Thrust Statement: Paul’s secret to happiness is Jesus Christ.

Scripture Reading: Philippians 1:21; 3:10; 4:11; 4:13; 4:19

            At the time of writing this epistle to the Philippians (61 CE), Paul was confined to prison in Rome (Philippians 1:12-14). In spite of incarceration, Paul’s outward circumstances could not change his attitude toward Christ and His people. He experienced that peace that “transcends all understanding (4:4-7). He could still say, “I hope in the Lord Jesus (2:19) and “I am confident in the Lord” (2:24). Nothing could take away Paul’s happiness. Prior to Paul’s imprisonment in Rome, he wrote to the Christians in Rome about his determination to follow Christ in spite of persecution: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword” (Romans 8:35)?^[1]

How did Paul respond to his own question? How do you respond to this same question? Listen to Paul as he answers very boldly:

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (8:37-39).

Do you react in the same way that Paul describes his own behavior in this epistle to the Christians in Rome? Do you allow circumstances in life to depress you?  How do you react if someone says something against you that you do not like, especially if it is not true? How do you conduct yourself in response to someone in your family dying? How do you answer if you lose your job? Do you allow outward circumstances to interfere with your happiness in the Lord? How could Paul endure so much suffering, but yet still say, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)? How long has it been since you reflected upon the trials that Paul endured for the cause of Christ? Listen to Paul as he enumerates some of his trials:

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I.  ²³ Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.  ²⁴ Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.  ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, ²⁶ I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers.  ²⁷ I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.  ²⁸ Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.  ²⁹ Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? [2] (2 Corinthians 11:22-39)

            What was Paul’s secret? How could he rejoice in the face of so many unfortunate circumstances in life? The answer lies in one person: Jesus. Yes, Jesus was Paul’s secret to happiness. Paul filled his mind with Christ. In fact, Paul, in the first chapter of Philippians, uses the words “Christ Jesus” five times (1:1, 6, 8, 26), “Jesus Christ” three times (1:2, 11, 19), and the title  “Christ” nine times (1:10, 13, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 27, 29).  In other words, Paul utilizes some form of the names Jesus and Christ seventeen times in this first chapter. Even though Paul speaks of Joy throughout this epistle, nevertheless, the name of Jesus overshadows even the word joy. Paul belonged to Jesus, and he wanted to know Him. It is in this same vein that Paul writes to the Corinthians: “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.²  For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:1-2).

            Jesus was Paul’s every thought. Is Jesus your every thought? Is Jesus first in your life? Or are the things of the world first in your life? As you ponder these questions within your own heart, are you now thinking of Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount—“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33)? Again, the words of Jesus should ring loud and clear: “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24).  Paul addresses his inner feelings to the Philippians as he seeks to convey what it is that really and truly makes one happy. One should observe the conciseness with which Paul calls attention to his own rejection of his earlier material blessings:

But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  ⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  ¹⁰ I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead (Philippians 3:7-11).

            Paul, according to his own list of attainments (2 Corinthians 11:22-23), could have catalogued a list of privileges on the credit side of the balance; but when he met Christ, he wrote them off as nothing more than bad debts—“I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). For Paul, all human achievements had to be set-aside in order for him to accept God’s grace that is freely given to everyone who believes in Jesus. Again, listen in on Paul as he leads up to his consciousness of the joy of knowing Jesus:

If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:  ⁵ circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless (3:4-6).

This list is impressive, but did it really make an impact on Paul? Paul says no! Again, pay attention to Paul as he reveals his innermost thoughts: “What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things” (3:8). How do you feel about knowing the surpassing greatness of Jesus Christ? Have you learned this lesson yet? Are you participating in complaints against God’s children? Are you constantly bickering in Christian gatherings? Are you seeking to drown your sorrows in alcohol? Are you trying to fill the void in your life with drugs? Are you filled with unhappiness? If so, what is the answer? The way out of the “valley of the shadow of death” is Jesus. Do you remember the words of Jesus as He speaks of His burden versus the burden of the world? Everyone should take note as to what the Master says,

²⁸Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  ³⁰ For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

            Once more, what is the secret of happiness? The answer is Jesus! This invitation is open to all who are exhausted and burdened down. When one comes to Christ by faith, He gives that individual rest. As one reflects upon the words of Jesus, one is immediately confronted with a plea—“come”—and a pledge—“I will give you rest.”  The rest that Jesus offers is not based on works, but on faith in Him. The Jewish leaders cast heavy burdens upon the people with all their rules and regulations, but Jesus swept all those worries away. He, today, still sweeps all heaviness away if you are willing to put your trust in Him.   This rest cannot be bought or earned; it is a gift. Do you want rest from your guilt and burden of sin? If so, then you must put your faith in Him and His finished work on Calvary.

            Three words in Matthew 11:28-30, as stated above, stand out in Jesus’ call for a response to His yoke. For instance, Jesus calls upon everyone to make a decision—“take”; He also calls for the development of one’s life—“learn.” If one will “take” and “learn,” Jesus says that that person will discover peace, that is—rest for one’s soul.  Once you have made this commitment, then you must walk with Him. By taking His yoke, one can work alongside Him. This is a great privilege. Jesus is inviting you to walk side-by-side with Him in the unplowed fields and the unplanted fields; yes, He wants you to share in the harvest. Jesus wants people to learn to be like Him—“gentle and humble in heart.” He wants everyone to know about Him and the Father and the Holy Spirit. One’s knowledge of Jesus should be demonstrated by an ever-growing grasp of the eternal Son. And, finally, one’s service results from one’s rest in Him. Knowing Jesus is the secret of happiness. The more one has of the mind of Christ, then the greater will be his or her happiness.

THE MIND OF CHRIST

            As one reads the Philippian letter, one quickly discovers an opening into the mind of Christ. Paul, unlike the Gospels, reveals, as it were, the intimate mind of Christ concerning His coming to earth and why he came. The Gospels tell about His life and ministry; they tell about His death and resurrection, but they do not tell about the inner workings of the mind of Christ as forcefully as the Pauline passage to the Philippians. The Gospels reveal what Jesus said and did, but the Philippian epistle gives a record of Jesus’ own thoughts concerning His atonement. One should take note as Paul soars into the heights of heaven in making known the hidden feelings of the Master:

⁶ Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, ⁷ but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:6-8)

            One can only stand in awe of the humility and obedience of Jesus. Jesus laid aside the glory that belonged to Him in order to redeem sinful man. Jesus, in His prayer to the Father, speaks of this glory that He had with the Father before the creation of the world.  Jesus prayed this prayer shortly before His death on the cross. Listen to Him as He prays:

Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.  ² For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.  ³ Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.  ⁴ I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.  ⁵ And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began (John 17:1-5).

            Jesus became a man and died for the salvation of all who would put their trust in Him. John describes it this way: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Once more, Jesus goes right to the heart of salvation in His conversation with Nicodemus:

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son (John 3:17-18).

Paul expresses the coming of Christ this way: “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, ⁵ to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons” (Galatians 4:4-5). Jesus did not look on His own glory that He had with the Father before the world was, but rather He looked upon lost humanity. He not only humbled Himself, but He humbled Himself even to His death upon the cross. Matthew, too, gives just a little more insight into the mind of Christ, which is captured by Paul in Philippians 2:6-8. For this additional insight by Matthew, one should listen in on the conversation that Jesus had with the apostles and with the Father. In Gethsemane, He says to His disciples: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). Then, in His prayer to the Father, He expresses his anxieties in a most telling way: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (26:39).

THE MIND OF EVERY CHRISTIAN

            One should never stop shouting that the secret of one’s happiness is Jesus. Every believer must strive to have the mind of Jesus. As you reflect upon the mind of Christ, you must consider the personality that Jesus exhibited in His life. The great characteristics of the life of Christ were humility, obedience, and self-renunciation. Paul uses Christ as an example of how Christians should treat one another. Paul writes: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). These three characteristics should be the hallmark of every believer. God does not want one’s life to focus on self-centeredness, self-absorption, and self-expression; these works of the flesh annihilates one’s likeness to Jesus and wipes out one’s fellowship with other Christians. Jesus did not look on what rightfully belonged to Him, but rather he laid aside His power, His honor, His omniscience, and took the form of a man. It is in this vein that the author of Hebrews writes:

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.  ¹⁶ For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.  ¹⁷ For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:14-18).

            Do you have the mind of Christ? Are you like Christ?  Paul writes to the Ephesians that “they should be made new in the attitudes of their minds” (Ephesians 4:23). Having said this, he continues to express what it is that every believer should strive toward: “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (4:24). The obedience of Christ was not the only motivating factor of His going to the cross, but His love also played a tremendous part. Again, Paul writes: “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Paul never ceased calling attention to the mind of Christ: “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children ² and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2).

CONCLUSION

How do you feel about each person who meets here at Oakwood Hills in DeFuniak Springs, Florida? Do you love one another? What is your message concerning brotherly love? Pay attention to John as he expresses his concern:

¹¹ This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.  ¹² Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.  ¹³ Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.  ¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.  ¹⁵ Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him (1 John 3:11-15).

How do you define love? Once more, one should reflect upon the words of Paul to the Philippians as he seeks to capture the proper attitude Christians should possess toward one another: “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). Do you have the attitude of Christ? Hear Paul as he develops a proper concept of what true love is all about:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

            Do you love this way? Do you love one another deeply? Do you serve others in this congregation? Peter goes right to the very core of love and service in his epistle to the Christians scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia by saying that they were to

love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ⁹ Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.  ¹⁰ Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms (1 Peter 4:8-10).

Yes, the mind of the believer and the mind of Christ should be the same. Jesus won the hearts of the people through love, not power. He did not win them by blasting them with power, but rather He won them through demonstrating a love that they could not resist. How can you continue to resist His love? Are you willing to confess the name of Jesus as Lord?  In conclusion, one should reread the words of Paul about the Lordship of Jesus:

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

What was Paul’s secret to happiness? One knows that his secret was Jesus. Do you have Jesus? Do you have the mind of Christ? If you want the peace that transcends all understanding, then you must have the Prince of Peace.