Phil. 1:27-30 

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 one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 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. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

There will always be people who oppose us trying to share Christ with our world.  That’s why it’s critical as a church family that we stay firm in “one” spirit as if we were “one” man for the faith of the gospel.   As we stand together as “one” to build God’s Kingdom, we will face problems.  Paul even says we’ve been granted the privilege of suffering on behalf of Christ.  He reminded the Philippians of the struggles he had when he came to Philippi.  The good news was they knew how God used Paul’s suffering  to bring about great things in their city, and how his suffering was used as an opportunity to further the cause of Christ.  In the midst of everything these Christ-followers would face, Paul reminds them to make sure their conduct is worthy of Christ. 

Here’s a question to consider as we wrap up this first chapter of Philippians: “Does your lifestyle bring honor to Jesus Christ?”   As Believers and Non-Believers watch your life – observe your actions & attitudes – view how your treat your spouse or children – listen to your speech – scrutinize your business practices – etc —– will they conclude that your lifestyle honors Christ?   If they are not yet Believers, would they be more likely to trust Christ as a result of observing you?    If you are a Believer, you and I have a responsibility to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ.   He’s given us the power and grace to be able to live in such a manner.