Sermon Tone Analysis

Spiritually Stability Through Holiness

Philippians 4:8-9

We are going to visit a couple of verses in this fourth chapter this morning that will help us cultivate a closer walk with the Lord.

We sometimes sing, “Just a closer walk with Thee, Grant it, Jesus, is my plea, Daily walking close to Thee, Let it be dear Lord, let it be.”

This is a great prayer that God promises to answer.

The Bible says that if we seek the Lord with all our heart we will find him.

If we draw near to God he will draw near to us.

God promises to walk close to us, but the promise is a conditional promise.

If you are going to have a closer walk with the Lord, it will be determined by how you live your life.

How you live your life will be determined by how you think about life.

Many Christians miss out on the blessings of God and his presence because they don’t cultivate a closer walk with the Lord.

They don’t have a closer walk with the Lord because they don’t pursue obedience and holiness.

When we fail to pursue a closer walk with the Lord we become unstable.

Spiritual stability is developed and achieved through pursuing obedience, pursuing a life that pleases the Lord.

When we pursue a closer walk with the Lord we will be stable in our Christian experience.

Let me share two things that must take place if we are going to enjoy a closer walk with the Lord.

First, you must think biblically.

Think Biblically

We read in Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

The lists of virtues that Paul gives in this verse are by no means distinctively Christian.

Many of these virtues were spoken of by the Greek philosophers of Paul’s day.

There are six virtues that are introduced by the word “whatever.”

First, Paul says, “Whatever is true.”

Truth is the opposite of lies and false witness.

Truth is that which corresponds to God’s character.

It was Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, except through me.”

Second, Paul says, “Whatever is honorable” The word for “honorable” speaks of something that is worthy of worship or worthy of worshipful reverence.

Third, we see, “Whatever is Just.”

This pertains to things that are in accordance with what God requires.

Thus, it is just because the Divine Judge declares them right.

Fourth, “Whatever is pure.”

This pertains to things that are without sin or error, things that have no moral defect.

Fifth, “Whatever is lovely.”

This pertains to things ethically beautiful and attractive.

Sixth, “Whatever is of commendable.”

This pertains to things worthy of approval.

It speaks of things that are wholesome and constructive.

Paul then summarizes these virtues with two if clauses, “if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,”

What we have here is not six individual virtues, but really three pairs of virtues.

The pairs are closely connected.

Notice how they fit together.

Whatever is true is honorable and worthy of worship.

Whatever is just is pure.

Whatever is lovely commendable.

Do you see how they break into pairs?

Now, What do we do with these excellent and praiseworthy virtues?

Paul tells us what we do with them in the form of a command, “think about these things.”

Some of your translations have “meditate on these things.”

The Greek word means to ponder on something, to think about something in a detailed manner.

It means to reason or consider.

This command is a present active verb, which means that as Christians we are to dwell on these virtues on an on going basis everyday.

The command is at the end of the sentence because Paul wanted to emphasize the object or virtues that we are to ponder on as believers.

There are some errors that arise when people try to apply these verses.

There are those who see these verses and say how beautiful and it go no further.

Then there are those who see these virtues and say that we need to think on things, doesn’t matter what, just as long as they fit these virtues.

I would disagree because Paul, though not using distinctively Christian virtues, intends them to be distinctively Christian.

I will elaborate on this in a moment.

Then there is a semi-Christian approach that says, that you can’t think about sin at all.

We are to take these virtues and just think about them, doing all we can to keep those sinful thoughts out of our mind.

This is somewhat Christian, but it is not fully Christian.

Now, bare with me as I flesh out what I believe it means to think Christian as Paul would have us think.

Paul is in no way encouraging us to think about virtuous ideas, this would be distinctively Greek thinking.

When Paul speaks of these virtues, he speaks of virtues that are grounded in truth.

Therefore, I would suggest that Paul has in mind here thinking that is centered on Christ and his cross, thinking that is centered on the good news of Jesus Christ.

Let me support this without leaving the book of Philippians.

In chapter one Paul talked about living for Christ.

In chapter two he spoke of having the same attitude of Christ.

In chapter three he mentioned counting all things loss for Christ, the surpassing value of knowing and gaining Christ, laying hold of Christ, and waiting for the appearing of Christ.

Can’t we conclude that Paul would want our thinking to be Christ-centered or gospel-centered?

I thank so!

So our thoughts need to be focused on a person, not a principle or philosophy.

Let’s go back to the semi-Christian approach to this verse, and I will tell you what is wrong with it.

As I said earlier, the semi-Christian approach says keep out the bad, keep in the good.

This approach often says don’t think about sin.

Don’t think about the negative, only the positive.

I see a lot of this type of teaching from popular preachers today.

There are a few very popular so-called preachers today, who are nothing more than motivational speakers.

They tell you not to think negative things, think positive, and what you think will come to pass.

This is not Biblical thinking.

I don’t believe that we are to avoid sinful thoughts, but instead we are to take them on with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let me give you a few illustrations of this type of Christ-centered thinking.

First, let discuss unworthy thoughts that we may have about ourselves.

I think many of us can relate to these type of thoughts.

The semi-Christian approach says, “Don’t think unworthy about yourself.

You are a Christian.”

This is true, but it is not gospel-centered thinking.

Let say that you are having thoughts of being a failure, or maybe you are insecure about your looks or you feel like your no good.

Here is how gospel thinking approaches these thoughts.

“I am unworthy, a total failure.

But Christ loved me and gave his life for me.

And because of what Christ did, I am worthy.”

You take the sinful thoughts, acknowledge them, and then take them on with the truth of the gospel.

Another struggle we may have in our thinking is that of fear.

The semi-Christian approach tells you to put in your mind things that are beautiful, you do, and you have a sense of relief, but its not biblical thinking.

Biblical thinking does not tell you to think beautiful thoughts and forget the others.

No, Biblical thinking takes on the sinful thoughts and confront them with the gospel.

Biblical thinking taking on fear might sound something like this, “You call yourself a Christian and you have these fearful thoughts?”

Didn’t Christ die for you on the cross so that should not go on thinking like this?”

You see, holy contemplation says face yourself, acknowledge your imperfections, acknowledge your sinful thoughts, and then look into the beautiful face of the Savior, look upon the cross where he died and cry out for mercy and grace.

That is truly holy contemplation.