Life and Faith

Conduct Reflects The Gospel

—

by

Jon
in

We know when people work together in unity much can be achieved. There is a bond together, there is a goal to achieve, there is progress made, sometimes quite rapidly, when people are united.

We may have experienced this before ourselves when working with others on a particular task, on a particular project, or toward a particular goal. We might even look at the natural world and think of the ant colony that works together in various lines to sustain themselves, or birds flying in a V formation to make a flight easier, or lionesses hunting in packs to capture their prey.

When in community with others being united is important in achieving common goals and objectives. And for the church at Philippi, to not crumble under the pressure they are facing, Paul presses on them the need to be united at the end of chapter one, verse 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 the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel…”

Reflecting The Gospel In Unity

Paul names the unity of the church as a way for the church to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.

This is how the gospel is displayed, through the unity of believers.

Whether Paul is with them or not, that in the end doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the conduct worthy of the gospel will be displayed through the church’s unity and togetherness.

The church in Philippi is under some pressure and persecution. We read in v28 of some opponents and Paul’s word to the church is, “to stand firm in one Spirit, in one accord, contending together for the faith of the gospel, not being frightened in any way by your opponents.”

As the church stands firm, and are of one accord, through the work of the Holy Spirit, then in their striving together they are contending for the faith. In their unity they are displaying the unity they have in the gospel, in Christ. In their unity they are conducting themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel.

Disunity In The Church

In my experience of church life I have seen and experienced plenty of disunity within the church. So much so I wonder what I’m still doing here sometimes. You may well know or have experienced times when a church has not been united either. And when this occurs, when there is disunity in the church, things can go wrong, very wrong.

The conduct of people goes awry,

The idea of where the church should be putting its energies gets pulled this way and that.

There is commonly some relational breakdown.

It becomes a very poor witness to the Christian community, let alone the wider community.

And the main thing no longer becomes the main thing. The gospel is sidelined, pettiness and gossip increase, and it becomes awkward and awful for many.

When we read the scriptures we are encouraged and challenged toward unity by these words of Paul. As we seek to conduct ourselves worthy of the gospel may we be people who stand firm in the Spirit and in one accord contending together for the faith of gospel.

In today’s polarised society, achieving this unity can seem like an uphill battle.

Unity In An Age of Polarisation

Like the Philippians, we face growing skepticism of Christianity in our society. The secular nature of our society may sometimes conflict with gospel-worthy conduct, creating tension. Furthermore, our era is characterised by extreme polarisation, where civil discourse has been replaced by a binary divide, fostering an us-versus-them mentality.

The challenge we face is how we can maintain unity amid the cacophony of differing opinions and debates. A congregation of 150-200 people will naturally hold differing views, much like any friend or family group. Yet, this must not deter us from seeking unity in our common faith while still encouraging healthy dialogue and disagreement.

As we navigate complex societal issues like:

  • government and political ethics
  • euthanasia
  • race and discrimination
  • personal and corporate justice
  • substance use
  • relationship dynamics
  • reproductive technologies
  • sexuality and gender issues
  • economic disparities
  • health matters
  • environmental stewardship
  • and for us in Australia this year – the Voice to Parliament

We must constantly ask ourselves how to live in a manner worthy of the gospel. It is not about agreement on all matters but upholding the spirit of unity and love as taught by Christ.

As we live in the reality whereby issues such as these are part of our lives and culture how do we remain united around the gospel while wrestling with these things?

Love On Display

Thankfully Paul writes about this unity in a few places in his letters, and he speaks no better about unity than in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13. Beginning with the illustration of the church being one body with many parts he moves on to his most crucial point regarding unity–love. In 13:4-8 we read,

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

It is love which is most central to unity, it is love which is most central to Paul, and it is love which is most central to our faith. It is the “more excellent way” as he writes in 1 Corinthians 12:31.

Christians are to be marked by love and to be unified by love.

That love is best displayed when we head to the cross.

That sacrificial, God-exalting, sinner-redeeming love is most clearly seen through Jesus’ death and unifies all believers to love others rather than themselves.

Why is it that churches split, that conflict occurs, that disunity abounds?

It is because there is no Christ-like love.

On the other hand, why does unity occur?

It is because there is love.

It’s not actually unity through diversity that Paul is calling for here, which for some is a common catch-cry, it’s actually unity through love.

And through the cross of Christ and the love of Christ unity is found.

As people, and as the Church, who are conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel may we be encouraged and challenged to be united through the message of Christ, and in so doing display the love of Christ.

This post is part of an ongoing series where we dive into the themes, messages, and lessons found throughout the book of Philippians. For earlier posts please see:

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