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Philippians 1:27-30

As always, let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Philippians 1. There’s a theological and philosophical exercise that I engage in from time to time to help me think deeply about life and faith. And here it is. In one sense, it’s simple, and in another sense, it’s complicated. I’ll simply ask myself a question and then limit my response.

For example, I might ask (myself): What’s the one thing you would tell a new Christian? It’s a simple question, but it’s made more difficult by limiting my response to one thing. Sometimes, I’ll broaden it and ask: What three words would you say are the most important for Christians to remember as they journey through life? Again, the exercise is simply asking yourself a question and limiting your response(s). And you can do this for anything, not just faith. Another example might be: What’s the single most difficult thing to do as a parent? In that scenario I changed it from positive to negative (what’s the most difficult), yet I still limited my response.

You say, “That’s silly. The answers are subjective because your acting as the judge and the jury. You’re answering your own question, so who’s going to argue with you?” Well, in a way, you’re right? But I find that it helps to cut through all of the red tape and get down to brass tacks. It also forces me to defend my position. It’s not good enough just to say, “The one thing I would tell a new Christian is never cease to pray.” Yes, that answers the question, but the next question is: why? Of all the answers that I could give to my own question, why that one? So, I’m forced to defend my answer, and not just say, “Because I said so.”

Today, we’re going to see Paul do something similar. He’s going to offer us one very important, serious, and comprehensive point. Let’s see what it is. Follow along with me beginning in verse 27:

27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

“Again Father, with our Bibles open before us we thank You for the Word that You have given to us. We pray that it might now shed light upon our path and guide us – that we might be like those described in Psalm 1 whose ‘delight is in the law of the LORD and on that law they mediate day and night.’ We see Your help in this, for it’s in Christ’s name that we pray. Amen.”

For the first 26 verses, Paul is essentially talking about himself – not because he was self-centered, but because the church in Philippi was concerned about him. If you re-read those 26 verses you’ll notice phrases like: “I thank my God…” “I hold you in my heart…” “it is my prayer…” “what has happened to me…” and so forth. Lots of first-person pronouns: I/me/my. But when we come to verse 27, the tenor of things changes, and he begins to express his concerns for them.

I would like us to notice four things: first of all, the statement to be made, then the stand to be taken, then the sign to be given, then the struggle to be faced. I’ll restate each of these as we come to them, but if you’re looking for points that are more succinct, then perhaps the words consistency, unity, bravery, and agony would work.

A Statement to Be Made – Consistency

What do I mean when I say, “a statement being made”? Well, this is Paul’s answer to his practical exercise. He’s offering the Philippians one thing. Notice the way verse 27 begins. In many translations it simply begins with the word “only.” In the Contemporary English Version (CEV) it reads “Above all else…” In the Christian Standard Bible is says, “Just one thing…” Paul is trying to narrow things down and cut through all of the red tape and get down to brass tacks, and it’s as if he says, “Listen guys/gals, in your everyday lives, you are making a statement.”

Every day we make statements and we don’t even think about it. We make statements in the way we dress, in the way we smile, in the way we talk, in the way we walk, in the way we conduct ourselves. And Paul says that we should make a statement that’s in harmony with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a call to close the gap between our belief and our behavior – to close the gap between the creed(s) we profess and the conduct we display. In fact, the Greek word for “conduct yourselves” is the verb, politeuomai. It’s the word from which we get the English words police, and politics, and policy. The idea that Paul is trying to convey is that we see ourselves as members of the City of God, that we learn what it means to live as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven.

As we’ve seen, the Philippians were members of the political structure of Rome; Philippi was a garrison town. Philippi was like a mini-Rome; people came to Philippi and it reminded them of Rome. And Paul says, “When people meet you as a little community, it should give them a foretaste of heaven. In the same way that the city of Philippi has certain characteristics that look like Rome, so you as Christians should have that about your conduct which is indicative of the kingship of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The sad reality is that’s not the case for most of us. I have to confess that it’s absolutely shameful that I’m such a hypocrite. You, too, I’m sure. Our lives and lifestyles don’t do a very good job of making the gospel of Jesus Christ attractive. Indeed, so much of the face of conservative evangelicalism is an ugly face, not an attractive face. It’s not an endearing face. It’s a face that people have to endure. It’s not a welcoming face. And Paul is addressing this.

We have to understand that we’re making a statement about the gospel. The gospel is a gospel of love: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation [atoning sacrifice] for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another” (1 John 4:10-11, KJV). We ought to love those who are unlovely. But it’s also a gospel of life: “I am come that [you] might have life, and that [you] might have it [in all of its fullness]” (John 10:10). Why, then, so many lifeless Christians, so many gloomy characters in the pews? The gospel is life and yet the church often looks dead. It’s a gospel of love. It’s a gospel of life. But it’s also a gospel of liberty: “Stand fast in the liberty [with which] Christ [has set you] free, and [do not be] entangled again with the yoke of bondage” (Galatians 5:1). And yet, by and large, the picture that is presented to the watching world is of a group of people who’ve tied themselves up in all kinds of knots – you must do this, and you can never do that.

Beatrice Clelland said it best in her poem, The Portrait of a Christian:

Not only in the words you say,
Not only in your deeds confessed.
But in the most unconscious way
Is Christ expressed.

Is a beatific smile?
A holy light upon your brow?
Oh no, I saw His presence when
You laughed just now.

To me ‘twas not the truth you taught,
To you so clear to me so dim.
But when you came to me
You brought a sense of Him.

And from His light He beckons me,
And from your lips His love is shed.
Till I lose sight of you and see
The Christ instead.

What kind of statement was the church at Philippi going to make? What kind of statement is the church at Mountain Hill making in relationship to these matters?

A Stand to Be Taken – Unity

Secondly, there’s a stand to be taken. Travelers Rest native and Blue Ridge High School alum Aaron Tippin recorded a song when I was in high school called ‘You Gotta Stand for Something.’ Opposition is coming for the Christian. It’s a given, and verse 28 confirms it. Even Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated Me first” (John 15:18). So, the question isn’t if but when. And when it comes, how will we respond? Of course, it’s easy not to take a stand at all, but we’re more likely to stand if we know we’re not alone. That’s why you might make a point of writing the word UNITY down.

Notice the end of verse 27, “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” Their union is a spiritual union. It’s a God-given unity. They have been made to drink of the one Spirit, as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For we were all baptized … into one body … and we were all given the one Spirit [from which] to drink.” For all of his faults and more failures, one of the things that I remember Ravi Zacharias saying is “Unity need not be uniformity.” Or perhaps you remember hearing that little axiom from the Reformation: “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, liberty. In all things, charity.” That can only be created by the Spirit of God working the hearts and lives in genuine believers – not people confessing Christ but having no real fruit of a changed heart.

Their unity was spiritual; but it was also purposeful: “stand[ing] firm in one spirit … as one man,” for what? “For the faith of the gospel.” At the end of the day, that’s what the church should stand for – the faith. Jude says, “I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” Remember Paul’s passion? The gospel. Romans 1:16, he says, “I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, [and] then for the Gentile.” The church isn’t called to stand fast for a political opinion, or for a political party, or for an ideology, or for a pro-stance on something. Those things are extensions of the core issue. We stand united behind a Galilean carpenter’s life, death and resurrection.

The unity is spiritual, the unity is purposeful, and the unity is fearless. Verse 28: “without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.” The word there is actually “skittish.” It’s the word that would be used of the shying of a horse. Horses can get spooked at the simplest of things, which is why you will often see them wearing blinders – especially in large crowds. And Paul says, “Don’t be like that. Don’t jump and twitch and run at the first little movement or comment or action from the opposition. Stand firm.”

A Sign to Be Given – Bravery

A statement to be made. A stand to be taken. Next, a sign to be given. Notice the second half of verse 28, “This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.” Did you notice the matter-of-factness of the Bible in relationship to the issues of eternal destiny? None of this 21st century concern about political correctness, no attempt to try and make it sound as though everybody is going to be fine and everyone will be saved and nobody will be destroyed. No, it just says, you know, “This is a sign that points two ways.” It gives the thumbs-up to some, and it gives the thumbs-down to others. Again, a picture that would be familiar to those under Roman rule. If you’ve ever seen the movie Gladiator (starring Russell Crowe), then you remember Caesar giving the thumps up or thumbs down for the life/death of a contestant.

We need to learn the lesson of Asaph in Psalm 73? He writes, “My foot had almost slipped. I was on a slippery slope. I became like a brute beast. I envied the arrogant. I looked at these people and I said to myself, ‘They’re winning. They’re sidestepping all the trials, they’re missing all the sufferings. They are the epitome of wealth and stature. They’re on the fronts of all the magazines. Look at their bodies, so strong and powerful. Look at the girls, so sculpted and beautiful, not a wrinkle in sight, not an indication of gravity taking hold at all. No, they’re all just wonderful, spectacular people, and they’re in charge of it all. And here we are, the Christians, buffeted and defeated and beaten down and forced to stand in the checkout counter, and look at how well they’re all doing, and how terrific it all is, and how pathetic we are. And we go in that building and sing those songs, but they’re out here, and they’re in control, and oh, I envy the wicked. I think I may become one of them. I think I shall.’”

“And then,” he said, “I went into the temple of God. And I bowed down before a sovereign God who is almighty over all the affairs of time. And I brought my view of the world and of the culture underneath the umbrella of God’s sovereign purpose. And I’ve brought myself to understand that the Lord God omnipotent reigns. And so, I’m no longer sent into a panic by their opposition. I realize now that their condition is not intimidating. Their condition is pitiful.” (Psalm 73, summarized and paraphrased)

You see, it’s only when the people of God will bow before a sovereign God that we will begin to understand that we are not intimidated by the godless. Oh, we may be for a moment or two. Our feet may almost slip. We may say, “Well, they’re the attractive people. They’re the beautiful people. They’re the powerful people.” But once we go into the temple of God and we put it underneath his all-arching wisdom, we say, “There’s no reason for panic here. There’s no reason for confusion here. God is in charge!”

Where do we discover that? (In the Bible!) How does it get ministered to our hearts? (By the Holy Spirit!) What does God use to that end? (The preaching of the Word of God.)_So, we come together on the Lord’s Day and we’re recalibrated. It’s just like getting your car aligned and your tires balanced. Driving down jolly roads here – you’re paying all this money for taxes, and you’re going down the roads, and your plum near bounced out of the vehicle because of the holes. I mean, if we could get it into some kind of rhythm we could put music to it. But the fact of the matter is, all it does, it just beats the tar out of your tires. And you have to go back in, say, “Could I have a front-end alignment? Could I have them recalibrated? Could I get fixed? Because I just want to go down the road smoothly.”

That’s why I come to church: for a front-end alignment. Hey, let’s sing together, you know. How thankful we are that God is able to put us back in line. Let’s thank God that even though our wheels bounced all this week, that we envied the wicked and were in deep difficulty, that God is still in control. But we’re not gonna panic – bravery.

A Struggle to Be Faced – Agony

Look at verse 29: “For it[’s] been granted [un]to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for Him.” Did you notice that? We understand that our salvation is granted to us as a gift from God, but Paul, “are you telling us that suffering is a gift from God?” Yep. The Philippians and Paul are fighting the same enemy. Remember when Paul is writing to the Corinthians and he says, “We don’t wage war as the world wages war. We have divine power for pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4, paraphrased).

D. E. Hoste, missionary to China, said, “I would not appoint a man or a woman to the mission field until he had first learned to wrestle with the evil one, because if he or she has not learned to wrestle with the evil one they will wrestle with their fellow missionaries.” And in the same measure, until we have learned to wrestle in the arena where the struggle really takes place, we have no right talking about it, because if we don’t wrestle there, then we will go out and wrestle at every other point. And that’s exactly where the church is: it’s wrestling on every other front.

And loved ones, is it not this, that in the experience of suffering we learn that God is prepared to go to any lengths to make us like His Son? The cross proves that. He’ll stop at nothing to change us into His image. And so, as the hymn says:

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure;
one little word shall fell him.

That “one little word” is the gospel. Martin Luther concludes A Mighty Fortress with this verse:

That Word above all earthly powers
no thanks to them abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours
through Him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still;
His kingdom is forever!

“Father, thank You for these powerful words. Words inspired by You, and written by one of Your servants – Paul, a prisoner. Despite his imprisonment, he fought for truth, standing strong, standing brave, standing together with other believers. May that consistency, and unity, and bravery, and even agony be a part of our lives. ‘And now unto Him who is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, and dominion and power, now and forevermore. Amen’ (Jude 1:24).”