Philippians 1:27
Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel
In the eighth grade, records will show that I got suspended from school. Official report: I was involved in a fight. Fighting is not permitted; therefore you are suspended. Well, that's the result two good friends getting together before class and one giving the other the classic 'Dutch-rub'. I was on the receiving end of the rub, not that that matters. It looks like a fight to a teacher who already has it out for you and is just looking for a reason to bring down the hammer. Yes, I know this was in the seventh grade and that was 32 years ago and most people will say that I am an adult now (most...), but we seldom forget when an injustice is done against us. Injustices are things we tend to remember.
I mentioned the other night in our mid-week bible study that as believers we have targets on our backs. People who know we are Christians are watching. Of those who are watching, some are believers, and some are not believers. These days, sadly, it is hard to say which group wants you to fail more. But the point is, you are a marked man (or woman) the moment you accept Jesus. Up to this point the devil has had you right where he wants you, and so no reason for extra focus coming from. Since you have confessed to follow Jesus, now there is reason for focus. People will be watching you to determine of you make a mistake, or do something that goers against the tenants of Christianity so they can play the 'ah-HAH!' card and call you a hypocrite. Others from within the church will wait for you to make a mistake so that they can feel better about themselves in their spiritual immaturity.
We will make mistakes. We will find ourselves standing in opposition to God and His will in our lives from time to time. Finding ourselves there does not define us as a hypocrite or a failure as a Christian. It simply defines us as human. It is what we do when we are facing an understanding that we are in a sinful situation that defines us. And that is the greater issue at hand.
People will see you mess up. OK, no problem. It's easy to reason that out with a 'let ye who is sinless cast the first stone type attitude' in order to let ourselves deal with the failure and move on. It's also easier for observers who confront you to understand that as well. Whether they will admit it or not, they have had failures too. But when the observer sees you continue in that sin, that you have given the fuel for their fire, and reason to bring out the hypocrite label.
The gospel is not a message of 'those who fail will go to hell'. That's NOT good news. That instead is very bad news, but critical none the less. We need to know that rejection of Jesus as your only way to heaven and the only way to the Father leads to eternal damnation. Yes, there is a hell, it is so not pleasant there, and if you do not fully accept the gospel and Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you WILL go there for eternity. Not a pretty picture. Rather, the gospel IS good news, and our observers need to know that the good news includes forgiveness, and that by the grace of God we can move forward in our lives setting our path firmly in God's will.
The gospel is not there for perfect people. It is there for sinners; for you, me, and those who are watching us. That being the case, we need to live in such a way that we are found worthy of it. Being found worthy of the gospel is living in such a way that when you find yourself in sin, that you take into account that Jesus does for you and for the forgiveness of that sin, and then make corrections in your life so that this does not happen again. We need to commit to God's will, and not our own. This is how we honor and respect Jesus for His sacrificial and painful death on the cross: by living a life worthy of that sacrifice. Living a life where self is sacrificed and we die to our own will daily.
Jesus is not living on the earth right now like He was in the time of the disciples lives. My Dad was not with me when I got into that fight in school. Had my Dad been there, I'm certain I would not have been behaving in such a manner as I was, that caused me to get suspended. In one moment of projected wisdom from my Dad that will never forget me, he told me this: "You act as if I were always standing right beside you, and you'll not get into the trouble you are getting into now." He was right. I would never have done half of the things I did in school if my Dad we standing right beside me. The trouble is, Jesus is with us always, living in us by the means of the Holy Spirit and we still act like school kids getting into trouble.
Whether Jesus is with us or not, we need to act in a manor worthy of Him. So that when He does come, neither we, nor He will be embarrassed at the moment. Live a life worthy of the gospel.
Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel
In the eighth grade, records will show that I got suspended from school. Official report: I was involved in a fight. Fighting is not permitted; therefore you are suspended. Well, that's the result two good friends getting together before class and one giving the other the classic 'Dutch-rub'. I was on the receiving end of the rub, not that that matters. It looks like a fight to a teacher who already has it out for you and is just looking for a reason to bring down the hammer. Yes, I know this was in the seventh grade and that was 32 years ago and most people will say that I am an adult now (most...), but we seldom forget when an injustice is done against us. Injustices are things we tend to remember.
I mentioned the other night in our mid-week bible study that as believers we have targets on our backs. People who know we are Christians are watching. Of those who are watching, some are believers, and some are not believers. These days, sadly, it is hard to say which group wants you to fail more. But the point is, you are a marked man (or woman) the moment you accept Jesus. Up to this point the devil has had you right where he wants you, and so no reason for extra focus coming from. Since you have confessed to follow Jesus, now there is reason for focus. People will be watching you to determine of you make a mistake, or do something that goers against the tenants of Christianity so they can play the 'ah-HAH!' card and call you a hypocrite. Others from within the church will wait for you to make a mistake so that they can feel better about themselves in their spiritual immaturity.
We will make mistakes. We will find ourselves standing in opposition to God and His will in our lives from time to time. Finding ourselves there does not define us as a hypocrite or a failure as a Christian. It simply defines us as human. It is what we do when we are facing an understanding that we are in a sinful situation that defines us. And that is the greater issue at hand.
People will see you mess up. OK, no problem. It's easy to reason that out with a 'let ye who is sinless cast the first stone type attitude' in order to let ourselves deal with the failure and move on. It's also easier for observers who confront you to understand that as well. Whether they will admit it or not, they have had failures too. But when the observer sees you continue in that sin, that you have given the fuel for their fire, and reason to bring out the hypocrite label.
The gospel is not a message of 'those who fail will go to hell'. That's NOT good news. That instead is very bad news, but critical none the less. We need to know that rejection of Jesus as your only way to heaven and the only way to the Father leads to eternal damnation. Yes, there is a hell, it is so not pleasant there, and if you do not fully accept the gospel and Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you WILL go there for eternity. Not a pretty picture. Rather, the gospel IS good news, and our observers need to know that the good news includes forgiveness, and that by the grace of God we can move forward in our lives setting our path firmly in God's will.
The gospel is not there for perfect people. It is there for sinners; for you, me, and those who are watching us. That being the case, we need to live in such a way that we are found worthy of it. Being found worthy of the gospel is living in such a way that when you find yourself in sin, that you take into account that Jesus does for you and for the forgiveness of that sin, and then make corrections in your life so that this does not happen again. We need to commit to God's will, and not our own. This is how we honor and respect Jesus for His sacrificial and painful death on the cross: by living a life worthy of that sacrifice. Living a life where self is sacrificed and we die to our own will daily.
Jesus is not living on the earth right now like He was in the time of the disciples lives. My Dad was not with me when I got into that fight in school. Had my Dad been there, I'm certain I would not have been behaving in such a manner as I was, that caused me to get suspended. In one moment of projected wisdom from my Dad that will never forget me, he told me this: "You act as if I were always standing right beside you, and you'll not get into the trouble you are getting into now." He was right. I would never have done half of the things I did in school if my Dad we standing right beside me. The trouble is, Jesus is with us always, living in us by the means of the Holy Spirit and we still act like school kids getting into trouble.
Whether Jesus is with us or not, we need to act in a manor worthy of Him. So that when He does come, neither we, nor He will be embarrassed at the moment. Live a life worthy of the gospel.
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