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Philippians 1:27-30

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. (1:27-28) Paul shared with the Philippians his internal struggle of desiring to be with Christ in heaven (which is better by far), yet knowing God had assigned work on earth for their benefit He encourages them in either case (whatever happens) to live in a manner worthy of the gospel (similarly, in Ephesians 4:1: I urge you to live a life worthy of your calling) As a Roman colony, the Philippians understood the responsibility of Roman citizenship But Paul appeals to the higher calling of Christ: But our citizenship is in heaven (3:20) He desires for them to be strong in their stand for Christ regardless of whether he is able to visit them in person, and that they stand together in unity (I Corinthians 16:13) Again, to the Ephesians: preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (4:3) The Holy Spirit of God creates unity we do not we simply preserve it through obedience Our unity and lack of fear of the opposition is an observable sign of our salvation to the world 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. (1:29-30) Paul challenges his friends at Philippi with an awesome concept not only is it a privilege to believe in Christ, but it is a privilege to suffer for Him This maturity was shared by the other apostles who rejoiced because they had be en counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name (Acts 5:41) We need to be reminded that this world is not our home (Eph 2:19, I Peter 2:11, Heb 13:14) The mindset of our culture resists pain and embraces comfort, yet allegiance to Christ means that our priority is faithfulness and obedience regardless of the consequence (Gal 1:10) When told to cease preaching, Peter protested we must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29) Paul suffered was flogged five times (39 lashes), beaten with rods three times, shipwrecked three times, and stoned once and left for dead (II Corinthians 11:24) Yet he rejoiced in his sufferings and so identified with his Savior (Colossians 1:24) Many believers today are suffering persecution and martyrdom in other countries, yet in our culture suffering amounts to little more than rejection, indifference, or ridicule Paul welcomed the opportunity to stand for Christ and suffer Him, and Jesus reminds us that when suffering for His sake to rejoice and be glad, because great i s your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matthew 5:12)

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