The portion of Scripture I read and journal through this week is Philippians 1: 12 - 30 ...
Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advance of the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard, and to everyone else, that my imprisonment is in the cause of Christ. Most of the brothers in the Lord have gained confidence from my imprisonment and dare even more to speak the message fearlessly. To be sure, some preach Christ out of envy and strife, but others out of good will. These do so out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; the others proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely, seeking to cause me anxiety in my imprisonment. What does it matter? Just that in every way, whether out of false motives or true, Christ is proclaimed. And in this I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice because I know this will lead to my deliverance through your prayers and help from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. My eager expectation and hope is that I will not be ashamed about anything, but that now as always, with all boldness, Christ will be highly honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For me, living is Christ and dying is gain. Now if I live on in the flesh, this means fruitful work for me; and I don’t know which one I should choose. I am pressured by both. I have the desire to depart and be with Christ — which is far better — but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. Since I am persuaded of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that, because of me, your confidence may grow in Christ Jesus when I come to you again. Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or am absent, I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, working side by side for the faith that comes from the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your deliverance — and this is from God. For it has been given to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him, having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.
Given the name of my website, my ears understandably pricked up when Philippians 1: 27 came up in this week's Bible reading!! Although the verse my Blog's name references is Ephesians 4: 1, the theme is the same as Philippians 1: 27: "Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." (HCSB)
Reading those words again this week was actually really good for me at the start of this new year, as it made me think again about why I use this phrase in my Blog name, and what it meant to me when the Lord first pointed me to it as the purpose behind my writing.
What does it mean to "lead a life worthy of your calling" (Ephesians 4: 1a NLT)?
In the passage from Philippians 1, I see three characteristics of a Believer who is living a life that is worthy of the Gospel, based on what Paul commends and recommends in the chapter as a whole.
Firstly, Christ Followers should share in and desire unity: “Stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” (1: 27).
We are all saved because of the one Gospel, mediated to us through the One Christ - therefore Paul argues that our one, shared faith, through which the church was created, ought to drive us to seek unity among the Believers.
And to Paul, this means much more
than just co-existing with other Christians in our local church or begrudgingly tolerating one another. As we saw in last week's passage of Scripture, Paul genuinely cared for God’s people, and he prioritised their growth and well-being. And here he calls us to the same level of care and concern for our fellow-Believers. This, he says, will be a sign of our spiritual maturity.
Secondly, the Believers' confidence should be in Christ alone, “without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you" (Phil. 1: 28a HCSB).
In John 15, Jesus said that the world hated Him, and so we can safely expect it to hate those who follow Him too (John 15: 18 - 25). But according to Paul, this shouldn't cause us to be ashamed of Christ or wonder if we are doing something wrong, if the disfavour of the world is a result of our faithfulness to Christ and through the proclamation of the Gospel.
Thirdly, if we're "walking worthy", suffering as Christ Followers is not a sign that we lack faith but is actually consistent with it: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him” (Philippians 1: 29).
When our sacrificial commitment to the local church and our dedication to the building of the Kingdom leads to ridicule or hardship, we're in good company, because Paul says, “you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have” (1: 30).
And it's precisely then that he urgues us: “whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1: 27).
It's easy to look the part of the "Gospel worthy" Believer when everything's rosy, but how do I walk out my faith when the rubber hits the road? (Is that still a saying for when life gets real??)
"A life that honours God asks how our circumstances provide us with the opportunity to serve others." (Gr aham Heslop)