Philippians 4:1; Therefore Stand Firm in the Lord

PastorRodney’s Weblog

08/11 Philippians 4:1; Therefore Stand Firm in the Lord; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20240811_philippians-4_1.mp3

Turn to Philippians chapter 4. This is the last chapter of this letter that Paul wrote to the church in Philippi. He starts with the word ‘therefore’ or ‘so then’, a reminder that this is a letter with a flow of thought; the chapter and verse numbers were added much later (1227-1555) to help us find our way around in our Bibles. The ‘therefore’ connects us back to everything he has said so far in this letter.

Commands Grounded in Gospel Truth

This is what Paul likes to do in his letters; to ground his commands in gospel truth. He doesn’t come out of nowhere with exhortation to do something or live a certain way. He doesn’t give instructions for no reason. He grounds ethical commands in gospel truth; because this is true, because this is what we believe, therefore this is how we ought to conduct ourselves, this is how we ought to respond. We see this most clearly in other letters like Romans, where he takes the first 11 chapters to unpack the gospel in all its fullness and rich beauty before in chapter 12 he tells us to ‘therefore’ live lives consistent with this gospel. Or in Ephesians where he lays out the glorious purposes of God in the gospel in chapters 1-3 before he ‘therefore’ urges us to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.

We’ve seen this also in this letter; back in chapter 1 Paul said that he was rejoicing in spite of his circumstances, because he was confident that Christ would be honored in his body, whether by life or by death (1:20). Then he instructs them ‘Only live as citizens worthy of the gospel of Christ, stand firm in one spirit, with one mind sriving side by side for the faith of the gospel’ (1:27), and he grounds this command in the gospel ‘For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake’ (1:29).

In chapter 2 he commands them to fill up his joy by being of the same mind (2:2). He commands them to think like Jesus (2:5). He grounds these commands in the good news that we have abundant encouragement in Christ, abundant comfort from love, fellowship with the Spirit, compassion and mercy (2:1). He holds up the example of Jesus, who being eternally God, humbled himself by becoming human, being nailed to a cross, and ultimately being exalted by his Father to the highest place.

In chapter 3, Paul commands his readers to ‘rejoice in the Lord’ (3:1) and to be on guard against false teachers ‘because we worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh’ (3:3). He contrasts the enemies of the cross, whose end is destruction, with our heavenly citizenship, our hope of our Savior the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself’ (3:20-21).

Exhortation Anchored in Gospel Identity

It is because of these grand and glorious gospel truths that he now exhorts us to ‘stand firm’. And he is about to get way more specific. He is about to call out two ladies in the church and exhort them to get along with each other. He is going to instruct one of his co-workers to help them to work out their disagreement and come to agreement in the Lord. But first, he wants them to know how he views them. His exhortations are anchored in their gospel identity.

Paul’s affections run deep for this church. He began the letter by saying

Philippians 1:3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

…7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart…

Here in chapter 4, he addresses them as ‘my brothers’ he describes them with two adjectives ‘beloved and longed for’, two nouns ‘my joy and crown’ and he closes the general exhortation to stand firm by repeating the adjective ‘beloved’. He anchors his exhortations in their gospel identity.

My Brothers

Paul addresses the believers as ‘brothers’. As Christ’s apostle, he has God-given authority over them, but rather than assert that authority, he comes alongside them and addresses them as brothers. Positionally, he has been entrusted with authority, but intrinsically he is a sinner saved by God’s amazing grace, just like them. He has been rescued, forgiven, adopted into God’s family, just like them. He begins the letter by introducing himself as a slave of Christ Jesus, and addresses them as saints in Christ Jesus. He addresses them as ‘brothers’ in 1:12; 3:1, 13, 17, here in 4:1, and again in 4:8. They are adopted into the same family, co-heirs with Christ Jesus.

Beloved

He calls them ‘beloved’. They are loved with a selfless sacrificial love. He doesn’t modify these two adjectives with the possessive pronoun ‘my’ like he does with ‘my brothers’ and with ‘my joy and crown’. He made that clear that this is the way he feels about them back in 2:12 where he says ‘my beloved’. Paul loves them, but they are loved absolutely. They are loved by God. They are beloved.

Longed For

And they are longed for, they are wanted, desired. Again, this is how Paul feels about them as he states in 1:8

Philippians 1:8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

He used this word to describe how Epaphroditus, their own missionary, felt about them in 2:26

Philippians 2:26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill.

We all want to be wanted. We all have a longing in our hearts to have someone want to be with us. Paul longs for them, and Epaphroditus has been longing for them. This is a strong emotional word; ultimately God longs for them, yearns for them, wants them, desires to be with them. They are loved and longed for. They are sacrificially loved and they are wanted.

My Joy

Joy has been a theme of this letter. When Paul remembers the Philippians in prayer, it is with thankfulness and joy (1:3-5). Paul lives for their progress and joy in the faith (1:25). He invites them to fill up his own joy by their gospel unity (2:2). He exhorts them to receive the returning Epaphroditus with all joy (2:29).

Joy is a noun. The verbal form of joy is to rejoice. Paul rejoices and resolves to continue to rejoice that Christ is proclaimed regardless of mixed motives (1:18). Paul’s attitude toward his own costly sacrificial service, being poured out like a drink offering, is that he rejoices and rejoices together with them. And he invites them to rejoice and rejoice together with him (2:17-18). He anticipates their rejoicing at the safe return of Epaphroditus (2:28). He exhorts them to ‘rejoice in the Lord’ as an anchor for their souls (3:1). In 4:4 he will command them ‘Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.’ He rejoiced in the Lord greatly because of their tangible demonstration of their care for him (4:10). Joy and rejoicing permeate this short letter. Here Paul calls them ‘my joy’. Not only ‘you bring me joy’ but ‘you are my joy’. He names them ‘my joy’.

My Crown

And he names them ‘my crown’. This is a different word from the thin gold diadem of royalty. This is the victor’s wreath, a symbol of honor, the prize at the Olympic games.

1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

Paul refers to the crown of righteousness awarded to all who love the Lord’s appearing (1Tim.4:8). James refers to the crown of life, which God promised to those who love him (Jas.1:12). Peter refers to the crown of glory given to shepherds who shepherd well the flock of God (1Pet.5:4). Jesus promises the crown of life to those who are faithful unto death (Rev.2:10). Jesus says:

Revelation 3: 11 ​I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

Revelation 4 pictures the 24 elders clothed in white garments with golden crowns who fall down and worship along with the angelic beings, and cast their crowns before the throne of God, saying:

Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

A crown is a great honor or reward. Paul does not say ‘because of you I will get a crown’; Paul is not looking past them to the reward, but looking at them as the reward. He says ‘you are my crown’. He said this to the Thessalonian believers (another city in Macedonia):

1 Thessalonians 2:17 But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, …19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.

You are our hope, you are our joy, you are our crown of boasting, you are our glory. Here he calls the Philippians ‘my joy and crown’. You are not a means of obtaining joy, you are not a means of obtaining a crown; you are my joy and crown. You are the reward.

Joyful Affirmations Contrasted with Tears

Paul overflows with affirmations of the Philippians, and by extension us, his readers, This joy filled delight is in those of us who have embraced the cross stands in contrast to his tears over those who walk as enemies of the cross of Christ (3:18). He calls us his brothers, loved and longed for, my joy and crown.

Stand Firm In This Way

After these three nouns ‘brothers, joy, crown’ and two adjectives ‘beloved and longed for’, Paul finally gets to his exhortation. ‘Stand firm thus’. In this way stand firm.

He has already exhorted them back in 1:27

Philippians 1:27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. …

The context there as here is citizenship; the phrase ‘let your manner of life be’ is a translation of the verb ‘live as citizens’. In 3:20 he brings up the fact that our citizenship is in heaven, and our king is coming back for us from there.

Standing firm looks like living a life that is consistent with the gospel, with the good new of Jesus Christ crucified for sinners. We are to stand our ground as blood-bought citizens who belong to a heavenly colony, whose identity is not of this world. We are to stand firm in the unity created by the Holy Spirit, we are to stand firm with one soul or driving passion, we are to stand firm as athletes on the same team striving together for the faith of the gospel. We are to stand firm fearlessly with faith in the only one to whom fear is due, the one who is on our side.

We are to stand firm in this way; as citizens of a heavenly colony, with our minds set on heavenly things. We are to stand firm in eager anticipation of our coming Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to stand firm in these lowly bodies as we await the promised transformation of our bodies to be like Jesus’ glorious body. We are to stand firm in eager anticipation of everything everywhere being under the absolute authority of our King Jesus.

Thus; Backward and Forward

This is the way we are to stand firm. The ‘thus’ or ‘in this way’ points back to everything he has said about Jesus, who humbled himself, who stooped down to serve others. But it also points forward in very concrete practical ways to what he is about to say. Stand firm in this way; by getting over our disagreements and agreeing in the Lord, by helping those in conflict to resolve their differences, and get back to our calling of striving together for the gospel. By our joy in the Lord despite our circumstances.

In The Lord

The sphere of our standing firm is ‘in the Lord’. The foundation on which our feet are planted is the Lord Jesus Christ. The foundation of the Christian gospel and the Christian faith is that Jesus Christ is Lord, YHWH God of the Old Testament, the only Son of the Father, who being equal with God, did not cling to his equality but humbled himself by becoming human, humbling himself in obedience to his Father even to the point of submitting to execution for crimes he didn’t commit, carrying the guilt and shame that rightly belonged to others.

We are not to stand our ground in any old place, stubbornly refusing to back down. We are to stand firm in one place, in the Lord Jesus.

Beloved

He sandwiches this exhortation to stand firm in the Lord with a repetition of the adjective ‘beloved’, another reminder that this command to stand firm is grounded in the gospel; That ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only Son’ (Jn.3:16). That ‘Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her’ (Eph.5:25). That ‘The Son of God …loved me and gave himself up for me’ (Gal.2:20).

Stand firm in the Lord, because you are loved. Loved to death. Loved by the Lord of lords and King of kings, to whom every knee will bow. You are loved. So stand firm in the Lord.

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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org