AGAIN I SAY REJOICE
PERSEVERING FAITH FOR UNCERTAIN TIMES
PHILIPPIANS 4:1-9
INTRODUCTION
- One of the most difficult things for the Christian community to deal with is the falling away, so to speak, of people who were thought to be believers. We have all heard of, and many of you personally know of, people who at one point in time claimed Christ as their Savior, but have now completely rejected the faith. Perhaps they were brought up in the Christian church and professed to follow Jesus as a young person but as an adult they have rejected him. Or maybe you know of an adult who supposedly accepted Christ and was in church for a while, but now they want nothing to do with him. Unfortunately, stories like this abound.
- In fact I have just started reading a book entitled Godless by Dan Barker. You probably have never heard of him unless you’ve seen this book; but the foreword to his book was written by Richard Dawkins. If you don’t know who Richard Dawkins is, I would suggest familiarizing yourself with him. He is one of the most prominent atheists, if not the leading atheist in the world today. His most recent book, The God Delusion, has sold over 1 million copies and has come to be very influential in the minds of some people.
- But in Godless, the book authored by Dan Barker, the reader gets a glimpse into the life of an evangelical preacher turned atheist. The book is an autobiography of sorts, as Barker tells his own story of how, after years in the pastorate, he deconverted (that’s their word of choice) to atheism. And he took his Christian family, except one brother, along with him.
- A whole family of Christians completely abandoning the faith. In fact, it only took his mother two weeks to become an atheist. After two weeks of her son’s prodding she exclaimed with relief that “religion is a bunch of baloney.”
- Now as much as secularists would like to think we are not, Christians are, or at least should be, thinking people. We should be able to think through and reason through what we see, hear, or read. Any thinking Christian immediately asks themselves upon hearing this tale, especially that of the mother, “How real was their “faith” to begin with?”. If it only takes two weeks to “deconvert”, was there ever really a conversion in the first place?
- From a biblical and theological standpoint these folks, and all of those like them, are relatively easy to address. Scripture is clear that if you completely reject the faith, never to return again, you were never a true believer in the first place. You may have thought you were. Others may have thought you were. You may have even held church office, but you were a phony. In discussing those whom he labels “antichrist”, those who oppose Christ, John wrote in his first epistle that: They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.
- Scripture is equally clear that no true believer ever loses his or her salvation. Those who are truly saved remain saved and persevere to the end – not under their own strength, but because God himself holds on to them with his omnipotent hand.
- And I would like to address such perseverance today. We know that there are those around us who, sadly, do not persevere and show themselves to be unbelievers, as they were all along. But how can we, through the Spirit of God and by his grace, build a faith that endures the tests of life. How can we cultivate faith that remains after our own sinful desires, the world around us, and our enemy Satan throws all that they have to offer at us.
- What does it take to have a persevering faith? How does real faith reveal itself? First it must be noted, as I hinted at earlier, that we hold on to God because God holds on to us. We persevere because God preserves us. Peter says in his first letter that we are kept by the power of God. And John in his gospel quotes Jesus as saying that nothing can snatch us out of the Father’s hand. So the fact that we endure as believers to the end is a complete work of God’s grace.
- But from our human vantage point, what are some things we can do in this process? Let’s look together at the word of God in Philippians 4:
[READ PHILIPPIANS 4:1-9]
- I mentioned last time that v.1 of chapter 4 belongs with the thought pattern of the end of chapter 3. In light of our assured glorification in Christ, we are to stand firm; to keep progressing in spiritual maturity. And v.1 now transitions us into the first part of chapter 4 up to v.9. In fact, the command “stand firm” is the main verb in these first nine verses. Paul will give the Philippians some specifics on how to stand firm.
- So here is how these two thoughts are related. The end of chapter 3 is a command for us, based upon Paul’s life, to pursue Christ-likeness as long as we live. In the first part of chapter 4 Paul will address specificities. So the call to Christian maturity is now going to be elaborated upon. So here we go: what does a mature, genuine, persevering faith look like? First:
REAL, PERSEVERING FAITH THRIVES ON A SPIRIT OF UNITY
- There is a very interesting couple of verses at the start of this chapter. In vv.2-3 Paul addresses an apparent dispute that was going on in the church. He urges two women, Euodia and Syntyche, to agree about something they were apparently disagreeing about. We have no idea what the quarrel was, we only know that apparently they were not getting along.
- We have a good idea of what the issue was not, however. We know that it was not a doctrinal issue, or Paul would have corrected the one woman who was in error and sided with the one who was right. Paul was not afraid to confront doctrinal issues. But he sides with neither of them. So whatever was going on, this was a peripheral issue. Maybe one lady wanted pews and the other chairs, who knows. Or maybe they couldn’t agree on carpet color.
- So he asks one of the people he is writing to, to help these ladies come to an agreement. Your Bible probably says somethings like “I ask you also, true companion” or “loyal yokefellow” “to help these women.” I am actually of the mind that Paul is using a proper name here, Syzygus, as in “I ask you also, Syzygus, to help these women...” but that really isn’t important to how we understand the passage. The issue is that there was a disagreement that the person he is writing to was to fix.
- Now unity is hardly a new concept for us. We have seen and heard this word many times as we have worked our way through this letter. And in one sense there really is no new nuance here. Unity is essential for the health of the Christian community. Unity around Christ and his gospel is a central force in the life of the church.
- But this is the first time, in this letter, that Paul targets specific people who are in disagreement. So I want to take a moment and address the individual consequences of corporate disunity. Disunity can destroy a body of believers, of course. But it also carries with it personal effects.
- Sometimes disagreements with people can personally weaken the strength of our faith. Now don’t get me wrong, there are disagreements that should be addressed with fervor and conviction. But sometimes we get into tiffs with other people over things that are really inconsequential in the long term; and we allow those issues to drag on and on and on. What happens when we do that?
- Not only does it affect the church as a whole, but it affects the individuals involved. Time, energy, and strength is put into winning a fight instead of it being put into growth in the faith. Paul tells Syzygus, or his “true companion”, that these women had labored side by side with him in the gospel along with Clement (whom we know almost nothing about) and others. At one time, they were working together for the gospel, but now they were not. Ministry was being hindered and as a result their own progress in the faith was being stunted because of their quarrel.
- Now, the fact that they were fighting doesn’t mean they weren’t believers. Anyone here who has never had a fight with anyone, see me after the service! But the encouragement from Paul is this: I know that these women are genuine believers concerned about Christ’s glory and his gospel because I worked with them myself. Since they are true Christians, help them get along so as to reveal their authenticity to the rest of the congregation.
- We need to take note of that situation. Harmony must be the prevailing way of life in the church. It’s not that conflict will never arise; but when it arises it is dealt with properly and not allowed to linger on so that it affects the ministry of the church and the ministry of the individuals involved. The more unified the body is, the stronger the faith of its members.
- Well, Paul moves on from this issue and again addresses everyone, saying:
REAL, PERSEVERING FAITH PRODUCES COMPLETE SATISFACTION IN CHRIST
- It is from v.4 that I took the title of the whole series. Paul writes: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
- This is such a well known verse but I think in large part we are unaware of its meaning and implications. This does not mean “Be happy in God.” This does not suggest that Christians should walk around with permanent smiles on their faces. This doesn’t mean that believers should always feel good. I would argue from Scripture that joy, while it can be, is not primarily an emotion. We’ve discussed this before, let’s see how it relates specifically to our text.
- In v.4 we find an imperative, a command. What is the command? It is to rejoice in the Lord at all times. We have a command to be joyful. I would argue that emotions cannot be commanded. People cannot be forced to produce an emotion. Either they feel a certain way at a certain time or they don’t. But Paul is not commanding an emotion. He is commanding a way of thinking.
- To rejoice in the Lord means that you find your complete satisfaction in him. You have confidence in him at all times, regardless of circumstances.
- In order to persevere as a follower of Christ you must put your supreme hope in him alone. For if you seek to rejoice in any other thing you will be let down. If I can be candid for a moment, a big reason why people never come to true, saving faith and simply put on the facade for a while and then exit through the back door is that their hope, their trust, their satisfaction, their faith was not in Jesus Christ but something else. It could be a friend or family member in the church. It could be the music they heard. It could be the preacher they listened to. And they hung around long enough to say and do the right things, but eventually they faded away because there was no real anchor for the soul present.
- If you want to be able to stand firm, if you want spiritual stability in your life, you must prize Jesus above everything. You must rejoice in him. You must cling to him. This is so important that Paul repeats himself: Again I say, Rejoice! And “in the Lord” is assumed there. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice in the Lord always.”
- Before we go on I have to say a quick word about “always”. It is easy to find our satisfaction in God when he is doing what we think he should be doing in our lives. It is when things are not going according to plan that difficulty arises. But the Apostle exhorts us to find our joy in Christ at all times. Not only when it is easy to do so, but also when we see no earthly reason to be satisfied in him. Our circumstances do not dictate our treasuring of Jesus. If they do, we will not have a strong, firm, persevering faith, but a faith that goes up and down with the ups and downs of life.
- We could go down this road for hours, but we must move on. V.5:
REAL, PERSEVERING FAITH ENDURES WITH A GRACIOUS HEART
- Ten different Bibles translate a particular word in v.5 ten different ways. The word is ἐπιεικής. Your Bible might say: Let your “moderation” or “reasonableness” or “generosity” or “gentleness” be known to all men. The reason for this is that ἐπιεικής is a very descriptive Greek word that really has no one English equivalent. It conveys the idea of fair-minded endurance of wrong doing.
- One scholar writes: “Perhaps the best corresponding English word is graciousness – the graciousness of humility; the humble graciousness that produces the patience to endure injustice, disgrace, and mistreatment without retaliation, bitterness, or vengeance.”
- What we are to take from this is that as we persevere in the faith there is a certain way in which we are to do so. We are not to be cold, callous, mean-spirited endurers. When persecution or trouble comes at us, we are not to retaliate unnecessarily.
- It is noted by one commentator that the Greeks used this term extrabiblically “to denote moderation of spirit – when we are not easily moved by injuries, when we are not easily annoyed by adversity, but retain equanimity of temper.”
- So it is okay to protect ourselves against persecution. It is right for us to stand up for ourselves within the confines of the law. But we do so without losing control of our attitudes and actions. We don’t let difficulty push us to irrational vengeance.
- After all, there are some people who persecute Christians just so they can make them angry. Because if we get angry we are likely to embarrass ourselves and bring reproach upon our Savior. So we must do the best we can to stay even keel. We must be clear-headed as we respond to difficulties and challenges.
- And the reason for this is that: The Lord is at hand. Christ’s return is soon. He will right all wrongs and bring proper justice to all situations. So we give him his rightful place and allow him to execute justice. As Paul wrote in Romans 12: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”... Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
- Connected with this instruction to endure the hardships of life with a gracious heart are vv.6-7:
REAL, PERSEVERING FAITH FINDS PEACE THROUGH PRAYER
- The comforting words of these verses state: do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
- Brothers and sisters, without regular, consistent prayer our faith is feeble. Like a plant that has no water, we shrivel up without communion with Jesus through prayer. We are like a gas guzzling SUV running on fumes without it. And that’s why Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5 to pray without ceasing; to pray at all times. A faith that endures belongs to the person who prays.
- Notice what he writes: do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer make your requests known to God. If you are called to endure persecution, do not fret, get on your knees before God. If you are enduring the loss of a loved one, do not despair, go boldly before the throne of grace to find help in your time of need. Don’t expect your faith to be strong if you are disconnected from the source, author, and finisher of your faith.
- See we get it backwards. So often we are anxious about everything and pray about nothing. If this verse described our lives sometimes it would read “I am not praying about anything, but in everything I am anxious yet I still do not make my requests known to God.” The peace of God that you will need to make it through this life as a follower of Christ comes through prayer.
- Prayer is such a simple discipline and yet so hard to commit to with consistency for most of us. But we must train ourselves to talk to God. We must remind ourselves that he is there and listening. We must dedicate ourselves to communicating our needs to him, and not only our needs but our praises as well. The more we practice prayer the more a part of our lives it becomes, and as that happens we begin to experience a peace from God concerning all things that even we don’t understand.
- Paul writes that this peace of God surpasses all understanding. We don’t understand how we go through this life with such a tranquil trust in God and neither does anyone else. Oh, we know where it comes from, but we are amazed at how it works. We couldn’t explain it in total if we tried.
- If we hope to persevere we must pray. You’re starting to see that each of these points could be an individual sermon; but I was told a long time ago not to try to say everything in one message or you’ll never finish. So let’s look to v.8:
REAL, PERSEVERING FAITH THINKS WITH A GODLY MINDSET
- There is a list of noble things to think about here. And rather than go through each word and elaborate on the meaning I’m going to let the well known definitions of these words stand. The point I do want to emphasize is this. Your mind is an integral part of your faith.
- There is a reason why the Bible constantly tells us to protect our hearts, to renew our minds, and to watch what sorts of things we internalize. Because these things inevitably affect our faith. The things that we think about will either help to progress or hinder our maturity. The examples that could be given here are abundant.
- Men, what do you think is going to happen if you constantly fill your mind with images of scantily clad women with long flowing hair, tan bodies, and alluring eyes? If you’re like the rest of us it will produce a struggle with lust and adultery of the heart – which in some cases leads to actual physical adultery. Or women, if you build your mental image of men from soap operas or chick flicks, how is that going to impact your real relationships with real life men? Real life men don’t act like Matthew McConaughey...and most of us don’t have his body either!
- I happen to like Matthew McConaughey, but I’m not about to let his on-screen image inform my ideas of manhood. Just like I don’t let Britney Spears, or Jessica Simpson, or Carrie Underwood inform my ideas of how most women look and act. If you aren’t familiar with those names, then get with the program!
- What’s the point? We need to be careful about what information and images enter our minds. We need to have a scriptural filter on our eyes and ears. I’m not saying that we’ll never watch chick flicks or never see attractive ladies in the media. What I am saying is that we can and should control how that impacts our thinking. And we should spend all of our time thinking about godly things, even when we are being presented with ungodly and potentially harmful things.
- Because, as our minds go, so goes the strength and maturity of our faith. Lastly:
REAL, PERSEVERING FAITH INITIATES REAL LIFE ACTION
- We close with a command from Paul to the Philippians to put into practice the things they had learned, received, heard, and seen in him.
- We know that the primary way we know our faith is real and living is fruit. The lifestyle that accompanies our faith validates what we claim with our lips. As James wrote, faith without works is dead and useless. Paul wants to be sure that all he has written will not fall to deaf ears.
- But notice the very last phrase of v.9 as we end: practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. When you practice unity, and are satisfied in nothing less than Christ; when you endure hardship with a gracious heart and find your peace through prayer to God; and when you fill your mind with the things of God, that same God of peace will be with you.
- In our uncertain times, there remains this certainty: God is with his people. God is with those who have true, genuine, lasting, persevering faith as a gift of grace from the Holy Spirit. And if God is with us, our faith will endure and we can face anything this life may bring. For if God is for us, who can be against us?
