Let us turn to the short portion
we've just read here at the beginning of Philippians chapter 4. And I want us to look at verse
8 tonight. We have at the beginning of the
chapter this oratory portion, these various exhortations. And
this is the last of the exhortations in many respects. He says, finally,
in verse 8, finally, Brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things
are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are
of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise,
think on these things. Really what we have here is an
exhortation that we should meditate, that we should think, on these
things and as i said this is the the final exhortation he
goes on to say other things of course as he draws to the end
of the epistle but this verse it's interesting in his commentary
The Puritan John Trapp says of this verse, this is that little
Bible, calls it a little Bible. For if ye do the things here
enjoined, he says ye shall never fall, but go gallantly to heaven. So looking at this little Bible. And in the context of course,
we think of what we were looking at last time. In the previous
verses, he speaks of prayer and the promise that is associated
with prayer. Verse 6, we have that passage,
be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving, let your request be made known unto God. But as I said last time, there's
the promise there at the end of verse 5, the Lord is at hand.
Surely that sentence is associated with verse six as much as it
is with what proceeds there in verse five. The Lord is at hand
when we pray, and the Lord is at hand to help us in prayer,
and then we have that promise that's attached. There is a consequence
when we come to God. We do not pray in vain. He speaks
of the peace of God in verse seven, which passeth all understanding,
keeping the hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, the promise
of peace. And do we not live to prove that
when we pray? The very exercise of prayer is
communion with God, three persons in the Godhead, Father, Son,
and Holy Ghost, and prayer brings peace into our
souls. And what is the source of that peace? Well, we're told,
aren't we, there in verse 7, it's the peace of God. It's the peace that belongs to
God. It's His possession. It's interesting
at the end of verse 9 we have the God of peace. In verse 7
it's the peace of God. In verse 9 it's the God of peace. And He is very much the God of
peace. We think of the council of peace that shall be between
them both as we're told in Zechariah chapter 6 the great covenant that was entered
into by the Father and the Son, together with the Holy Spirit,
a council of peace. It's the covenant. The God of
peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that
great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting
covenant, is the one who makes us perfect in every good work
to do His will, working in us that which is well pleasing in
His sight. that covenantal benediction then
that we have there at the end of Hebrews 13. This is the source
of peace. It comes from the gods of peace,
the gods of the covenant who has purposed and accomplished
and applies the blessings of the salvation, that peace with
God that is through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. So,
God's not only the source, but there in verse seven we see that
the stream comes through the Lord Jesus Christ. Shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus, he says. Oh, he is that one by whom all
that blessing, all the answer to our prayers comes. He's not
just the mediator, by whom we come to God, he is that one by
whom God comes to us. Hasn't God spoken in these last
days, in and by his son, this man shall be the peace, we're
told back in the fifth chapter of the book of Micah, Christ
in his person, he's God, he's man, he's so fitting to reconcile
sinners to a holy God. And how has he done that? great
sin-atoning sacrifice, having made peace through the blood
of His cross. He is the propitiation for our
sins. He has borne that wrath of God. He has reconciled sinners to
God. And so when we pray, we can pray
in the light of all that is being said here, all these promises
that surround verse 6, the Lord is at hand, The peace of God
which passes all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus. And then we come to the text
that I really want to say a little on, as the Lord helps, here in
verse 8, finally. Brethren, whatsoever things are
true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever
things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things
are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be
any praise, think on these things. An exhortation to meditate, to
think. And isn't Christ a proper object
of our meditation? He is that one that we should
be meditating upon really. But I want to deal with some
two headings as we come to look at the at the verse. First of all to say something
with regards to the manner of this meditation, this thinking
on these things. In many ways I think it has to
be said that meditation amongst Christians is very much a lost
art. I'm sure we're aware that in
evangelical circles now the great emphasis is always on activism.
There's so much going on. Much of it not spiritual but
social, nothing wrong with us engaging in social activities,
we're social beings, but that's not the point of the church.
The church is a spiritual community, but in evangelical circles there's
a lot of activism. I remember it being said once,
there was some deacon of a street Baptist church, and I think he
was out in some town walking past an evangelical church, looking
at the notice board, and he said, there's something on every night
of the week I don't think these people ever have any time to
examine themselves or to consider the needs of their own souls
I know there's an opposite to activism there's a certain fatalism
doing nothing but there's a world pronounced on those who are at
ease in Zion we're not to be at ease but surely there must
be a place for real soul exercise with regards to the things of
God, not just that intellectual awareness of these things, but
how God's word, God's truth applies to us. And so, there is a call
here, an exhortation to, I call it, meditation really. I know the word that we have
at the end of the verse is think. think on these things but it's
an interesting word when it's examined and I do like sometimes
try to do a word study to examine the word and looking it up the
word that we have here that's translated think in our authorized
version literally means to ponder to cogitate In fact, the basis
of the word is simply to count or to reckon. And interestingly,
the very same word is used in reference to the Lord Jesus Christ
in his sufferings. In Mark 15, 28, we read these
words, and the scripture was fulfilled which says, and he
was numbered with the transgressors. It's the same word numbered there
that is rendered, think, here in the text. But when we take
account of that reckoning, you see, the basic meaning of the
word, to count, to reckon, and as we're going over things and
counting things, so we begin to ponder things and to cogitate
in our minds. Things revolving around in the
mind, that's what we have here, with regards to the exhortation
that the apostle is giving to these Philippians. It's interesting to turn back
of course to the Old Testament because we do find the word meditate
used several times in our Bibles in the Authorized Version. And
in fact, it's two quite different words that are usually translated
by that one English word, meditate. The one word that we have there
back in the Old Testament is the word to mutter. To mutter. In a sense, talking with oneself. Soliloquy, as it were. The... We have that really, I suppose,
in that language that we find three times in Psalms 42 and
43. Why art thou cast down, O my
soul? Why art thou disquieted within
me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him, for he is the
help of my countenance and my God. Do you remember how that
statement in slightly different forms is used three times in
those two short psalms 42 and 43 talking with oneself, muttering
to oneself as it were and so on other occasions in the psalms
the godly man in the opening psalm his delight is in the law
of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate, doth he mutter day
and night muttering to himself, talking to himself over the word
of God And we have it again in Psalm 63 and verse 6, there the
psalmist says, when I remember thee upon my beds and meditate upon
them in the night seasons, is it not good sometimes maybe in
the night seasons when we're sleepless maybe not then try
to to talk with ourselves to mutter with ourselves as we think
of God and the ways of God and the works of God and our experiences
of God's goodness in so many different ways again the Psalmist
says in Psalm 77 I will meditate or mutter of all thy work and
talk of thy doing you see quite clearly there with the parallelism
that mutter answers to talk really I will mutter of all thy work
and talk of all thy doing so we have that idea really sometimes
with the word meditate as we find it back in the in the Old Testament the other
the other word that's used and translated in English with meditate,
is the verb to muse. I will meditate in thy precepts. It's a word used many times in
Psalm 119, and it's usually translated meditate. We have it in verse
15, verse 23, verse 48, verse 78, verse 148, I will muse in thy precepts,
to ponder over God's precepts, to reflect upon God's commandments,
all his words really. And we're going to sing that
hymn of Toplady presently, I muse on the years that are past, wherein
my defence thou hast proved, nor wilt thou relinquish at last
a sinner so singularly loved." It's good to muse on all of God's
dealings and God's ways. Well, this is the way in which
the word meditate is found in the Old Testament Scriptures.
And other Psalms that we could refer to. The language of the
39th Psalm is interesting. when David indicates really how
this musing and this mushing to oneself affects a man. My
heart was hot within me, he says, while I was musing, the fire
burned, then I spake with my tongue. Oh, it's as we muse that
we begin to speak. We begin to speak to God and
we might well begin to speak to others of God and all the
goodness of God to us. And the words, the two words,
these two different words come together in the 143rd Psalm.
There the psalmist says, I remember the days of old, I muse over
the days of old. I meditate or mutter on all thy
works. I muse on the work of thy hand,
he says. This is the way the Sami sin
uses the words. And I do find it interesting
because of course we have an English word, don't we? Amuse. Amusements. And that is simply
the word amuse with a negative in front of it. To be amused
is literally not to think. Not to think. I looked it up
in the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, and it says of amuse,
it's to divert from serious business with trifles. And we live in
a world that's full of amusement. That's all people want to do,
is to amuse themselves. They don't want to amuse. They
don't want to meditate. They don't want to examine themselves.
They don't want to give any serious thought, really. to the needs
of their never-dying souls. Sometimes seeing that hymn of
Gadsby's pours my soul and asks the question, aren't they ready
to meet God? Am I made a real Christian washed
in the Redeemer's blood? People don't want to stop to
think. And how sad it is that even those who profess the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ want to fill their lives sometimes
with nothing but activities and amusements. no time really for
any self-examination or any idea of meditation. Well, I've sought
to say something with regards to what we're to understand by
this exhortation to think, to think on these things. But let's
turn to the matter of it as we have it here. And it's interesting
because it's quite a long verse really, and we see how the words
whatsoever, the word whatsoever is used some six times, and then
the word any is used twice. Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things
are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue,
if there be any praise, think, on these things. There are many
things that should occupy us when we come to meditate and
let's just try to look at these six whatsoever really. First of all, whatsoever things
are true, surely we are to discern between true doctrine and false
doctrine and are we not reminded of that in the language that
we find in what Paul writes to the Ephesians there in Ephesians
chapter 4 and verses verses 14 and 15 He says that we henceforth be
no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every
wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness
whereby they lie in wait to deceive, but speaking the truth in love
may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ. So he speaks here of the danger
of every wind of doctrine, the slight and cunning craftiness
of men, but how we are to be contending for the truth, speaking
the truth in love, that we may grow up into the Lord Jesus Christ
in all things. And then he goes on at verse
25, where of putting away lying speak every man truth with his
neighbor, for we are members one of another." If we're going
to heed such an exhortation as we have there in Ephesians 4,
we must be those then who would seek to think upon the truth
and to discern what the truth is over against heresies really. That we're not deceived by false
teachers. We need to meditate in the Word
of God, we need to meditate in the doctrines of the Word of
God. And then he goes on to speak of whatsoever things are honest. It's interesting, the margin
here gives venerable. We can think of the old paths
wherein is the good way. were to delight in those old
paths, were to walk in those old paths, and not to be like
those of Jeremiah's day who said, we will not. But this word, honest,
it is a word that has the idea of that that is holy, reverend,
really, I suppose, that that's serious and grave, it's the opposite
to any levity or anything that would suggest frivolity. It's interesting that it's the
word grave when we have the same word translated in Titus chapter
2 and verse 7. There Paul says, In all things
showing thyself a pattern of good work, in doctrine showing
uncorruptness gravity sincerity. There it's rendered as gravity. or to be grave, to be serious-minded,
not to be those who are taken up with amusements. And then
we have the word just. What sort of things are just? The believer desires to be just
with respect to God and with respect to man. We know that
there are two tables in the Lord of God. that concerns our relationship
with God the first four commandments and in the second table the last
six that speaks of our relationship with our fellow men to be those who are concerned with
regards to being just with both God and with men Paul says his desire is to exercise
himself to godliness writing there in
the book of Acts he wants a conscience void of offense towards gods
and towards men that's how we should be we should
be like that man we should seek to be just in all our ways we
render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's we render to God
the things that are God's and then he goes on to speak
of purity how important purity is in the midst of so much promiscuity
that's the world we're living in now oh it's full of promiscuity isn't it? we're to be those who would desire
to be pure let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth says
the apostle but that which is good that it may minister to
them who are hearing. We should be purer than in our
speaking. We should be those who only want
to tell the truth. We do not speak with a forked
tongue. Now we need then to meditate
upon those things that will tend to that Puritan. And then he
uses the word lovely. Whatever things are lovely, to
be those who are concerned to cultivate kindness and friendship
and love. Of course Paul has that remarkable
chapter in 1 Corinthians the 13th chapter where he has so
much to say with regards to that grace of love the language that
we find there at verse 4 following I know in the AV we have charity
but of course it's a word agape and I suppose charity does distinguish
from other words that also speak of love the other word being
philo really Verse 4, he says, love suffereth
long and is kind, love envieth not, love vaunteth not itself,
is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not
her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not
in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things,
believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
those things that are associated with love then these are the
things that we should be meditating upon and then he says what so
ever things are of good report what so ever things are of good
report the good report all that good report surely centers in
the gospel the good news the glad tidings we should be those
whose lives are commending God, and commending the gospel of
God's grace. Having your conversation, he
says, honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speak against
you as evil do as they may, by your good works, which they shall
behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. The language of
another apostle Peter there. Our conscience then, honest,
void of offense, And then, at the end, we have the words, if
there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these
things. It really all centers, ultimately,
in the Lord Jesus Christ. If we have Christ at the center
of our meditations, all these things will follow, all these
things will fall into their right and proper place. Again, the
psalmist says, my meditation of him shall be sweet. I will be glad in the Lord. Psalm 104 and verse 34. Oh, we're to think, and we're to
think on the Lord Jesus. The language of dear John Newton,
of course, what think you of Christ is the test to try both
your state and your scheme You cannot be right in the rest unless
you think rightly of him, with a think on the Lord Jesus. The
Lord himself, and I suppose Newton's hymn is based upon that passage
where the Lord is addressing the Pharisees at the end of Matthew
22, what think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? Whose son is he? He is the eternal
son of God. He is God manifest in the flesh.
He is that promised one, the Messiah, the saviour of sinners. And so Paul here gives this exhortation,
the importance of meditation, that our thinking is right thinking,
and if we think right, then we will act right. Calvin just comments
on the association between verse 8 and what follows in verse 9, In verse 9 he says, those things
which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in
me, do. And the God of peace shall be
with you. All the doing in verse 9 quite
literally flows from the thinking that he is exhorted to in verse
8. Paul, you see, when he comes
to write to these people, he's not just dealing with theory.
he's not dealing with theory at all really he preaches the
things that he felt he practiced what he believed in this man
and how true that is dear old Martin Luther says it's not reading
and speculating but living and dying and being condemned before
God and justified that make real theologians. Well, that's Luther all over,
isn't it? His religion is so experimental. It's something
that he's known and found in his soul. And this is what the
apostle can say, having given this exhortation. It's those
things which he had both learned and received and heard and seemingly
knew. He was living the very things
that he was exhorting these people to well we've come to the end
really of these exhortations but I am minded I think I might
well carry on in the chapter and so if the Lord will we may
look at verse 9 next Thursday evening but the Lord be pleased
to bless his word to us and help us to give heed to such exhortations
as we've considered over these past number of weeks. Well, before
we come to pray, we're going to pray now. As usual, we'll
sing God's praise again in that hymn that I just quoted of Top
Ladies 346. The tune true and 767, A sovereign
protector I have, Unseen, yet forever at hand, Unchangeably
faithful to save, Almighty to rule and command. He smiles,
and my comforts abound, His grace as the dew shall descend, And
walls of salvation surround The souls he delights to defend.
346, tune 767.