THOUGHTS ON Philippians 4.
IN the third chapter we see the spiritual energy which carries the saint onward in the race. This treats more of the power which carries him completely above all the circumstances in which he is; not making him insensible, but able to rejoice in the Lord always.
Nothing more instructive or more humbling than the life of Paul — cut off — shut up in prison at Rome, when he had labored more abundantly than they all, and the result was “all they in Asia had forsaken him,” “all seek their own”; yet Paul can say, “Rejoice in the Lord always.”
You will find plenty of trouble, plenty of conflict, for Satan is not bound yet; the more we go on, the more we shall know the opposition. Sorrow in the Church, saints individually going wrong, ought to press upon our hearts, but we ought to have the power which lifts the heart totally above it; that is, having the secret of faith, walking with Christ; the power, too, to serve others, come what will. Christ, the Man of sorrows, as every one must be in their measure if they follow Him, was the example of this. Who so ready to serve? “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” Even Martha, whom He loved, tried to get Mary away from listening to His words. The disciples tried to turn Him aside when He told them of His death. All showed a total misapprehension of what He had come for― “to give His life a ransom for many” — and yet in the midst of it all, He can ask that His disciples may have His joy fulfilled in them. If we really have this joy in Christ, we can endure all things for the elect’s sake, because we are with Him. He did endure all things for the joy set before Him.
It is not the mere buoyancy of a heart ignorant of the power of evil and of the opposition of Satan — nothing superficial that does not go down into the sorrows. There is a great deal of this superficial joy floating over the surface of things; not that depth which there is, where the power of evil is apprehended... but there is real power where the depth of evil and opposition is apprehended, and the power of the Lord is known above it all — a power of good which is paramount to evil where evil still is. Are we conscious that what is working is the power of good, of God Himself, and that it is paramount to the evil?
True, the evil is flowing on like a mighty stream, which if not stemmed will flow on to the ocean — to judgment, unless the Lord interfere as He does in goodness and in mercy, or in judgment or a scourge. The character of the world is just this until Satan is bound, that he is its god and its prince; and in the midst of the world where Satan is prince, the power of Christ has come in above it all, and this must be the power applied to us, we ought to feel it and possess it. If my soul is living in the immediate center of this power, it will feel the pressure of the evil, but it will not be depressed — “not terrified by your adversaries.”
The practical daily supplies of strength depend on the heart being with Him who has overcome, and who has all power on earth and in heaven. Then we know the sure resting-place in Himself which nothing can touch, — as it says, “laboring to enter into His rest.” The heart with Him who is in rest above all the evil, has a power which nothing can reach, and the first mark of this power when the tide of evil is present is “patience,” that which endures, better than a miracle, verse 3 refers to the graciousness we spoke of on a former occasion, this power keeps the heart free for others. Look at Paul, a man whose heart is occupied with the whole Church, and yet he can think of every detail of a slave with his master, as if there was but a single individual to think of, — his affections were fresh for each.
“True yoke-fellow,” though all had forsaken him, all sought their own, it did not hinder the outgoing of his heart. Are our hearts living enough with Christ to think of a brother thus? Paul says, “My heart is so with Christ, in the consciousness of what it is to be in the Book of Life, that when I think of a brother, it is as one, whose name is in the Book of Life!” Again, he says, “I stand in doubt of you”; but in the next chapter, “I have confidence in you through the Lord,” bringing in the power which was above the evil — going through the valley of Baca, it was turned into a well.
The history of the apostle is very important in connection with this. Rejoice in the Lord always, certainly it could not be in circumstances, for he was a prisoner chained between two soldiers, cast more than ever upon the Lord. The Lord was very gracious to him, but he learned, come what will, to rejoice not in the prosperity of his work, or in anything else, but in the Lord alway. What holier, deeper, truer feeling is got in these trials, for there the stability, the certainty, the nearness, and the power of Christ are learned! Just as in Psalms 34 “I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall be continually in my mouth.” Why?
“This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles.” He had been in trouble, and had been heard when in trouble.
“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. He restoreth my soul, He hath spread a table before me in the midst of mine enemies. My cup runneth over.”
If circumstances come between our hearts and God we are powerless. If Christ is nearer, circumstances will not hinder our joy in God.
Paul standing before Agrippa says, “I would to God that you were” — Christians? No! but — “such as I am.” There is a happy man, so conscious of the joy he had in Christ, so full of the love of Christ that he could wish you were as he was. It was the heart’s complete eternal happiness in Christ. The trials — trials even in the Church only carried him to Christ. Are we conscious of this blessedness in Christ, so that we can say to others — I would ye were as I am?
Do you say, only an apostle can say this? It is what every Christian, old and young, is called to. The only difference is that a young Christian rejoices in himself; the fathers more simply in Christ. They have got to know Christ, a personal matured acquaintance with the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, they rejoice in intimacy with Him. The young rejoice in the first blush of feeling, and what God has given all good and true; but in the pull going through the world we find that there is nothing positively to rejoice in but Christ.
The whole thing consists in that nearness to Christ, that when the evil springs up, and the power of Satan is present, we have to do with Him who destroyed him who had the power of death, with Him who hath gotten Him the victory. “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” He starts us with this testimony, having gone Himself into a place where evil cannot reach, and we have got Him there, the immovable source of blessing, and we rejoice in Him there. It is an immovable place! He has not taken us out of the world governed by Satan’s power, but He keeps us from the evil — left in this world where evil is, to be kept from it; because we are not of the world, even as He is not of the world. Speaking of saints running the race, they are to look off unto Jesus, who has begun and run the whole course, met the power of Satan at the beginning and at the end, tempted in all points; but He has overcome and is set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high — the victory won. We are to enjoy Him now high above and independent of the things we are passing through.
He is out of the evil, has gone through the evil, and has overcome the evil, and we are with Him. Don’t let any present circumstances occupy you, don’t look away from Him to them, but rejoice, not in yourself in any way, but in Him — Christ always. You must be with Him because He alone is out of the evil and the center of good, and what is seen in you down here will be your “moderation.” Suppose I am happy in Christ, am I looking for my rights down here in this world? Christ had none! Oh no, my treasure is elsewhere. I am going out of this world, I can wait for my rights until Christ has His. Let us be weaned from things down here, let us pass through the world as weaned children, Christ having passed through it, leaving all to go its own way. In the presence of unrighteousness, the spirit is apt to rise; but let us cultivate the subduedness that yields. The Samaritans would not receive Him, and He turns aside into another village. Oh, what a lesson that is. Because He had steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, the half-hearted would not receive Him — because He was doing the very thing that marked His blessedness. And so it will be with you, if you set your face to go to Jerusalem, you won’t be received by them that are half-hearted. The religiously half-hearted will not want ye if you set your face steadfastly to go right.
But then the Lord is at hand. He has taught us to wait for Him, to be always as men who wait for their Lord.
“Be careful for nothing;” glory is better than cares. We have cares and sorrows, true, and we should have more if we were living more as servants amid the sorrows of this world, not indifferent; Christ was not that, but there is a getting away from Christ to my own heart, a tendency to make one anxious even in caring for others. But I must go and tell God, and this carries me so above the cares that I can rejoice in God. And what does God give to the heart that has given all the cares to Him? An answer? No! (though we know He does answer), but His peace: “And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
There is no indifference, carelessness, or coldness, but earnest entreaty and with thanksgiving. A man takes up thanksgiving reckoning upon God, goes with prayer and supplication, and the soul having left all with God feels His hand under the trouble, and can say it is His affair, not mine. He is a happy man, going through this world in happy fellowship with Christ, raised by the Spirit of God above his inward sorrows and outward circumstances; in the power of the Spirit for inward joy, his affections are free to go out to the brethren — his heart lives in the things in which Christ’s heart would have lived if He were here. “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,” &c. Hearts free to find the good in people. Jesus could find a bit of grace in a poor soul, His heart ever ready to enjoy it. “I have meat to eat that ye know not of.” “Mary has chosen that good part.” “An Israelite, indeed, in whom is no guile.” There is always this perception when the heart is kept free to enjoy the fruits of the Spirit — occupied with what is good.
You cannot touch pitch without being defiled, and there is a great deal of pitch in these days. Thinking with the world, talking like the world, the heart gets into the color of it: it is not Christ.
The heart set free lives in the things Christ’s heart delights in. Oh! it makes such a difference, living in the atmosphere where Christ’s heart dwells, instead of being dragged after a thousand things.
Now we have the “God of peace.” Those things which ye have both heard and seen in me do, and the God of peace shall be with you; not only His peace as in verse 7, but Himself with you. What blessedness in that name God constantly gives Himself. He is never called the God of joy. Joy is an up and down thing that may be disturbed. There may be cause of joy, and trouble may hinder the heart enjoying it. Peace is what nothing can disturb, it is the effect of a full and perfect work. “He has made peace through the blood of His cross.” Why? Because He has gone through everything that was contrary to God and borne the wrath (the very opposite of peace) of God. The instant He is risen He comes into their midst and says, “Peace.”
Now to us God takes this wondrously blessed name — “God of peace.” Have your hearts got that peace? If God rises up with every attribute that He has, can He see a thing to disturb it — to disturb Him? “You hath He reconciled.”
Things around are not reconciled, but I can say before God, “I am in the light as God is in the light,” because the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses me from all sin. He sets me in that peace which nothing can disturb. “Your peace shall flow like a river.” Faith is needed to rejoice always. The feet going where God would have them to go, not avoiding evil merely, but always walking where He would lead in every detail of life — in your habits and conversation. Nothing tests the condition of soul more than everyday habits.
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” It is a different thing to say, Christ strengthens me, and to say, I can do all things. Paul had learned it. Blessed thing to find Christ was sufficient for him. He had learned to be abased and to abound. The latter more difficult, for abundance has the tendency to draw away the heart from the Lord. He had kept him from that mire. If he had want, he had Christ’s abundance. It was Christ. This is not joy in circumstances, but moral power above circumstances. He had learned it, looking at Christ all through, finding it out all the way along. It was true when he began his course, but Paul did not know it then as he did at the end when he could speak of it to others as that which he had learned. He could not say, “I can,” if he had not found it all the way along. Just as he could say, “My God” — known in all sorts of circumstances.
“My God shall supply all your need.” I know Him, and if you ask me according to what measure? It is according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I guarantee all that to you. Paul found that all sought their own; but it only enabled him to say more completely “My God.”
What reality in the life of faith that walks in secret with God — poor hands we are at it! It gets that which no world can touch, no Satan can rob of; and the trials that come out in that path, only prove us superior through the power of His grace. The stream only proves that His power is superior to it. J. N. D.