“Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Php 1:27 HCSB)
The apostle Paul seriously could claim, “for me, living is Christ” (Php 1:21). His entire life focus was to take the Gospel to the entire world. Jesus had called him for that very purpose — to which he was created to accomplish in his lifespan.
In verse 27 Paul further asks each believer to continue to focus on: “Just one thing: Live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” As Christians, we know that if we take time for our morning and evening devotions in Scripture, we will find encouragement to happily live within the mindset of a Christian lifestyle which is the opposite of much of this wicked world. Jesus taught, though we are in the world, we are not of the world.
“If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. (Php 2:1-2)
Reading the above scripture, we find that we must first think similarly with Paul, to live out Christian values. First, our determination can only be steadfast if we renew ourselves by reading and hearing the scriptures that reveal Christ’s life and his command to walk in the light with no part dark.
The testimony of this life forming within each one, over our lifetime — though never reaching the perfection we find in our Savior — we will increasingly know that the following changes are occurring in our heart: we will be attracted to and want to unify with, and share our sincere affection of joy with those who walk in the Spirit as sons and daughter of God (see Rom 8:14); we will understand that we need to forgive others as Christ forgave, honestly expressing mercy among a wider scope of people; and we will resonate with Paul, by narrowing our focus in a world of distractions to one primary goal that all our goals must submit to and enhance.
In Philippians 2:5-11 Paul expressed Christ’s humility and exaltation as He lived on earth and asked us to form our mind’s attitudes while looking at His life and how he expressed mercy for us:
“Make your attitude that of Christ Jesus,
who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself
by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man
in His external form,
He humbled Himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.
For this reason God highly exalted Him
and gave Him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
of those who are in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Paul sums up his application for our lives: “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” As we live in cooperation with the Spirit’s leading, be assured that it is God who inspires and directs the renewal process. Understanding this will help us avoid the trap of thinking that we gain any merit by our good feelings about how great we are, or our intelligent understanding of doctrine, or any other virtue besides acknowledging what Paul knew for certain when he obeyed his calling — Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief:
“For it is God who is working in you, enabling you both to desire and to work out His good purpose. Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world. Hold firmly to the message of life. (Php 2:13-16a)