As Paul often does in his epistles, Philippians begins its conclusions with practical exhortations. Eudoias and Syntyche, be of the same mind in the Lord. True yokefellow, help those women and the others who are our fellow-laborers. “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice.” Before coming to several more of these, here we have, “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.”
Verse 5 refers to what I will call “a public whisper.” If someone has to say, “Hey everyone, look at my moderation,” that person is not being at all moderate. Among other things, moderation is something which is not an “in your face” personal trait. And yet, Paul exhorts to do what we can to make sure our moderation is public and obvious to everyone. This statement is almost self-contradictory – paradoxical.
So, what is “moderation;” what is it to have, or live in, “moderation?” Someone defined this moderation as “sweet reasonableness.” Is that what it is? And someone else described it as having a “pleasant disposition.” There is our subject – and goal – for tonight. We exhorted to “live in moderation.” Let’s take a couple hours tonight to consider “moderation” in its mention, meaning, motive and motivation.
We will begin with moderation’s other Biblical MENTIONS.
I should be ashamed to confess that I have never preached a message solely on this subject. But I trust that I’ve looked at it in wider contexts, because it does come up from time to time. For example we find it in I Peter 2, but I didn’t directly address it when we studied that book. There in his exhortations to servants and slaves, Peter tells the Christians to be subject to their masters. But, “not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.” The word “gentle” in that epistle is translated as “moderation” in this epistle. So the Greek word can be translated in different ways, bringing out its fuller meaning.
Please turn to James 3:13 – “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with MEEKNESS of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle (MODERATE), and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” Here again, “moderation” is translated “gentleness.”
Now go to I Timothy 3 – “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient (MODERATE), not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity…” This time the word is translated “patient.”
Paul tells Titus in chapter 3 – “Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but GENTLE, shewing all meekness unto all men.” Among the many exhortations you and I need to hear, there is this one, ”Let your moderation be known unto all men.”
But what does that MEAN?
You and I as Christians take the exhortations of the Word of God seriously. So when the Holy Spirit tells us something we need to be clear about its meaning; or as clear as possible. With that in mind we turn to our English dictionary. Noah Webster defines moderation as, “keeping a due mean between extremes.” He says, to be moderate is to “restrain from excess of any kind.” Could that be what Paul is telling the Philippians?
In I Peter 2, the apostle told the Christian servants to be subject to their masters. But, “not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.” Here “moderation” is contrasted with “frowardness,” which speaks of crookedness, deviousness and duplicity. “Let your straightforwardness be known unto all men.” While that is true, there is a little more to the word than that.
Going back through the scriptures we’ve just read, moderation in regard to time might be “patience.” Pastors often encounter Christians who should know better – they are in sin, they are in error. And those pastors sometimes have a natural tendency to want to rip the hide off those folk. But in this regard, they are “to be no brawlers, but gentle (MODERATE), shewing all meekness unto all men.” And for all of us who claim some degree of spiritual wisdom – “the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle (MODERATE), and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”
But there are difficulties here, and even in those difficulties there is need for moderation. For example, should we be moderately humble? Before the Lord we should be exceedingly humble. But before the eyes of others, especially the lost, we need to practice moderation. On the other hand, can’t self-deprecation appear to be fraudulent? Can’t self-effacement be a turn off?
Are we suppose to be patient and gentle toward sin? Obviously not. But at the same time, we need to find a way to deal with the sinner. Nine times out of ten, taking a sledge hammer to the sinner is not going to produce positive results. And yet, there may be that one time, or that one person, who needs to be smacked between the eyes. Part of the necessary moderation, is realizing there may be two approaches to this sinful man.
The more I thought about it the more it seemed to me that in the area of principles and fundamentals, there is no wiggle room, but when dealing with people, moderation may be the key. For example, is the Lord pleased with “moderate faith?” Shouldn’t our trust in the Lord be excessive? Shouldn’t it be over the top, like Joseph’s faith before Pharaoh? Did Daniel have merely a moderate faith, when he stepped into the lion’s den?
And what about love? Should we be filled with moderate love? Yes and no. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” How can we love our Saviour with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength moderately? Again, isn’t moderate love self-contradictory? But what about our love for our family? How many people in the world, even Christians, love their children more than they love their Saviour. How many, out of a profession of love for them, let their children get away with sin and misbehavior? Can’t our love in this case be misapplied? How many love their pets more than they love the house of God? And then, how many love their church more than they love the truth of God?
In some areas moderation can get complicated. I heard Austin say the other day that he loves going places to preach the Word to new congregations. Good for him, but I love to stay home and preach the Word to you. But both of us need to keep those loves in moderation, letting the Lord govern our ministries. Sometimes the Lord intends for me to minister somewhere else, and my love needs to be corralled.
Leaving behind things like love and faith, in most everything else, moderation is good. There are obvious things like food. I love a properly cooked New York steak. I had one last week when we dined out with the Carters. I don’t think I’d enjoy another New York steak for at least another week. And it is not in any way boasting to say I didn’t finish my fries during that meal. It is safe to say that moderation in food is a good thing.
And what does the Bible say about our speech? How many times do we say far too much. Isn’t moderation in speech better than excess? I know a pastor who was criticized when he was in the midst of a group of preachers, when someone said, “Hey, brother, you don’t talk very much, do you?” Personally, I would rather be that quieter man than the one to pointed his finger at him. Speaking of preachers, there are some who need to find a place of moderation between ministry and resting. It may sound holy and pius to say, “I’d rather burn out than rust out.” Perhaps a more moderate position might be to simply wear out over time, faithfully doing the work which the Lord has given us to do just as long as possible.
Shouldn’t we use moderation in the area of our finances? Who is better – the penny-pincher who hoards every dime, or the man who is in financial trouble because he is constantly giving away everything he has? I knew one of those latter people. Should the Christian be known for always “driving a hard bargain?” Should we be known as moderately generous when dealing financially with people?
We could apply this principle to a great many areas. There is nothing wrong with knowledge. But the man who spends all his time studying some specialized area of science, while ignoring his Bible is not the kind of Christian who can best serve the Lord. And again, in that regard, a minister can spend too much time studying and preaching against all the heresies of the day to the neglect of studying his Bible and preaching the gospel. Moderation is the name of the game – not compromise, not whimpiness, not conciliation – moderation
“Let your moderation be known unto all men.” Of course the pastor should be known as a moderate sort of person before the congregation which the Lord has given him. But for him and all of us – our moderation needs to be a silent witness before all men – especially before the lost.
And that brings up the subject of our MOTIVE in this moderation.
As it should be in everything we do: our application of moderation should be for the glory of the Lord. God saved us for His glory, and so we choose not to sin – for the glory of our Saviour. He saved us for His glory, and so we choose to minister as best we can for His glory. We should strive to turn our bodies into vessels unto glory. Romans 9:23 – we should so live “that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, even us, whom he that called…” “Ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
A necessary part of that glorification is moderation.
And finally what is our MOTIVATION in this moderation?
I know that “motive” and “motivation” sound much alike, and maybe they are much alike. But for the sake of this message, I’d like them to be pointing to the same thing from opposite directions. Our motive in this moderation is the glory of God. And our motivation is also the Lord, but in the sense that “the Lord is at hand.”
“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” What is the meaning of “at hand?” It basically means “near.” “The Lord” – I like to think of this as the Lord Jesus – Christ Jesus is near. But both “at hand” and “near” could mean a couple of things. It could be near in the sense of time or near in the sense of distance.
Matthew 24:32 and 33 – “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is NIGH: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is NEAR, even at the doors.” John 2:13 – “And the Jews’ passover was AT HAND, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem…” Or, John 6:19 – “So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing NIGH unto the ship: and they were afraid. “Now Bethany was NIGH unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off…”
In the Bible the words “nigh,” “near” and “at hand” are all translations of the same Greek word. So what is the meaning of “at hand” here in Philippians? Is it – “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord’s return is imminent.” Or is it – “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is standing beside you, observing your actions and your hearts.” It seems to me that the context suggests near proximity, although there are certainly lessons which we could draw out of the nearness of the Lord’s return.
We know that some day we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ “that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” – II Corinthians 5:11. We will receive and lose rewards for what we have done with our lives – with our time and our resources. We will be judged for how we have used the 10 talents, 5 talents and the single talent we have been given. But not only will the Lord examine our deeds, but also the attitude we had when we did those things. The Lord will honor us for our moderation or the lack of moderation in our lives.
And Paul is telling us that the Lord is right there observing and in a sense judging you. If you think that is a bad thing, then you need to make some changes in your life. But the Christian should rejoice to know that the Lord, our Saviour, is ever with us. Therefore, “be careful for nothing” – worry about nothing. And “let the peace of God, which passeth all understanding… keep your heart and mind through (the ever present) Christ Jesus.”
Paul’s point is this: We as children of God should choose to be gentle, patient and moderate before the eyes of the lost. And just as we concluded our last lesson: we may not be called to preach the gospel to thousands. But we have been called to “rejoice in the Lord alway,” and to “let our moderation be known to all men.” Such things should be a part of the ministry of every child of God.