The Reality of God’s Peace
Phil. 4:8,9

It’s Your Choice to Rejoice!
The Bible teaches us that we have peace WITH God by faith in Jesus Christ. Rom.5:1. We can have the peace OF God in our hearts, and out of this we can experience peace with one another. We can experience the reality of peace WITH God and the peace OF God.
Rom. 15:33, Now the God of peace be with you all. 2 Cor.13:11, Live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you. Col. 3:15, Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. 1 Thess.5:23, And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly…
Can you experience the reality of God’s peace in your life? Paul says, and the “God of peace shall be with you.” One way we experience the definite reality of God in our lives is we have the presence of His peace in our hearts. Can you really get to know God? Can you really please God? Can you really obey God? Can God really satisfy your soul? Can you really have that soul stillness, that sense of contentment, and rest that comes from a love relationship with Jesus Christ?
How can we experience the reality of God’s peace in our souls? Because God is a God of peace, we can experience this peace in our lives by obeying two important commands: Circle the words, THINK and DO. There it is! Think right and do right.
You’re not what you think you are, but what you think, you are! Whatever is on your mind will come out of your life. You have heard it said, “You are what you eat.” Spiritually speaking, you are what you think. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
It has been well said, Sow a thought, and reap an action. Sow an action and reap a habit. Sow a habit and reap a character. Sow a character and reap a destiny.
How do we experience the reality of God’s peace in our lives? Paul takes this amazing truth and simplifies it for us with two simple commands. Two simple PRESENT TENSE words: THINK, and DO. If we think right we will do right. Right actions come out of right thinking. If we think right and do right according to our Lord Jesus Christ, then the God of peace shall be with us.
1. We must THINK RIGHT, v.8
The word think is an accounting word that means to count on, to calculate. Have you ever heard someone say, “he is very calculating or scheming?” At least they are thinking! We are to calculate right and then we will do right. We will never do right if we do not think right. What you think about today you will do tomorrow. What you choose to think about will be the root reason for your actions and habits. Do you have habits you desire to break? You must change the habit at the source, and that is the thoughts. The Bible calls this change of thinking having our minds renewed.
Romans 12:1,2 And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your minds, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
We were formed in the image of God, we were deformed by sin, and we can be transformed back into the image of God and conformed into the image of Jesus Christ. We must be renewed in the spirit of our minds.
How long does this renewing of the mind take?
2 Cor.4:16, For which cause we faint not: but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
Eph.4:22,23, That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind…
Col. 3:10,15,16: And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him…And let the peace of God rule in your hearts…and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
How long does it take? It takes a lifetime of daily pursuit of God.
How do we renew our minds? We must think on the right things. What are the right things we are to think on? Philippians 4:8 gives us the filter for our thinking.
Data enters into our minds thought the senses that God has blessed us with, our eyes, ears, touch, taste, and smell. We must then decide if that DATA is either good or bad, glorifying to God or not glorifying to God. That data creates DESIRES, and Desires lead to DEEDS. The deeds we do lead to our DESTINY.
It’s like this: Garbage in, garbage out. Holiness in, holiness out.
Our thoughts are key to our walk with God. Notice Paul tells the Philippians to THINK on these things, and then DO the things that they saw through his life. Practice comes out of our thoughts. Action comes out of contemplation. Performance comes out of our thoughts.
A. The ROOT of my thoughts:
Now, get this, “You do what you do, and you say what you say, because you think what you think.”
Why do you think what you think? Where do your thoughts come from? Ultimately, your thoughts rise out of your BELIEF system. "You think what you think because you believe what you believe about God, about His Word, and about yourself" (Quote from Ken Collier, from the Wilds, NC)
1. I will Surrender myself to believe God and His Word is true 2. I will Search to know God 3. I will Seek to please and obey God in everything 4. I will be still and know that God is enough. Everything you need for joy and peace is found in the Lord. He is enough.
Example: You are having conflict in your home. You say, I need some peace. If I can just get out of this relationship, I can have peace. I have to divorce my wife and get away from these screaming kids. I need some peace. If that is your thinking, what are you believing? Your way is better than God’s way.
Or, Life is driving me crazy! I just have to get away from all the stress. If I can just buy a carton of cigarettes, a keg of beer, the latest rap album, and drive into the woods to just smoke and drink my stress away while blasting the rap and rock music at full volume. If that is your thinking, what are you believing? Your way is better than God’s way.
B. The FRUIT of my thoughts:
? Mind things TRUE (Used 25 times) (Strong #227, alethes)The starting point to godly thinking is to start thinking on the truth. Pilate asked a question for the ages when he said, what is truth? Can truth be known? Is truth objective or just an opinion? Is what is truth for me truth for you? Our multi-cultural society is pushing the notion that there are many truths. Truth for one culture may not be truth for another culture. Allah can be truth for me, Jesus can be truth for you, and Buddha can be truth for you. We are all right and no one is wrong. That truth is challenged is not surprising. Did not Satan say at the very beginning, “Hath God said???” Yes, Satan seeks to throw the darts of his lies at our minds. When confronted with God’s Word, Satan is a master at saying, “This is NOT TRUE. Hath God really said that?” The fact is, truth is objective and not subject to opinion. Truth is truth whether you believe it or not. Truth never changes. Truth is truth for me and you, truth is truth today and tomorrow. Whatsoever is true.
God is true, John 3:33; Jesus said, He that sent me is true, John 8:26 Romans 3:4, Let God be true, but every man a liar…
Thy word is truth, John 17:7. Yes, let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom. Meditate on the law of the Lord day and night. Let His word be your meditation, your song, your delight.
Jesus is the truth, John 14:6, for He is God manifest in the flesh, and He is the Incarnate Word. His name is the Word of God.
Isaiah 26:3; Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.
Since God is true, and His word is true, believe the truth and focus on Him who is truth. Do not believe lies, do not dwell on lies. Let the
Here is a lie: to be happy, I have to have sex, even outside of marriage. To be happy, I need to buy an expensive car, no matter what, so I will go into debt to get that car. To be happy, I need to curse out that jerk at work. To be happy, I have to disobey God.
? Mind things HONEST (4 times): Seriousness of purpose that gives us a reverent attitude toward God and a respectful attitude toward ourselves and our fellow man. (Strong #4586, semnos)
The word means sober, dignified gravity or seriousness of purpose. We should mind things that have a sense of dignity about them. We ought to have a sense of humor, and have the joy of the Lord, but we ought not be flippantly frivolous. Our behavior should not be silly, giddy, and dizzy; not fickle and flighty. We ought to take things into our mind that leads us to have a reverence toward God and a respectful attitude toward ourselves and others.
This word is used in the context of prayer in 1 Tim. 2:2,
That prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men: for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
The word is used in the context of deacons and their wives, 1 Tim. 3:8; Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued…Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
? Mind things RIGHTEOUS (81 times)
(Strong #1342, dikaios) The word means just or righteous. It means that our thinking is in line with the will of God. We are not focused on doing things that are against the will of God. We do not think about adultery, fornication, drunkenness, or
Again, God is the righteous one.
1 John 1:9, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.. 1 John 2:29, he is righteous… 1 John 3:7, he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Jesus Christ is righteous,
Acts 3:14, But ye denied the Holy One and the Just…(Jesus Christ)
1 John 2:1, If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
1 Peter 3:18, For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God.
Obedient Living, Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Yes, think on these things. Think on things RIGHT and JUST. That means we are not to think on filthy things, dirty things, angry things.
? Mind things PURE (8 times) (Strong#53, hagnos)
This means holy, pure, chaste, and clear. A mind that is in love with God and the Lord Jesus thinketh no evil. It does not make a list of the evil done to it so as to seek revenge. Love has a mind on things that are pure. A good thinking person considers things that are pure, forgiving. Do not dwell on the past hurts and sorrows. All of us have done things in our past that have brought us shame and reproach. We must not think on those things, but think on Him who is pure.
1 John 3:3, And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
In 1 Peter we are told to gird up the loins of our mind, to get our mind in gear and that “as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.”
In 2 Corinthians 7:11 this word is translated “clear.” It has to do with the result of someone who repents, who has changed their mind toward
Rev.21:2 calls the New Jerusalem the holy city. Yes, the eternal kingdom of God is a place of absolute holiness. Holiness is not boring. Holiness is true happiness; it is God-likeness. Again, our mind is to be stayed on the LORD.
? Mind things LOVELY (one time) (Strong #4375, prosphiles)
The word is not used in the NT except here. It means, “loving towards.” It means pleasing, agreeable, favorable and loving toward others. Speaking auspiciously, or favorably
? Mind things of GOOD REPORT (one time) (Strong #2613)
Here is the idea of thinking about uttering words that are good. We don’t curse other people and think negative thoughts toward others.
We think good words and guess what we will speak? Good words.
The root word of this is “phema”, and it is used in
Matt.9:26, “And the fame hereof went abroad into all that land.”
Luke 4:14, and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
That is, they were talking about Jesus. They were spreading the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ.
? Mind things of VIRTUE (five times) (Strong #703, arete)
This speaks of moral goodness, moral excellence. In classical times the word meant the god-given power or ability to perform heroic deeds whether military deeds or athletic artistic accomplishments or the conducting of one's life.
2 Peter 1:5-7, And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
We live in a culture that is morally vile and not virtuous. Leaders have fallen into gross sin. We must be careful not to be dragged into the mud with the rest of our society.
? Mind things of PRAISE (eleven times)
(Strong # , epainos)
Praise speaks of glory to God. Think about things that are to God’s praise. My father always told me, if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say it!
Phil. 1:11, Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
Eph.1:12, That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Not only must we think right, out of a heart of faith, we must put our faith and thoughts to work and do what pleases God, not what pleases me.
2. DO RIGHT
Here is the pathway to DO POWER and how to establish good habits in our lives:
A. We must SEE it modeled. Why do you think God established the institutions of the family and the church?
B. We must HEAR it explained. Why do you think God established the institutions of the family and church?
C. We must RECEIVE it personally. We must repent of false beliefs and believe God’s truth.
D. We must LEARN it experientially. We learn it because we love it and we live it.
2 Tim. 3:14, Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
Experience the reality of God’s peace in your soul by thinking right and then doing right!