What does life mean to you? Life for Paul meant living for Jesus, taking the opportunities presented to Him to tell others the gospel message. That’s what he meant be fruitful labor, seeing others brought into the kingdom. He is well aware of the need around him. Our world is in great need. Men and women need to hear the truth of the gospel. How are you and I going about fulfilling that need?
Paul urges believers to ‘conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,’ verse 27. We need to look at the manner in which we conduct our lives. Is it worthy of the gospel?
Paul wants to hear of the Christians standing firm in the faith. He wants them to be united and ‘striving together for the faith of the gospel,’ verse 27. The one thing that really annoys Satan is to see a church or group of Christians working together. Consequently he will do his best to infiltrate and divide churches with arguments and factions, sometimes about trivial things. In our churches we need to be aware of this tactic and not let minor issues or personality differences divide us, but to work together in unity for the gospel.
In verse 29 Paul says these believers have been given a special privilege.‘For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him but to suffer for him.’ So the suffering has come from God. God allows it for a specific purpose.
Paul knew about conflict and persecution, verse 30 but he knew that rather than halt the work of the gospel it had the opposite effect. God will make sure in the lives of these Philippian Christians that the suffering actually advances the gospel just as He did with Paul and his situation. God can do the same with us in our situation. He will triumph in and through us, if we let him.
Bible verses from New American Standard Version
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