“Finally brethren, if there is anything worthy of praise…dwell on these things.” — Philippians 4:8 (ESV) The culmination of all these attributes of Jesus is also the culmination of the believer’s meditation: worship. Jesus wants our meditation to always end in worship. And why shouldn’t it? We have seen more than enough to solicit our …
“Finally brethren, if there is any excellence…dwell on these things.” — Philippians 4:8 (ESV) Unlike the words Paul has used so far, excellence is not an attribute in itself. Rather, it is a degree of quality. Here Jesus is reminding us not just of his own qualities, but of the high and excellent degree of …
“Finally brethren, whatever is commendable…dwell on these things.” — Philippians 4:8 (ESV) The Greek word here for commendable (or good report, or good repute, or admirable in the other translations) only occurs in the New Testament once, here in this verse. It refers to things spoken in a kind spirit and with good-will toward others. …
“Finally brethren, whatever is lovely…dwell on these things.” — Philippians 4:8 (ESV) Loveliness describes yet another facet of God’s person. But loveliness cannot be separated from truth, honor, rightness, or purity. It is an attribute that can only be possessed by someone who has all the others too. God wants us to dwell on things …
“Finally brethren, whatever is pure…dwell on these things.” — Philippians 4:8 (ESV) Pure things are immaculate, chaste, clean, and free from defect or corruption. God is pure, and he cannot be corrupted (1 John 3:3). But man stands in stark contrast to God’s purity. Though made pure and innocent, we have fallen far from our original …
“Finally brethren, whatever is right…dwell on these things.” — Philippians 4:8 (ESV) Right things (or just things in the KJV) are those that have the approval of God. They comply with his desires and they are in accordance with his commands. Throughout the Bible, we learn that “the precepts of the Lord are right” (Psalm 19:8), …
“Finally brethren, whatever is honorable…dwell on these things.” — Philippians 4:8 (ESV) Again, the Lord Jesus wants his people to meditate on things that are honorable, or honest (KJV). These are the things, actions, or people who are deserving of respect. Honorable things don’t appear out of nowhere. They earn their title. They are untarnished and …
“Finally brethren, whatever is true…dwell on these things.” — Philippians 4:8 (ESV) Our Lord Jesus commands his people to “dwell on” things that are true. But “what is truth?” (John 18:38). Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines truth like this: a (1) : the state of being the case : fact (2) : the body of real things, …
We’ve all heard the common quip “Out of sight, out of mind.” It makes sense: the less you see something, the less you think about it. But taking it one step further has a lot of spiritual significance: “Out of mind, out of heart.” Our God says to employ both tactics in our battle against …