Good, True, & Beautiful

Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable—if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy—dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

Today, we continue to work through the letter to the church in Philippi as we look at Philippians 4:8-9, where the Apostle Paul exhorts us to focus our thoughts on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. These qualities encapsulate what we might call "The Good, The True, and The Beautiful." While these concepts trace their origins back to the philosophy of Plato, who said that this triad and the pursuit of it are the noble life or the good life, they have transcended their secular roots and found meaning within our faith.

According to Stephen Nichols, President of Reformation Bible College:

“When we think of (goodness, truth, and beauty), we really should be thinking about Scripture. Just consider this for a moment, do a search of “the good,” or words related to ethics, justice, or righteousness. Or think of words related to “true” and “truth,” or words related to beauty, that which is pure, or that which is lovely. These words and these concepts spill all over the pages of Scripture.”

In our modern world, it is all too easy to become entangled in the chaos of worry, anxiety, and distractions. Yet, Paul’s instruction calls us to a higher standard—a standard grounded in the very nature of God Himself. When we consider what is good, we are reminded of God’s inherent goodness. Scripture tells us in Psalm 119:68 that "You are good and do good." This goodness is not just an abstract principle; it is the foundation of our relationship with God.

Similarly, the concept of truth is paramount in our faith. Jesus declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). In a culture rife with deception, we must anchor ourselves in the ultimate truth found in Scripture. This truth is not merely philosophical; it is transformative and life-giving. It guides our decisions and shapes our character, enabling us to reflect Christ in our daily lives.

Lastly, the beauty we seek is not superficial but rooted in the divine. The beauty of creation, the beauty of God's mercy, and the beauty of the Gospel itself speak to our hearts and invite us to worship. As we contemplate these attributes, we are encouraged to lift our minds and hearts toward things that reflect God's nature.

As we dive deeper into Philippians 4:8-9 today, let us examine how we can actively engage with The Good, The True, and The Beautiful in our thoughts, actions, and our interactions with others. May our focus on these divine qualities help us cultivate a life that not only honors God but also draws others to Him.

Big Idea: Our thoughts must be on the things of God.

Philippians 4:8

As part of his final instructions to the Philippian church, Paul gives them eight things to dwell on, or think about.

Now, my normal way of going through a passage would be to start going through this list of ideas, one by one, because they are listed here at the beginning of this verse. However, some translations of this text say something like, “Think about things that are true, honorable, etc…” And so, before we dig into all these things that Paul tells the Philippians to think about, or dwell on, I think it is important for us to understand what it means to “dwell.”

The Greek word that is translated as “dwell” in our passage today is λογιζομαι. Logizomai itself translates to "to count," "to reckon," or "to consider." In the New Testament, logizomai often refers to a process of mental reckoning or thoughtful consideration. For example, in Romans 4:3, Abraham's faith was "counted as righteousness," indicating a reckoning or accounting of faith.

The root word of logizomai is logos, which translates to “word,” “reason,” or “principle.”

Logos is central to Christian theology, especially in the context of the Gospel of John, where it refers to Christ as the divine Word through whom all things were created (John 1:1-3).

John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This signifies that logos is not just a spoken word but a profound principle of order and reason, specifically found in Christ. Often, the Christian faith is described by atheists and non-believers as “blind faith.” They believe there is no reason or intelligent backing or argument for our faith, but that we simply believe without the use of our intellect. There are some within Christianity who treat their faith this way, but it leads down a dangerous road that can shatter one’s belief when faced with hardship.

However, Scripture declares that belief in God is not just a blind hope that you will be right. This is the same kind of hope that Mariners fans have had for the last 47 years about them winning a World Series…only for the Mariners to be the only Major League team of the current 30 teams to have never even been TO a World Series, let alone win one.

Faith in God is based in reason and in exercising our minds.

The late theologian RC Sproul said this about faith and reason in an article titled, “Faith Has Its Reasons” which I have linked in the notes in the app:

“God makes it very rational for me to believe He’s there. He’s shown Himself in the created order. He’s broken into time and space. Jesus came in the flesh, was seen, and rose from the dead in history. The Apostles testify to these events in Scripture, recording those things they witnessed with their senses.

It’s not irrational to believe in the One who vindicated Himself as the incarnation of truth. This is not blind faith but faith that embraces testimony….we continually measure our faith by the Word of God and make sure we are assenting to the reasonable, historical testimony of the prophets and the Apostles to the triumph of Christ.

Faith is not mere intellectual assent. We aren’t saved simply because we affirm the truth of certain facts but because we trust the Person whom those facts reveal. So, faith is definitely more than knowledge. But it is not less.”

What Sproul is saying is that our belief in Christ is not just a matter of having faith in God with what he called “easy believism,” which is just another way of saying someone is gullible. Sproul said that faith involves reasoning and intelligence. Sproul’s radio show and podcast was called “Renewing your Mind” which is taken from Romans 12:2, which says:

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

In order to understand the things that are good, true, and beautiful about God, we must use our minds. We must think about, or dwell on, these things.

Next Step: I will reflect on my thought life this week.

So let’s look at the things that Paul tells us we should dwell on or think about.

…whatever is true…

Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” This world we live in, to this day, has a hard time knowing what truth is. Society is ruled by a term called “standpoint epistemology.” Now, the word “epistemology” is a long word that means how we gain knowledge. And so people will look at the things that they have experienced and what they think or believe about things, and equate that to being “truth.”

This belief system functions under the guise that we can only know what we know through our experiences. Any belief system or standpoint that clashes with their own idea of what they believe to be true, must be either wrong, based on a system that awards the powerful and oppresses others, or is just “someone else’s truth.”

While it is possible to discover what is true through the things that we experience, this will be a very limited amount of truth.

Truth is discoverable in Christ. Jesus tells us in John 14:6

John 14:6

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

There is an artist that Emily and I follow. His website is called “Full of Eyes.” He specializes in taking verses of the Bible and creating pictures as a way of “visual exegesis” which means that he creates these pictures as a way of describing what the Bible verse is saying in it’s full context. One of his pictures deals directly with this idea of truth referencing Pilate asking what truth is and Jesus telling his disciples that he is the truth.

“John 18:37, ‘For this reason I was born and for this reason I came into the world, in order to bear witness to the truth…’

What a resounding affirmation of the invincible reality of absolute truth. Jesus Christ was born—the Eternal Word who is God took on flesh and came into the world—in order to bear witness to the truth. There IS truth, there IS reality, there IS eternal, immovable, unwavering, unshaken truth, and the purpose of the incarnation is to bear witness to that Truth.”

We are to dwell on truth, and when we do so, we are dwelling on God himself.

…whatever is honorable…

The Greek word for honorable in this particular passage of Scripture is σεμνος (semnos), which means “worthy of respect.” Though the word honor and honorable are often used as translations of many Greek words into English, “semnos” is only used in three other places. Two instances are in 1 Timothy 3, and the other is in Titus 2. Both of these passages describe the characteristics of deacons and older men in the church.

1 Timothy 3:8-9, 11

Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

Wives, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything.

Then we look at Titus 2

Titus 2:2

Older men are to be self-controlled, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance.

So when we think of something as honorable, or worthy of honor, these are the types of characteristics we should be thinking about and dwelling on. We see these very characteristics in God himself.

…whatever is just…

The word “just” refers to righteousness, or the act of being righteous (δικαιος). In thinking about things that are righteous, we must remember that human righteousness falls short of God’s standard.

Romans 3:23

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Some translations say that we fall short of “God’s glorious standard.” The word for “fall short” is actually an archery term. It means that we cannot hit the target.

We are not judged by our own righteousness. We are judged by the standard of righteousness found in Scripture as we look at Christ. God doesn’t say, well at least you tried. There are no participation trophies in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Isaiah 64:6b

…and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment;

In Philippians 3:9, Paul said that he wanted to be found in Christ, not having a righteousness of his own (because there is no righteousness that man can bring his own to God in a meritorious way to say, “Here are my good works.”), but we can only be found in Christ when we have the righteousness that comes from God by having faith in him and in the works of Christ.

…whatever is pure…

Purity (ἁγνα - hagna) is the same word that can be translated as innocence. Paul uses this same word to describe the church as a pure virgin who is to be presented to Christ as a bride. In 1 Timothy, Paul uses this word to say how the young pastor Timothy should keep himself from falling into the same sins as other people around him. Jesus tells us that our thoughts should be pure in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:21-22

“You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Whoever insults his brother or sister will be subject to the court. Whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to hellfire.”

Matthew 5:27-28

“You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery. But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Here in these passages, Jesus is saying that while our actions can be sinful, the thoughts behind those actions are ALSO sinful. It is not enough to just keep myself from killing someone, the thoughts that lead to wanting to commit that action are sinful. My anger towards another person makes me just as guilty as someone who murders another person.

It is not enough to just keep from having an affair and cheating on my spouse. If my mind is constantly thinking about being with other people in the way I am called to be with my spouse, I am just as guilty as the one who goes through with the affair.

Instead, we should keep our minds on things that are pure. God’s love for his people is so pure that the most purified gold or the cleanest and clearest diamond cannot compare.

…whatever is lovely…

Things that are lovely are seen as pleasing or agreeable. Another word for lovely is to think about things that are beautiful. However, beauty must be looked at from God’s standards and definitions, not from human concepts of beauty.

The beauty of the gospel is so overwhelming if we really engage our minds with it. God did not need to create anything. God was in perfect love and unity as the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) from eternity past. It was out of the overflow of that love that he created. We, as his creation, turned away from that love, and now do not have the ability on our own to earn that love. So God, in that amazing love for us, not only chooses to still love his creation, but gave his Son, Jesus Christ, who could live a perfect life, to be a sacrifice to pay for the sins and inability of man to follow after God, giving the righteousness that Jesus earned through his life, death, and resurrection, to humanity when we repent of our sins and submit our lives to him.

No human could have come up with a more beautiful story of love and redemption than that which God established here on earth.

…whatever is commendable…

To be commendable is to be well spoken of, reputable, or admirable. This word is very closely tied to “honorable,” which we already looked at with how deacons and the elder men of the church are to conduct themselves.

…if there is any moral excellence…

Christ is the only one in whom we can find moral excellence. The Greek word here is often translated as good or goodness. God calls us by his own glory and goodness because we have no goodness on our own. Paul says as much in Romans 3 when he tells his readers of the state of men.

Romans 3:10-18

as it is written:

There is no one righteous, not even one.

There is no one who understands;

there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned away;

all alike have become worthless.

There is no one who does what is good,

not even one.

Their throat is an open grave;

they deceive with their tongues.

Vipers’ venom is under their lips.

Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

Their feet are swift to shed blood;

ruin and wretchedness are in their paths,

and the path of peace they have not known.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

This is not a glowing assessment of humanity. However, this is one of the most comprehensive descriptions of the state humanity finds itself in. Just as ther passage from Isaiah that we referred to earlier said, our “good deeds” are meaningless.

Therefore, we must put our minds upon the one who is good, the ultimate good. Our hearts and minds must seek God and his goodness. One of the main ways that we can see the goodness of God, so that we can meditate on it and contemplate it, is by reading Scripture. If we want to see what is really, truly good in this world, this book (hold up Bible) is where we must start.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

…if there is anything praiseworthy…

The meaning of this word “praiseworthy” is not just about worship. It also means to give approval to. When we give praise to someone who does a good job at something, like cheering when the Seahawks score a touchdown in a game, we are not just uplifting the team and the player by praising what they have done, we are giving our approval of it. We declare it to be something worthy of viewing in a positive light.

When we give praise to God, it is more than just worship, it is an approval of who he is and his actions. It is pointing others to see God in a positive way.

When we think about the things that are worthy of praise, we must think on things that are worthy of God’s approval. In Galatians 1, Paul is blasting his readers because of how quickly they turned away from the beauty of the gospel, and instead turned to the false teachings of men.

Galatians 1:10

For am I now trying to persuade people, or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

We are to praise and find approval from God and in the things that God approves of. Really, we can just look back at this whole list as things that God approves of.

Philippians 4:9

Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

By thinking about these things and following the example that Paul has set, we can have peace with God. Last week, we talked about how to deal with the anxieties of life. We turned to the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says to stop worrying about the things that we need because God loves us so much that he will provide for our needs. In Matthew 6, after talking about anxiety, Jesus says:

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.

Seeking God’s kingdom is not just seeking a place. It is not seeking a set of rules or laws that God has established. Seeking God’s kingdom means we are to seek God. This entire list that we looked at in Philippians 4:8 ecompasses much of what God is.

There is a theological term called the simplicity of God. That word does not mean that God is not complex and that he is so easy to understand. Instead, it refers to the fact that God cannot be sliced up into parts. God is not 20% love, 10% wrath, 20% compassion, etc. God is actually completely love, and completely compassionate, and completely holy, which then also makes his wrath against sin completely just and right.

Our list of things to dwell on from this passage can all be summed up in God. God is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, morally excellent, and absolutely worthy of praise. He is the one our hearts and minds should be set upon, meditating on, thinking about, and treasuring above all else.

And when we can do that, God gives us peace. We can know that because he is just and right, that sin will be punished. We can know that because he loves us, he will provide for our needs. We can know that because God is worthy of praise, he will continue to work and act in a way that further shows the worth of praising him.

All of these attributes of God are found in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is the one in whom we can see these attributes shine.

Today, I invite you to reflect deeply on your life and your relationship with Christ. The Apostle Paul urges us to dwell on what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, morally excellent, and praiseworthy. These are not just lofty ideals; they are the very essence of God Himself.

As you consider these qualities, I urge you to examine your heart. Have you been living in ways that do not align with God’s goodness? Are there sins that weigh you down, distractions that pull you away from the truth? It is time to turn away from those things that lead to despair and disappointment.

Repentance is not merely feeling sorry for what you’ve done; it’s a heartfelt decision to turn from sin and submit your life to Christ. Acknowledge your need for His grace. Recognize that in Him lies the ultimate truth and beauty that your soul longs for.

Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life, invites you into a transformative relationship. He offers forgiveness and the peace that surpasses all understanding. When you focus on Him and the qualities He embodies, you will find your life renewed and your burdens lifted.

Today, I encourage you to make that choice. Seek the goodness, truth, and beauty found in Christ. Let go of what holds you back and embrace the life that God has called you to live.

Next Step: I will submit my life to Christ.

Submit your life to Him, and experience the joy and peace that comes from dwelling in His presence.

Let us pray.

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