Philippians 1:27-30

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.  For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

 

What does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of the Gospel?  The answer to this question could be long with a variety of answers possible.  However, Paul mentions two important ones in this passage.  If the Gospel is impacting our lives and if we are going to impact the world in which we live, these two qualities are going to be present.

 

UNITY IN THE FAITH: Christianity is not an “individual sport.”  God has placed us into His family and made us a part of His body.  We are called to stand firm together because it is impossible for us to stand firm apart from one another.  An important aspect of being unified is having a common goal.  Paul describes this common goal as “striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.”  The priority of every believer and every church should be to work as a body to advance the Gospel.  The message of justification by faith is what we are called to proclaim, but in order for that to happen, we must work together, every person doing their part.  We all have different gifts and therefor have different opportunities and responsibilities.  The key is for us to understand and appreciate those differences so we can work together instead of competing against one another.

 

SUFFER FOR THE FAITH: One of the reasons that unity is so important is that there is a powerful and astute enemy that is going to work really hard to frighten and intimidate us.  Satan as well as the world in which we live are going to do their best to divide and conquer.  There will be threats, persecution, suffering and hardship along the way, but we must not become discouraged by these things.  God will judge them in His time and His way, that is not to be of our concern.  We are called to trust Him, wait on Him, and work together no matter what the cost may be.  Paul was the classic example of a follower of Christ who suffered greatly for the advancement of the Gospel but was never intimidated and never quit.  Suffering is to be expected but is much easier to face together.

 

APPLICATION: Understand that the advancement of the Gospel is to be our priority as individuals and the church.  Grow in appreciation for and cooperation with other believers, especially those who are different and fulfill different roles.  Be prepared to persevere in the face of suffering and hardship.  Don’t allow fear to intimidate us or suffering to discourage us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more

1 Timothy 2:1-7

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and   dignified in every way.    This is good, and   it is pleasing in the sight of   God our Savior,   who desires   all people to be saved and   to come to   the knowledge of the truth.    For   there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,   who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is   the testimony given   at the proper time.    For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying),   a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.   Prayer is one of the greatest privileges believers have and it should be one of our greatest priorities.  Too often our lives are more often marked by complaining about our circumstances and our political leaders than by prayers for them.  The government in Paul’s day
Read more