3. Unbreakable Faith
Paul is writing his brethren knowing that the trials were increasing. The Phillipian Church was poor and battered. They had received their wave of persecution, but they saw another coming. At the time Paul wrote this Nero sat on the throne, and his hatred for Christians grew and the flame of his rampage was burning more brightly.
Christians were considered the lowest of the low. They were to be treated less than slaves, thus finding work was near impossible. They became impoverished economically because they were cut off from the society, and their lives were considered more worthless than dogs. In the remaining years of Nero’s reign, he would tie Christians to large timbers and cover them with tar. He would then have them burned alive to light his sinful parties while having other Christians torn apart by dogs for his guests amusement.
This is what they would be anxious over, yet as Paul so eloquently stated, “Rejoice in the Lord,” thus stating that the joy of the Lord outweighs the persecution despite hunger and economic hindrance, as well as a humiliating death.
Thus when he says, be anxious for nothing. The Nothing he is referring to is pain in life and pain in death. This is NOTHING in light of eternity, and therefore he called them to have an UNBREAKABLE FAITH. A faith that does not flinch in the faith of adversity.
Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
The term merimnao refers to “Worry” or “concern.” And thus is the cause for anxiety. Sleep is to be lost, the heart palpitates, and panic takes the place of peace.
Today anxiety is a disorder. It is a chemical imbalance that can require both psychological and medicinal treatment. But both are both mystical and dangerous. The world cannot escape the plague of anxiety for it’s origin IS the World. However Christians have adopted a worldly response to anxiety through psychology and mystical mediation.
Christian yoga has been on the rise and infiltrated the church. The center for Christian Yoga states it “simply allows us to combine these two essential goals: becoming physically healthy and spiritually healthy. We become more spiritually healthy through the yoga practice by calming our minds and quieting ourselves to the point that we can tune out the world's frequency and tune into God's frequency.
Well I think these quasi-Christians need to get their heads out of the Himalayas and into the Bible. God’s frequency is not found in contorting your body to look like an antenna on a television, but through steadfast Worship, Humility, and Faith. Let me give you the Bibles call to worry and anxiety. STOP BEING ANXIOUS. Don’t be anxious for anything. Why? Because there is nothing to be anxious about? Why? BECAUSE CHRIST IS ON THE THRONE and he sovereignly controls all things.
Anxiety is a result from an adulterated view of the Sovereignty of God. Selfishly the Christian sees Christs teaching on worry as a fabrication or a lie all-together.
Luke 12:24-25 24 "Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds! 25 "And which of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life's span?
The man who says “Well…He didn’t know about my job at that time.” Is merely disguising and justifying his anxiety by distorting what Christ said.
Luke 21:34 "Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;
Note that Christ equally lays out worrying as just as wasteful as drunkenness and wasting your life away. It’s efforts are fruitless and steal away the joy the Lord provided in his son Jesus Christ.
In Short, we are to be anxious for nothing because there is nothing to be anxious about. Anxiety is pointless. It appears to be the “Release” for emotion, but merely shakes the faith we are to stand firmly upon.
The lack of anxiety shows an unbreakable faith in the sovereignty of God. It displays that we truly do believe Romans 8:28, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
It reveals the confidence that all those things occur for God’s glory and our sanctification. Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.
Thus, when the world strikes, we remember our immutable sovereign God whose plans are higher than ours and whose work within our lives requires the trials that we battle in. And we strike back in full force in spiritual stability with and unbreakable faith laid on the foundation of Christ alone. And therefore are anxious for nothing.
4. Unending Prayer
The question arises though. “If we are not to be anxious then what are we to do with the things we were anxious about?” Paul clearly stated that we are to be anxious for nothing, however he continues on to say…
Philippians 4:6 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Note the IN EVERYTHING. Thus, all the things that can cause anxiety are dealt with in the same way as the things that bring you joy. This “Everything” includes joy and pain, persecution and victory, and Suffering and sanctification.
The Command lies in gnorizo. It means that we are to make known to him everything and disclose everything before him. It is in the present tense denoting that this is a consistent act in our life, and not a one time thing.
Specifically it is speaking of consistently and always letting our requests be made known to God. That word “let” struck me. The first thought I had was, why would I not want to present these requests to God. However, I realized I do that when I seek to deal with it apart from God, and therefore have a misplaced view of Him.
Anxiety occupies your mind. It scatters your thinking and distorts the truth, and in the believer is produced through lack of faith and prayer to the Lord.This is foolishness, for we clearly see that our Sovereign God desires that we bring that which plagues us before him. And when don’t, it reveals our lack of trust in His power and person.
Therefore, Paul exhorts the Philippians to bring their requests of alleviation of tragedy and the desire for spiritual triumph before the Lord and to lay bare their hearts before him in prayer. I love that this is a command. Again, we have a glorious command to bring the Lord that which can plague our soul and seek refuge in Him. And he hears and responds.
This is done through unending prayer. It is made manifest in constant communion with God. We are to develop a habitual prayer life, and here it specifically speaks of our requests. Paul uses two prepositional phrases here. The First is “by prayer and supplication.” And the other is “with thanksgiving.”
Prayer and Supplication deals with 2 words. The First “Prayer”proseuche refers to prayer in general sense, where supplication” ordeesis, refers to a specific prayer of need. Paul makes very clear here, Pray and be specific. In other words don’t just pray general prayers. True the Lord knows exactly what the situation is, however laying bare your requests before the Lord means you are laying yourself bare before the Lord.
Unceasing prayer is a consistent acknowledgement of our absolute inability and desperate need before a holy God. Because we are a Christian does not lend us the right to entreaty God any different than we did the first time.
What was your first prayer? It was the prayer for salvation.
It was on that day that we saw the depravity of our black heart and the offense it was in the presence of a holy God. We were struck dumb by the punishment met with the swift judgment of eternal Hell. It was the first time we saw that our father was the devil himself and Christ was coming to crush he and us for eternity. And out of faith given to us through the grace of the righteous judge we fell prostrate before him and beseeched of him to stop and acknowledged him as the one true God. We repented of our treachery and sin and laid bare before him. But the hand that we saw coming to crush us was reaching out to save us from the abyss of sin and depravity.
Upon this salvation of which Christ alone can give, we prayed in petition and thanksgiving, whose product was tearful joy, for we received that which we never deserved. Life. A life that grows in the conformity of Christ, and a life that ends in eternal glorification in sinless perfection.
Our prayers today should be no different than the first. Paul states that our prayer should be WITH thanksgiving. Why? Because we are to never forget the payment Christ made on the cross to make our eternal life and prayer possible. We should always approach the throne in thankfulness, never asking for more pain, yet if it comes, we know who it is coming from. The one who reached out with his saving hand, and transformed us from enemies to sons.
Our prayer should be unending and our petition should always be in conjunction with the Lord’s Will. Spiritual Stability is sustained through prayer no matter how hard the trial or how weary the saint. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:36
5. Undeniable Peace
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Paul sets up an equation of peace. Rejoicing in the Lord + Christlike Humility + Unbreakable Faith + Thankful Prayer = absolute Peace.
We speak of peace in terms of war. However the world has never truly been at peace, because nobody ever trusts one another.However, Paul makes clear that this is the peace of God. Therefore it is not only trustworthy, but bears all the attributes of God. It is everywhere, it is never ending, it is true, and it is secure.
And why does it surpass all understanding? Because nothing compares to it. The peace the world speaks of is a fantasy, it is but a mere truce between people. But the PEACE OF GOD IS A BARRICADE. The vilest of enemies cannot penetrate its barriers, and when they seek to attack, they see an unwaivering confidence and humility in the one on the other side. For despite the bloodied blows, peace remains in the Hearts and minds of those in Christ Jesus.
The terms hearts and minds refer to the entire person not just two separate parts. It is in the mind that thought occurs, It is the mind that knows the truth of Christ’s sovereignty and power, and it is in the heart that a zealous passion spills, clinging to the truth.
Note this. Peace is a Barricade that guards, however it is not WHAT is the barricade but WHO is it. It is Jesus Christ, for we are IN him. When we are IN Christ nothing can penetrate, and the things which once plaugued us with anxiety mean nothing. For we have an unwavering confidence that Christ will always do what is best for his Children. Even if it means death.
For our peace was found at Salvation Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Our Spiritual Stability rests upon Christ alone, and when we go outside of his throne-room and seek to deal with the enemy alone, we will always fail and fall prey to our anxious ways.
Yet although this peace prevails and guards, at time we treat it as a revolving door. This occurs when we see the peace originating from ourselves and therefore place ourselves as the author of our own salvation.
Christ did not save us so we would be unstable. Rather he did, so that we can stand firm in the face of adversity, and not flinch as the spiritual tsunamis seek to engulf us. For we are protected, forever, and stable in Christ alone. Who Loves us.
In 1660 John Bunyan was sent to prison for preaching without a license, however this was a ploy by the Anglican church to get the influential preacher away from the people. They sought to sway him towards their faith yet he replied, “You release me today and I’ll preach tomorrow.” A three month sentence turned into a 12 year stay in Bedford prison. During this time he wove shoelaces and preached to an imprisoned congregation of about sixty parishioners to support his family. In his possession were two books, John Foxe's Book of Martyrs and the Bible. In addition he had a violin he made out of tin, a flute he made from a chair leg and an unlimited supply of pen and paper. His lived in his cell where the door was not locked and his denial of the faith would lead to a swift release to his wife and Children. Yet he did not flinch in the fall prey to this demonic chant nor was he anxious for his family. For his peace was with God, and he understood the depth of his love. Bunyan writes,
“These words, the faith of this, God loves me, will support thee in the midst of what dangers may assault thee. And this is that which is meant, when we are exhorted to rejoice in the Lord (Phil 3:1), to make our boast in the Lord (Psa 44:8); to triumph in Christ (2 Cor 2:14); and to set the Lord always before our face (Psa 16:8). For he that can do this thing stedfastly, cannot be overcome. For in God there is more than can be in the world, either to help or hinder; wherefore if God be my helper, if God loves me, if Christ be my redeemer, and has bestowed his love that passeth knowledge upon me, who can be against me? (Heb 13:6, Rom 8:31) and if they be against me, what disadvantage reap I thereby; since even all this also, worketh for my good? This is improving the love of God and of Christ for my advantage.”
This is one of the very best articles I have ever read on worry and anxiety.
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