"GOD’S PEOPLE MUST EXUDE A DISPOSITION OF GENTLENESS."

Singing: (Psalms and Hymns are from the "Book of Praise" Anglo Genevan Psalter)
Psalm 86:1,2
Hymn 21:4,5
Psalm 145:2,3
Psalm 37:1,2,5
Psalm 34:6,7,8

Beloved Congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ!

How do people around you perceive you? Your spouse and family members, the brothers and sisters of the congregation, the people at work, your neighbors: how do they perceive you? Anxious and tense? Flippant and carefree? Selfish?

The question is important. The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit changes people so that we no longer are what we by nature would be. That change cannot remain hidden. The change produces different conduct, so that persons raised to new life no longer produce works of the flesh. More, the change produces different attitudes; the Christian not only acts differently in respect of outward behavior, but has a different mindset, a different disposition than the average person of the community.

It’s this disposition that Paul encourages in our text this morning. "Let your gentleness be known to all men," he writes, and so instructs the Philippians –and all God’s people of all ages- to see to it that all men perceive the Christians of Philippi –and hence of Kelmscott- as having a disposition of "gentleness".

I summarize the sermon with this theme:

The word translated for us as "gentleness" is very difficult to translate. A footnote in some of our Bibles mentions a couple of alternative translations: "graciousness" or "forbearance". Other translations speak of "reasonableness" or "moderation" or "being considerate".

Amongst the Greeks the term was used to describe rulers who did not insist on applying the letter of the law in their administration of justice, but were happy to overlook people’s wrongs somewhat. That’s how it’s used in the Old Testament too. In the Greek translation of Ps 86, we find the same word as appears in our text, and there it reads: "For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You" (vs 5). The Greek translation of Ezra 9 uses the word also, where Ezra says this: "And now for a little while grace has been shown from the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant to escape…" (vs 8). This second text has its context in the exile, the punishment of God on the sins of His people. But the Lord did not leave His people in exile; though they did not turn to Him in full repentance, though they remained so deserving of His continued judgment, the Lord was gracious, was moderate in His approach to them, was considerate and kind – and so brought a remnant back to the Promised Land.

The term occurs a few times in the New Testament also. The brothers eligible for the office of bishop, says Paul, must display this quality of gentleness to others, of being gracious, considerate, moderate (1 Tim 3:3). James uses the word to describe "wisdom that is from above" (3:17). This wisdom, he says, "is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits…." Notice the sort of company the term ‘gentle’ keeps. James groups it with "peaceable", "willing to yield", "full of mercy." That taste of the word is pointed up specifically in Jesus’ life. Paul says of Jesus that He was "meek" and "gentle" – same word again (2 Cor 10:1). Notice how Paul sets the word "meek" beside the word "gentle"; those two mean similar things. And we know how it was that Jesus was "meek" and "gentle". He didn’t insist on His own rights, did not underline every sin He saw another commit, did not revile when He was reviled (1 Peter 2:23). He was instead "gentle", gracious, forbearing, moderate, kind. That is to say: He displayed mercy in its deepest sense, for He laid down His life to save the ungodly.

So, when Ursinus wrote the Catechism, he refers to this particular word in Lord’s Day 4.11. God, says Lord’s Day 4, is terribly displeased with our original sin as well as our actual sins, and will therefore punish them with a just judgment. That raises this question: "But is God not also merciful?" That is: isn’t He willing to yield, isn’t He ready to forgive, gracious, moderate, forbearing to sinners? The glorious answer is Yes, "God is indeed merciful," and that opens the way for the second part of the Catechism, the part on Deliverance from our Sins and Misery. That’s our God: merciful, gentle, gracious. And because that’s what God is like, we have life!

This is now the word Paul uses in our text. "Let your gentleness be known to all men," he urges. Gentleness: the people of Philippi are to see in the Christians of town a disposition of mercy, a disposition that overlooks wrongs, a temperament that does not insist on personal rights, a temperament that encourages the other and seeks his good – never mind what he deserves.

Now, why might the apostle say such a thing to the Philippians? You recall, congregation, the circumstances in the church of Philippi. The apostle Paul in prison heard from Epaphroditus how things were in Philippi and so could give thanks for God’s work in their midst (1:3). However, these Christians had not reached the goal of perfection; they had to grow (1:9). Specifically, there was selfishness in their midst. 2:3: "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than himself." Their division, their selfishness, was evident to the people of town (1:27), and so the Philippians had to correct their attitude to each other and hence improve their public image. To encourage the Philippians to correct their attitude, the apostle told them in 2:5 that they were to develop in themselves the same mindset, the same disposition, that "was also in Christ Jesus." What that was? Vs 6f: though true God from all eternity, He did not insist on His rights but emptied Himself. Christmas: He became a man, dependent, without honor. Good Friday: He humbled Himself to the shame of the cross, the lowest one could sink. Why He did it? He did it for the benefit of the unworthy. Insist on His rights, protest and buck against the wrongs done to Him? As a lamb He was led to the slaughter, without concern for Self, not reviling when He was reviled, offering no self-defense. He emptied Himself completely, was completely meek, for the sake of the other. That was the example Paul set before the Philippians, the example they were to follow so that they might "become blameless…, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation" (2:15). To help them apply this example to themselves, the apostle decided to send Timothy to them (2:19), for here was a man who had exactly this disposition (2:21). He couldn’t send Timothy right away, and so sent Epaphroditus back – a man who was willing to give himself up even to death in order to serve his Master (2:25ff).

Chap 3 had continued on the same topic. Just how, concretely, in the brokenness of this life, were the Philippians to esteem others better than themselves? How were they to get rid of selfish ambition? Paul supplied the answer in chap 3: "rejoice in the Lord." Rejoice: that wasn’t simply an emotion, but an activity, an activity that follows from having Christ Jesus as your focus. For the more one’s eye is focused on Christ and His saving work as explained in chap 2, the less one sees of personal ambitions or brokenness in others. Hence Paul’s push in chap 3: keep focused on Christ, "and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death" (vs 10). That’s the point of 4:4 also: "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" That focus, with its resulting delight in Christ, produces an opportunity to seek the best in the other, and so to be like-minded, united, brotherly.

With that background in mind, brothers and sisters, we can also understand the better what this disposition of "gentleness" is which Paul requires in our text. Over against the selfishness in the congregation of the Philippians, the apostle wants the Philippians to display such self-emptying as their Savior displayed. As He was merciful to them, so they are to be merciful to each other. As He was meek for their sakes, so they are to be meek for the sake of the other. As He was moderate to them and did not underline all their wrongs, so they were to be moderate to others. That’s the disposition these Philippians need to cultivate. And they were to cultivate and display this gentleness, this moderation, this graciousness not just when they are within the confines of their church building (as if this is the disposition they are to have to each other alone), but all the time – for this is the disposition they are to display before all men. That’s our text: "Let your gentleness" –your sense of mercy, your willingness to yield, your meekness, your consideration of the other, your moderation- "be known to all men." The crooks of town and the high-flyers, the businessmen of town and the slaves were all to know that the Christians of Philippi were gentle, gracious, forbearing. It was to be public knowledge: Christians are merciful people, Christians don’t underline everybody else’s shortcomings, Christians don’t insist on their own rights, Christians are characterized by compassion, by goodwill to others – just as their Savior was.

Such a disposition, of course, is alien to the natural man. And to be honest, it doesn’t sit so well with us either. Be meek in the face of wrongs done to you? Be willing to yield when the other doesn’t deserve it? Pour out mercy when the other reviles? It’s so human to insist on strict justice! That brings us to our second point:

The apostle gives the answer in the second part of vs 5. "The Lord," he says, "is at hand," is near.

In the context it’s an amazing statement. Back in chap 2 the apostle had shown the Philippians how the Lord Jesus Christ, though enjoying the glory of heaven with the Father from all eternity, had emptied Himself to become a man, indeed, to humble Himself to the death of the cross. The result, Paul had added, was that God highly exalted Jesus and gave Him a name above every name (vs 9f). We realize: that’s a reference to Jesus’ ascension into heaven and His exaltation at God’s right hand. Where Jesus is now? In heaven! That’s why Paul could say in 3:20 that "our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." The Lord near? No, the Lord is in heaven!

Yet the apostle insists that the Lord is near. And his point is not just that the Lord’s return could take place any moment; his point is that God’s people are not on their own. Here is the same message as Moses passed on to Israel in his farewell sermon. "What great nation is there," he asked the people, "that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, of whatever reason we may call upon Him?" (Dt 4:7). He’s near, Moses insists, and that’s why we can pray to Him at any time. In fact, that is the specific message of the tabernacle. God had His dwelling place in the Holy of Holies, and directly in front of the Holy of Holies stood the altar of incense – that altar that symbolized the prayers of the people. Each morning and each evening the high priest had to burn incense on it, as a constant reminder that the people could always approach their God in prayer, and He would hear them. He far off, and therefore unapproachable? No way!

David knew the peace-of-mind that came with the fact of His nearness. Ps 34:17f: "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit." And Ps 145: "the Lord is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth" (vs 18). Notice in both those psalms the link David put between God’s nearness and prayer; as Moses said, it’s exactly because God is near that His people can speak to Him.

Then it’s true that our Lord Jesus Christ has ascended into heaven. But before He ascended He assured His disciples that He would be "with" us always (Mt 28:20). On Pentecost Day the Spirit of the ascended Christ was poured out, and the result is that the early church engaged in much prayer (Acts 2:42). That’s also Paul’s point in our chapter. "The Lord is at hand," he says, and hastens to add in vs 6 that the Philippians ought to "be anxious for nothing," but instead "in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God." They had a top example in their own history: when Paul first preached the gospel to them, he was imprisoned with Silas, locked away in the inner prison with their feet fastened in stocks. But Paul knew that "the Lord was near", and so he prayed and sang hymns to God (Acts 16:24f).

Be uptight, upset, tense, stressed? No, says Paul; instead, "the Lord is near" and so tell God whatever is on your mind. He uses four words for prayer, and so captures every nuance of what one should speak to God about. Prayer may be just … prayer, talking with God. But prayer can also be supplications, beseeching God to give deliverance from this problem or that. Prayer can also be thanksgiving, a heartfelt thank you to the Almighty for the things He has given to us. Prayer can also be a request, a need not as intense as the ones described with the word supplications. The point is this: exactly because the Lord is near –and the Lord is the One of chap 2 who emptied Himself for us, the One whom God so highly exalted!- exactly because this Lord is near we can cast all our burdens on Him in the firm conviction that He will sustain us (Ps 55:22). This Lord laid down His life for us; will not He –Lord of lords as He now is!- will He not now give us all things? Why then be anxious?! And why be tense?! And why be upset? Lay whatever concerns you may have, says Paul, before this God. He understands; He was and is man Himself!

And the result? Vs 7: "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." That, he says, is the blessed result! "The peace of God": the term describes the harmony between God and man as it was in Paradise before the fall into sin. Christ has now died to pay for sin, and so there is full reconciliation between God and sinners. There is no anger from God upon His own anymore, and there is no judgment left either; there is only His peace, harmony with God. It’s the language of the priestly blessing of the Old Testament: because of the sacrifices of the tabernacle, the high priest laid the blessing on the people and told that the Lord’s face shines upon them and gives them peace (Num 6:22ff).

That peace-from-God, Paul continues, "will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." The term ‘guard’ is a military term, and assumes that attacks are being made upon your heart and mind. And precisely that, of course, is so. Troubles in life can quickly lead to discontent, and discontent to jealousy or bitterness. But the "peace of God" that comes our way on account of prayer forms a wall of protection around your heart and mind, says Paul. That is: the Lord gives a sense of peace-with-Him, and so contentment in one’s circumstances. That in turn means that discontentment, jealousy, bitterness and the like cannot grow in your heart. That’s the promise of the Lord: the contentment of Paradise, the peace of Paradise will characterize your heart.

What all that has to do with the gentleness Paul requires in our text? This: a heart full of the peace of God leads to certain behavior patterns towards others! It’s something we know so well. Bitterness in one’s heart, discontent with your circumstances, jealousy of what others have, leads to distance between people, leads to biting comments, strife, hatred. Bitter people cannot be kind-hearted, jealous people cannot be gracious, resentful people cannot be gentle, selfish people cannot be big-hearted. Yet selfishness was rampant amongst the Christians of Philippi, and it was Paul’s insistence in our text that the Philippians replace that selfishness with gentleness, mercy, that spirit of yielding, of looking past another’s faults and seeking his good – even as Christ did. And that kind of disposition is possible, says Paul, when one remembers that the Lord is near and so you lay all your burdens in prayer before God day by day. People of prayer, people who have learned to lay their burdens before the Lord and leave them with the exalted King of kings are able to have a disposition of gentleness to all men. They know: their Savior is near, the Lord of lords understands our needs, and supplies perfectly. That gives peace in one’s heart, and therefore an attitude of gentleness, of graciousness, of forbearance to those around us.

That leaves yet our last point:

The apostle answers that question in vss 8 & 9. Paul mentions "whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy," and tells the Philippians to "meditate on these things." The terms "true" and "noble" and "just" and "pure" and "lovely" and "good report" are rare words in the Bible, but very common in Greek philosophy. The point is that the people of Philippi –soaked as they were in Greek philosophy- had certain standards of what made acceptable public behavior. When these unbelieving Philippians, then, evaluated the Christians, they invariably measured them against the social expectations of their day. How, then, should the Christians of Philippi act? As radicals and mavericks? No, says Paul, the Christians should keep in mind the etiquette with which they were raised, and should lift out and accent whatever is virtuous, is praiseworthy in that etiquette. They need to be conscious of their behavior in public, and go out of their way to display noble morality, just morality, pure morality, etc.

It’s something we can relate to. Decent behavior in our Australian society expects young people to give up their seat on the train for the aged and weak. Well now, the Christian will be the first to give up his seat – and will do so even when the other person isn’t that frail or is obviously of lower social standing (whatever that might be) or is even one’s enemy. Decent behavior in our society expects one to be polite to another, to be tolerant, understanding. So the Christian is quick to demonstrate politeness and empathy, and refrains from being judgmental. You see, the Christian makes a point of portraying an image of gentleness, of graciousness, of being big-hearted.

Hear me well: this does not mean that the Christian adopts, for example, today’s sense of pluralism. Not for nothing does Paul speak about "whatever" things are noble and just and pure, etc. And not for nothing does he add "if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy." And not for nothing does Paul tell the Philippian believers to copy the things that they have learned and received and heard and seen in Paul. The Christian needs to be discerning, for the antithesis remains a reality.

But in the midst of all the discerning he does, the Christian needs to convey to the people around him a disposition of gentleness, of graciousness, of willingly being the least, of moderation. He shows that disposition because this is the disposition Jesus Christ displayed. The Christian is able to show that disposition because he is anxious for nothing, has laid and daily continues to lay his troubles before the Lord. The peace that’s in his heart determines the temperament with which he faces society.

How, brothers and sisters, do people around you perceive you? Your spouse and family members, the brothers and sisters of the congregation, the people at work, your neighbors: how do they perceive you? Gentle, gracious, big-hearted, moderate in our behavior to others? Such a disposition shows that the peace of God prevails in our hearts. And that gives on earth a foretaste of the temperament of heaven.  Amen.