"Doing All Things in Christ"
Philippians 4:9-13

May 6, 2007
by C.W. Powell

“9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, [therewith] to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Php 4:9-13 AV)

In this passage Paul speaks of personal things. The inspiration of the Bible does not imply that the books do not carry the imprint of the personal character and personality of the writers. The written word is human, just as the incarnate word was human; yet without sin or error.

vs. 9. The great apostle was confident that he taught and did the truth. This gave him great peace. These promises are for us to, for the fellowship of the Gospel is one: from the apostles, to us, as the Apostle John tells us in 1 John 1. vs. 10-11. Paul thanks the church for their offerings to him. "flourished again" is a figure: a tree, coming out to blossom again.

1. The language represents a bit of tenseness. Paul was usually reluctant to speak of money. He is a bit awkward about it.
2. "At the last" is not a complaint; circumstances were beyond their control.

vs. 11-13. Trust in God enables the saint to rise above circumstances.

1. This is not a detachment from responsibility and achievement, but from worry.
2. Worry is not a responsibility, but diligence and work are. Worry hinders true responsibility.
3. Trust in God is not manifest by hurrying about in all directions at once; fretting and fuming over things you cannot change, and complaining about other people. The reveals lack of trust.
4. Paul did not fret and stew over the failure of the gift of the Philippians to get the offerings there on time; he had learned to take these circumstances from God, and go on about his business.
5. He did not use such things as an excuse not to do the will of God; he drew strength from Jesus Christ.
6. "content" means self-sufficiency--to be strong enough; not to be dependent upon others. A GODLY INDEPENDENCE is implied; there is an ungodly kind.
7. There are two rocks that can wreck the soul if we crashupon them: sinful independence; and sinful dependency. We are living stones making up the temple of God; but we do not derive our life from each other; but from God.
8. Whatever state I am: whatever the condition is. Imagination is not to rule here; God's promises are.

Look at Ecclesiastes 7:8ff. We will use Solomon's exhortation to contentment to comment on Paul's exhortation to contentment:

“8 Better [is] the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: [and] the patient in spirit [is] better than the proud in spirit.
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. This has to do with moderation and self control. The end of a thing is better than the beginning. This is true in everything in life. Get hold of this. Patience is a child of faith, as Bridges says.

10 Say not thou, What is [the cause] that the former days were better than these? for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this. Right now is always the best time for the child of God for right now is the only time you live. You may regret the past, and you may hope for the future, but you live right now.

11 Wisdom [is] good with an inheritance: and [by it there is] profit to them that see the sun. 12 For wisdom [is] a defence, [and] money [is] a defence: but the excellency of knowledge [is, that] wisdom giveth life to them that have it.

1. It is good to have wisdom with an inheritance, because the inheritance will be lost or wasted without wisdom. Wealth is neither good or bad in itself—it depends on what you do with it, and that is why wisdom is necessary.

2. So it is with the inheritance of the faith—it is good if you were reared in a Christian home and blessed with good instruction, morals, and knowledge. But what good is it without wisdom? Wisdom is the principle thing, the wise man says, which shows that the spiritual always trumps the material.

3. Both wealth and wisdom are a defense. You can buy your way out of trouble, or you can be smart.

4. But true wisdom will not only deliver you from trouble, it will save your soul from hell.

13. Consider the work of God: for who can make [that] straight, which he hath made crooked? 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.

1. The conditions of life are not in you hands. They are in the hands of God: the crooked things and the straight things.

2. Be glad in the day of blessing; and don’t get screwed up in your mind in the days of trouble. God would humble you and me, so that we are satisfied with God Himself. We do not come to God to get something else. God is the end; not the means.

15 All [things] have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just [man] that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked [man] that prolongeth [his life] in his wickedness. 16 Be not righteous over much; neither make thyself over wise: why shouldest thou destroy thyself? 17 Be not over much wicked, neither be thou foolish: why shouldest thou die before thy time?

1. Puzzle: A just man dies in his righteousness; and a wicked man lives on though wicked. Why? The just man is people foolish in the world; the wicked man is people wise in the world.

2. Solution #1: don’t make a fool of yourself by pretending to be over much righteous: you may be a good man but you will destroy yourself.

3. Solution #2 don’t make a fool of yourself by being so wicked that you die before your time.

4. Lesson: If worldly wisdom can keep you alive in this world, so that it can keeping you from dying before your time, regardless of your moral character, then how much more can heavenly wisdom profit you.

18 [It is] good that thou shouldest take hold of this; yea, also from this withdraw not thine hand: for he that feareth God shall come forth of them all.” After both the just man and the wicked man are dead and gone, it is the fear of the Lord that causes us to triumph.

Paul knew how to be abased: see 2:3; and 2:3. To be humbled; lowliness of mind.

Paul knew how to abound: sometimes it is more difficult to abound than to be abased. It is God's agenda that counts, not ours.

Paul knew both fullness and hunger.

Paul was "Instructed" (word used by pagan mystery cults of secret initiations) Paul uses it in deliberate contrast: his was not secret, but open and before the world. See 2Cor. 11:21ff I will glory in the flesh!! (vs. 18) He would glory in his sufferings. I will glory in the sufferings of the flesh!!! God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I can do all things: Through Christ. This is not stoicism; this is not the turning away from value, and treating all things as equal. This was not equated good with evil, and blessings with cursings. It is through Christ. Christ has promised us strength to endure and to overcome all things; to do all that He has commanded; and to receive every blessing that is for our good.

But the strength does not come through toughness of mind; fleshly confidence; or mental discipline, as the stoics taught: It comes through Christ: the emphasis is not on the "I" but on Jesus Christ.

Rejoicing; Moderation; Careful for nothing; peace of God.

May God bless you.

Amen and Amen