Philippians 1:27-30
27: Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
28: in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.
29: For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
30: experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
Paul asked the Philippians to walk worthy of the gospel of Christ so whether he was released from prison and comes to see them or not, he would hear that they were “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Once again, we see Paul not trying to turn their eyes to him in dependency, but to the Lord, to stand strong in faith themselves. A true father recognizes that children must grow up and learn to care for themselves, taking responsibility to do what is needed to remain in relationship with the Lord.
Having given them what they needed to stand on their own, Paul advised them not to be alarmed by their opponents in any way. Anyone who opposed or persecuted them for their faith was bringing destruction on themselves. Yet, this persecution was a sign of salvation for them. Believers in Christ are not to cower or compromise when persecution comes, even if it's to the point of what Paul suffered, which was much, as we saw in 2 Corinthians 11.
Jesus said you are blessed when people insult, persecute, and falsely accuse you because of Him. He said to rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great (Matthew 5:10-12). The gospel does not teach that we will never suffer because of our faith. It says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19). When afflictions come, remain in the place of righteousness and He will deliver you.
To walk worthy of the gospel is a high call for all believers. Of course, we know that our salvation is not by works--it’s given to us by grace. Righteousness can never be earned by godly behavior because, as we’ve seen, it’s been proven time and time again that no one can live righteously—not one. Only Jesus, and He paid the price for us to be forgiven of all sin and brought to a place of righteousness in Him before the Father.
Yet, there is a call for us to walk worthy of what we have been so freely given by grace. When we do, we show our understanding of, and gratitude for, the precious gift of the blood of Christ. We honor Him by not allowing one drop of His blood which was shed on our behalf to be wasted. We will allow His gift to work in us transforming us into His image, becoming true sons and daughters of the Father.
28: in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God.
29: For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,
30: experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
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Paul asked the Philippians to walk worthy of the gospel of Christ so whether he was released from prison and comes to see them or not, he would hear that they were “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Once again, we see Paul not trying to turn their eyes to him in dependency, but to the Lord, to stand strong in faith themselves. A true father recognizes that children must grow up and learn to care for themselves, taking responsibility to do what is needed to remain in relationship with the Lord.
Having given them what they needed to stand on their own, Paul advised them not to be alarmed by their opponents in any way. Anyone who opposed or persecuted them for their faith was bringing destruction on themselves. Yet, this persecution was a sign of salvation for them. Believers in Christ are not to cower or compromise when persecution comes, even if it's to the point of what Paul suffered, which was much, as we saw in 2 Corinthians 11.
Jesus said you are blessed when people insult, persecute, and falsely accuse you because of Him. He said to rejoice and be glad for your reward in heaven is great (Matthew 5:10-12). The gospel does not teach that we will never suffer because of our faith. It says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Psalm 34:19). When afflictions come, remain in the place of righteousness and He will deliver you.
To walk worthy of the gospel is a high call for all believers. Of course, we know that our salvation is not by works--it’s given to us by grace. Righteousness can never be earned by godly behavior because, as we’ve seen, it’s been proven time and time again that no one can live righteously—not one. Only Jesus, and He paid the price for us to be forgiven of all sin and brought to a place of righteousness in Him before the Father.
Yet, there is a call for us to walk worthy of what we have been so freely given by grace. When we do, we show our understanding of, and gratitude for, the precious gift of the blood of Christ. We honor Him by not allowing one drop of His blood which was shed on our behalf to be wasted. We will allow His gift to work in us transforming us into His image, becoming true sons and daughters of the Father.
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