SHARING BREAD
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner
worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear
about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit,
contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who
oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you
will be saved--and that by God. 29 For
it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but
also to suffer for him, 30 since
you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I
still have.
Phil
1:27-30 (NIV)
Paul’s exhortation to the Philippian believers was to walk
worthy of the gospel of Christ – no matter what happened to him – freedom or
martyrdom. They were children of the
King and he expected them to behave in such a manner. Indeed, the Greek wording signifies the
action and the privileges of citizenship.
They were to labor practically to show the world they were the servant,
the friend, the bride of Jesus. The
graphic wording pictures a completely dedicated, single-minded striving such
that a committed athlete would demonstrate.
“Be
such a person, and live such a life, that if every one were such as you, and
every life a life such as yours, this earth would be God’s paradise.” Phillips
Brooks
“Cry the gospel with your whole life.” Charles
de Foucauld
Certainly, this exhortation remains the responsibility of
every child of God. We must always
remember Whose we are and Whom we serve.
Our manners must never belie our professions. Surely, it is as an ornament to our
profession when our conduct remains consistent with our words - when we walk
the talk, so to speak. We are to be
diligent in this pursuit. This was a familiar
theme in Paul’s letters as he writes similar exhortations to the saints in
Ephesus and Colosse elaborating further to include their love for their
brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus:
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life
worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with
one another in love. 3 Make
every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Eph 4:1-3 (NIV)
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we
have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge
of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life
worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good
work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his
glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to
share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. Col 1:9-12 (NIV)
“If our life is to resemble the gospel, we must shun, not
merely the grosser vices, but everything that would hinder our perfect
conformity to Christ. For His sake, for
our own sakes, and for the sakes of others, we must strive day by day to let
our conversation (our walk) be more in accordance with His gospel.”
Charles H. Spurgeon
Paul also warns the Philippian believers against fear of the
certain opposition which was to befall them.
Problems and pain can and will rain down on the best of us. He did not want them to be uninformed or surprised
at the persecutions they received rather prepared for them in the spirit. Remember the outcome of our lives is not
determined by what happens to us rather by how we respond to what happens. Believer’s circumstances do not have the
power to control them – the responsibility of our behavior remains ours. God gives us the grace sufficient to meet
each need He allows in our lives. Therefore
Paul exhorts them to courage and constancy in suffering. Believers must not be surprised, frightened
or shrink back from opposition.
Persecution is a sign of destruction – those who oppose the gospel of Christ
are marked for ruin - whereas those who are being persecuted on behalf of
Christ bear the sign of salvation. Paul
writes Timothy:
12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in
Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 2 Tim
3:12 (NIV)
“There is never a fear that has not a corresponding ‘fear
not.’”
Amy Carmichael
By fanning our faith into a roaring flame, our fear
flees. Faith is God’s gift on behalf of
Christ and to suffer for the sake of Christ is a valuable gift as well. Suffering for Jesus is not to be considered an
accidental or divine punishment rather it is a sign of God’s favor – indeed, the
Greek wording meaning grace or favor. Remember
Jesus’ Words in the Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount:
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because
of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when people
insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because
of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matt 5:10-12 (NIV)
“You can fight with confidence where you are sure of
victory. With Christ and for Christ,
victory is certain.” Bernard of Clairvaux
“Fight the good fight with all thy might; Christ is thy
strength, and Christ thy right.” John Samuel Bewley Monsell
What I glean from this:
· I am to
walk in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.
· As a
believer, I am to expect opposition.
· God gives
me grace sufficient to meet each need He allows.
