Live worthy of His calling
Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it. Philippians 1:27-30
Paul, from the text, closes these series of admonitions by restating the foundational truth that our lives should be founded upon as we grow in our relationship with Christ. He began the chapter in verses 9–11 that we “understand what really matters” (right thinking) that leads to a life that is “pure and blameless” (right actions). He reminds the believers in Philippi as he closes the chapter to conduct themselves “in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ” (v. 27). They have to live the life God gave them reflecting the effect of having a relationship with God based upon their response in the gospel. The gospel or the message of salvation is referred to as “Good News.” It is good news for it provides life characterized by meaning and purpose. Without the Good News we are dead in our sin. “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins” (Ephesians 2:1). “But God is so rich in mercy...he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)” (Ephesians 2:4-5). Paul then turns to the attitudes of the mind with several descriptive phrases: “stand together,” “fighting together for the faith,” and not “be intimidated” (Philippians 1:27, 28). In the face of opposition and possible persecution, these should be their stances. What holds us strong and victorious in times of persecutions and sufferings is our resolve to live worthy of our calling. False teachings will abound for the enemy’s goal is to mislead and frustrate us. When we suffer because of our faith, Satan will convince us of an uncaring and absent God. Instead, let us have Paul’s attitude that when we suffer because we are living our lives for Christ, it proves that God is in control all the more since He can still effect His will. Joy is possible despite our circumstances for we know that we “have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him” (Philippians 1:30).
Blessings,
