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Philippians presents marvelous aspects of Christ for our experience and enjoyment. In chapter 1 Christ is the life for us to live, in chapter 2 Christ is the pattern for us to follow, and in chapter 3 Christ is the goal and the prize for us to pursue. In this message, we will cover chapter 4 where Christ is the secret and the power for us to enjoy.
Philippians 4:1-19 reveals Christ as the One who empowers us. This is a very precious aspect of Christ for our experience and enjoyment. The Greek word for empowers is a verb form of the noun dunamis, which means “motivating power, or strength.” This indicates that in Christ as the motivating strength that empowers us all the time, we can do all the things that pertain to our experience of Christ as revealed in Philippians 4, including standing firm in Christ, rejoicing in Him always, letting the peace of God guard our hearts and thoughts in Christ, being content through Him as the secret, and having God fill our every need in Christ.
In 4:1 Paul charges the believers: “In the same way stand firm in the Lord.” The expression in the same way stand means to stand in a particular way, in the way presented in the foregoing chapters. In this verse Paul was urging the believers in Philippi to stand in the way that he had shown them.
In chapter 3 Paul says that he aspires to be found in Christ. In 4:1 he tells us to stand firm in the Lord. Standing firm in the Lord is the key to letting our forbearance be known to all men (v. 5). If we do not stand firm in the Lord, there is no way to make our forbearance known. In order to do anything, we must have a proper standing. This is true of making known our forbearance. Therefore, in order to make our forbearance known, we must stand firm in the Lord; that is, we must remain in Him. Hence, Paul’s word about standing firm in the Lord is equal to the Lord’s word about abiding in Him (John 15:4).
In Philippians 4:2 Paul goes on to say, “I exhort Euodias, and I exhort Syntyche, to think the same thing in the Lord.” As those who stand firm in the Lord, we should also “think the same thing in the Lord.” Apart from the Lord, we cannot think the same thing. If we would think the same thing in the Lord, we must first stand firm in Him.
In verse 4 Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” All believers need to rejoice in the Lord. Those who do not rejoice are wrong, and those who do rejoice are right. According to Paul’s word here, we should rejoice in the Lord always. This rejoicing affords us the strength for the oneness spoken of in verses 2 and 3 — thinking the same thing in the Lord and contending together in the gospel. If believers are to think the same thing, it is necessary for them to learn to rejoice. Rejoicing in the Lord is also the secret of having the excellent characteristics listed in verses 5 through 9, including forbearance and other praiseworthy virtues. If we would have the virtues found in these verses, we need to rejoice in the Lord. Therefore, rejoicing in the Lord is important.
Moreover, Paul emphasizes this point by opening verse 10 with the words, “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly.” Moreover, in 1:18 Paul, speaking of his affliction, says, “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truthfulness, Christ is announced; and in this I rejoice; yes, and I will rejoice.” Paul’s word about rejoicing is especially significant when we consider his circumstances. He was a prisoner in Rome, and certain of his opposers were doing everything possible to damage his ministry. Nevertheless, Paul declares, “I know that for me this will turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (v. 19). As we have pointed out previously, salvation here means to magnify Christ by living Him. Thus, Paul says, “According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I will be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death” (v. 20). Paul did not expect to be put to shame in anything. No matter how difficult his circumstances were, he did not have any anxiety. Because Paul was not anxious in anything, he was not put to shame in anything. Instead, Christ was magnified in him. Even during his imprisonment, Paul could magnify Christ because he had a great deal of forbearance.
Forbearance is related to rejoicing in the Lord. In 4:4 Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Immediately after this he says, “Let your forbearance be known to all men” (v. 5). If we do not rejoice in the Lord, we will not be able to forbear. If we would make known our forbearance, we need to be happy and joyful in the Lord. Those who are sad or sorrowful cannot have forbearance. Instead, they find it easy to be upset, to complain, or to lose their temper. The forbearance in verse 5 is the issue, the result, of the rejoicing in the Lord mentioned in verse 4. From experience we know that rejoicing and forbearing go together.
To rejoice in the Lord is to be one with Him. When we are one with the Lord, we are not anxious about anything, for we are not only under the Lord’s sovereign hand but also in the Lord Himself. If we live this kind of life, how could we be anxious? The more we practice being one with the Lord, the more we will realize that His destiny is our destiny. If He wants us to stay on earth for a longer period of time, He will keep us alive. But if it is His desire that we go to Him, He will take us to Himself. Since everything depends on His will and since we are one with Him in a practical way, there is no reason for us to be anxious.
When we are separated from the Lord, we are anxious about everything. Everything in human life gives rise to anxiety, but when we are one with the Lord, we are separated from the natural human life and its anxiety. If we would make our forbearance known to all men and not be anxious in anything, we need to practice being one with the Lord. This is the reason Paul charges us to rejoice in the Lord before he exhorts us to make known our forbearance.
Even though Paul was a prisoner in Rome, he was not anxious about anything, because he was one with the Lord actually, practically, and thoroughly. He could even say that to die was better than to live. Paul was so one with the Lord that he knew that the Lord was his destiny. Not only was Paul’s destiny in the hand of the Lord — his destiny was the Lord Himself. Because Paul was one with the Lord, he knew that Satan could not do anything to him, even though he might send a messenger, a thorn in the flesh, to buffet him (2 Cor. 12:7). Paul was not worried about what Satan might do, for the Lord was his destiny.
Paul had learned the secret of being able to do all things in the One who empowered him (Phil. 4:13). In verse 4 he exhorts us to rejoice in the Lord always. We may think that it is easy to rejoice in the Lord. Actually, rejoicing in Him requires the out-resurrection. In order to rejoice in the Lord, we need to be in Him as the One who empowers us.
In verse 7 Paul goes on to say that “the peace of God, which surpasses every man’s understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.” The Greek word rendered “guard” may also be translated “mount guard over.” The God of peace patrols or stands guard before our hearts and thoughts in Christ. The heart is the source; the thoughts are the issue. The peace of God guards both our hearts and our thoughts. This means that in Christ Jesus the peace of God patrols our hearts and our thoughts, keeping us calm and tranquil. Even though we may have many troubles and much anxiety, nothing will disturb us. The peace of God infused into us through His dispensing keeps us calm.
In our prayer to God there must be the essence of worship and fellowship, and there must also be petitions for particular needs. Even if we do not have specific needs, we still need a time of prayer day by day to worship the Lord and have fellowship with Him. As we worship the Lord and have fellowship with Him in prayer, we enjoy communion with Him and practice the organic union with Him.
The issue, the result, of practicing the organic union with the Lord is that the peace of God guards our hearts and thoughts in Christ Jesus. The peace of God is actually God as peace (v. 9) infused into us through our fellowship with Him by prayer. This peace is the counterpoise to troubles and the antidote to anxiety (John 16:33).
Bad news or difficult situations may cause us to worry or be anxious. We find the antidote to this anxiety when we pray, practice communion with God, and enjoy the organic union. Then spontaneously, even unconsciously, the peace of God is transfused into our inner being. This transfused peace becomes the counterpoise to troubles and becomes the antidote to anxiety. From experience we know that through prayer we receive this antidote to anxiety when the peace of God is infused into us.
In Philippians 4:11 Paul says, “Not that I speak according to lack, for I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content.” This verse indicates that Paul had learned to be content in all circumstances. The word content means “self-sufficient, satisfied in oneself.” This is a word used by the Stoics, who taught that a person should be content in all circumstances.
In verse 12 Paul continues, “I know also how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to lack.” The phrase I have learned the secret is an interpretation of the Greek word which literally means “I have been initiated.” The metaphor here refers to a person’s being initiated into a secret society with instruction in its rudimentary principles. After Paul was converted to Christ, he was initiated into Christ and the Body of Christ. He then learned the secret of how to take Christ as life, how to live Christ, how to magnify Christ, how to gain Christ, and how to have the church life, all of which things are rudimentary principles. The secret of the Body is to take Christ as our life, to live Christ, to pursue Christ, to gain Christ, to magnify Christ, and to express Christ. These are the basic principles of the church, the Body of Christ. As one who had been initiated into the Body, Paul learned the secret.
Christ is our secret and power. When we live by this secret and power, we can solve whatever matter comes to us. Because we know the secret, we do not care whether we are rich or poor or whether we are abased or abound. Because Christ is our secret, we know how to face any kind of situation. Whether people honor us or despise us, we know the secret and have the power.
Paul learned the secret of sufficiency in Christ. When he was in want and was tempted to worry about his situation, he applied the secret. Then, in his experience, this secret eliminated his worry. Therefore, he could have the boldness to testify that he knew both how to be abased and how to abound. The fact that Paul knew how to be abased indicates that he experienced feelings of abasement. He knew what it was to have worry and anxiety in times of suffering, but at those times he applied the secret of the indwelling Christ. Paul was a person in Christ, and he experienced Christ and applied Him in all his circumstances. Paul could be content because he applied the Christ in whom he lived and in whom he remained. This Christ is real, living, near, available, and prevailing. This Christ became Paul’s secret.
In Philippians, a book that speaks about Paul’s circumstances, we see the secret of the Christian life and the practical way for the church life, that is, the indwelling Christ. No matter what the circumstances are, we have a wonderful person living within us who bears all our burdens. We need to learn to turn to Christ, take Him as our person, and let Him replace us. All our circumstances teach us to learn the secret of living by Christ; all our circumstances force us to give up ourselves and take Christ as our person. This is the main lesson of this Epistle.
In verse 13 we find a basic principle related to the apostle’s secret of sufficiency in Christ: “I am able to do all things in Him who empowers me.” In this verse we find the secret to which Paul refers in verse 12: “The secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to lack.” Christ was his secret of sufficiency.
To be empowered by Christ is to be made dynamic inwardly. Christ dwells in us (Col. 1:27). He empowers us, makes us dynamic from within, not from without. By such inward empowering, Paul could do all things in Christ.
Paul was a person in Christ (2 Cor. 12:2), and he desired to be found in Christ by others. Now he declared that he could do all things in Him, in the Christ who empowered him. This is an all-inclusive and concluding word concerning his experience of Christ. It is the converse of the Lord’s word concerning our organic relationship with Him in John 15:5: “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” As long as we have Christ and are in Him, we can do all things in Him.
The “all things” in Philippians 4:13 refer to the things mentioned in verse 12 and to the virtues listed in verse 8. This means that the application of verse 13 is limited by the context of verses 8 through 12. On the one hand, by the empowering of Christ, we can live a contented life (vv. 11-12). For us to be able to do all things in Christ who empowers us is to be satisfied in any circumstance through Christ who empowers us as the secret of our daily Christian life. On the other hand, by the empowering of Christ, we can be true, dignified, righteous, pure, lovely, and well spoken of. This means that we are persons in Christ, who empowers us to live out every kind of virtue. This is to live Christ, to magnify Christ in His virtues.
We need to realize that Paul’s word about Christ as the empowering One specifically applies to Christ’s empowering us to live Him as our human virtues and thereby to magnify Him in His unlimited greatness. The six virtues mentioned in verse 8 are actually the image of God. God created man in His image, that is, in His attributes of love, light, holiness, and righteousness. The fact that man was made in the image of God means that he was made in the form of love, light, holiness, and righteousness. The six items — what things are true, dignified, righteous, pure, lovely, and well spoken of — are in these four divine attributes of love, light, holiness, and righteousness. These are the real virtues, for they are the expression of Christ. Christ empowers the believers to live Him and magnify Him in all these virtues. In Christ who empowers us, we can practice these things, expressing these highest human virtues; in Christ who empowers us, we can be true, dignified, righteous, pure, lovely, and well spoken of.
To live a life of all these virtues is much more difficult than doing a Christian work. Many can preach the gospel, teach the Bible, and even establish churches, but they are not able to live this kind of life, a life full of the virtues of being true, dignified, righteous, pure, lovely, and well spoken of. In order to live Christ as our human virtues for the expression of the divine attributes, we need to be empowered by the indwelling Christ.
If we would experience Christ as the empowering One enabling us to do all things in Him, we need to let Him live in us (Gal. 2:20), be formed in us (4:19), make His home in us (Eph. 3:17), and be magnified in us (Phil. 1:20). If we fail to do these things, He will not have the way to empower us, but when Christ lives in us, is formed in us, makes His home in us, and is magnified in us, the way is prepared for Him to empower us. Then, empowered by the indwelling Christ, we will be able to do all the things spoken of in Philippians 4:8 through 12.
In verse 19 Paul says that his God will abundantly repay the believers. In his experience Paul had the conviction and assurance that God was his God. He could say, “My God will fill your every need.” God was Paul’s God because Paul was one with Him. Thus, Paul regarded the material gift sent to him from the Philippian believers as a sacrifice to God (v. 18). Furthermore, he believed with assurance that God would richly repay them. Here we see that whenever we receive a gift, we need to have the assurance that this gift is presented not only to us but also to God. Then we need to have the conviction that God will repay the one who gives this gift. In His repayment, God will fill every need of the giver, fully supplying that one and satisfying him.
Paul told the Philippians that God would fill every need of theirs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Because the Philippians cared for God’s sent one, God would care for their every need. Philippians 4:19 indicates that the Lord’s repayment is “in Christ Jesus.” In Christ Jesus modifies the word fill. Christ, the all-inclusive One, is the base, the element, the sphere, and the channel in and by which God cares for His people according to His riches and in glory. As the all-inclusive One, Christ is the element, realm, channel, and atmosphere of God’s repayment. This indicates that even the believers’ giving and receiving of material things are intimately related to the experience of Christ as the One who empowers them.
In summary, we need to experience and enjoy Christ as the One who empowers us so that we will stand firm in Him, rejoice in Him always, let the peace of God guard our hearts, be content all the time, do all things that express the highest human virtues, and have God fill our every need in Christ. When we enjoy Christ to this extent, although there may be many problems in our circumstances, in Christ and with God they will be solved.
