⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. ⁹ What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:8-9 ESV

Paul has challenged the Philippian congregation to make unity a high priority. He has pleaded with them to ensure their behavior lines up with their belief so their lives fully complement their calling in Christ. That will require them to work out their salvation or, to put it another way, to put in the necessary effort so that their faith in Christ bears tangible fruit.

He has encouraged them to keep their faith steadfastly committed to the gospel message made possible through the death and resurrection of Christ. They were to share Christ’s attitude, choosing to follow His example of humility, selflessness, obedience, and sacrifice. And, like Paul, they were to find reason to rejoice, even in the face of opposition and oppression. If they did these things, Paul knew they would shine like bright lights in the darkness surrounding them in Philippi.

But before Paul closed out his letter, he offered one more word of wisdom. As if returning to his earlier admonition to have the mind of Christ, Paul tells them to “think about these things” (Philippians 4:8 ESV). The Greek word he uses is logizomai, meaning “to consider” or “to meditate” on something. But Paul leaves no uncertainty about what kinds of “things” they are to consider or set their minds on. He provides a very specific list of subjects on which to focus their thoughts and attentions.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. – Philippians 4:8 NLT

The first item on his list is truth; they were to fill their minds with whatever is true and, therefore, trustworthy. Because Satan is the father of lies, we must constantly be on guard against the subtle falsehoods and deceptive half-truths he attempts to use against us. And since there is no greater truth than the gospel message, Christ followers must constantly focus their minds on the reality that they were once condemned sinners in need of a Savior. At one time, they had been indebted to God and incapable of satisfying His just and holy demands. Yet, He sent His Son to die in their place, and now they stood before Him as pure and holy, clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Paul constantly reminded those under his care to consider the remarkable truth of their restored relationship with God.

Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. – Ephesians 2:1-2 NLT

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) – Ephesians 2:4-5 NLT

Paul adds “whatever is honorable” to his list, referring to anything worthy of veneration because of its character. In a sense, this is truth lived out; Christlikeness shows up in trustworthy conduct. Paul wanted the Philippians to think about the honorable character Christ exhibited and to follow His example. Back in Chapter 2, he stated, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5 NLT). But our attitude must show up in action. Yes, Paul reminded them not to be selfish or to waste time trying to impress others. He encouraged them to be humble, thinking of others as better than themselves. Rather than looking out for their own interests, they were to take an interest in others. But that all requires action; it has to show up in everyday life in practical ways. Jesus didn’t just have an attitude of humility; He lived it out.

Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
   he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross. – Philippians 2:6-8 NLT

Next, Paul encouraged them to fill their minds with whatever is “right” or just. This has to do with righteousness, but according to God’s terms, not man’s. It carries the idea of living your life so that your way of thinking, feeling, and acting is fully conformed to God’s will.

It makes sense that Paul would follow right thoughts with right behavior in the form of moral purity because sexual sin is fully outside the revealed will of God. But it’s not just the actual act that can get us into trouble; even our thoughts can leave us impure and guilty before God. It was Jesus who said, “Anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28 NLT). This is why Paul told the Corinthians. “Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body” (1 Corinthians 6:18 NLT).

Purity is a high priority for God. He not only expects it; He demands it. He has called us to be holy, just as He is holy, and we must fill our minds with those things that are pure,  undefiled, uncontaminated, and not contradictory to His will for us.

The next word on Paul’s list is “lovely.” This refers to purity lived out so that our conduct remains pleasing and acceptable to God. It was Peter who wrote, “Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation” (1 Peter 2:12 ESV). When believers think about those things that bring pleasure to God, they tend to make them a priority, and when they do, the world takes notice.

Which brings us to the word “admirable.” We are to fill our minds with those kinds of things that are worthy of praise; not self-centered, ego-inflating praise, but praise that reflects on God and His power to transform our lives for the better. So much of what we spend our time thinking about is unworthy of praise and contains no redeeming value or worth. We can end up admiring the wrong people, showering praise on the wrong kind of conduct, and speaking highly of things God finds unworthy.

Throughout his letter, Paul has blended the ideas of belief and behavior. He was overjoyed with the thought of the Philippians’ newfound faith in Christ, but he knew that their spiritual journey was far from over. That is why he opened his letter with the words, “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6 ESV). They needed to be in it for the long haul. Their walk with Christ would require effort and a commitment to live out their faith in practical, visible ways. They could not afford to stand pat, biding their time until the Lord returned. They had work to do, and they would have to cooperate with one another if they wanted to thrive, not just survive, in the hostile environment in which they found themselves.

The Christian life is not easy, but that does not mean it is impossible. The Philippians had the gospel message, the resurrection power of the Spirit of God, and one another. They also had Paul’s teaching to rely on, and he encouraged them to take what he had taught and put it into practice. He challenged them to look at his life and follow his example.

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:9 NLT

Paul’s challenge to “think on these things” was more than a mind game. He wasn’t suggesting that they practice some form of positive motivational thinking; he was encouraging them to fill their minds and concentrate their thoughts on the kinds of things that truly matter. Our thoughts cannot be separated from our actions. We must desire what God desires and fill our minds with those things that God finds true, pure, right, just, and worthy of praise. One of the best ways to do that is by submitting ourselves to the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. To have the mind of Christ and to think as He does, we must rely on the Spirit He has placed within us. This is why Paul told the Galatian believers to live in submission to the Spirit.

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. – Galatians 5:16-17 NLT

The Spirit of God, promoting the will of God through the Word of God, transforms the people of God from the inside out. His indwelling presence and power give us the motivation and strength to think and live like Christ in a fallen world. The apostle Peter put it this way: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him…” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT). And that is a truth worth thinking about.

Father, Your Son gave His life not just to release us from slavery to sin and to preserve us for eternal life; He died so that we might be transformed in this life. Your plan was to place Your Spirit within us so that we might experience the kind of resurrection power that raised Jesus from death to life. The Spirit has the power to change our thoughts and our actions. He “gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires” (Galatians 5:17 NLT). He provides us with a new perspective and a neww capacity to live out our faith in practical forms of faithfulness. As Paul said, “letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace” (Romans 8:6 NLT). When I listen to the Spirit and do what He says, I bring You pleasure, experience peace, and display the kind of fruit that ministers to all those around me. But if I want my outer actions to change, it has to begin on the inside. I have to refocus my mind to think on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable” (Philippians 4:8 ESV). That doesn’t come naturally because my “sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants” (Galatians 5:17 NLT). So, I need the Spirit’s help to transform my way of thinking so that I desire what He desires. And I need the Spirit’s power to put my new thoughts into action. It’s not enough to think about what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and commendable; I need to live it out in everyday life. And You have made it possible. Thank You. Amen. 

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.