In the book I Surrender, Patrick Morley writes that the church’s integrity problem is in the misconception “that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior. It is revival without reformation or repentance.” We are on week three of this series on Philippians, and so far we have been working our way through this introduction. It had become clear through reading this letter that Paul had a deep, deep love for the people of Philippi, because they are his friends, and they have been partnered with him since the very beginning. But despite that deep love and partnership, there was room for them to grow. Despite everything they had going for them, they were in need of growth in the areas of discernment and unity. They definitely had figured out how to love like Jesus! The amount of support that they gave Paul and the other churches was impressive. But they still had some things that they needed to work on. When this letter was written, Paul was under house arrest, and despite the fact that people were taking advantage of that to boost their own popularity, the good news about Jesus was spreading, and rapidly. The gospel was overcoming each and every obstacle that was put in its path. Because the mission was so much bigger than just Paul. But Paul was still under house arrest, and he knew that he might be executed for his faith at any time. So these letters that he was writing, they were deeply personal and written with a certain understanding that he may not be with them for much longer. So these words are important. He is not wasting time, he is telling them what they need to hear. And what they needed to hear is that their conduct matters. Their behavior and decisions matter. They had really added Jesus to their lives, and the love of Jesus was overflowing through them and out into the world! But they still had some things to work on. And so Paul, locked up, reminds them that their conduct matters. And if that was important for Paul to remind them of back then, then it is important for us to recognize and apply as well.
So if you have your bible with you today, I’m reading Philippians 1, verses 19-30: “Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me. 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 the one Spirit, striving together as one 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 in 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.”
So lets go back for a minute and read that first few verses again, “Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” This is a famous passage, most people have heard this line by Paul at some point in their life, To live is Christ, and to die is gain. So the first thing I want to point out here is that he says that through their prayers and God’s provision, he will be delivered. This isn’t necessarily talking about his physical release from prison as a sure thing, as we see just down a bit that he says that he hopes he will have courage whether in life or death. What this really is getting at is salvation. Whether the effect of all these prayers and God’s provision will be his release, or whether it will just make his enemies angrier resulting in his death, he is satisfied that the result of it all will be good. He knows that whether he is released, or put to death for his faith in Jesus, he will ultimately be vindicated. Now when he says that he eagerly expects and hopes that he will in no way be ashamed, but will be courageous, this is a reflection of the intensity to which Paul felt the call of God on his life. He is saying, even if he is PUT to death, his only hope is that he will do nothing in the process to embarrass Jesus, and that his life would preach the good news of him until his dying breath. Paul considered this calling to be more important than life itself. His main concern, even in this moment, was to stand up as an advocate of the gospel, to maintain its truth, and to exhibit its spirit. He is so focussed on this, that he is not preoccupied with his own personal fate as much as he is with the outcome that his release or death might have on the church. All he cares about is that whatever happens to him, that it would glorify Jesus. When he speaks of the provision of the Holy Spirit, that word that we translate as provision has a more literal translation of support or help, and it carries the idea or connotation of a ligament supporting parts of the body. This is how he sees the Holy Spirit working in this situation, while he is in prison. No matter what happens, what is most important to him is that his conduct and behaviour would do nothing to embarrass the church and Jesus, but instead that his conduct and behaviour would preach the good news of Jesus until he is either released or put to death. And he believes that through the prayers of the Philippians, and through the support of the Holy Spirit, he will be able to do this task.
And then comes that famous verse, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. This verse is like a magnifying glass into Paul’s heart. His sole purpose in life was to glorify Jesus. This was the single purpose of his soul, which he devoted himself too with as much singleness and devotion as anyone has ever done. He had a purpose to know as much of Jesus as it was possible to know, to become as fully acquainted as it was possible to know, to become fully acquainted with his character, his plans, and he made it his mission to share that with as many people as he possibly could. To him, the statement “to live is Christ” LITERALLY means, If I am alive, Jesus and his ministry are the only thing, the ONLY THING, that matters. And I feel like we have lost this sense of urgency in the church. It was much easier for Paul to feel a sense of urgency. Jesus had been with them just a few decades ago, and he said he was coming back soon. They didn’t know what soon meant to God, but they definitely felt a sense of urgency to do his work! It’s harder for us to feel that sense of urgency after 2000 years, is it not? But I think it is important that we feel that sense of urgency too, in our calling as a church. Not just to his mission to make disciples of all nations, but also his personal calling on each of us. This statement, to live is Christ, it also indicates a purpose to imitate Jesus. And Paul definitely felt that purpose as well. To make the life of Jesus the model of his own life. A calling to allow Jesus’ spirit to reign in his heart. And we know from scripture, just from reading this letter, that Paul never came to regret this calling. He never felt that he had an unworthy purpose in life, he hadn’t wished that his purpose had been different when faced with death. And If it was Paul’s duty to live like this, I would argue that it is no less the duty of every other Christian. I’m not talking about travelling around the world as an evangelist, but the personal pursuit of Christlikeness in our own lives. What was there in Paul’s life that made it his duty to live in pursuit of Christ, that does exist in the lives of every other Christian on earth? No true believer, when it is their turn to die, will regret that they lived in pursuit of Christ.
Verses 22 through 24, “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.” I don’t want to talk too much about this, but obviously, Paul did not get to choose whether he lived or died, but if he DID, he did not know what he would choose. As far as what HE wishes, he would rather die and be with Jesus, if it were just his own personal desires that mattered. But he comes to the conclusion that it is better for the church that he does not die just yet, but stays with them for a while longer to continue ministering.
Verse 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 the one Spirit, striving together as one 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.” This is interesting, because by telling them that they should conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel, it implies that there is a way of living that is NOT worthy of the gospel. There IS a standard. Lead your lives as a citizen of heaven, as someone who has been changed. In ALL relations of life, as members of the church, in the way that we talk, the plans that we make, our dealings with others, our conduct and walk IN the church and OUT of it should all be done in a way that reflects the good news of Jesus Christ. This is what distinguishes us from others, there is a proper way to live that reflects Jesus. Something else that is implied by that statement is that if we are to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus, we should know what that means. We should know what that looks like. And the only way to do that is to study his word. And this is so important, because people watch us, and they see how we live. We need to be a reflection of Jesus to the world around us, because our actions and conduct preach the gospel just as much as our words do, sometimes even louder than our words do. This is why it is so important. Paul is speaking to the inner life of the Christian community here, this is the standard that he wanted to see in the church. So what does this look like? What is the result of this conduct? Paul says, standing firm in one spirit with one mind, striving TOGETHER for the faith of the gospel. Notice that it doesn’t say agreeing about everything, or never having any kind of disagreement about a topic. But it does say standing firm, in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. Unity. That is the result of a church that pursues conduct that is worthy of the gospel of Jesus.
He then says that if the Philippian church does this, if they conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus, then they also won’t frightened in any way by those who oppose them. And he says that this is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that the Philippians will be saved. The early church certainly had opponents. But he says that if they are in Jesus, they won’t be afraid of their opponents anymore. And that lack of fear will be a sign to their OPPONENTS that they are opposing God himself. And then he says, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in 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.” It had been granted to them. God has conceded them this privilege or advantage. We don’t normally think of suffering as a privilege, do we? But for the apostles, and for the church, suffering for Jesus’ sake was an honor. If the suffering was brought onto you for the sole reason that you were a Christian, then you were suffering for Jesus himself, and that was a privilege. It is a privilege to for us to believe in Jesus, because it is by such faith that our sins our forgiven, that we are reconciled with God, and that we have the hope of heaven. All of it is to be considered a privilege.
So now that we have gone through this passage and studied it a bit, why does it matter? Why does our conduct and behavior matter? Why does it matter how we live our lives as Christians?
First of all, conduct matters because it testifies. Our conduct testifies. When Paul wrote this letter, he was under house arrest, potentially facing a death sentence. He had dedicated his life to the ministry of Jesus, preaching the good news wherever he went and travelling far around the Mediterranean region. That ministry had cost him much, and he had suffered greatly on behalf of Jesus, but now he was potentially facing death because of it. By Roman law, he did not deserve to die. He was not inciting an insurrection! He was simply preaching a new faith to people, and they were not allowing him to practice and preach it freely, they were getting in the way of his ministry. By the standards of the church these days, how should he have reacted to a government that was getting in the way of his faith and ministry? I know that during COVID, I have seen some very interesting positions taken by Christians and church leaders around the world, even many whom I consider friends. Christians and churches are starting petitions, organizing rallies to protest lockdowns, holding church services without restrictions in lockdown zones, refusing to wear masks. I’ve even seen some Christians saying that the vaccines are the mark of the beast. But how did Paul react to his ministry being held back? How did he react to being arrest unjustly? His absolutely and utmost concern was that through his words and through his actions and conduct, that Jesus would be glorified and preached. Whether he lived or died was an afterthought! Because he recognized that conduct matters. People are always watching us, our behaviour and actions are preaching a message to them. Paul was concerned that no matter what happened to him, that his conduct would preach Jesus to anyone who saw him. Is our conduct preaching the good news of Jesus? Or is our conduct preaching something else?
Second, conduct matters because it verifies. Conduct matters because it verifies. We know from Romans that we are saved through grace that comes through faith in Jesus Christ. It is a free gift that is offered, we cannot earn it. We do not earn our salvation! And yet we know from James, that faith without works is dead. Does this mean that the works save us? No! JESUS saves us, through grace. But a saved person is no longer the same once they have been saved, they can’t be. You become dead to sin, and alive in Jesus. Faith produces action. As a RESULT of the free gift of salvation that you have received, you are a new creation, and the holy spirit begins to change you, and make you new, and holy. What is the result of holiness? Definitely not sin. Let me read that quote again that I started with today: “The church’s integrity problem is in the misconception “that we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a change in belief without a change in behavior. It is revival without reformation or repentance.” Listen, if your life looks exactly the same as it did before you were saved, your faith is dead. James 2:19-20 says, “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless?” Again, does this mean that your conduct saves you? Absolutely not. But the RESULT of being saved is becoming a new creation. Paul asked the Philippian church to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel, SO THAT he would HEAR and KNOW that they were united in pursuit of the gospel. Their conduct was a health indicator for Paul, it demonstrated how they were doing as a church. Likewise, our actions and behaviour are a like a heart monitor. If faith without works is dead, then our conduct matters. It shows us our spiritual state, both as individual believers, and as a church body as a whole.
Third, conduct matters because it unifies. And the implied opposite here is that our conduct can divide. We haven’t seen anything in Philippians YET during this study to suggest widespread division in the church, but it is implied that it is there. Paul was calling them to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel for a reason. And that reason was so that they would be united. Because unity is important. Listen to this prayer of Jesus in the garden from John 17: “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message (That’s us by the way). I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.” This is Jesus’ prayer for the church. That we would experience such perfect unity that the world will know Jesus. When the church is united, that is when the world sees and believes in Jesus. When we are divided, it pushes them away. If our conduct can divide, it can also unify. Conduct that is worthy of the gospel can unify, and that is what Paul was asking of the Philippian church. The more concern they showed for each other, and the more effort that they put into living like Jesus, the more unity they would find as a church, because they would be aligning their goals and purpose. One spirit, one mind, with one mission. When the church is united, the world is changed. Jesus said that when the church is UNITED, when we are ONE, THEN the world will know that Jesus is Lord. Conduct matters because our behavior and actions can be the difference between division and unity. It matters because when we care about living like Jesus, and when we make efforts to pursue that goal, it can unite the church.
And then after all of that scripture we studied today, Paul says, “Therefore.” Every time you see the word therefore in scripture, you have to look at what comes before, to understand what comes next. So in conclusion, everything we just studied, don’t forget it! Because next week, everything that we study will be contingent on what we just covered. Conduct matters because it testifies to the world around us about Jesus. People see our actions and behaviour, and they take note of it. Conduct matters because it verifies our unity with Jesus, it verifies that we are in a relationship with him, and that we are being worked on by the holy spirit. And conduct matters because it can unify the church. And as we go out into our weeks, remember this: The key point isn’t that you need to be a perfect person. The key point is that conduct matters. It’s a starting point, a truth to accept. If conduct matters to God, it should matter to us. And once we accept that truth, then we can allow the Holy Spirit to work in us, and begin to make us more and more like Jesus, every day. And my prayer for all of us, myself included, is that we would be willing and ready to accept that truth, so that our lives would be living testimonies, verifying the gospel, and that our unity will bring the world around us to Jesus.
