|
Philippians
1:27-30;
27Only
conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that
whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you
are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the
faith of the gospel; 28in
no way alarmed by your
opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for
you, and that too,
from God. 29For
to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in
Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30experiencing
the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to
be
in me.
The
Apostle challenges the Philippians to stand fast remaining
unified without fear of the opposition.
A.
Steadfast in Their Demeanor
vs.
27a
In
a similar way Paul prayed that the Colossians would not cave in to the
pressures of the world, the Devil and the flesh.
Colossians
1;9-12; 9For
this reason also, since the day we heard of
it,
we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with
the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10so
that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him
in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the
knowledge of God; 11strengthened
with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all
steadfastness and patience; joyously 12giving
thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of
the saints in Light.
B.
Steadfast in Their Unity vs.
27b
Again
we see Paul dealing with the importance of believers speaking with a
unified voice. This is
especially important in the context of the local church where people of
all walks of life are brought together to honor Christ, grow in grace and
minister to those who have never had a clear knowledge of the Gospel.
Ephesians
4:1-6; 1Therefore
I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the
calling with which you have been called, 2with
all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one
another in love, 3being
diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There
is
one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your
calling; 5one
Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6one
God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
He
follows these words with being equipped for God’s service.
Ephesians
4:11-13; 11And
He gave some as
apostles, and some as
prophets, and some as
evangelists, and some as
pastors and teachers, 12for
the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of
the body of Christ; 13until
we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son
of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to
the fullness of Christ.
C.
Steadfast in Their Persecution vs.
28-30
Every
Christian faces conflict and opposition.
Paul encourages them to sand fast and not be terrified—literally,
said of horses or other animals startled or suddenly scared; so of sudden consternation
in general.
Their
Confidence in Conflict is a Sign for the Good and the Evil.
#1.
Destruction for the Enemy
| 
