A Mind at Peace
Oftentimes through the wrath of man and the providence of God, we find ourselves in unexpected situations. Uncertainty causes much anxiety to us and our minds become greatly distressed. This is man responding to his circumstances. We are responsive creatures and cannot help but respond in some way to an unexpected circumstance. However, a prolonged response of anxiety is not Christian.
Paul had learned to be content from one extreme state to another and everywhere in between (Philippians 4:11). The secret of his contentment was stated plainly in the first chapter of the Philippian epistle, “For to me to live is Christ” (Philippians 1:21). He was Christ-centered, providing a sure and steadfast anchor for his soul. The storm may come suddenly and his vessel rise and fall with the swelling sea, but his position was fixed because of the anchor.
God’s word to His people is this: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3). With our mind stayed on God, we will not waver with the tumult of circumstances. The peace spoken of is in contrast to protracted anxiety of mind over uncertainties. The passage does promise we shall never be exposed to danger, but that we may abide the danger with peace in our mind. So, let us be stayed on God, trusting in Him, and let storms come what may.
Jesus, Savior, pilot me Over life’s tempestuous sea:
Unknown waves before me roll, Hiding rocks and treacherous shoal;
Chart and compass come from Thee, Jesus, Savior, pilot me.As a mother stills her child, Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boisterous waves obey Thy will When Thou sayest to them “Be still!”
Wondrous Sovereign of the sea, Jesus, Savior, pilot me.When at last I near the shore, And the fearful breakers roar
‘Twixt me and the peaceful rest. Then, while leaning on Thy breast,
May I hear Thee say to me, “Fear not, I will pilot thee.”
Deuteronomy 4:39
“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart,
that the LORD he is God in heaven above,
and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.”
~ Deuteronomy 4:39
It should be the life quest of every individual to know God and to increase our present knowledge of Him. We are instructed in the scriptures, “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee” (Job 22:21). The worldly man loves to glory in all his accomplishments. He adores his beauty and youthful strength. He glories in his wisdom and earthly successes. He revels in his riches and spends his days flattering himself. All such glorying is vain, foolish, and wicked. God says, “But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 9:24). So far from pondering our own greatness, our text instructs us to know and consider God.
We see at once the sovereignty of God set before us for consideration. He rules with great power in heaven and upon “the earth. A king on the earth is only king of his kingdom. Once outside his country, he has no executive powers. However, God is the king of a vast domain. Of a truth, He “inhabiteth eternity.” His power knows no limits of potency or jurisdiction. He does whatever pleases Him to do.
“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 14:1). The agnostic has said, “Well, there is a God. But He is in the heavens and we can’t know Him or worship Him. All such religion is futile.” They go on their way unconcerned about the unknown God. They think Him far away and obscure. “He is in heaven and we are on earth. What do we have to do with Him?” This only gives more reason to fear Him. “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased” (Psalm 115:3). It is not only in heaven that He does His will, but also “among the inhabitants of the earth.” The hymn writer expressed it thus,
There’s not a sparrow, or a worm, But’s found in His decrees;
He raises monarchs to their throne, And sinks them as He please.
As absolute sovereignty demands, He is the one true God. Ten times in the scriptures when talking about God, we are told there is “none else.” Our text is one of those occurrences. “For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him” (I Corinthians 8:5-6).
The world worships many gods. There is no shortage of knowledge of false gods. However, there is a dearth of knowledge of the one true God. He declares there is “none else.” God has no peers. He alone is God. “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8). He alone is worthy to be praised. God has no real rivals though His enemies are numerous. There is none else. There is none even close. He alone is God.
Philippians 1:1
“Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ,
to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi,
with the bishops and deacons”
~ Philippians 1:1
Our text is Paul’s greeting to the Philippian believers. There was a great mutual love between Paul and those precious saints. This fact adds to Paul’s concern over the false teachers that were seeking to leaven the church with their despicable doctrine. He warns them to “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision” (Ph 3:2). The Judaizers were seeking every opportunity against the truth. They were preaching Christ “even of envy and strife . . . of contention, not sincerely” (Ph 1:15-16). Paul wrote to the brethren, in part, to counteract this teaching lest it grow like a festering malignancy. I believe every word of Holy Writ to be inspired of God. I do not believe there is any wasted space and even in this greeting there are things that can be learned to our edification. Oftentimes the most unlikely of places will yield precious jewels if we dig deep.
Paul begins by addressing himself “to all the saints.” “Saints” is not a mystical term or special title reserved for a select few especially saintly persons. The word that is translated “saints” means “holy ones.” The saints are described in II Thessalonians 1:10 as “all them that believe.” So every one that is saved is a saint according to the Scriptures. This term encompasses the whole family of God and not just a few. The saints are certainly not few as Revelation 7:9 tells us, “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.”
Paul makes a noteworthy distinction. He does not simply address “all the saints,” but rather “all the saints in Christ Jesus.” The Septuagint uses the same word for saints. The Judaizers and other Pharisaic Jews would consider themselves saints. They ultimately had rejected Christ with their belief of works for salvation and certainly were not saints according to Scripture. We are only truly saints “in Christ Jesus.”
This phrase reveals to us the sum of Paul’s Christianity. In his writings, Paul uses the phrase “in Christ Jesus” about 48 times. He uses “in Christ” about 34 times. He uses “in the Lord” about 50 times. He uses “in Jesus” and “in Jesus Christ” each about 3 times. He uses “in Him” about 18 times throughout his writings. This recurring theme shows us what Paul believed it meant to be a Christian. It means a vital union with Christ.
This union is a positional one. It is also a practical one. Paul said, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” (Ph 3:12). Paul could never be any more “in Christ” than he was already concerning his salvation. But, he said that he had not attained and was pressing “toward the mark.” Paul was striving to be conformed to the very image of Christ. He considered his whole life to be Christ in him. He desired that union to become stronger and stronger as far as his life was concerned.
We also notice that Paul addressed the saints first and then “the bishops and deacons.” This order is one of importance. They were saints first and then bishops or deacons. They were saints first and then church members. Whatever else we may be, if we are in Christ then we are saints or Christians first and foremost. Christian, we would do well to embrace this truth. This truth lends credence to Paul saying, “this one thing I do.” We must realize that whatever else we are, we are Christians first and whatever else we may do, we must live godly first. Oh, that we may put Christ first and our life to serve Him before anything else! For the saved it is true that whatever else they might be, they are Christians.
There is also a truth for the unsaved. If you are unsaved, whatever else you might be, you are first and foremost lost. You are not in Christ. You have no hope and are “without God in the world.” In fact, you are “condmned already” and “the wrath of God abideth” on you. If this be your awful condition at this hour, then I give you the words of Christ when He came to Galilee preaching, “repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ has never refused a sinner that has come seeking Him. “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (Jo 6:37). “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture” (Jo 10:9). Come to Christ and He will wash away your sins and you will join the other blood-bought saints around His throne.
