This week, Michael writes that Warren Wiersbe’s Outline from his study of Paul’s Epistle to the Philippians is about this letter’s central theme: the joyful mind. In each chapter of Philippians, there is a thief that will steal a Christian’s joy. Each chapter also contains the antidote to keep each thief at bay.
In Philippians chapter 1, the thief is circumstances. To keep this thief from stealing our joy, the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:12, all of my circumstances are working out to the furtherance of the gospel. The antidote to circumstances stealing our joy is singleness of mind. Paul said in Philippians 1:21: Regardless of whether I live or die, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. In 2 Corinthians 4:5 Paul said that we preach not ourselves but Jesus Christ - the Lord. And we are your servants for Jesus’s sake. Singleness of mind to focus on the gospel will prevent circumstances from stealing joy. The gospel is the message of salvation of the Sinner by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
Although we cannot control the circumstances of our lives, we can control our attitudes. Philippians 4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.” This is a commandment ... an imperative to deliberately, intentionally, and purposefully focus our minds to rejoice in the Lord.
According to Philippians 2:1-11, “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The thief that will steal our joy In the second chapter of Philippians is a prideful self-serving attitude that produces strife and vain glory. In order to rejoice in the Lord, the antidote to pride is an attitude of submission and humility. This was the quality of the mind of Christ. Jesus’s loving heart of forgiveness and reconciliation is the prerequisite for joy. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ. His mind was a humble mind. Jesus set the standard of humility when he said, “I always do my Father’s will.” Humility means that we have a submissive mind to do our Father’s will and humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. God allows us by the freedom of our will to serve Him by serving others within the body of Christ.
Even though Jesus Christ was God’s only begotten Son with equal rights and privileges as His Father, He humbled himself and took upon himself the form of a bond-slave and became obedient to his Father, even unto his death upon the cross. His purpose was your redemption and mine. He who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we may be made the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus Christ for the joy (of our redemption) endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down upon the right hand of the throne of God.
Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. The Apostles James and John said to Jesus, “we want to sit on your right and left hand in positions of honor when we come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered them by saying, “the reward is not in sitting in a position of honor. Instead, he that is chief among you must be servant of all.” The greatest reward is in serving others from a heart of love. If we say we love the Lord, Jesus said, “In that you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.”
Spreading the gospel of the good news of salvation is the example Jesus set for His disciples (then and now). Following in His footsteps, we serve God by serving others the Bread of Life. According to Philippians 2:8, Jesus lived His life to the glory of God and the good of others. The paradox of the Christian life is that the more we give, the more God will give us in return. God is a God of abundance: It’s impossible to out give God. The freedom in Christ is to give up our rights to ourselves. Humility of mind is the key to freedom. According to Galatians 5, standfast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has set us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Only use not liberty as an occasion to sin, but in love serve one another.
The last characteristic of a submissive mind is in verse 11: that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The greatest blessing is not in seeking the blessings. The greatest blessing is to bless the Blessor. Praise, thanksgiving, and prayer is the response of a grateful heart of joy and rejoicing. Sin focuses our minds on guilt and shame. However, we have been set free, having been “born again” of the Spirit of God in Christ in us, the hope of glory. Therefore, we can set our affections on things above, not on things of the earth. The submissive servant’s heart’s desire is to glorify God. He lives a life of joy and rejoicing. We rejoice not in the blessings of this world. Our calling is to rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. This is the purpose for which we were born again of His Spirit. ... that we were set free ... that we may rejoice to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ, Michael
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