Contending for the Faith Together
27 Just one thing: As citizens of heaven, live your life 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, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, 28 not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God. 29 For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have. (Philippians 1:27-30)
Paul closes this section with words of encouragement for the believers to stand firm in the faith together. Paul first reminds them in verse 27 that they are “citizens of heaven.” This earth is not their permanent residence, but rather, they are just ambassadors for Christ on earth. As these ambassadors, they must “live your life worthy of the gospel of Christ,” the message of Jesus’ love and forgiveness to the world. Paul states that even if he has the opportunity to visit them or not, he wants to be able to hear in the future that they all stood firm in their faith together, setting a goal for them: “I will hear about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel.”
Even though Paul is in prison, he is not filled with a spirit of fear, but one of confidence. In the same manner, he encourages the believers in verse 28 to not succumb to fear as well, “not being frightened in any way by your opponents. This is a sign of destruction for them, but of your salvation—and this is from God.” As Anders writes, “A fearless, unified church will astound the world. They will see the truth of the gospel. Opposing the gospel, the world faces God’s destruction. Proclaiming the gospel, the church waits for God’s salvation.”
Verse 29, Paul states that it shouldn’t be a surprise for believers to face adversity, for Christ did and it is going to be a part of your life, “For it has been granted to you on Christ’s behalf not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.” The believers are in the same fight as Paul against the forces of evil in this world, “you are engaged in the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.” If Paul could face these many trials and tribulations filled with joy in Christ, so too can the believers do so as well, finding their joy in walking and serving Christ even in the midst of suffering.
As believers, may we be encouraged by one another, knowing that we are all in the same battle together. We know we have the victory. The enemy is already defeated. While we await Christ’s return, may we hold fast and be filled with the joy and hope of the future in heaven, our true home, while we face the trials and tribulations, knowing that the gospel message can grow during these times. May we not shy away from sharing the gospel, but rather, boldly declare it together as a church body to the world.
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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