Philippians 4:20; Made for Doxology

PastorRodney’s Weblog

11/03 Philippians 4:20; Made for Doxology; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20241103_philippians-4_20.mp3

In this section on giving, Paul concludes; my God will fill up all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. What we truly need, what we were created for is relationship with our Creator. What we need is our sins forgiven, taken out of the way, we need to be counted righteous, so that we can enjoy relationship with our God, our Redeemer, our Friend, forever.

Is Jesus enough for you? Is he all you need? Can you find contentment in any and every circumstance if you have that which is of surpassing worth; knowing Christ Jesus your Lord? Is what you most desire that Christ be honored in your body whether by life or by death?

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Structure: Acknowledge, Explain, Qualify

In this section on giving, Paul acknowledges the Philippians’ giving in 3 cycles; he acknowledges their gift, he gives some explanation, and he qualifies against possible misunderstandings. In verse 10 he acknowledges their gift ‘I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that your thoughts toward me blossomed’ and he gives explanation ‘I didn’t think you were negligent, I know you lacked opportunity; in 11-13 he qualifies what he is not saying ‘but I don’t need your money for my contentment’. In 14 he acknowledges their gift ‘It was good of you to fellowship with me in my affliction’, in 15-16 he gives explanation of their history of generosity and in 17 he qualifies what he does not mean ‘I’m not seeking the gift, I’m seeking the fruit that abounds to your credit’. In 18 he acknowledges their abundant generosity ‘I have received all and abound’, in 19 he explains that God is the ultimate giver of every good, but in 20 instead of a qualification, he bursts into doxology.

What Is Doxology?

What Is Doxology? Doxology comes from the Greek word [δόξα] which means glory, worship or praise; and [λόγος], word. Doxology is a word of worship, giving glory to God.

According to His Riches In Glory

He has just affirmed the abundant generosity of God, who ‘will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus’. God is the giver who will not be outgiven. Proverbs 19 says:

Proverbs 19:17 ​Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will repay him for his deed.

God supplies our every need not out of poverty or lack but out of his riches in glory. It is not like the widow in Luke 21 who gave two small coins, which Jesus counted as ‘more than all of them’ because she out of her poverty gave all she had to live on. It is not like the Philippians who ‘in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity’ (2Cor.8:2). God supplies our need in proportion to his riches in glory. God said:

Psalm 50:12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.

God’s giving is congruent with his own glory, and his abundant glory and lavish generosity is most clearly seen in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

Most kings display their glory by how much they can take from others, through conquest, through industry, through taxation. God displays his glory by how much he gives away. God has no needs. God is the ultimate giver, and so God gets all the glory.

It is this thought of the riches of God’s glory in Christ Jesus that causes Paul to burst out in a word of worshipful praise.

Philippians 4:20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

God Glorified Through Christ by our Righteous Fruit

This is not the first time in this letter that Paul has mentioned the glory of God. The glory of God is a thread that runs right through from beginning to end. Paul prays at the very beginning:

Philippians 1:9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

His prayer is for their character, for their love, for their integrity; but he has his eye toward the day of Christ, and he knows that they will only be filled with the fruit of righteousness through the enabling power of Jesus Christ. His prayer is for them, for their good, their eternal good. It is through Jesus Christ because we have no righteousness of our own that is not filthy rags; the only righteousness that is of value is the righteousness ‘which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith’ (Phil.3:9). His prayer is for them, and through Christ, but it is to God. The ultimate goal of his prayer is that God be glorified through Christ. God is praised and glorified through Christ by our righteous fruit, by our rescue and transformation from sinners into saints.

Christ Died and was Raised for the Glory of His Father

The glory of God shows up again in chapter 2, where Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient even to death, even death on a cross;

Philippians 2:9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so 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.

Paul holds up Jesus, who through his emptying, self-humbling sacrifice for others is now exalted by the Father to the highest place; his name is above every name. It is by every knee bowing to king Jesus and every tongue in all of creation confessing that Jesus Christ is YHWH, the Lord, that the Father is glorified.

Remember, God is not glorified by asserting his power to take that which is does not belong to him; he is glorified out of the overflow of his abundance giving lavishly to those in desperate need. ‘God so loved… that he gave’ (Jn.3:16). The Father glorifies Jesus, and when Jesus is exalted, it brings glory to the Father.

Why did Jesus come? Why did he die? Why was he raised from the dead? We who are saved by God’s grace through the once for all sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we are quick to answer ‘Jesus came to die for our sins, and he was raised for our justification!’ and that is a good answer. But that is not the answer given in Philippians 2. Read Philippians 2 again; you won’t find that answer there! It is implied because Jesus is held up as an example of one who was looking to the interests of others. But Philippians 2:5-11 doesn’t say anything about us – our sin, our salvation, forgiveness, reconciliation, propitiation, redemption, justification. It’s not about us at all! The reason given in Philippians 2 for the humiliation, death, resurrection and glorification of Jesus is ‘to the glory of God the Father’! Why did Jesus come? Why did he die? Why was he raised up? To bring glory to his Father. We know from so many other texts that Jesus died for our sins, he paid our price in full. He saved us. But the way that he saved us, ‘not by works of righteousness that we have done but according to his mercy’ (Titus 3:5); ‘by grace through faith, not your own doing but the gift of God, not by works so that no one could boast ‘(Eph.2:8-9), was

Ephesians 2:7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Why did he save us the way he saved us? So that our boasting is excluded, and to put on public display the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, so that all glory goes to God.

Jesus died and was raised for us and for our salvation, true. But beyond that, bigger than that, more ultimate Jesus died and was raised to bring glory to his Father. Isn’t this what Jesus himself said?

John 12:23 And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. … 27 ​“Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

Jesus approached the hour of his crucifixion with a clear purpose in mind, to glorify the name of his Father. And the Father answered verbally from heaven. Again as he began his prayer in John 17, on his way to the cross

John 17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,

Jesus died to the glory of God.

Reflecting the Glory of the Lord

This theme of glory shows up in a negative way in Philippians 3;

Philippians 3:18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Paul prays that we would be characterized by love and fruitfulness to the glory of God; he asserts that Jesus died and was raised to the glory of the Father. All of creation exists to glorify God, but the enemies of the cross glory in their shame. Their focus and their reward is earthly, temporal. Here’s the contrast;

Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

The contrast is between earthly and heavenly, between enemies of the cross and those who embrace the cross, between destruction and transformation, between glorying in shame and the hope of our humiliation being transformed, conformed to the body of his glory. We were made for glory, to reflect his glory, and so bring him glory.

Giving for the Glory of God

Here at the close of the letter, Paul affirms God as the extravagant giver of every good according to his riches in glory;

Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

And then he bursts out in praise;

Philippians 4:20 To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen.

The ultimate aim of giving is not to get glory through our generosity, but to give as an expression of the overflow of what we have been freely given in Christ. We only give out of God’s supply so that God gets the glory.

Created to Glorify God

This is what we were made for; to glorify God. Isaiah tells us;

Isaiah 43:6 … bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

In fact, this is the grand treason of the universe; Romans 3 tells us:

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

What does it mean to fall short of the glory of God? If we back up to the beginning of Romans, he explained what he means.

Romans 1: 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. …21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. … 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

This is our great damnable act; we are glory thieves; we fall short of giving God the glory that is his rightful due.

In Revelation we see worship around God’s throne;

Revelation 4:11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

Peter tells us to use our gifts;

1 Peter 4:11 …by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The Westminster shorter catechism begins with the question ‘What is the chief end of man?’ (the chief end being the primary and highest aim, purpose and goal of humanity). The answer: ‘Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever. Our ultimate aim and highest purpose is to glorify God. We find fullness of joy and satisfaction when we do what we were meant to do.

How To Glorify God

How do we glorify God? Jesus instructs us to be salt and light in the world;

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

We are to put Jesus on display like a light on a lampstand. We are to shine his light in this world by what we do, and the way that we do it. We are to make it known that any good we do does not originate in us; it is Christ in us, his light shining through us, so that he gets the glory.

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

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Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org