The Church - Part 1

Philippians 1v27-30

That's an ambitious title, I know. I don't hope to be able to say everything that's worth saying about the Church, but I do want to talk about what Paul says about it in Philippians 1v27 - 2v16. This passage talks particularly about our individual attitudes to the Church. This week, we'll look at the first four verses:

Philippians 1v27-30
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 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. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

Not for the first time, Paul was in jail, and he wrote to the church at Philippi to thank them for sending him aid and to encourage them to live for Jesus. They too we now being persecuted, and needed to stay together despite the pressure from outside. There are times when it's not easy being who we are, where we are, but Paul writes:

Philippians 1v27-30
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.

What is "a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ"?

Of course, it must include living holy lives, fighting against the temptation to sin. But more than that, it must surely mean living according to the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is that, through His blood, we can be forgiven our sin, and live in God's grace. So lives worthy of the gospel must be lives in which we remember that we're forgiven, and we continue to live in God's grace, and we forgive those who sin against us. This includes those who persecute us:

Matthew 5v44-45
...Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven

and those in the church who let us down:

Matthew 18v21-22
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

And a life worthy of the gospel is also one in which we:

Philippians 1v27-30
stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.

Always, but especially when the church is under pressure, Christian unity is vital. But it's so easy to let our own problems, or our own egos, cause us to behave in selfish, opinionated, judgemental ways.

We were all saved through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are all children of the Father in Heaven. We are all filled with the Holy Spirit. We owe it to God to stand together as one: firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.

Has your brother or sister in Christ sinned against you? Will you allow that to fracture the church, the body of Christ? Or will you forgive your brother or sister, for God's sake.