Philippians 4:18-23

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18 I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 21 Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings. 22 All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. ~ Philippians 4:18-23

In v.18, Paul reminds the Philippians believers, due to their obedience to God's leading, he is fully supplied. Paul switches from the language of commerce to the language of worship. He sees their gift not only as their investment in his ministry, he sees it as an act of worship. 

The Philippians had given out of their poverty, out of their lack. In response, Paul reminds them that God will supply their every need, abundantly, according to His riches in Christ Jesus. We must take this in its proper context. 

The Lord promises to meet our needs, not our wants. It is according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. There are three kinds of riches mentioned in the Bible. There are the riches of His goodness (Romans 2:4) which are available to all men everywhere. The sun shines and the rain falls upon all. Then there are the riches of His grace (Ephesians 2:7) which is available only to those who admit their need for a Savior, who realize they are poor in spirit and have no way to save themselves. After they receive the free gift of salvation from God, His grace takes over and supplies them all they need. Then there is "the riches of his glory" in Christ Jesus. This is only available to those who have passed from the darkness into the light, those who have a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

The "riches of his glory" is beyond our ability to comprehend. Therefore we can never ask for more than He can give.  When we come to God for a genuine need and ask His supply, He inevitably does more than we ask, for our limits are not His.

The Apostle Paul's confidence is firmly in God, even though, most often, He uses humans to meet his needs. As we mentioned in our last blog, when the Philippians gave to Paul, they gave out of their need. Because of this, they now had a great need themselves.

When we see our possessions as belonging to God and we are willing to part with them so that the gospel of God can advance, we have surrendered our lives to God, and God is pleased. When we part with money as a costly sacrifice, we do so for the sake of the advancement of the gospel.

In v.19, the Apostle encourages the Philippians that God will meet their needs out of His riches in glory. He redirects them from their circumstances back to God, who is able to supply. This is the point of ALL of life, whether good or bad.

God meets our needs, literally, “according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” “Glory” is a reference to God’s sovereignty. He has an abundant supply of riches. These riches are made available in and through the Lord Jesus. Paul says that God is not only able to meet needs but that He does so in a way that is commensurate with His riches in Christ.

Paul knows that God will do this because he has put God to the test and he knows and trusts that the promises of God are true. If we want to find true contentment, we must trust the promises of God. Im learning that God knows my needs better than I. Also, His timing is perfect, and He rarely blesses me with just me in mind.

In Paul's conclusion in v.21-23, we are reminded that Philippians is about joyful and adventurous Christianity. We see that “Caesar’s household” came to faith in the Lord Jesus. This is the point of all things, that people come to faith in Him and grow in their personal relationship with the Lord. Paul's presence and ministry in that Roman prison aided in “Caesar’s household” being converted to the Lord Jesus. The gospel had penetrated the heart of Rome’s power structure: the household of Caesar. 

No matter how powerful the opposition to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel is more powerful. It can penetrate the household of the fiercest tyrant or the heart of the most stalwart atheist. Where might you go with the powerful proclamation that Jesus is Lord? Everywhere

Yet again, we are reminded that the secret to contentment lies in trusting God's promises, and being invested in His ministry. If we are going to find true, lasting contentment, we must take our eyes off of ourselves and put them on the Lord Jesus. We must find our hope and strength in Him. As we learn to do this, we will be able to say, along with Paul, that we have learned the secret to being content in any and every circumstance.

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Philippians 4:14-17

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14 Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. 17 Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. ~ Philippians 4:14-17

The Apostle Paul is a prisoner in Rome. According to v.14-17, the Believers in Philippi learned of a financial need that he had. So, they, out of love, send a man named Epaphroditus who comes all the way to Rome from Philippi to deliver a gift to Paul. It was a sacrificial gift. To add to this, the Philippians were fairly poor, they did not have much.  What they did have, due to their accurate theology, they sacrificially shared with Paul.

People who have less give more because, having gone through their own struggles, they are more compassionate and more sensitive to the needs of others. Others say that the poor give more because they require less to be happy. When we have just a little, we are thankful for what we have. But with every step we take up the ladder of success, abundance clouds our minds and gets us into a state of never being satisfied.

The verb translated “share,” in v.14, is related to the noun translated “partnership” in Phillipians 1:5, "because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now." This noun is used of a business partnership. The enterprise Paul has in mind here is the spread of the gospel. And so, the Philippians partnered with Paul, financially, to advance the gospel.

When we suffer, we want to know that we are not going through it alone. Paul is suffering, but he’s not alone. The Philippians, through their partnership with Paul, are aiding him in the advancement of the gospel. Paul’s friends in Philippi knew what he was going through and they gave as God enabled them. It is the gospel that creates this kind of partnership.

When we seek to advance the gospel, we will often have to endure great hardship. When we support those in the trenches with our prayers and with our finances, we share in their troubles. Each and every supporter becomes an important person to the ministry, sharing in handling the obstacles. 

The Apostle Paul sought the fruit that comes from the gift rather than the gift itself. He is not so excited about the money he received, which would have allowed him to buy the essentials that he needed to survive. This enabled him to be the most excited about the advancement of the gospel.

We know that Paul’s ministry was fruitful while he was in prison. The Gospel went forth, and the kingdom of God was advanced. Later, in Philippians 4:22, we learn that the Gospel had made its way into the household of Caesar, the highest echelon of society. Paul’s passion was fruitful ministry. Contentment comes from trusting in the providence of a sovereign God.  It comes from being satisfied with Him who expresses Himself for the well-being of others.

Biblical contentment is the product of giving our hearts to the Lord on a daily basis, thus being defined by Him. As we give our hearts to Him, He gives His heart to us, and ministry becomes our second highest priority. No change in circumstances can take that from us. As long as we give ourselves to God to be used by Him, we can be truly content in knowing that our lives are being invested in that which impacts eternity for the good.

We will never know contentment until we give up designing our own agenda and lose ourselves in preoccupation with the the Lord's will and the well-being of others.  Paul prayed in Philippians 1:9 which reads, "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight." Contentment belongs to those who are not demanding that everything in life fit their personal agenda, who are more concerned with others than themselves.

In v.17, the Apostle shares his joy with the believers in Philippi because in v.10, we read, “I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.” Paul wasn't most interested in the money, he was most interested that the believers in Philippi were growing in their heart relationship with the Lord Jesus and many were going from the darkness to the light. In this he was preoccupied with the well-being of the Philippians walk with the Lord. Paul was overjoyed because the Philippians gave sacrificially, enabling them to grow spiritually.

Like the Apostle Paul, the Philippians believers grew in their knowledge of the Lord because of their desperation for fellowship with Him. He became their daily bread. He was not their priority, He was the priority.   

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Philippians 4:10-13

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10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. ~ Philippians 4:10-13

You will remember that in every chapter of Philippians Paul accentuates a potential joy stealer and something unique about the Lord Jesus that makes those joy stealers useful to us in our deepening relationship with Him. When we put together all of these uniquenesses about the Lord, we arrive upon the Lord's definition of joy. 

In Philippians 1, the joy stealer is our prisons and the unique thing about the Lord Jesus is His life. in Philippians 2, the joy stealer is people and the unique about the Lord Jesus is His way of thinking and living. In Philippians 3, the joy stealer is our pedigree and our possessions and the unique thing about the Lord Jesus is that He is our pursuit. And here in Philippians 4, the joy stealer is our problems and the unique thing about the Lord Jesus is He is our contentment or satisfaction.

Even though the Apostle Paul expresses gratitude for the gift sent from the Philippian Christians, he wants to make it clear that his contentment was in his personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. When he was hungry, he was content. When he had plenty, he was content. In whatever situation he found himself, he was content. The circumstances didn't define him, the Lord Jesus did because the circumstances drove Him deeper in the Lord.

The words “at last” in v.10 instruct us on how to receive a financial gift. When someone gives us a gift, we must not focus on the gift. It’s not about the stuff; it’s about the person who gave the gift. We rejoice in their partnership in the ministry. We must focus on the fact that the one who contributed did so out of obedience to God.

In v.11 Paul says he has “learned to be content whatever the circumstances.” He is not dependent on the circumstance nor the Philippians’ gift. Paul's partnership with the believers in Philippi is not based on their usefulness to him. Paul values the Philippians for who they are, not what they can do for him. The key to this whole arrangement is that Paul is content whether or not the Philippians support him financially.

In v.12, Paul explains the circumstances in which he has found himself. He has been “in any and every situation,” from having much to having little. He did not learn to be content in any and every situation apart from being in those situations. He has “learned the secret” of being "in Christ" in those situations.

In v.12, the word translated “learned the secret” is different from the word translated “learned” in v.11. Paul utilizes these concepts from the pagan world in which the Philippians lived and invests them with a different meaning. Biblical faith teaches reality is only found in a personal relationship with Christ.

Literally, Paul is able to be content “in” Christ. The word “in” was also used in v.11, where Paul said he had learned “in” his circumstances to be content. At the same time that he is “in” conditions that would seem unfavorable to contentment, he is also “in” Christ. Christ is with him in the situations. This makes all the difference.

In v.13 we are given one of the most often-quoted verses in the Bible. We don’t train for contentment. The secret of contentment is discovered in the pronoun “him” which is a reference to the Lord Jesus. The only way to be truly content is to develop Christ-sufficiency. Giving up our hope of self-sufficiency, we must develop Christ-sufficiency. We have to learn to rely on His strength and involvement in our lives.

When Paul says he can “all things,” he doesn’t mean that he can literally do everything. To do everything has to do with being content in all circumstances. The word translated “all things” was also used twice in v.12 in the phrase translated “whatever the circumstances.” Paul is saying that he is able to be content in all situations. And remember where he is writing this letter from: prison.

Our ability to be content in any and every situation is connected with our relationship with the Lord Jesus. Whatever circumstances we are “in,” Christ is with us in it. When we walk with Christ in any and every situation, an intimacy with Him develops that touches the deepest longings of our hearts. 

When Christ's life and His way of thinking and living, and He becomes our pursuit, and our contentment or satisfaction, we will be defined by His Joy.

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Philippians 4:8-9

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8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. ~ Philippians 4:8-9

In our previous blog, we considered Philippians 4:6-7 which reads, "6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." 

I recap these two verses because today's text is couched in going from "the peace of God" (v.7) to "the God of peace." (v.9). It is that which we discover in v.8 that enables us to experience more intimacy in our walk with the Lord.

That which defines our thinking is that which determines our living. It is in this context of deeper intimacy and subsequent spiritual maturity, the Apostle Paul addresses the issues that divide us. Due to our immaturity, we focus on the differences. On the one hand, we want to be faithful to the Bible. On the other, we want to care about people.

This doesn't mean we don't work through our conflicts. It means that as we do work through them, we remember that in Christ, we are on the same team. We have far more in common than we possibly have different.

Spiritual stability is experienced through peace, joy, humility, faith, and gratitude. And when our lives are characterized by these spiritual attitudes, we will be able to experience difficulty and not lose our balance in our efforts to honor the Lord and love people.

When we put our theology or our passion for justice above knowing Christ, we have made a serious mistake. Nothing must compare to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. Nothing. However, what is the use to loving God if we are not loving our neighbor?


Ironically, those things that would render us unstable like persecution, hostility, rejection, testings, trials, are useful to God as He cements into our lives spiritual stability. And, if we want to be spiritually stable, we must be defined by His way of thinking and living.  

In v.8, the Apostle Paul highlights another essential key to being spiritually stable. There are seven things that aid us in our attempt to be more intimate with God. These seven qualities take us from experiencing the peace of God to knowing more deeply, the God of peace.

First, in v.8, we read, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true.” In John 17:17, we read,  “Your Word is truth.”  To know the truth, we go to the Word of God. If we think on whatever is true, we are going to drill deeply into the Word of God. 

Second, Paul writes, “Whatever is noble,” which means whatever is dignified, lofty, and not trashy.  The word, "noble" comes from the root word for worship. Whatever is worthy of awe, whatever is held in high regard, whatever is greatly respected, whatever is worthy of adoration, that’s what we must think about.  

Third, Paul writes, “Whatever is right” or righteous.  Whatever is in perfect harmony with the eternal, and unchanging God. The word "right" means to think on what is consistent with the character of God.

Fourth, Paul implores us to think upon "whatever is pure." The word "pure" means that which is morally clean, or undefiled.  

Fifth, Paul writes, think upon “whatever is lovely,”  which means winsome, pleasing, attractive, amiable. 

Sixth, think upon "whatever is admirable." This word means whatever is sweet or gracious or generous or patient.  

And then, seventh, he writes, “if anything is excellent or praiseworthy.” This phrase conveys the idea that something is eminently good, valuable beyond value. At its root, it even carries the idea of valor; something worthy of intrinsic praise or virtue.

Spiritual stability is a product of cultivating peace by resting on a confident trust in the Lord, reacting to problems with thankful prayer, and all of this flows out of focusing on godly virtues that begin to dominate our thinking and impact our behavior.

In v.9, we read, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice.” Paul reminds us that he is a model of his teaching, as he overcame his troubles, persecutions, difficulties, testings, and maintained spiritual stability. 

In the middle of a conflict, we can know the Lord Jesus more deeply in and through our struggles with others on a daily basis. And, if we focus on the good, love one another, and make as our priority knowing Christ deeply, we will find it difficult to feed the flesh which is what prevents us from experiencing real joyful unity.

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Philippians 4:4-7

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4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:4-7

In our text, the Apostle commands us to "Rejoice in the Lord always." To rejoice in the Lord begins with understanding His sovereignty to some degree. When we learn to rejoice in the Lord, we have learned to direct our minds to the awesome truth that Jesus Christ is actively bringing everything under His power and goodness. It is then, at this point, that we are positioned to respond to whatever happens to us and to whatever the Lord desires of us. It is at this point that we can honestly live by Paul's statement in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ."

With this command in view, the potential joy stealers fade into view. The joy stealer in Philippians 4 is our problems which causes us anxiety. In all of the Word of God, God is revealed as jockeying with constant exhortations for us to stop worrying. Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.”

When we consider what it looks like when we trade worry and anxiety for joy, we will trust the Lord more and we will treat each other better. We trade our anxiety for joy through prayer. Once we are in the habit of practicing His presence, we will be positioned to receive from Him all that we need to trust Him more and love one another as we ought.

On the other hand, the fuel to our anxiety is fear. Fear is like that big bully who would be waiting for me everyday on my way to middle school. Everyday this bully would demand of me money, half of what I had for lunch. The fear that I experienced, everyday, zapped me of any joy that I had when my day began. 

Fear corrodes our confidence in God’s goodness. It creates a form of spiritual forgetfulness. It wipes out our memory for miracles. It makes us forget what the Lord Jesus has done and how good He is. And, God's most common command emerges from the “fear not” genre.

In v.6, the Apostle Paul gives us a way to deal with our fear: He writes, "in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." We do not have to be afraid or anxious. We can turn it over to God. And, He will turn it on its head, using it to bolster our heart's ability to see Him.

God's salve for healing us from our anxieties is prayer which is the expression of our dependence upon His promises. This quiet conversation with God is most often fueled by our trust in Him. Prayer is the continual recognition that we need to lean on Him and His grace and strength. Prayer is experiencing Him in everything, constantly relating to His indwelling life. When we turn it over to God, we have access to His peace which is not manufactured by us. His peace invites His joy over for dinner and it stays for breakfast.  

In v.5, we read, "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." A literal translation is: "not insisting on every right of letter of law or custom; yielding, gentle, kind, courteous, tolerant." When we follow God's path: anxiety leads to prayer which leads to peace which leads to joy. This is what happens as we relate to Him and it spills over to how we trust Him and treat others. We will become more gentle, kind, and tolerant.

The phrase "the Lord is near" refers to two things simultaneously. The first, the Lord Jesus is with us. He has not left us alone to figure everything out. He is with us. His Spirit indwells us who believe. And, He will lead us when we follow.

The second, we are reminded and made more and more aware of the fact that the Lord Jesus is coming back. His return is imminent. It could happen any day. Learning to live in His presence is the key here. As we practice His presence, He becomes a good habit. His presence is as sure as the rising of the sun, that is until He returns for us.

This means we do not have to insist on anything because, we have turned it over to Him, relying on and being defined by Him. Anxiety and fear is then dealt a death blow. The Lord Jesus is here with us, and He is coming back soon. We do not have to fix everything. And, the result is experiencing His life come to bear in the here and now. 

In v.6, the Apostle directs us to "not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." When we give thanks in everything, even in the midst of difficult circumstances, we are seeking to draw water from a well that is not of us. Yet, if faith in Christ resides within us, this well resides within us. No matter how bad things get, we can always find something for which to be thankful. Once we find one thing, we will find another and then another. If we start giving thanks, whether we feel thankful or not, we will find and experience the well. 

Whenever we encounter the problems of life, we must habitually lean back into Him in prayer. We are wise to lean into the One who is able and competent to calm anything within us through His indwelling life. 

Thanksgiving is that forward look of faith that gives safe haven to gratitude for Him in advance for the good developments that are yet to be realized. A growing familiarity with His presence assures us that something good will result and that even the cause of our fears and anxieties are parts of His recipe that yields His purpose.

God is not saying we should ask for everything we want. We are to pray for His will. Frequently we pray for things He never promises. Often we ask,  "Lord, take this trouble out of my life." But God may have allowed this trouble to enable us to see Him more clearly and to know Him more deeply. Wisdom says, "Embrace Him through the trouble."


As a result, prayer and gratitude escorts His peace into our existence. And, when His peace grips us in the midst of the most distressing circumstances, we will experience Him directly as He undergirds, sustains and strengthens us.

The peace of God keeps us, guards our hearts from breaking free into thinking that stomps all over our inner lives. Our hearts and minds are thus fortified against anxiety and inaccurate and potentially destructive ways of understanding reality.

Finally, when I realized that if I put my lunch money in my shoe when I was in Middle School, the thief subsequently left me alone. I am discovering that it is much the same with fear, worry and anxiety. When I trust God with my day, He rushes in with His strengthening presence for which I am very, very grateful.

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Philippians 4:1-3

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1 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends! 2 I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. ~ Philippians 4:1-3

In v.1, Paul refers to the Philippians as his "brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown." Paul's relationship with this group has been solidified due to the fact that he had learned the key to all of life: "standing firm in the Lord." 

Paul's ability to unconditionally love others was conditioned by him "standing firm in the Lord." In essence, it is the Lord loving the Philippians through Paul. When we love the lord, we will love people.

The words “longed for” are based on Paul's status as a prisoner. His inability to come to them personally has only pulled his heart strings even more. The word for “longed for” is found only here in this passage, and it signifies a “longing for with great affection.”

This phrase “stand firm” was used of soldiers who stood their ground in battle. Paul 's appeal to joyful unity is embedded in the exhortation "to stand firm in the Lord" by adopting the pattern modeled by Paul, that of knowing the Lord Jesus and looking for His return while practicing self-giving love.

When we find our identity in the Lord, we are granted a growing measure of security, that feeling of value that enables us to love unconditionally. If we do not find our security in the Lord and we discover it in anything else, we will be insecure and therefore immature in our ability to love others unconditionally.

In addition, by calling the Philippians his “joy,” Paul makes a clear statement about the fundamental source of his joy. His joy was founded in seeing God at work in the lives of his friends. 

Paul also refers to the Philippians as his “crown.” The Greek word used here, stephanos, does not refer to a royal crown as on a king, but rather the wreath that was placed on the head those who won a game or a contest. It was a symbol of public honor. The Philippian believers were proof of the work that God had done through Paul in the lives of his friends.

In our text, the Apostle Paul speaks to two women, Euodia and Syntyche who were at odds with one another. Ironically, “Euodia” means “sweet fragrance,” and “Syntyche” means “pleasant.”  And they were anything but. They had experienced a major conflict. And, everyone knew about their difference. People had likely taken sides. The conflict between these two women was a threat to the Gospel andtheir unity.

Paul pleads with these two women "to be of the same mind in the Lord." He addresses the arena of our sanctification, our souls, which are made up of our minds, our wills and our emotions. 

Having the same mind doesn't have so much to do with the content that we believe, it has our attitude. We are to consider others first before we consider ourselves. The humility of Christ is the ultimate example of how we are to think.

Paul isn't suggesting these two women come to the same conclusion. He is pleading with them to relate to each other, in the midst of their difference. To be of the same mind in the Lord  is not arriving at the same conclusion, it’s about treating each other like Christ has treated us. This is God's pathway toward joyful unity.

In our text, the Apostle provides us with a novel approach to conflict resolution: “think the gospel.” Let the gospel inform the way we treat others, especially those who we are at odds with. In the gospel, we have something that’s bigger and more important than any of our conflicts. And, it screams no one deserves God's favor, yet He extended it to us while we were yet His enemies.

Whereas the potential joy stealer in Philippians 1 is our prisons, and in Philippians 2 is the people in our lives, and in Philippians 3 is our pedigree and/or possessions, in Philippians 4 the potential joy stealer is our problems. Our problems create in us a certain measure of anxiety.

A real issue in our text is resisting bitterness which is destructive, because it is an appetite of the flesh.  In order to experience, together, the life that the Lord Jesus died to provide us, we must daily choose His definition of all things. The love of Christ has been applied to us and we should yield to it's flow in our lives.  We don't even have to manufacture this love. 

You will remember that in every chapter Paul accentuates something unique about the Lord Jesus. When put together, we have His definition of joy. In Philippians 1 it is the life of Christ, in Philippians 2 it is Christ's way of thinking and living, in Philippians 3 it is that Christ is our pursuit, and here in Philippians 4 it is Christ our contentment or satisfaction.

So, the stage is set with an unnamed conflict between two prominent woman in the church at Philippi. Now, everybody's got problems.  Job said, "Man is born for trouble."  The question is not, "Who's got problems?" The real question is, "How do I get victory over problems?"  This is the subject of Philippians 4.

The phrase "in the Lord" is used one hundred and thirty-two times in Paul's Letters. When we view ourselves as favored by God through His Son, Jesus Christ, we will be more likely to yield to His presence in our lives. Then, we will more likely have the mind of Christ controlling ours. Then, we will increasingly pursue the Lord more, finding our satisfaction in Him as our goal. It is out of this disposition that we are able to love others as He has loved us.

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Philippians 3:15-21

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15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained. 17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:15-21

In Philippians 3:1-14, the Apostle Paul emphasizes knowing Christ and his willingness to consider everything as garbage for the sake of knowing Christ. This is the pursuit of the human heart as God designed it. But, we are born with a different default mode for self. And, when we have trusted in the cross of Christ to bridge us back to God, our paradigm has shifted.

In Philippians 3:15-16, the Apostle Paul provides definition to Christian maturity, which emanates out of the priority of seeking to be intimate with and defined by the Lord Jesus. The expression of this is seen in Paul's willingness to abandon his privileges as an elite Jew for the sake of knowing, personally and experientially, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The word translated “mature” in v.15 means “perfect.”  Paul has previously said that he has not been made perfect. Yet now he says that all of those who are perfect, or mature, should "take such a view of things." Mind you, no one is perfected in this life. The “perfect” or “mature” approach to life is pressing on toward full knowledge of Christ, knowing our pursuit and our discoveries will not be perfect.

The mark of those who are mature recognize that they are not mature, and that there is more to gain. “Mature” people will never be satisfied. The mature want more of Christ. It is about the pursuit of the heart, and the mature in the faith recognize that it is only God who recognizes any of us as having arrived.

In v.16 the Apostle says "we must live up to what we have attained." As mentioned before, the mature will never attain anything fully this side of heaven. The mature will not always understand everything that is taught. The mature lives up to what we already know of the truth that we understand.

In v.17-18, Paul zeroes in on the mature pursuit that he encourages us to follow. The common denominator for those who are mature is the cross of the Lord Jesus. That tool of torture embodies the rescue of all of our hopes. Its design could not be more simple. One beam horizontal, the other vertical. One reaches out like God’s love. The other reaches down as does God’s holiness. It is at this intersection that life best comes into view because the cross makes sense of everything, even our sin and pain.  

In v.19, we read, “their God is their stomach.” This is a reference to those who are defined by this world. They live for the things of this world. Their minds are thus set on the fragile and temporary. When one is defined by such, one will reflect its lack of substance.

In v.20, we read, "But our citizenship is in heaven." In contrast to those whose minds are on earthly things, the thinking of believers is defined by God, framed up by God's way of thinking and living. And, when we are focused on Him, we will be transformed, not only in our thinking, but in our bodies.

According to v.21, when Christ returns, He "will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. ” We will then be perfect, as He is perfect. And, the transformation of our bodies will take place by the “power” that enables Christ to “bring everything under his control.” 

In Hebrews 2:10, we read, “For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.” 

The joy stealer in Philippians 3 is our pedigree and/or our possessions. In order to access the joy of the Lord, we must not be defined by earthly things but we must be defined by the Lord and His way of thinking. The difference is seen in a comparison of Egypt and the Promised Land.

In Hebrews 11:24-28, we read, "24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel."

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Philippians 3:12-14

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12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

We will not arrive at the goal of knowing Christ fully this side of heaven. But, that doesn't stop our pursuit. Paul says, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” The word translated “press on,” can also be translated “pursue” or “persecute.” Paul used this word earlier when he wrote in Philippians 3 that he was at one time a “persecutor” of the church. The irony here is that while Paul was pursuing followers of the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus was pursuing Him. 

After the Apostle entered into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, He now “prizes” what he pursues. Whereas the potential joy stealer in Philippians 3 is our pedigree and possessions, the next ingredient making up God's definition for joy is that Christ is our prized pursuit. In Philippians 1 we see the first ingredient of joy and it is the life of Christ. In Philippians 2, we have the mind of Christ. Here in Philippians 3, the third ingredient is that Christ is our prized pursuit.

We see this line of thinking highlighted this in v.13 where Paul writes, "I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead." Paul says that there is one thing he doesn’t do and one thing he does do. He doesn’t consider himself as having taken hold of full knowledge of Christ. He does forget what is behind and strains forward to what is ahead which is an increasing intimacy with Christ.

Paul was an elite Jew before meeting the Lord Jesus. His pedigree and his possessions defined him. Now, he literally considers these things garbage compared to his newfound relationship with Christ. For quite a while in his life, these things gave him a sense of identity. Now that he has come into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, he sees life increasingly different, through the eyes of the Lord Jesus.

In v.14, Paul explains what motivates him, once again using the verb translated “press on.” A word borrowed from olympic competition, in the games, the “goal” was the marker at the finish line. The prize, a palm branch, was given by the president of the games, who summoned the victor at the conclusion of the race. The prize for Paul is literally the “heavenward calling of God in Christ Jesus.” For him, the prize is increasingly knowing Christ in a more intimate way.

A mark of someone who is a follower of the Lord Jesus is that he pursues Him. Having tasted of Christ, he, with increasing desperation, wants more of Christ. And he will not rest until he knows Christ more deeply with each passing day. He will not stop this pursuit, even into eternity.

Christ pursues us that we might pursue Him. On the one hand, we can expect to always have a sense of holy dissatisfaction with life that causes us to want something more. On the other hand, Christ has seized our hearts that we might seek Him. All of our desires are just echoes of this one desire to know Him more deeply. 

In context, it is through suffering that we go deeper in our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. We get to know Him better when we experience His empathy because of His pain. Those who know intimacy with Christ are those who have suffered with Him deeply. Suffering gives eyes to our heart's ability to see God.

The Apostle illustrates this point when he writes, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." And, it is suffering that largely frames up our point of reference causing us to listen to the Lord Jesus more intensely and more intimately. In context, suffering is the taking away of bad things or good things that the world offers as a flimsy substitute. When these things are taken away (by force or by circumstance or by choice), we suffer.

Intimacy with God can not only be experienced through knowledge accumulation. In order to intimately know God, we must know crucial things about Him, but theological head knowledge will never be enough. We must "know" or "experience" Him in order to be intimate with Him. And, suffering is a must ingredient in this formula.

Our world is not abounding in intimates who walk with God in a profound way because knowledge is not synonymous with trust. Biblical knowledge is far better than gold when it fuels our trust in God, because it fuels our intimacy with Him. But when biblical knowledge replaces our trust in God, it only fuels our pride. And suffering is useful to rivet us on the goal who is Christ. Intimacy with God most often occurs in the places where we must trust Him most. 

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Philippians 3:8-11

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8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. ~ Philippians 3:8-11

In our text, the Apostle Paul pulls the curtain back on what precedes knowing Christ.
The word “know” describes an experiential relationship with God. It is much the same as any other relationship we have. There is give and take involved, and to the degree that we invest in it is the degree to which we benefit from it.

This is not knowing about Christ. This is knowing Him. This knowledge the Apostle is talking about here is not simply a casual contact now and then. We don't get to know our friends that way. The friends we know best are the ones we have spent most time with, or at least we have gone with through deep experiences. This knowledge of Christ comes by continual sharing of experiences together.

In v.8, Paul calls Christ “my Lord” for the only time in his writings. Paul uses the word "gnosko" for "know." Nothing satisfies the heart like intimacy with Christ. If we are to experience "gnosko" with the Lord, we must go on counting everything else that would compete for His place in our heart as loss and even garbage.

It was Mary of Bethany who gave her expensive perfume. She thought nothing of pouring it on Jesus’ feet as an expression of her love for Him. She not only gave a valuable possession, she also did it eagerly, in order to embrace something much more valuable, a personal act of gratitude to Him. 

Like Paul, we must give up seeking our identity in our pedigree and our possessions in order to experience Him. In v.9-10 we are given more to what it means to gain Christ. To gain Christ means to have a righteousness from God through faith in Him. God has always pursued us. In fact, if He had not pursued us, we would still be dead to Him.

In v.9, the word “Righteousness” means "covenant membership." In this sense, when we are “righteous,” we belong to God. Paul says, “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law.” This is not the kind of righteousness that Paul formerly possessed.  He had concluded that kind of righteousness as “loss.”

When he says, "be found in him", he means this is what others will see when they examine his life. It's something to be discovered, "found in Him," whether it is in the day-to-day experience or in that final examination of God when Paul stands before Him. 

The covenant membership he now possesses does not come from obeying the law but through faith in Christ. He could not earn his place in the family of God. When we have faith in Christ, we believe that He is Lord over that which separated us from God, namely sin and death. God grants us with the gift of righteousness or covenant membership because we believe that His Son's death paid the penalty for our sinfulness.

At this point, Righteousness, is not the goal of Paul’s existence. Paul has and pursues the righteousness of God so that He may "know Christ". For Paul, covenant membership is not an end; it is a means to an end. The end is “to know” Christ.

According to v.10, "knowing Christ" means knowing “the power of his resurrection” and "participating in his sufferings.” If we are to know someone, we must know the story of that person’s life. To know the story of Christ’s life, is to hear about His sufferings and resurrection. Knowing the power of Christ’s resurrection and the participation of his sufferings means connecting with the story of Christ at a deep level. Paul wants not only to know about the story of Christ; he wants to live the story of Christ.

To experience the power of Christ’s resurrection means to experience the risen Lord Jesus Himself through His Holy Spirit, who empowers us by enlightening us, motivating us, leading us, and enabling us to pursue Him. In many ways, the process of experiencing Christ’s resurrection means being empowered to experience the sufferings of Christ. Knowing the power of His resurrection enables us to share His sufferings. 


The Apostle ends v.10 with, "becoming like him in his death". On the cross the Lord Jesus was made to be all that we are, sinful and self-pleasing, and He put all that to death. The cross of the Lord Jesus was the end of the believer's sinfulness. When we received the Lord Jesus, we accepted God's judgment on our sin. As a result, we are free to be real humans who are freed, unbound, delivered, and no longer concerned about what happens to us when we sin.

In v.11, Paul uses a word that he does not use in his writings. This word is resurrection. It's an augmented word. When Christ returns only the dead in Christ shall rise. Not all the dead will rise. Only the dead in Christ rise to be with Him. Paul is naturally not afraid that he won't make it.

When we experience this kind of intimacy with the Lord, we will find our hearts breaking for a broken world. When our hearts break for them, and we feel almost as if we are suffering or even wish we could suffer in their place, we are very close to the heart of Christ. When Christ becomes our goal then our pedigree and possessions will be yielded to His purposes in this world.

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Philippians 3:4-7

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4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. ~ Philippians 3:4-7


As mentioned in our last blog, the Apostle accentuates "the flesh" in this chapter because it is the cause of the third potential joy stealer which is our pedigree and our possessions. In v.4 he sets up his line of thinking by writing, "though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more."

In v.5-6 Paul explains himself by listing seven things that gave him pedigree before he became a believer in Christ. His pedigree brought him great gain, a great sense of assurance and importance. It gave him a great deal of meaning and significance. As a result, these things gave Paul belonging, because he got acceptance from excelling.

In v.5, Paul accentuates he was “circumcised on the eighth day.” In the Old Testament God had prescribed circumcision on the eighth day, because He knew that it took eight days for the blood of the baby to build up enough potassium which would make the blood clot and the baby would not die.

The second thing that gave Paul pedigree, he was “of the people of Israel.” Paul was a Jew by birth, not by conversion. To the Israelites belonged the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the temple service and the promises. God had given to Israel all the pedigree. 

The third thing that gave Paul pedigree, he was “of the tribe of Benjamin,” which was a tribe of prominence, not least because it was one of only two tribes, along with Judah, to which one’s heritage could still be traced. 

The fourth thing that gave Paul pedigree, he was “a Hebrew of Hebrews.” This meant that he was an elite member of the nation of Israel. The Jews in Paul's day had become victims of the Greek culture, so they lost their language, traditions and culture. But not Paul. He had Hebrew parents. He was a Hebrew child. He was a Hebrew of the Hebrews, and he maintained the traditions. This set him apart from those who had allowed the faith to become watered down in their lives.

The fifth thing that gave Paul pedigree, he was a Pharisee. He viewed God's Word from the Pharisaic perspective. He was quite narrow-minded, allowing no room for grace. Being a Pharisee was the highest level of religious achievement in Judaism. And, as a result, he accentuates the sixth thing, he persecuted the church. 

Paul was so zealous for the things of God, he killed Christians. This type of zeal says I love God so much I hate whatever offends Him. And, Paul thought Jesus and His followers were an offense to God.

The seventh thing that gave Paul pedigree, he was “faultless” according to the “righteousness based on the law.” He lived as an observant Jew. He followed the Sabbath, food laws, and feasts. He kept short accounts with God, participating in the sacrificial system and the Day of Atonement. No one could fault him in these respects. 

In v.7 the word "gains" is used. The Greek word kerdos is used here which means profit. The Apostle Paul accentuates his religious activity, falsely thinking that his performance garnered and maintained favor with God. 

In v.7, Paul concluded,  "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." When he met the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul's orientation to life changed. After the Lord Jesus revealed Himself to Paul, he moved beyond the few things mentioned in v.5–6 and considered everything but Christ as garbage. 

Finally, when we begin with anything other than the Lord Jesus, we make Christianity legalistic. It may be a good thing, like discipleship or sanctification. But, when we begin with Him, everything else flows from that. He must be our first love everyday, or else, we go the way of the Ephesians to whom the Lord Jesus said, "2 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. 4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first." (Revelation 2:2-4)

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