Posted in Gospel, Life

The Gospel Turns Everything Upside Down

In the movie National Treasure, Benjamin Gates is from a family seeking a massive treasure. The clues lead him to the conclusion that the key to finding this treasure can be found on the original Declaration of Independence (on the back). Ian Howe, a fellow treasure hunter decides he must steal the Declaration in order to obtain this vast wealth. Gates is adamant that he will not be involved in that type of thievery. He knows Howe’s unscrupulous character, and tries to warn various government agencies. When no one will believe him, he decides that the only course of action is to steal the Declaration first. As he tries to convince his accomplice that to protect the Declaration, they would need to steal it, he states: “It’s upside down.” I often think of that phrase when observing situations that seem backwards.  

We live in a society that is overrun with stress and anxiety. There are many areas of concern and disagreement in our country and around the world. From boarder security, immigration, and separating families to denuclearizing North Korea, there are many concerns about our governmental choices. In the more everyday categories of society, our roads are filled with angry drivers. On Saturday, June 16, two 12 and under girls’ softball teams were playing in a tournament in Tennessee. During the course of the game, the parents of the girls’ teams were unhappy with a call and a brawl broke out. This type of event illustrates the angst that exists in our world. 

But the gospel turns everything upside down. God has called His people to live an entirely different life. A brief reading of Philippians 4:4-7 helps to bring this into focus. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Joy in an Angry World

We are called by God, through Paul, to “rejoice in the Lord.” Rejoicing is the externalizing of joy. Joy is a gracious gift of God that comes through the working of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Essentially, God is calling for His people to demonstrate externally what He has worked internally (Phil. 2:12-13). 

Gentleness in a Hostile World

The word “reasonableness” is a good definition of the original Greek word. As you trace the word’s usage through the New Testament, you see more references to the concept of gentleness. My personal favorite usage is in 2 Corinthians 10:1 where Paul writes, “I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ.” We know that God’s design in adopting us is that we be “conformed to image of His Son” (Rom. 8:29). This process of conformity will result from God’s gracious working through the word and the Holy Spirit. One of the character traits God will work in us is gentleness. 

Peace in a Stressful World

Paul does not simply prohibit anxiety in Philippians 4; instead, he provides instruction for its remedy. He calls the people of God to pray (using three different words), and to do so with thanksgiving. The ability to give thanks in the midst of turbulence results from a healthy view of the tender, loving, sovereign care of our Father. We can pray with thanksgiving, because we know that our Father is at work (Romans 8:28; 1 Peter 5:6-7). The result of such humble submission in prayer is a gracious allotment of God’s peace. This is not a humanly manufactured peace, but a peace from God that is beyond human understanding. Jesus promised to send His peace to His disciples (John 14:27). The peace that Jesus sends is not static or unemployed, but rather it has a duty to perform. In Philippians 4:7, the peace of God “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” God’s peace is at work in the hearts of His people to keep anxiety and stress at bay. This is a gracious gift of a gracious Father. 

Joy, gentleness, and peace are gracious gifts from our God. These result from an embracing and dwelling in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The world around us tends toward anger, hostility, and stress, but the gospel provides a pathway toward joy, gentleness, and peace. 

Why does God provide these things for us? First, it is His design that we would display His character through His working. Second, the work God does in His people is to be on display before an on-looking world. These evidences of grace may cause people to “ask us a reason for the hope that is in us” (1 Pet. 3:15). May the world see the tangible evidence of how the gospel turns everything upside down.

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