been shamefully treated.

He is not in a place of comfort or honor, but rather in a place of difficulty.

And yet, we hear, “For me to live is Christ.”

What a marvel!

How could Paul state such a thing?

It makes no worldly sense at all.

John Phillips commented of this marvelous paradox when He stated, “As we read the exultant stanzas of the Epistle to the Philippians, we might think that Paul was in a palace, not in prison. He mentioned his chains again and again, but we do not hear them clanging dismally. We hear them chiming like Christmas bells. The apostle had converted his chains, just as he had converted some of his guards. His chains had been transformed into the bonds of Christ and were therefore tokens of that “good, and acceptable , and perfect, will of God,” which had long been his delight (Romans 12:2).

What is the driving factor of Paul’s life? We might say it this way, What was His mind on? What filled His thoughts?

A mind full of the principle that to live is Christ.

Paul like every Christian experienced the difficulty in this life. He knew as only few would experience the trials of affliction of abandonment, imprisionment, and the hatred of the enemies of Christ.

Paul would seal His testimony for Jesus with the blood of the life God gave Him one day.

But in spite of the ongoing seemingly endless string of affliction, He states, “For me to live is Christ.”

Paul understood that it was needful for Him to abide in this world, as His states, for this local churches furtherance, “and joy of faith.” (vs. 25)

Look at it with me in verse 24.

Philippians 1:24–25 “24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. 25 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith;”

There is a joy my friend in believing and trusting the Lord as He works in and through us in this life.

So what is Paul’s recommendation for the thinking of the Christians in Philippi?

Notice with me what is said in verse 27.

Philippians 1:27 “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;”

Agan

I think first of all, we discover that:

1. Our Lives Must Be As It Becomes the Gospel

Right thinking involves a biblical understanding of what our lives should be..

The word translated as conversation means citizenship. Or we might say, the citizen-life.

We are citizens of heaven my friend.

We do not wait to get to heaven to be citizens in of heaven.

Philippians 3:20 “20 For our conversation [citizen-life] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:”

Our lives should declare that citizenship.

John Phillips in His commentary shed some light on the life of the Philippians in that day when he states, “The Philippian Christians were citizens of two worlds. They were citizens of the Roman world and they were citizens of the world that ruled Paul’s desires. The two worlds were at war. The Christians’ heavenly citizenship had to take priority over their human citizenship, as the powers that be soon came to understand. The Caesars could not tolerate this priority even though Christians’ heavenly citizenship made them better human citizens, better neighbors, better workers, better soldiers, better teachers, better parents, better teachers, better parents, better children. At the height of the Neronic and other persecutions, the line between the two worlds was so clearly drawn that Christians refused to offer even a merely symbolic pinch of salt on a pagan altar.”

I remember seeing a documentary, that in one of these prevalent New Testament cities, the citizens would be required to participate in this form of symbolic worship just to enter into the main center of commerce in the city.

Imagine— just as we see in future fulfillment in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, not being able to buy or sale, save you tip your hat even if without heart to worship a false god.

And yet these Christians were instructed, to live a life that declares I am a citizen of heaven.

And for that reason, they refused even the merely symbolic act of “caesar worship.”

If we were to look at the life of Paul from a worldly standpoint, we would come to the conclusion, that His life amounted to nothing.

Paul did not possess great wealth.

Paul did not possess great worldly influence.

Paul did not contribute to the scientific community or win Nobel peace prizes.

He did not win the favour of the masses.

But if we look at Paul’s life through the truth of Scripture, we see a man who identified in His life with the life, death, burial and resurrection of Christ, that by God’s view He declared he as a citizen of Heaven.

Think, my friend, in all situations of life, our conversation must be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.