Summons to Godly Thinking

Introduction: The Climactic Imperatives of Philippians

0:02 This sermon was preached on Sunday morning, January 31st, 1982, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. May I invite you to turn in your own Bibles, please, to the fourth chapter of Paul's letter to the Philippians.

0:20 And follow as I read verses 8 and 9 of this fourth chapter. Philippians chapter 4, verses 8 and 9. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, 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, consider, reckon upon. Concentrate your attention on these things, the things which you both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do, and the God of peace shall be with you. Let us again pray, asking God the Spirit who gave these words to that church many years ago to be present to open our hearts and our understanding. To that, let us pray.

1:39 Our Father, we come again because we feel very keenly our utter dependence upon you if we are rightly to understand your word, and if we are rightly to respond to that word. We confess that there is darkness in our minds and that we need the illuminating ministry of the Spirit, but we also confess that. There is slowness in our hearts, and we need the sanctifying grace of the Spirit that seeing and understanding we may then be given grace to run in the way of your commandments. To this end we cry to you for help. Hear us in this our cry. We plead in Jesus' name.

2:35 Amen. From my personal knowledge of many of you in this congregation, I know that there are not a few of you who have at least some measure of appreciation for what is commonly called classical music, and you therefore know something of what is perhaps one of the most moving, the most stirring, the most exhilarating musical experiences, and I'm referring to the experience that comes when, towards the end of some of the well-known symphonies, or concertos, or concertae, for those of you that are chair-tied, for those of you that want to be more proper, you know what happens when in those musical conclusions, the string section, the woodwinds, the percussion instruments, the brass instruments are going full tilt, often that triple forte and something of that spine-tingling exhilaration that comes when all going at once, when all going at once, when all going at once, and the conductor, if he's someone of the ilk of Leonard Bernstein, has his head shaking and his arms flailing, and everything rises to that mighty climax, and then that work of music is brought to a finish in the midst of that climax, you know something of that experience that comes aesthetically and musically

4:03 in the thing that I'm describing. Well, there is something akin to that in this fourth chapter, of Paul's letter to the Philippians. Certain biblical and spiritual motifs have been woven throughout the entire letter, and now as he comes to draw it to a conclusion, it's as though he pulls all of those things together, and rises to this tremendous climactic statement of Christian duty and responsibility given to us in the verses which I have read in your hearing. Last Lord's Day, we looked at verses 4 to 7, which lead up to this climactic statement.

4:47 Those verses I entitled a trilogy, or a three-fold strand of gospel duty. Well, now the apostle comes on in verses 8 and 9 to the final imperatives of this letter. Apart from the command of verse 21 to greet every saint in Christ Jesus, which is really part of his more formal conclusion of the letter, after the imperatives of verses 8 and 9, we are given a section in verses 10 to 19, which is basically a postscript. It's biographical in nature, and then the blessing and benediction that is pronounced towards God and upon the people concludes the letter. So in a very real sense, the conclusion of the four, the formal content of the letter is found here in verses 8 and 9. And the two imperatives are nestled in these verses. Look at them with me.

5:50 At the end of verse 8, the apostle says, if there be any praise, think on these things. And so we have a clear command with respect to the regulation of Christian thought. A command to fix the thought, upon right things. And then in verse 9, the apostle says, the things which you both learned and received and heard and saw in me, these things do.

6:24 So you have the imperative to think right thoughts, and then the imperative to practice right deeds. Think on these things, do these things. And with that final two, two-fold imperative, the formal instruction of the conduct, the formal instruction with respect to Christian behavior, in a very real sense, comes to an end in this epistle. Now it should be evident to us on the very threshold of our study, that when we see a passage in which we are directed to the thought life of the believer, and to the conduct of the believer, and in that order, we are locked in to one of the most fundamental principles of the entire Christian life. And that principle simply stated is this, right thoughts are the mother of right actions. And right actions are the inevitable and necessary child of right thoughts. Or as one commentator has beautifully and poetically stated it, he says, that thoughts are the weaving looms in the wonderful machinery of the soul.

The Key Word: 'Think' as 'Reckon With'

7:47 They run day and night, weaving the garments which the soul wears.

7:56 If you will care for your thoughts, the thoughts will mold character reflexively and unconsciously. And so brethren, we are not dealing with just another couplet of precepts, among many. We are dealing with two precepts that form the overarching directive of the apostle for these Philippians. And that's indicated in the opening words of verse eight.

8:26 Finally brethren, as for the rest, with respect to everything else I have said, I do not cancel any of that instruction, but as for the rest, to complete all of the previously given instructions, I will not cancel any of that instruction, but as for the rest, to complete all of the previously given instructions, I will not cancel any of that instruction, but as for the rest, to complete all of the previously given instructions, I now lay upon you these two great duties. Think on these things. Fix your thoughts upon right objects. And then these things practice.

8:55 And so God willing, this morning, we're going to look at verse eight, that which I'm entitling The Summons to Godly Thinking. And then Lord willing, we'll follow right through in this evening's exposition with verse nine, The Summons to Godly Thinking. The Summons to Godly Thinking. The Summons to Godly Thinking.

9:11 The Summons to Godly Action. First of all, then, the Summons to Godly Thinking. And as I seek to open up the text, I will trace out three lines of thought with you, and then we'll seek to bring it home to very practical applications. First of all, note the key word in this Summons to Godly Thinking.

9:34 What is the key word in the Summons of verse eight? Well, it is the word that is found towards the end of the verse translated think on these things. And the word translated think is not the ordinary word describing mental activity, but it is the word that in other contexts is translated quite frequently reckon. It's the word of Romans six with respect to the believer coming to grips with the implications of his union with Christ.

10:11 He is to reckon himself to have died indeed with Jesus Christ. He is to focus his thoughts upon a revealed reality and regulate his life accordingly. So the emphasis, you see, falls not upon abstract thought as such, but upon coming to grips with realities with a view to reflecting those realities in life. And so perhaps, perhaps we could better translate it, reckon with, take account of, consider or reflect upon.

10:50 And that's the key word in this Summons to Godly Thinking. And it's interesting that the apostle uses what we call a present imperative. He is calling the Philippians not to an activity that is to be performed spasmodically, but to an activity which is to be performed spasmodically. To be formed, I'm sorry, an activity which is to be performed continually.

11:17 He is saying to them, be continually taking account of certain things. Be continually considering and reflecting upon certain things. So we have not obeyed this summons unless the activity to which it calls us becomes part of our activity. Our spiritual habit.

The Specific Objects of Godly Thinking: Six Virtues

11:46 We have not complied with the directive of this text until the thing to which it directs us has become part of our spiritual habit. So much for the key word in this Summons to Godly Thinking. Now notice the specific objects of this Summons to Godly Thinking. What are the things upon which we are to think?

12:12 What are the things at the end of verse 8, these things that we are to consider, to reckon with, to think upon, what are they? Well, if you go back over the list, it will be evident to you that he classifies six specific things and then two general or generic things at the end. He first of all gives this list of six different virtues which we are to think upon. We are constantly to reckon with, constantly to consider, constantly to think about, constantly to focus our attention upon.

12:55 And I will attempt to give a very brief working description of each one of them as they appear in the text. Look at it with me, please. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things, number one in the list, are true. We are to reckon with, we are to think upon, constantly consider that which is true or truthful.

13:23 And the word is used which can point in the direction of God's truth, thy word is truth, directing us constantly to ponder reality as reality is set before us by God, the only ultimate arbiter of what is reality. God alone who knows all can declare what constitutes reality. But in this context, it probably has reference to truth in the sense of our speaking and living the truth. Ephesians 4.25 Wherefore, putting away falsehood, speak ye every man truth with his neighbor. It's the opposite of that which is the lie. And so the apostle is saying in this, in this concluding summons to proper and godly thinking that the Philippians are constantly to reckon with the truth. They are to have their minds and mental and spiritual perspectives taken up with living and speaking in such a way that the lie will have no part in them.

14:38 Then he goes on to say, whatsoever things are honorable. And this is perhaps the most difficult word, first of all to translate and then to explain. It's the word used in the pastoral epistles and there always translated grave.

14:58 The older men should be grave. In 1 Timothy 2.2 we're to pray that we may live a life of all gravity. And it refers to that which is the opposite of buffoonery and sinful frivolity.

15:15 In other words, it is not speaking of a somberness which has nothing to do with wholesome biblical piety. But it's speaking of a quality which is just the opposite of that characteristic which is so often present in the world where everything's a lark and everything's a joke.

15:36 And he says to believers, you are to reckon with, concentrate your attention upon not only that which is true, but that which is honorable. That is conduct which shows self-respect and sobriety and in turn wins the respect of others. Then he says in the third place, whatsoever things are just. And here it's relatively easy to give the sense and the meaning of the word for something to be just means that it lines up with God's standard of right and wrong.

16:16 And so the apostles, the people is saying, consider, reckon with, think upon, fix your mind upon that which is just. In other words, that which reflects your desire and your efforts to give to God and to man that which is their due in every single relationship of life. God makes just requirements upon us. The government makes requirements upon us which God has given it the authority to make upon us.

16:48 Surrender to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. So to think upon, to reckon with the just is to reckon upon that which meets God's standard of right and wrong which measures up to the discharging of obligations to God and man. Then he says in the fourth place, whatsoever things are pure. And that word pure means basically free from defilement.

17:17 It's used of God in 1 John 3.3. We are to be pure as he is pure. Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he, God, is, and here's the word, pure.

17:32 God is utterly free from that which defiles. In him is light and there is no darkness in him at all. And it refers at least to the matter of moral purity but we should not limit it to moral insecurity or actual purity but to anything that would defile us. Paul said to Timothy using this very word, 1 Timothy 5.22 Keep thyself pure in every relationship, Timothy. Do not allow yourself to be sullied and defiled by moral defilement. It's the word used to describe a pure virgin in 2 Corinthians 11 and verse 2. So you get the thrust of it then.

18:15 That which is in the world, that which is contrary to God's law, when we involve ourselves in it, we defile ourselves and become impure. We are to concentrate upon, we are to reckon with the things that are pure. Then in the fifth place, and this is again so difficult to translate and describe simply because we don't have a lot of usages of this word in the scriptures. The word lovely.

18:44 Whatsoever things are lovely. Now the very usages, that word sounds a bit funny to our ears, doesn't it? And what it literally means, if we were to give something of the etymology of the word, that which is towards love. The preposition pros and then one of the words for love, phile, that which is towards love.

19:06 In other words, that which promotes love. That which elicits love when people see it, it is a love, it is a lovable thing. And one of the most helpful little illustrations of the meaning of the word I found in one of the commentators who trying to do what I'm attempting to do, describe the meaning of the word found that perhaps a picture was better than, if not a thousand words, two or three hundred words. By lovely is meant calculated to gain love.

19:40 And practically, whatsoever things are calculated to gain love is an expression equivalent to, whatsoever things show love. Dr. Dobridge, speaking of a little daughter who died young and who was a great favorite with all the friends of the family, mentions that when he once asked his daughter what made everyone love her so well, she answered, indeed papa, I cannot think unless it be because I love everybody. A sentiment he truly remarks, obvious to the understanding of a child, yet not unworthy of the reflection of the wisest man.

20:24 Veracity, dignity, justice and purity, the four former qualities, or five, may procure respect, but love alone is likely to win love. Whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things will elicit from people a response of love, we are to think, We are to reckon with, we are to concentrate our attention upon the lovely. And then the sixth thing that he mentions, whatsoever things are of good report. That which is praiseworthy, or as the New International Version renders it, that which is admirable.

21:09 Admirable. Can't say it. Admirable. Ah, I got it out.

21:13 I always want to get in an extra syllable when I say admirable. I got it out twice. Now I feel more secure.

21:22 Manton, commentator of another generation, says,

21:30 Then we rightly despise the applause and approval of men when we will do nothing sinful to gain it. And then we rightly desire it when we will do nothing ill to forfeit it. You see what he's saying? What is that which is of good report upon which we are to think, with which we are to reckon?

21:57 It is that pattern of activity that is utterly free of sinful compromise. We will not do evil to gain the favorable report of any man. But, neither will we do any evil in order to lose it. We will commit no sin to gain it.

22:17 But we are willing to go to great... Great lengths, short of sin, to secure it.

The Generic Objects of Godly Thinking: Virtue and Praise

22:23 I am become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Well, those are the six specific virtues that form the object of this summons to godly thinking. When the apostle said, think on, reckon with, constantly consider these things, it was these six virtues that he was referring to. But then he concludes with two general, or generic, virtues, and these he expresses in this language, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise.

23:05 You see, he moves from the specific to the generic, from the particular to the more general. And he says, if I have omitted anything when I have said whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things be of good report, my list, perhaps, is not complete. If there is anything that comes under the heading of virtue, and anything that is worthy of praise, think upon, take account of, constantly consider all such things. And so the virtuous and the worthy of praise are not only, in a sense, a summary of the previous sin, but they are a catch-all for anything else that can be called a virtue that ought to mark the lives of the people of God.

The Comprehensiveness of the Summons

24:03 Now, so much for the key word in this summons to godly thinking. Now, we've briefly considered the specific objects of this summons to godly thinking. Now, in the third place, in opening up the text, notice the comprehensiveness of this summons to godly thinking. Notice the comprehensiveness of this summons to godly thinking.

24:23 The apostle puts the same word before every one of the six specifics. And your translators were right when they kept repeating the word whatsoever, whatsoever, whatsoever, whatsoever, whatsoever. Why did he do that? Well, for the same reason that I hope you can exegete yourself, having heard me do it.

24:49 After a while, you begin to get the message. After a while, you begin to get the message. After a while, you begin to get the message. He could have said, and it would have been perfectly good linguistic and grammatical structure, whatsoever things are true, comma, re-honorable, comma, pure, comma, just, comma, and we would have understood it.

25:09 But he kept repeating this word that means whatsoever, whatsoever, whatsoever, whatsoever, and not enough. When he comes to the two generic terms, virtue and praise, he then says, if there be any virtue, any praise, now put all the whatsoevers with the two n's, and you begin to get the message. You begin to get the message? He's saying to the Philippians, expand your perspective of what it is to be a thoroughgoing Christian.

25:43 Expand your horizons of what it means to shine as lights in the midst of darkness. Lift up your eyes from a groveling low view. A view of progress in grace. Begin to think comprehensively, expansively, largely, whatsoever, whatsoever, whatsoever, whatsoever, whatsoever, if there be any, if there be any.

26:08 And in those words is underscored the comprehensiveness of this summons to godly thinking. Now then, that basically is the meaning of the text. A call. A call to reckon with.

Application 1: Condemnation of Mental Preoccupation with Evil

26:26 Constantly to think upon these six virtues than anything that fits the picture of the two generic terms. Now what in the world does all of that say to us sitting here this morning? What should it have said to the Philippian church the first morning or evening or afternoon it was read to them? Well, let me suggest that as I come to application, I feel the embarrassment of riches.

26:51 I feel something of... The frustration of profuseness.

26:58 There's so much. But I want to draw out four lines of application that I trust you as the people of God will find immensely helpful in your own personal lives and that we as a church will find helpful in our corporate life. First of all, this text, this summons to godly thinking condemns all mental preoccupation with evil. Second of all, this text, this summons to godly thinking condemns all mental preoccupation with evil.

27:31 Now Paul was very, very conscious of the ugly, ever-present reality of sin and of evil. He tells us in Romans 7, he was conscious of it from his own inward spiritual experience. This is his language. I find that to me, when I would do...

27:55 When I would do good, evil is present with me. And the consciousness of the presence of evil within him as a believer is that which caused him to give birth or to issue forth in that painful cry, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? He was very conscious of evil within. He was very conscious of evil in the world without.

28:24 He was very conscious of evil in the world without. In this very epiphany. How did he describe the world? In chapter 2 in verse 15.

28:29 He didn't use very flattering terms. He called it a crooked and perverse generation. A crooked and perverse generation. He was very conscious of the evil within his own heart.

28:41 The evil that was in the world. And he was also conscious of the evil within the church. Chapter 1 in verse 15, he said, Some indeed are preaching Christ out of envy and strife. Evil in the church.

28:53 He had to say in chapter 3, I tell you now. Verse 18, I tell you even weeping. There are enemies of the cross of Christ. He had to warn them about these Judaizers and said, Beware the dogs.

29:05 Beware the concision. Beware the evil workers. You see, Paul was not someone whose head was off in the clouds somewhere out of touch with reality. But when he wrote to the Philippians and said, Oh my Philippians, finally.

29:22 For the rest. As the great overarching directive that I give for your Christian experience. Don't allow your minds to be preoccupied with evil. Don't allow the ugly realities of the sin within your own heart.

29:42 The sin in the world and the sin in the church. So to preoccupy your mind. That you cannot reckon with. Constantly take account of.

29:52 The things that are true. The things that are honorable. The things that are just and pure and lovely and of good report. Now let me descend to particulars in terms of the application of this first principle.

30:07 The reason some Christians make very little progress in the Christian life lies right here. They are totally or almost totally preoccupied with the evil that is still within their own hearts. Now the evil there is real. We are not denying it.

30:28 But they are so preoccupied with it that they make no progress in the development of these Christian graces. He whose mind and spirit is constantly preoccupied with evil will make no progress in grace. Or they are preoccupied with the evil in the world. They are constantly looking for who might emerge as the anti-Christ.

30:52 Well Paul knew about the emergence. Of the anti-Christ. He gave us that teaching in Thessalonians. Second Thessalonians too.

30:59 But he didn't spend all his time. Spanning the Roman government. And spanning every political situation. And nervously biting his nails.

31:09 Wondering if the anti-Christ were on the scene. God will bash the anti-Christ when he desires to. As Pastor Blaise would say. God will bash him.

31:24 And he knew that. So he didn't get all nervous. He didn't think about it. Other people every time you talk to them.

31:32 Christians. They want to give you some recent article of some new juicy tidbit about corruption in the government. Corruption in the world council of churches. Corruption here.

31:41 Corruption there. We are not ignorant that this is a crooked and perverse generation. But God says think on what? These things.

31:52 The virtuous. The praiseworthy. Not all the garbage. of the international conspiracies and of dishonesty in government and a menace of communism and the evils within the church.

32:06 And if I'm speaking to any Christian here this morning, listen, you are sinning against Almighty God if that's the perspective with which you live as much as if you broke the commandment thou shalt do no murder. Almighty God says think on these things and if you're not thinking on these things listed in Philippians 4, 8, you are sinning against God as well as against your own soul. Think on these things. Let your mind be taken up with the pure, with the honorable, with the just.

32:40 Be conceiving of new ways to expand your sensitivity to that which is lovely, that which is worthy of praise, that which is honorable. You don't stick your head in the sand. You've got to live with yourself. You can't forget there's evil.

Application 2: Forbidding Unnecessary Mental Exposure to Evil

32:55 You've got to live in the world. You can't forget that there's evil. But this text condemns all mental preoccupation with evil. Secondly, this text forbids all unnecessary mental exposure to evil.

33:13 This text forbids all unnecessary mental exposure to evil. Now again, the Bible is clear and realistic. Living with your own heart will expose you to evil. Living with your own heart will expose you to evil.

33:27 Living with your own heart will expose you to evil. It will expose you to a constant source of evil. And if you're to get away from evil in the world, Paul says you've got to go out of it. 1 Corinthians 5, 9, and 10.

33:37 He says, When I told you not to go hobnobbing with fornicators and the rest, he said, I didn't mean with the fornicators of this world, then you must needs go out of this world.

33:47 He said, I mean if anyone's that's named a brother be a fornicator, not with him to eat. But he said, Look, I'm a realist. When I told you not to hobnob with sinners, I don't mean the sinners of the world. Only way that can go, you have to go out of this world, either in the life of a hermit or go home to glory.

34:01 Now, he's a realist. But when he wrote these words, Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, etc., he was telling them and us that we must not unnecessarily expose our minds to evil.

34:23 And what am I talking about in particular? I'm talking about the Christian who deliberately picks up reading material, whether in popular family, women's or men's magazines, or whether from the book rack at the local supermarket or wherever else, who deliberately, willfully picks up literature that exposes his mind to evil patterns of life and evil speech, foul language and foul living. The man, the woman, the boy or girl who deliberately, willfully, by an act of his own choice, brings himself into the presence of evil is violating this text of Scripture.

35:11 I'm talking about careless TV watching.

35:16 Do you know that you can undo in one hour of injudicious TV watching the benefits of a whole Lord's day?

35:26 That's right. One hour of injudicious TV watching can bring such filth, such impurity, such evil, non-virtue, non-praiseworthy things. And you see your remaining sin reaches out and enfolds those things. You do not expose your mind to them in a state of ethical and moral neutrality.

35:51 Remaining sin has a positive magnetism for evil. And you get anything near enough, it's like that which has a negative polarity and it fastens on to your heart,

36:05 driving over, today as I was going over some of the points of the sermon with my wife who's in the nursery, I made the statement that I was going to say that I believe it's accurate to state that one evening spent watching an injudiciously chosen motion picture can cause a man to lose years of spiritual gains. And she said, Honey, that's a bit extreme, isn't it? She challenged me. I'm glad I've got a wife that challenges me.

36:36 I said, No, dear. I say that because of the people who've sat in my study and when we've started to do some spiritual probing, the confession has come out that the spiritual gains of years were lost in principle when they saw an ill-chosen movie that started them down the pathway of addiction to various forms of bondage to impurity. So it's not an overstatement.

Application 3: Demanding Positive Commitment to Christian Virtues

37:15 You see our text? Whatsoever things are true, pure, lovely, any virtue, any praise, think upon these things. The text therefore not only condemns all mental preoccupation with evil, but it forbids all unnecessary mental exposure to evil. But then, even from a positive standpoint, in the third place, by way of application, the text demands a positive commitment to the pursuit of Christian virtues.

37:53 The text demands a positive commitment to the pursuit of Christian virtues. Now, what do I mean by that? Well, simply this. So often, I'm asked by people, particularly in conferences with young people, Pastor Martin, what's wrong with, and then you can put in whatever you want to, what's wrong with this activity, that activity, this kind of music, that kind of music, this relationship, that relationship.

38:23 And you know how I often answer, I let enough of it come forth until I had some real fuel to shoot at them. And I say, isn't it interesting that the last five questions have been, what's wrong with, and I turn to this verse and I say, you're all thinking backwards. I haven't heard anyone ask, what is right with?

38:42 You see, a Christian is not someone who comes as near to the precipice of evil as possible without falling off.

38:52 We read this morning that Christ died for us. For what purpose? That we might live positively in the direction of righteousness and holiness and sobriety. That He might purify us to Himself, making us what?

39:08 Not just zealous to avoid evil works, but zealous of doing good works. And this text, perhaps more than any other in the New Testament, demands of us who name the name of Christ a positive commitment to the pursuit of Christian virtues. We must not ask what is wrong with it. We must ask what is there in it that is a reflection of truth that will help me to be more truthful.

39:40 What is there in it that is a reflection of that which is honorable, grave, that which reflects coming to grips with reality and escaping from the fool's paradise of the world that lasts while it plunges itself into hell? What is there in this contemplated relationship activity, musical form, art form, theater form, whatever it is? What is there about it that will make me more pure, free from defilement? What is there in it that will make it more likely that I shall gain, the good report on just grounds of those who know that I name the name of Christ?

40:22 What is there in it that is virtuous and praiseworthy from the living God? And when you can answer those questions,

40:32 then perhaps you ought to consider reading that book, seeing that play, going to that movie, starting that relationship, listening to that piece of music.

40:45 You see, this text demands of us a positive commitment to the pursuit of Christian virtues.

Application 4: Constant, Thoughtful Exposure to Means of Grace

40:55 And then finally, the text demands a constant, thoughtful exposure to the means by which we learn what are the comprehensive manifestations of these virtues. It demands a constant, thoughtful exposure to the means by which we learn what are the comprehensive manifestations of these virtues. Look at the text again. Whatsoever things are true, think on these things.

41:30 Well, how am I going to know the things that are a reflection of a commitment to truth? Well, obviously, I've got to search my Bible. I've got to live in the Scriptures. Furthermore, I must constantly examine and meditate upon the life of my Lord who is truth embodied.

41:49 I am. The truth. And seek to be like Him in my dealings with others, a man, a woman, of truthfulness. I need to look closely at the lives of exemplary Christians and see what truthfulness means for them in the day-by-day experience of the Christian life.

42:09 You see, it takes this constant, thoughtful exposure to these means by which we learn whatsoever is true, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is true, whatsoever is honorable, whatsoever is pure, whatsoever is of good report. You see, this just isn't going to come to us. It's making demands upon us. And in conclusion, I want to read from John Stone, from whom I have quoted quite frequently in the course of these expositions.

The Full Beauty of Christian Character: Wholeness, Not Selectivity

42:42 John Stone makes this very, very perceptive comment in his introduction to this very passage, trying to give a general overview before he descends to particulars. He says this, The wise Christian will bring his Christianity into the details of his life. Observe that such a Christian will not pick and choose among the aspects and elements of godliness, but whatsoever things his conscience and his Bible tell him to be in accord with the divine will, these all and all ways he will attempt to do in the language of David, esteeming all God's commandments concerning all things to be right and hating every false way. Now, dear Christian, hear Mr. John Stone on this next point. The full beauty of the Christian character and its full effectiveness as a sweet, persuasive influence on the world are not obtained by the act of the Christian character.

43:51 It is not by the exhibition of one or two virtues with great completeness and constancy, but by the manifest presence and harmonious development of all virtues, exhibiting your character therefore all the elements of a full, ripe Christianity. Now let me illustrate what he means and try to bring it home to your conscience. Mr. John Stone is saying that according to this text, a believer is not to have the attitude, well, this idea of really thinking upon what is pure appeals to me because my life before I was converted was marked by immersion in impurity and to be delivered from the defilement of an impure life is such a thrilling thing to me. I'm going to concentrate on whatsoever things are pure. And then furthermore, I was such a liar before I was converted. The whole idea that I now love the truth and it's such a joy, to speak the truth, I'll concentrate on whatsoever things are true.

44:56 But then Mr. John Stone says, this man is indifferent to whatsoever things are lovely. Perhaps one of the marks of his pre-converted days was that he was very insensitive to common manners. He never said please, never said thank you, wasn't concerned about showering regularly, using sufficient deodorant to make it evident to all that he'd use some.

45:22 And he says, well as a new man in Christ, the Bible says whatsoever things are pure. And the dear man really studies purity. And you could not find a more exemplary Christian in the area of keeping his mind free from any unnecessary exposure to sinful thoughts. He's careful in what he reads.

45:43 He says, with Job I've made a covenant with my eyes that I should not look upon a maiden. He says, with David I will set no base thing before my eyes. He says, he's Spartan in his TV watching. He's exemplary with respect to whatsoever things are pure.

46:00 And oh how exemplary he is in whatsoever things are true. He's honest to the point where he's almost harsh in his honesty.

46:11 But in his place of business he has no testimony. Why? Because he doesn't say please. He doesn't say thank you.

46:19 And he's got the O. We laugh, but it's true. It's true. And what will the world do?

46:29 It won't say this man's a model of purity and honesty. They'll say this guy professes to be a Christian and he's got no manners and he stinks.

46:42 And Paul said in the day of Christ I will have run in vain unless you Philippians are what? Blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Now that's what Mr. Johnstone is talking about.

47:01 He says that true effectiveness in witness consists not in one or two or three graces highly developed but in the concurrent wholeness of the development of all of these graces. And I want to be very blunt and frank with some of you dear men this morning. Some of you young men do you know why some of the godly Christian young women in this church are not too interested in you? Because you think it's beneath advancement advancement in grace to learn to be a kind and a gracious gentleman.

47:36 You think there's something unmanly if you see one of the married or single women downstairs in the coat room reaching for a coat to say excuse me let me get your coat for you and take it off the rack and put it on. You think there's something unmanly about that. No there's something lovely about that.

47:54 There's something lovely and God says whatsoever things are lovely think on these things. Analyze your life young man and ask yourself what is there about me that is lovely that is promoting love that elicits love that elicits praise in the right sense. These are not matters of indifference.

48:19 A young woman who has any aesthetic sensitivity and sees that you have not worked at cultivating a sense of color coordination that you put the weirdest colors together that anyone looks at the colors they praise that God will make them color blind.

48:38 Now we laugh but who gave us the capacity to appreciate either the harmony or the disharmony of colors the devil or God? Who gave us that capacity?

48:53 God did. And that's included if there be any virtue cultivate the virtue of being sensitive to how what you wear appears and affects others. It's their eyeballs upon which the color of colors the cacophony of color that you wear impinge.

49:14 It's their eyeballs that have to suffer. Now you say Pastor that's ridiculous. You show me that that doesn't come within the framework of this text and I'll buy your objection that that's ridiculous but not until then. If there is any virtue if there is anything praiseworthy consider think upon reckon with these things and there is no way to do this no way to do it whatsoever whatsoever without constant serious reflection upon what these things are and what they will mean in the concrete of your life and of my life.

49:53 We have got to study what is true study what is honorable study what is pure study what is just study what is lovely study what is of good report. There are few things more beautiful this side of heaven than to see a man or a woman who is developing in the full spectrum of Christian graces. It's a beautiful thing. You see a wholesome Christian is a beautiful thing and you see that beauty is just a little reflection of the loveliness of Christ.

50:37 We call him the altogether lovely one the fairest among ten thousand who has not God ordained that we should be conformed to his image. Study the life of our Lord see his gracious dealing with needy sinners see his gentle manliness in his treatment of women in the very agony of his suffering upon the cross woman behold thy son son behold thy mother the loveliness of the considerateness of Christ.

51:13 This is not saccharine sentimentality young men to see young men who have the assertedness of godly manhood and yet in that same godly wholesome masculine aggressiveness the gentleness the meekness the loveliness of Jesus. That's a beautiful thing. God says we all ought to become beautiful people lovely people.

Call to Action: Cultivating Beauty and Obedience

51:40 I've picked more on the men because I think I know more of the areas perhaps where men have a tendency not to be beautiful but it equally applies to you dear women. Do you study what it is that will make you more lovely?

51:57 I tell you you can't get it from Helena Rubinstein.

52:02 She can't give it to you. You've got to find it in this book.

52:07 You've got to find it in this book and you've got to go to work on dealing with those things that are not lovely. Those things that are not of good report and that's just going to take time. Now isn't it interesting some people would sit and hear a sermon like this this morning and say that's pure moralistic preaching that has no place in the Christian church. You haven't said one word about union with Christ.

52:28 You haven't said one word about the cross. My friends listen. When we were in chapter 3 all we talked about was union with Christ and the cross. Why?

52:36 Because that's all that's there.

52:40 And when it's there we're going to talk about it. But in this verse there's not a word about union with Christ.

52:48 Now the apostle knows that nobody is going to think on these things who is not united to Christ who does not have a heart of love for Christ. He's already taught us that in the epistle. But the focal point of concern here is not upon what we are in Christ by divine activity but what we are to become in Christ by our own conscious effort. You see the emphasis of this passage is not he works in you to will and to work.

53:16 Philippians 2.13 the emphasis is Philippians 2.12 you work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. And I'm determined in my preaching to let God's emphasis be mine.

53:27 And never be more fastidious than God is.

53:32 And God is not fastidious in this passage. He says finally brethren whatever things are true whatever things are honorable whatever things are just whatever things are pure whatever things are lovely whatever things are of good report if there be any virtue be any praise you you you don't ask the Lord to do it. You think on these things. That's what I'm saying.

53:59 It's God's word. And you prove your love to Christ not by copping out with pious fraud by saying oh well that sermon was moralistic and I choose to have sermons that are full of Christ. When God says get your mind full of what it is to be virtuous and lovely and pure you better fill your mind with the things God says you should fill them with and not fill your mind with your own thoughts.

Conclusion: Repentance and Dependence on Christ

54:26 And in this text God is telling you what to fill your mind with. Now of course and here's the balancing statement this is utterly impossible apart from drawing strength from Christ drawing motivation from the grace of Christ and we have emphasized that again and again even in last week's exposition how union with Christ was dominant in verses four to seven and it's against that backdrop of wanting to please our Lord and reflect our Lord that is all understood and that is our good friend Dr. Ferguson would say at the end of the day and as we say perhaps a bit more coarsely where the rubber meets the road you will not grow in these virtues unless you think consider reckon with constantly fix your attention upon them for remember your thoughts are the weaving loom upon which are formed the garments of the soul and what clothes the soul will mold and direct the life think think consider dwell upon reckon with these things for some of you for some of you there will be no first step in this direction apart from some deep and honest searching of heart because you have had a pattern of letting your mind

55:55 dwell upon evil your pattern has not been exposing your mind to evil thoughts through the TV through your reading but your mind dwells upon evil all the evils in the world all the evils in society all the evils in your own heart you've got to start by saying Lord I see I've sinned I've let evil cloud the vision of yourself and of what you command me to be by your grace for some of you it must mean the alteration of patterns it may mean going home today and throwing out some magazines and some books it may mean that if it does then do it do it do it in the language of the next text in the God of Peace shall be with you but do it for others of you it's going to have to mean a matter of saying Lord forgive me for my childish ignorance some of you have not been willfully recalcitrant and rebellious but you really did think being spiritual had nothing to do with learning good manners you thought that that had nothing to do with pleasing Christ I hope you see this morning that it does and you may want to go to someone who's older and more mature in the Lord and say look I need help I'm a social klutz and I need help and there are people here who'd be glad to help you for you it's not so much the repentance of willful evil but the repentance of sins of ignorance but friends we've got to do business with God if we're to obey this text

57:24 may God help us to obey it and reflect in our lives the beauty of our Lord Jesus Christ let us pray our Father we are so thankful for the scriptures that you have given us this written word which is a lamp unto our feet and a light to our pathway and we confess this morning our sins of having such a constricted vision of the life of godliness and we pray that your word will purge away all unchristian unbiblical thoughts and that we may have implanted in the deepness recesses of our being your own truth oh teach us how to think upon to consider to reckon with these things teach us Lord what are the things that are true teach us what are those things that are honorable the things that are just and pure and lovely and of good report teach us what is virtuous and praiseworthy and oh Lord as you increasingly teach us may we increasingly fix our minds upon these things help us

58:52 that this may not be just another sermon to be heard and somewhat understood at the level of our comprehension but oh that it may be worked out in every dimension of life oh God help us we pray and for those who sit amongst us utterly unconcerned about virtue and truth and purity oh God smite their hearts and bring them to the place where they will love the very things that you command us to think upon hear then our prayer and receive our thanks again for your holy word and for the presence of your holy spirit in the study and in the consideration of that word this morning receive our thanks and be with us as we leave this place we ask through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen