"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." [Phil 4:5]
Multiple times in the New Testament we are encouraged in our gentle operation in regard to fellow believers. In particular, Paul says, “and the servant of The Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, [and] patient…” [2 Tim 2:24] And again, we are to “speak evil of no man, to be abstaining from fighting, gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.” [Titus 3:2] It is the “wisdom that is from above” which is “gentle.” [Jam 3:17] But that wisdom which derives from below: from this world, from the flesh, or from satan, is not so but is full of “bitter envying and strife.” [Jam 3:14-15] The word gentle means, “mild; meek; soft…not rough, harsh, or severe…” [Webster] and as such, our admonition by Paul and others to be gentle falls in line well with Christ’s character, who Himself said, “I am meek and lowly in heart.” [Mt 11:29] Seeing then that our God is gentle, we ought ourselves to pursue such a quality, being also “kind one to another, [and] tenderhearted.” [Eph 4:32] But while the word “gentle” in 2 Timothy means just what it appears to say, the Greek word behind “gentle” in James and Titus means more accurately, moderate or reasonable. It is a word which implies fairness or equitableness; that is, a man who is “gentle” in this sense is “…temperate…restrained in passion, ardor, or temper…” [Webster] The wisdom that descends from above, and which we are encouraged to use in our verse today, which says, “let your moderation be known unto all men,” is that which is temperate and restrained in its dealings with other men, so that when others act in an undesirable way, the man who is gentle in the sense of moderation or reasonableness does not explode in fury or passion, but is restrained, able to cool his thoughts and emotions and act soberly. It is that same good quality of The LORD exercised when He forbears from punishing us or dealing with us according to our sins; as it is written, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” [Psa 103:10]
And so, looking at our verse for today, which encourages us to be moderate, let us see the reason given: ”The Lord is at hand.” That is, the true judge is near to come: Jesus is at the door. He who shall judge righteously has nearly arrived; “the night is far spent, the day is at hand.” [Rom 13:12] Therefore, be reasonable with others. Be moderate. When another man irritates us, let us pass by it, seeking love, as Paul said we should be, “forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a complaint against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.” [Col 3:13] But let us look at an analogy which shall help us to better appreciate our responsibility as God’s children.
Imagine for a moment two trees: one is the sapling of a fruit-bearing tree and the other is not. When they are young, it is much harder to tell apart the two. Many plants exhibit this trait, of looking similar to different plants while young. For some gardeners, they will place a marker in the dirt to remind themselves of which is which. It is not until the plants are more mature, that their different species become very clear. In the same way, when we are viewing our brothers and sisters in Christ, perhaps those who are newly saved or those who are exhibiting new growth, they may look similar to the world, to a non-fruit-bearing tree as it were. But let us take heed to our instruction to be moderate, to be gentle. We are to be reasonable with our brethren, knowing that growth takes time, and though they may not look very Christ-like at the moment, yet with time it shall become clear. Let us act as the man in the parable Jesus told who said to the owner of the fig tree, “lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it.” [Lk 13:8] Let us restrain ourselves from judgment, lest the true judge, Jesus Christ, put us to shame, as it says in Proverbs, “he that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is a folly and shame unto him;” and, “go not forth hastily to strive, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof, when thy neighbor hath put thee to shame.” [Prov 18:13; 25:8] So then, let us be moderate with each other, giving others time to learn and grow, exercising the same grace with which Jesus Christ saved us, as it is written, “receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” [Rom 15:7]