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.

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