Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
Let your moderation be known means a gentle, patient, forbearing, merciful and just self-control must be openly seen by everyone. It stands between the call to always rejoice in the Lord and the call to be anxious about nothing but to bring every need to God in prayer with thanksgiving, with the promise that His peace beyond understanding will guard heart and mind through Christ Jesus. The Lord is at hand means He is presently near to be trusted when answers delay, to be sought directly for wisdom and help rather than leaning on human strength, and to be believed without doubt. It also means His coming is near to judge the world and to save those who wait for Him in hope and faith. Therefore believers are to rejoice even in trial, refuse worry and evil thinking, fix the mind only on what is true, pure, lovely and praiseworthy, and live an orderly, humble, obedient life that adorns the truth.
Words and Setting
Moderation means a gentle, restrained, self-controlled, patient and forbearing spirit that is fair, merciful, pure and just, and it must be made openly visible to all people. Christian temperance must be evident in what is served and not merely in giving up certain unwholesome foods while continuing to serve harmful dainties. Visible gentleness stands in place of climbing on the judgment seat to judge motives and to think and speak evil.
The verse stands between the repeated command to rejoice in the Lord always and the command to be anxious about nothing but to make every request known to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. The promise joined to it is that the peace of God beyond understanding will guard hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The promise must be taken personally and appropriated by full belief that the One who made it is abundantly able and infinite in power to do all He has said, for it has no value without such belief. Distrust of His word dishonors God more than anything, feeling is not reliable, and religion fed and kept alive by emotions is valueless, while God's word is the safe foundation for hope and confidence in it establishes, strengthens, settles and rivets to the Eternal Rock, leading to a living, acting faith that works and is fruitful in every good work.
The verse belongs to Paul's charge to his dearly beloved brethren to stand fast in the Lord. By name Euodias and Syntyche are charged to be of the same mind in the Lord, and the true yokefellow is charged to help the women who labored with him in the gospel with Clement and fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life. The same charge calls all to think on whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy. The Lord has a work for women as well as men to do, accomplished by first learning meekness in the school of Christ, bearing Christ's name and possessing His Spirit, walking even as He walked with souls purified from defilement, and benefiting others by presenting the all-sufficiency of Jesus.
The Lord is at hand means His present nearness as a promise to hold when an answer to prayer is not immediately returned. Children of God are to ask in childlike faith and believe they will receive because God's word is sure, trusting the heavenly Father, bringing every need to God in prayer and supplication instead of anxious care, refusing doubt, and finding the peace of God keeping heart and mind through Jesus Christ. That nearness assures believers including those serving in distant countries that they can seek wisdom and help directly from God rather than depend on human authorities.
The Lord is at hand also means His soon coming is near. There is evidence of this nearness that people may accept or reject. The coming brings judgment and the destiny of the world, when Christ appears to save those waiting for Him in hope and faith, while friendship with the world and spiritual sleep mark the unfaithful servant and a life controlled by God's word and marked by faith, purity and obedience shows readiness. That nearness calls God's children to join in sounding the message of His return and drawing people to Christ, with angels ready to work with them but unable to take their place, and neglecting the work gives the enemy advantage and results in souls being lost, while worldly business interests can keep believers from sharing Bible truth and bears on how they use time and energy.
Trust, Prayer and Peace
Rejoicing in the Lord is to be constant, even amid trials and persecution, by remembering the precious tokens of the Saviour's love and mercy and tender compassion. Trust is to rest in Jesus who stands at the helm when everything seems in confusion, with no inconsiderate word spoken because Jesus hears every word. Believers are to be of good courage and to be happy and peaceful in God, letting nothing come between the soul and the Saviour. This rejoicing is joined to working in the spirit of Christ to win others to the truth.
Anxious care is to be laid aside, with refusal to fill the soul with worry or to dwell on suppositions and unpleasant things. The mind is to be guarded and ruled by God rather than left to anxiety. Every need and trouble is instead to be brought to the One who best understands how to help, in believing heartfelt prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, resting the case in His hands in childlike faith. When an answer to prayer is not immediately returned, the nearness of the Lord is to be held as a promise, trusting the heavenly Father and refusing doubt.
The promise joined to this prayer is that the peace of God that passes understanding will guard hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. It must be taken personally and appropriated by full belief that the One who made it is abundantly able and infinite in power to do all He has said, for the promise has no value without such belief. God's Word is sure and the safe foundation on which hope may rest, while feeling is not reliable and religion fed and kept alive by emotions is valueless. Distrust of His Word dishonors God more than anything else, while confidence in it establishes, strengthens, settles and rivets to the Eternal Rock. That confidence leads to a living, acting faith that works and is fruitful in every good work.
Thought is to rest only on whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy, with apostolic example practiced so that the God of peace is present. The mind is to be gathered up and stored with peace, righteousness and grace. Dwelling on precious things forms Christlike character and gives strength of nerve and brain. Feeding upon defects, supposed imperfections and everything disagreeable and objectionable corrupts character, while turning attention away from everything disagreeable preserves it. The result of the wrong course is an easily disturbed spirit that takes no comfort and gives none.
Visible moderation belongs to a well-ordered life and godly conduct that adorns the doctrine of Christ. Standing fast in the Lord is the only true education, lying in walking humbly with God and keeping the law of God rather than receiving the mold of human ideas and the world's so-called higher education that leads some to depart from the faith. The charge joins standing fast, being of the same mind in the Lord, helping the women who labored in the gospel with Clement and fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life, rejoicing always, letting moderation be known, praying with thanksgiving, receiving God's peace, and thinking on what is virtuous and praiseworthy. The Lord has a work for women as well as men to do, accomplished by first learning meekness in the school of Christ, bearing Christ's name and possessing His Spirit, walking even as He walked with souls purified from defilement, and benefiting others by presenting the all-sufficiency of Jesus.
Moderation in Daily Life
Moderation must begin in family life by putting oneself under God's control and submitting the will to God's will, being broken on the rock Christ so that Jesus marks the life. It is to be known to all men by controlling spirit and words at home and abroad, refusing to feed upon defects and supposed imperfections and turning attention away from everything disagreeable. It means visible gentleness, fairness, mercy, purity and justice toward others instead of climbing on the judgment seat to judge motives and think and speak evil.
In health reform and diet moderation means avoiding extremes and not pressing restrictions into requirements God has not made. Milk, cream, butter and eggs are not to be insisted upon as things that must be abandoned until God reveals that they are no longer safe, with the question left to work itself out. Christian temperance must be evident in what is served and is not merely giving up certain unwholesome foods while continuing to serve harmful dainties.
In dealing with claims of new light or divine messages, moderation means not rushing alleged revelations before the churches as bearing divine credentials without clear and certain evidence that God is speaking through them. Ready credence and loose, unguarded endorsement opens the way to fanaticism, wild performances, Satan's deceptions, counterfeit messages bearing marks of truth, excitement, unhealthy developments and confusion that makes the light and warnings for this time of no effect. In this situation moderation means taking time to think and consider rather than rushing into a decision.
Because the Lord is near there must be no inconsiderate words, since Jesus hears every word. In house-to-house carrying of the message every conversation must be seasoned with grace while believers remain cheerful and thankful, excluding all lightness, joking, trifling, cheap and jovial talk. The nearness of the Lord's coming bears on how believers use time and energy and calls God's children to join in sounding the message of His return and drawing people to Christ. Angels are ready to work with them but cannot take their place, and neglecting the work gives the enemy advantage and results in souls being lost, while worldly business interests can keep believers from carrying out their work of sharing Bible truth.
Readiness for His coming is shown by a life controlled by God's word and marked by faith, purity and obedience. His coming brings judgment and the destiny of the world, and Christ appears to save those waiting for Him in hope and faith. Friendship with the world and spiritual sleep instead mark the unfaithful servant.
Let your moderation be known means a gentle, patient, forbearing, merciful and just self-control must be openly seen by everyone. It stands between the call to always rejoice in the Lord and the call to be anxious about nothing but to bring every need to God in prayer with thanksgiving, with the promise that His peace beyond understanding will guard heart and mind through Christ Jesus. The Lord is at hand means He is presently near to be trusted when answers delay, to be sought directly for wisdom and help rather than leaning on human strength, and to be believed without doubt. It also means His coming is near to judge the world and to save those who wait for Him in hope and faith. Therefore believers are to rejoice even in trial, refuse worry and evil thinking, fix the mind only on what is true, pure, lovely and praiseworthy, and live an orderly, humble, obedient life that adorns the truth.
Words and Setting
Moderation means a gentle, restrained, self-controlled, patient and forbearing spirit that is fair, merciful, pure and just, and it must be made openly visible to all people. Christian temperance must be evident in what is served and not merely in giving up certain unwholesome foods while continuing to serve harmful dainties. Visible gentleness stands in place of climbing on the judgment seat to judge motives and to think and speak evil.
The verse stands between the repeated command to rejoice in the Lord always and the command to be anxious about nothing but to make every request known to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. The promise joined to it is that the peace of God beyond understanding will guard hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The promise must be taken personally and appropriated by full belief that the One who made it is abundantly able and infinite in power to do all He has said, for it has no value without such belief. Distrust of His word dishonors God more than anything, feeling is not reliable, and religion fed and kept alive by emotions is valueless, while God's word is the safe foundation for hope and confidence in it establishes, strengthens, settles and rivets to the Eternal Rock, leading to a living, acting faith that works and is fruitful in every good work.
The verse belongs to Paul's charge to his dearly beloved brethren to stand fast in the Lord. By name Euodias and Syntyche are charged to be of the same mind in the Lord, and the true yokefellow is charged to help the women who labored with him in the gospel with Clement and fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life. The same charge calls all to think on whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy. The Lord has a work for women as well as men to do, accomplished by first learning meekness in the school of Christ, bearing Christ's name and possessing His Spirit, walking even as He walked with souls purified from defilement, and benefiting others by presenting the all-sufficiency of Jesus.
The Lord is at hand means His present nearness as a promise to hold when an answer to prayer is not immediately returned. Children of God are to ask in childlike faith and believe they will receive because God's word is sure, trusting the heavenly Father, bringing every need to God in prayer and supplication instead of anxious care, refusing doubt, and finding the peace of God keeping heart and mind through Jesus Christ. That nearness assures believers including those serving in distant countries that they can seek wisdom and help directly from God rather than depend on human authorities.
The Lord is at hand also means His soon coming is near. There is evidence of this nearness that people may accept or reject. The coming brings judgment and the destiny of the world, when Christ appears to save those waiting for Him in hope and faith, while friendship with the world and spiritual sleep mark the unfaithful servant and a life controlled by God's word and marked by faith, purity and obedience shows readiness. That nearness calls God's children to join in sounding the message of His return and drawing people to Christ, with angels ready to work with them but unable to take their place, and neglecting the work gives the enemy advantage and results in souls being lost, while worldly business interests can keep believers from sharing Bible truth and bears on how they use time and energy.
Trust, Prayer and Peace
Rejoicing in the Lord is to be constant, even amid trials and persecution, by remembering the precious tokens of the Saviour's love and mercy and tender compassion. Trust is to rest in Jesus who stands at the helm when everything seems in confusion, with no inconsiderate word spoken because Jesus hears every word. Believers are to be of good courage and to be happy and peaceful in God, letting nothing come between the soul and the Saviour. This rejoicing is joined to working in the spirit of Christ to win others to the truth.
Anxious care is to be laid aside, with refusal to fill the soul with worry or to dwell on suppositions and unpleasant things. The mind is to be guarded and ruled by God rather than left to anxiety. Every need and trouble is instead to be brought to the One who best understands how to help, in believing heartfelt prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, resting the case in His hands in childlike faith. When an answer to prayer is not immediately returned, the nearness of the Lord is to be held as a promise, trusting the heavenly Father and refusing doubt.
The promise joined to this prayer is that the peace of God that passes understanding will guard hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. It must be taken personally and appropriated by full belief that the One who made it is abundantly able and infinite in power to do all He has said, for the promise has no value without such belief. God's Word is sure and the safe foundation on which hope may rest, while feeling is not reliable and religion fed and kept alive by emotions is valueless. Distrust of His Word dishonors God more than anything else, while confidence in it establishes, strengthens, settles and rivets to the Eternal Rock. That confidence leads to a living, acting faith that works and is fruitful in every good work.
Thought is to rest only on whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous and praiseworthy, with apostolic example practiced so that the God of peace is present. The mind is to be gathered up and stored with peace, righteousness and grace. Dwelling on precious things forms Christlike character and gives strength of nerve and brain. Feeding upon defects, supposed imperfections and everything disagreeable and objectionable corrupts character, while turning attention away from everything disagreeable preserves it. The result of the wrong course is an easily disturbed spirit that takes no comfort and gives none.
Visible moderation belongs to a well-ordered life and godly conduct that adorns the doctrine of Christ. Standing fast in the Lord is the only true education, lying in walking humbly with God and keeping the law of God rather than receiving the mold of human ideas and the world's so-called higher education that leads some to depart from the faith. The charge joins standing fast, being of the same mind in the Lord, helping the women who labored in the gospel with Clement and fellow laborers whose names are in the book of life, rejoicing always, letting moderation be known, praying with thanksgiving, receiving God's peace, and thinking on what is virtuous and praiseworthy. The Lord has a work for women as well as men to do, accomplished by first learning meekness in the school of Christ, bearing Christ's name and possessing His Spirit, walking even as He walked with souls purified from defilement, and benefiting others by presenting the all-sufficiency of Jesus.
Moderation in Daily Life
Moderation must begin in family life by putting oneself under God's control and submitting the will to God's will, being broken on the rock Christ so that Jesus marks the life. It is to be known to all men by controlling spirit and words at home and abroad, refusing to feed upon defects and supposed imperfections and turning attention away from everything disagreeable. It means visible gentleness, fairness, mercy, purity and justice toward others instead of climbing on the judgment seat to judge motives and think and speak evil.
In health reform and diet moderation means avoiding extremes and not pressing restrictions into requirements God has not made. Milk, cream, butter and eggs are not to be insisted upon as things that must be abandoned until God reveals that they are no longer safe, with the question left to work itself out. Christian temperance must be evident in what is served and is not merely giving up certain unwholesome foods while continuing to serve harmful dainties.
In dealing with claims of new light or divine messages, moderation means not rushing alleged revelations before the churches as bearing divine credentials without clear and certain evidence that God is speaking through them. Ready credence and loose, unguarded endorsement opens the way to fanaticism, wild performances, Satan's deceptions, counterfeit messages bearing marks of truth, excitement, unhealthy developments and confusion that makes the light and warnings for this time of no effect. In this situation moderation means taking time to think and consider rather than rushing into a decision.
Because the Lord is near there must be no inconsiderate words, since Jesus hears every word. In house-to-house carrying of the message every conversation must be seasoned with grace while believers remain cheerful and thankful, excluding all lightness, joking, trifling, cheap and jovial talk. The nearness of the Lord's coming bears on how believers use time and energy and calls God's children to join in sounding the message of His return and drawing people to Christ. Angels are ready to work with them but cannot take their place, and neglecting the work gives the enemy advantage and results in souls being lost, while worldly business interests can keep believers from carrying out their work of sharing Bible truth.
Readiness for His coming is shown by a life controlled by God's word and marked by faith, purity and obedience. His coming brings judgment and the destiny of the world, and Christ appears to save those waiting for Him in hope and faith. Friendship with the world and spiritual sleep instead mark the unfaithful servant.