As we continue our study on the book of Philippians, Paul begins to transition here to the subject of kingdom living. Verse 27 is the main command, and the rest of the verses through 2:18 deal with how to live as citizens of this heavenly kingdom. As we will see, the Philippians were dealing with some opposition, both from outside and inside the church. Therefore, Paul begins to give them guidance on how to deal with this opposition. The verses read,
27 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, 28 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. 29 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, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have. 2:1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
What an ironic statement. I cannot help but be blown away at the depths of grace that radiates through this passage. Here we, as God's elect, stand now in a state of perfect righteousness; justified before God the Father. We who were once unworthy, vile, wretched worms, worthy only of the wrath of God, the Father as now reconciled us to Himself through His Son, not counting our trespasses against us. We are now made worthy through the infinite worth of the Son and His propitiatory sacrifice. Now, Paul says, live like. Live a life worthy of the one who has, with infinite worth, redeemed you. Only one thing is to occupy your manner of life, and that is whether or not, day by day, you are living in a manner worth of the Christ you profess. But how? How to we live that life? What is the standard? Surely, we all fall short every day, so how do we know we are living such a life? This is what Paul expounds on in what follows.
However, before we move on, there is one more thing I wish to point out about this overarching verse.The word that Paul uses here that is translated “conduct yourselves” or "manner of life," was used in the Roman world to refer to citizens who had a responsibility. Paul is using it here with the Philippians to impress upon them that they are citizens of the kingdom of heaven, and as citizens of the kingdom of heaven, they have a responsibility before both God and men, to live lives that are worthy of the gospel that they profess. Let that sink in. We are under divine responsibility, as people whom God has elected from before the foundation of the world; as people for whom the Son has died; as people whom the Spirit has irresistibly drawn. to live like citizens of His world, not this one.
Paul then expresses his desire to hear that they are standing firm. He then transitions to teach them how to deal with oppression from without (vs27b-30).
Therefore, the reason Paul wants them to stand firm is so that whether he is released and comes to see them, or whether he can only hear by reliable report, they are standing firm in unity in the face of opposition. Thus, we see that one of the ways that Paul encourages them to live kingdom worthy is by being both unified and courageous in the midst of outward opposition. As we will see, it is evident that this opposition was coming from outside the Christian community- from the lost. And since Paul does not want the gospel (or them) to be put to shame, he instructs them on how to deal with opposition from without.
Stand Firm in the Unity of the Gospel (vs27)
The word here for standing firm is a military term, and gives the idea of being steadfast. Paul wants his hearers to be steadfast in the face of this opposition. They are to do this in one spirit (or one purpose). Not only are they to be steadfast and stand together in unity, they are also to strive together with one mind (or in one accord). This particular term was an athletic term, and gives the emphasis of contending as one man- to have the same attitude or orientation of will. The athletic imagery is meant to reiterate the idea of working together as a team that is striving as one man. In its cultural context, the term specifically refers to the gladiators. The idea Paul wishes to convey is that complete harmony and purpose are needed if they are going to survive the intensity of the battle. They are to be united for the faith of the gospel. Their team effort would thus help spread and advance the gospel in the midst of the opposition. However, if they are not unified, they would not be able to spread the gospel effectively. This is because there is nothing that discredits the gospel more than a dysfunctional church.
Don't Be Intimidated (vs28)
Secondly, if they were going to stand in the midst of opposition and advance the gospel, they were not to be alarmed by their opponents. The word alarmed means to “be terrified, frightened, to let oneself be intimidated”, and could be used to denote the uncontrollable stampede of startled horses. In other words, their opponents were trying to strike terror into their hearts and throw them into a panic. Yet if they are standing firm together, they will not be overcome. Next, Paul says that their standing firm is a sign to the unbelievers. It is a sign to them of their destruction and the Philippians salvation.
Suffering is a Gracious Gift (vs29-30)
Yes, you heard me right. Suffering is a gracious gift, and this text confirms it. So many times we see suffering as negative and unwelcome. Paul, however, wishes to give us a different perspective.
Now, we must first be very clear about the nature of this suffering. It is suffering that is on behalf of Christ- in other words, it is suffering for righteousness sake, or for being a Christian. It is suffering that is brought on because of one’s faith. Therefore, because if this very definition, it excludes a lot of things. It is not suffering brought on by stupidity, being a jerk, lack of tact, belligerency, or utter foolishness. This type of suffering comes from standing firm on the unadulterated, unchangeable gospel. This type of suffering, Paul says, is a grace gift. This is indeed the idea behind the word he uses for “granted”. Suffering for Christ sake is a gracious gift from God because it allows Christians to know God more intimately by sharing in the sufferings of Christ, and anything that draws us closer to God or makes us more Christ-like is a gracious gift. Paul saw suffering for Christ as a privilege. Paul knew about this, as he shows, because here his life is used as a model of suffering for the gospel for them. Thus, they are to find encouragement from his example.
One essential element of kingdom living is the progress of the gospel. In seeking the progress of the gospel, we will encounter opposition. However, we must deal with resistance and opposition in a way that is worthy of the gospel. One way that this is accomplished is that we stand firm together, and as a team, contend for the gospel. Contending together as a team for the gospel entails that each member of the church takes the call of God on their life for evangelism personally.
At this point, it will do us good to define the term evangelism. Evangelism, in the biblical sense, is the preaching of the full gospel- sin, death, hell, judgment, grace, the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This means that evangelism is not talking about church or inviting people to church. These may open the door for evangelism, but they are not evangelism per se. Therefore, we should not deceive ourselves in thinking that we have truly engaged in the work of evangelism if we never get passed the point of talking about church!
One of the myths about evangelism is that it is a gift only for certain people. Sorry, but that is a lie. Ephesians 4 says that the office of an evangelist is an office of the church; that is for the benefit of the church for the building up of the body and the equipping of the saints to ministry. Have you ever sat and thought about what that means for the office of an evangelist? How does he build up the body and equip the saints for ministry? By teaching them to share their faith and getting them involved in witnessing! Evangelism is the work of all!
For us to advance the gospel in a unified manner, we must all be on the same page. If there are only a few of us who are passionate about sharing our faith and reaching the lost, the rest will drag the body down. We will try to do things to advance the gospel and take risk and reach the lost, but if the majority have no vision and passion for evangelism, the efforts will get stonewalled, or fail because of lack of involvement or support. If we are going to contend for the gospel and advance the cause of Christ, it will involve a personal conviction, commitment, and effort of each individual. So, you must ask yourself, will I live in a manner worthy of the gospel and take my evangelism personally, or will I be a hindrance to the body of Christ moving in a united effort to advance the gospel?
You may be saying, well, this is all fine and good and I agree, but I am scared to death to do it. And I would reply to you the words of Paul- do not be intimidated. Fear is the chokehold of the devil that he uses to bring the saint into submission when it comes to sharing their faith. We go to share our faith and the fingers of fear grasp us by our evangelistic neck and put the squeeze on us and we tap out and give up and go home defeated.
Now take this from a young man who has been sharing his faith for a long time-the fear never goes away. The opponents never go away. The opposition will always be there. If you wait until there is no fear or no risk, or if you wait until opposition goes to bed, you will never share your faith. Fear is an insomniac. He never sleeps or slumbers; He is like your shadow- he will always be there in the midst of the light. Thus, we must learn to live with him and overcome him. We must not let those who oppose us throw us into a panic, or fill our hearts with fright. We must stand, and stand firm. Our boldness will be a sign that they are the ones who should fear, not us.
What is it that you fear? Rejection? Harsh words? Maybe looking like a fool for Christ? Well, it is time for a little Christian fear factor- it is time to step up and face your fears. Do you realize that the bible says in Revelation 21:8 that cowards will not inherit the kingdom of God? You know why that is? It is because cowardice is uncharacteristic of a born again saint. The reason is because it was uncharacteristic of Jesus, and if His Spirit lives in us, we will be as bold as lions. Will we feel afraid? Of course. But courage is not the absence of fear, but the overcoming of fear. If we are rejected, persecuted, mocked, it is all well and good, for this is a gracious gift from God. How do you like that! Suffering for Christ is a gracious gift! Next time you are rejected for sharing your faith, be sure and thank God for His gracious gift of being allowed to share in the sufferings of Christ. Yet if you are never sharing your faith or making a stand for the gospel, you will know nothing of this grace; you will know nothing of the encouraging hand of God, the smile of his Spirit in your soul, and the nearness of His face.
In all actuality, I feel sorry for the Christian who has never suffered an ounce of rejection for the One he claims to follow. He or she is living at such a low level of Christian experience that it could be questioned as to whether or not such a one has been converted at all. Why? Do you not speak about what drives you? Do you not relay to others your passion? Do others not see our obsessions? If we have met Jesus, and have gazed upon such a wonder with the eyes of our heart, we would be like the prophet Jeremiah who said , "your word to me was like fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary from holding it back." One who has been engulfed by holy flames of the Spirit cannot help but burn!
Finally, there is one more encouragement for us to be bold and stand firm in evangelism, and this is the doctrine of unconditional election. The doctrine of election ensures us that our efforts of evangelism will not fail. It was this doctrine that drove such missionaries as David Brainerd, William Carey, David Livingstone, and Hudson Taylor. The doctrine of election drove the evangelism and preaching of Jonathan Edwards, George Whitfield, and Charles Spurgeon. When fully embraced, the doctrine of election is one of the greatest catalyst for evangelism, for it gives the church confidence that none of their labor or suffering is in vain.
In the next post, I will deal with 2:1-4.