Conduct Worthy of Christ

Conduct Worthy Of Christ

By Sean Kelly

Why don't we start with prayer here, and then we'll dig into Philippians, chapter one, verses 27 through 30. Let's see who hasn't prayed in a while. Nathan, why don't you go pray? Dear Heavenly Father, we're just thankful that we're able to be here.

Pray... Give dad a clear mind. Allow him to have the right words.

Teach this lesson. Just give us amen.

Okay, so for those of you who are new here, I do have candy for people that will read Scripture for us.

I'm not passing around, but you can come up afterwards if you've read a verse and pick out a piece of candy and take it home for you. So motivation. Philippians 127 through 30.

We'll start with someone to read the passage for us. Josiah, your hand went up really quick. I'll let you do that.

Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or I'm absent, I may hear of your that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind striped together for faith of the gospel, not any ways terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation. Not to God, for to you it has been raised on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict. So where we're at here the last several verses before this.

Paul is confirming to the church that he's within God's plan, that this imprisonment is not something outside of God's sovereignty, outside of God's control, that God's actually using it for the furtherance of the gospel. And so he's assuring the church, don't worry, don't fret over this. God is working.

Then last week we talked about how he talked about doesn't know what his plans are going to be in the fact of what's going to happen to him. He's in prison. He doesn't know if he's going to stay in prison.

He doesn't know if eventually things are going to turn on him and he's going to be executed, or he doesn't know if he's going to be released. But then he reassures the church, no matter what happens, this is still under God's control. And no matter what happens, I'm going to respond correctly.

And we get that verse to live as Christ and to die as gain, because he's going to go on living magnifying God or in death, he's going to magnify God. And either way, he's going to respond correctly to that. And so that's a really high level summary of where we've been.

Now, Paul's going to instruct the church on what they're to be doing. So he spent this time talking about his life, what's going on in his life, how he's responding to the trials in his life. Now he wants to encourage the church that they need to live in a right manner.

And again, he's not going to stop from bringing up trials and suffering in this. We're going to talk a little bit about that. But just looking at Paul's life and how he responds, he says, now, you as a church, you need to do the same thing.

You need to respond the same way. So Philippians 127 here we read only, let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ. So whether I come and see you or I'm 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.

So number one, the point here is live in a way that is worthy of the gospel. Yeah, that's right. That's what we need to do.

So he talks about your conduct being worthy. He's talking about a worthy conduct here. He starts this up by saying only now it's not that this is the only thing we need to do in the Christian life, but he's making emphasis.

This is a main point. He's just talked about how he is in prison and God is using it for the furnace of the gospel and how he's going to continue his gospel ministry and continue to share the gospel any opportunity he has. And he's going to live by that, to magnify Christ through the gospel.

Now he's telling the church here, only you have a conduct that's worthy of the gospel. And so it all revolves around what Christ has done for us, what Christ has sacrificed for us and how he has purchased us, and that they need to live in a certain way. So the idea here is that this is kind of a primary thought above all things, above everything else, have your conduct worthy of the gospel.

Conduct here is the way we live, how we conduct our lives. So what you're doing everyday life, this isn't just Sunday morning, Wednesday night type stuff. This is when you go to the store, when you go to work, when you're at home with your children, when you're sleeping in your bed, that your life ought to reflect what's right, what's good and what Christ wants you to do to reflect the will of God and to live for his kingdom.

As we talked about this morning in the sermon, So the way we live our lives, every aspect, ought to be worthy of the gospel. So worthy. The idea here is there's a standard by which we should live.

We should live in a certain way. God gives us the whole New Testament and to some extent the Old Testament for principles of things we're supposed to be doing and things we're not supposed to be doing and how we are supposed to live. And by doing this, by obeying God, by living according to his commands, by living according to what he wants us to do, his will, we live worthy of the gospel.

This concept comes up in a couple of other places, Ephesians four one I'm going to read this because we're going to come back this passage. So I'm going to read just the one verse, but I'll have somebody read this later. Ephesians four.

One says, I therefore prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you are called. That's kind of the same concept here, right? The Gospel, the calling with which you are called. You ought to walk worthy.

This is not a unique concept in Scripture. Let's look at Colossians one, nine and ten. Who wants to read that? Jonathan, go ahead.

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not seek to pray for you and to ask wisdom and spiritual understanding that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. So I think here you see a progression. I think these are all commands, these are all good things.

But you see a progression here that you start out. You are filled with the knowledge of his will, what he wants you to do. You're filled with the knowledge of this is what Christ's commands for me are and all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

So the wisdom that God gives, the understanding that we receive from Him, we know what God wants us to do. Then we take that and we walk with the Lord so we know what we're supposed to be doing. So then we start doing what we're supposed to be doing, right? And we obey the things that we know are true.

And a lot of times this is where the disconnect comes, because we as Christians, we have the word of God. We have it taught to us all the time. We sit in sermons, we sit in Sunday school.

So we know what the word of God says. I could ask any one of you and give you a situation and say, is this right or wrong? And you could tell me, yeah, that's right, that's wrong. And you may even be able to tell me verses and passages that apply to that.

But we still do what's wrong. So we need to have that connection between what we know is right and walking in that way. But as we walk in a way that's fully pleasing Him, then we become fruitful.

Then God produces fruit in our lives, we grow in Christ, we see his will accomplished in the world, and then we continue from there, increasing the knowledge of God as you do it, as you trust Him, as you walk in his ways, you get to know Him better. And so you start out by knowing Him, you end up by knowing Him. It's all a cycle that works together.

So we should live by a standard that is worthy of the Lord, worthy of his gospel. First, Thessalonians 2:12, another reader, Nathan, go ahead. That you would walk worthy of God who calls you to his own kingdom and glory.

Yeah. And here again that you walk worthy of God. He calls you into his kingdom, into his glory.

There's a reward, there's a future hope for you because of that affects the way you live. Now that you walk worthy of what he wants you to do, there's a right way or right standard that we need to walk. And this is worthy of the gospel.

Here the good news. The gospel saved them, and they are to live like saved it's. If the gospel has had an impact on your life, if it's changed you, if it's brought you into relationship with Christ, it ought to change also the way you live.

You ought to walk worthy of that gospel. And it's the gospel of Christ. There's only one gospel that changes people.

Paul talked about different preachers earlier on that preached from self ambition, but they were preaching the one gospel. They were preaching the gospel of Christ. And so he's reminding them the gospel of Christ is what changes them.

So we need to live in a way that's worthy of the gospel, worthy conduct. And one of the evidences of this is letter B here a clear testimony of unity among God's people. And Paul starts this section up by saying that wherever I am at and he's kind of relating again what he talked about in the last part, whether he be delivered or not, whether he live, whether he die, whether he be imprisoned.

So whether he comes and sees them, he has this idea that he will be able to come and see them, he will be released, but he doesn't know for sure. So this relates back to his expectation of being freed from Roman imprisonment or whether he's absent. And because he's talking about here that he will hear of their good works, I think this means absent, that he remains imprisoned.

I don't think this is talking about when he's talking about absent from the bodies present from the Lord. I think he's just saying whether I'm not there in Philippi, I'm still going to hear about what God's doing in your life. And so he's going to hear their affairs, literally hear concerning you, concerning what's going on.

And we know that Paul had many fellow coworkers friends, like Timothy, like Titus, like some of these others, Luke, that would go and would visit some of these churches and bring back reports. And so he's going to hear one way or another what's going on with them. And what he wants to hear is that if we read there, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit and with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.

So two things he puts in here, that they'd stand fast. This is the character of their conduct, that they would be standing fast. The idea of standing fast here is steadfastly, holding one's ground, regardless of the danger or opposition.

I got this from MacArthur. You see that? It's in his commentary. There's the page.

You can look it up yourself if you want, but it's holding one's ground. It's staying in place despite what's coming against you, despite what pressures are coming in your life, despite what tribulations are going on around you, that you are standing firm in what you believe. Philippians four one.

Another reader, please. Elizabeth, go ahead, hear this. Later in Philippians, he's reminding them they need to be standing fast in the Lord.

They need to be standing for what's true and standing firm in what they believe and what they do. First Corinthians 16:13. Another reader.

Nice short one. Let me go ahead. Watch.

Stay fast in the faith. So here, among other things that he commands, he commands them to watch. Be diligent, be aware of what's going on.

Stand fast in the faith. Stand fast in what you believe. Stand fast in what saved you.

Be brave and be strong. So a bunch of commands here right at the end of First Corinthians. So it's supposed to stand fast, and it's supposed to be in one spirit here.

We're going to go back to Ephesians four and we're going to read verses one through six. So I'll need another reader. Josiah, go ahead.

Therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you worthy of the call with which you were called, suffering bearing one another in love. There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called when one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all. In verses four through six, look how many times the word one appears in there.

Do you think that Paul's trying to get the idea that we're unified in a number of different things? And I'm going to jump back before we get to that here. Sometimes when you copy and paste things, you might not grab the first letter. And the first letter is a word, so it should say I.

Therefore, the prisoner of the Lord. Apparently, I didn't grab the I. So if you want to add that in there, be more accurate, you can do that.

Beseech and walk worthy of the calling with which you're called. So he's telling them there's a way to walk that's worthy of how you're called, worthy of the Gospel. And then he goes on to explain, what is this worthiness? How is this worthy walking? Well, it starts out with all lowliness, with all gentleness, with long suffering bearing with one another in love.

So these kind of see these ideas, some of these are from the fruit of the Spirit, right? We see those in there. There's a way we're supposed to live that reflects who God is and what he wants for us. That you have loneliness, gentleness, long suffering bearing with another in love.

Endeavoring to keep the union of the Spirit in the bond of peace. This is relational here, that you're working hard to be unified with other believers, that you're working hard to be at peace with other believers, as God wants you to be. That's part of walking worthy of the calling with which you were called.

And he says, this is why there is one body. And I think this body is the church he's talking about. There's one body in Christ.

We're all saved into the same body, so we're all one. You can look at places like one Corinthians Twelve if you want to study more on that. There's one body.

Where was I? One Spirit. We all have the same Spirit inside us, indwelling in us. If we're saved, the Spirit is the guarantee of our salvation.

He's indwelling us, empowering us, helping us to understand the word of God. Amongst many other things. There is just as you were called in one hope of your calling.

We talked a couple of weeks ago about the hope that we have in Christ, that this is not the end of things. That even if our body perishes, there's still hope, because we have an everlasting kingdom, we have an everlasting king. We will be with the Lord forever.

So we have one hope of your calling, one Lord. This, I think, is referring to Jesus. He's lord over all of us, one faith.

And this idea is that we have the set of beliefs based in the word of God that we all believe we have the same faith, one baptism. And this is, I believe, a spiritual baptism here that we're baptized into the body of Christ, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all. And so there's this unity here.

And that's part of walking worthy of the Gospel is that we be unified, that we be together, that we be working together. In fact, later on in Ephesians four, it talks about that God gives us apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers for the equipping of saints, for the work of the ministry, that the body would grow together, that we would all do our part to edify and build up one another. And so this is part of living worthy of the Gospel, that we're doing what God wants us to do.

We're accomplishing what God wants us to accomplish. It also says that we also are striving together back in Philippians 127 with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel. So striving together.

Let's look at Romans 15, verse 30. Eric, go ahead now. I beg you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ.

I brought this verse because this word strive together has been used very often in New Testament. And when it is the word strive, a lot of times it's used in striving against things. It's not used in the striving together instance.

This is the other place where it's used as striving together is in Romans 1530. And here the idea is strive together with me. Strive together with me in prayers to God for me.

So it's to be praying together, to be sharing the same prayers for each other. And that's part of it. But it kind of gives you that idea what is striving together? It's just working together.

It's doing the same thing so you can accomplish the same goals. Let's look at Ephesians 416. Who would like to read that? Brian? Go ahead.

From whom the whole body joined in this together by what every joint supplies according to the effective working by which every part does causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself. Again, I see another copy error. I left the letter off.

Ryan thankfully figured out the word. So the whole body is joined and knit together what every joint supplies according to the effective working which every part doesn't share. What's the purpose of that? That we're all working together.

That we're all connected together. The purpose is that we cause growth for the body. That's for the church.

So the church is working together to help the church grow. We need to be invested in one another's lives. We need to be affecting one another so that the church can continue to grow, that can continue to be what God wants it to be for the edifying of itself.

In love, you think about the body. Hopefully you try to take care of your body, right? You try to do things that are good for your body so you don't get injured, so you don't get sick. You try to be healthy, hopefully the body.

You understand that I need to do what I need to do to help myself have the best health I can. The church needs to be looking at the church the same way and saying, this is our body. This is who we are.

We need to be working. We need to be doing our part. We need to be helping one another so that the church is healthy, so that the church is what God wants it to be.

That's what we're here for. We're here for each other. We're not here to hear a fun sermon.

We're not here to sing some neat songs. We're not here to hang out, have coffee and treats and whatever. We're here to help each other grow.

That's the purpose that God put us together. Now we add all these other stuff things on. I hope the singing is worshipful.

I hope the ministering of the Word is beneficial to you. That helps you grow the coffee. I don't know what that does for you, but some of you enjoy that, so that's fine.

I'm not a coffee drinker. But the real reason that we're here, where we're gathered together, is so that we grow into what God wants us to be. That's why we're here.

So we're to strive together with one mind. Philippians two, one through five. Very familiar passage.

Nathan, you want that one? Okay. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any affection and mercy fill my joy by being like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in loneliness of mind. Let each esteem others better themselves.

Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. And I stopped it.

There there's more. We're going to cover this in the next couple of weeks. So I'm not going to go too deep in here, but verse two says after all this stuff that Paul says, if this stuff is true, and the answer to this is yes, this stuff is all true, then fulfill my joy by being like minded.

So by thinking the same way, by having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. And then he talks about what that means. Nothing being done through selfish ambition or conceit, seeming others better than yourself.

Look out for not your own interests, but the interests of others. And then he goes on to say, if you don't know what that looks like, well, let this mind be in you, which is also in Christ. And he goes on to say what Christ's mindset was how Christ being God, how being the One who is worthy of our worship, worthy of our praise, worthy of being exalted, became a man, humbled himself, even to the point that he let men kill him because that's what God wanted him to do.

Because that was what was beneficial for us. That's the kind of mindset we ought to have, that I'm not important, I'm not the center of the universe. I'm not the one that people need to worry about if they're pleasing me, if they're doing stuff that benefits me.

I need to be seeking others to doing what's best for them, doing what's best for the Church, helping others out. And Christ's mindset that he could have come down and demanded that we all fall before Him in worship. Instead, he goes to the cross for us.

That's the mindset we ought to have. And I certainly don't have any worthiness that I can demand that people worship me. So why do I act like, hey, you ought to serve me.

You ought to do what I want to do? No, that's wrong and backwards. Our mindset ought to be the same as Christ. So again, we'll talk about this a little more next week.

We'll start in this passage and we'll see how far we get. I think it's going to be at least a couple of weeks. We'll talk about that a little more.

And then he says, we're striving together with one mind for the faith of the Gospel. There's this common goal here that the one mind is focused around the gospel, the good news of Christ. Colossians 1:28 and 29.

Anyone want to read that? Lynn go ahead. Warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom. To this end, I also labor striving to get according to his working, which works.

And this is kind of Paul's mindset. I think this is a good mindset and probably something that we need to say. Yeah, that's where we need to be.

He says him, we preach. Warning every man, teaching every man all wisdom. His goal is that to present every man perfect or complete in Christ.

And he also labors. He strives for this. He strives according to working, which works in me mightily.

So he's focused on the mission that God has given him, the assignment that he has from God to bring the gospel to the church and to build up these churches. And I'm not saying that you're going to do what Paul does. I'd be surprised if any of you travel all around Asia Minor and Greece and Italy and all these places and go and preach the Gospel.

But God has a plan for you. God wants you to live a certain way. He wants you to accomplish certain things.

And the question is, are you striving mightily? Are you laboring? Are you striving according to what God has given you to do, according to not only the plan that he has, but the gifts that he has in you? The Holy Spirit working God's word, teaching you what you need to do? Is that your focus? Are you doing what God wants you to do? So they're to be striving together so there's a worthy conduct and a clear testimony of unity in the way they ought to live that's worthy of the Gospel. In verse 28, he goes a little bit different direction. He says, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which to them is a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation that from God.

So secondly, I have here that we live free from terror. Terror has become a big word in our society in the last 1520 years, probably since about 911. All of sudden, a terror became a part of everybody's vocabulary, acts of terror, terrorists.

Here this is a little bit different, although I think the terrorists, their goal is to make you frightened or afraid. But the word terrified here is a word that does mean to be frightened or afraid. Well, what can we be frightened or afraid of? We can be frightened and afraid of a lot of things because we're human, right? We can be frightened or afraid of people calling us names, of people not liking us.

We can be frightened and afraid of pain, of imprisonment. We can be frightened or afraid of death. That's kind of a natural thing as humans.

Paul here says not anyway terrified by your adversaries. So he's saying, don't be terrified. And here he's talking about the adversaries.

And I think these are people that are opposed to the message of the Gospel, people that are opposed to the things of God, so don't be frightened of them. A lot of these people can do things. We talked about different dominions, and God gives dominions to people.

And Tim said, we look at that sometimes we wonder, why does this guy have dominion? This guy's an evil, wretched guy. Well, God gives it to who he gives it to, and that's comforting to us. But sometimes it has consequences to us, too.

If we're living in Pakistan or Afghanistan or any of these places out there, Iran, and you're a believer in Christ, there could be some serious physical consequences for you. And God's allowed those people to be in power and in place. And so Paul says there are serious consequences.

Again, remember, Paul's talking from prison here. So he's not acknowledging that because of the Gospel, you could have adversity, you could have trials, you could have tribulations in your life. He's not saying that's not going to happen, but he's saying, don't be frightened of them because you're adversaries.

Let's look at a few verses. Jesus in Matthew 1024 talks about this. I get a reader, Ted.

Disciples not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. There's enough for disciples that he be like a teacher and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house be ills above, how much more will they call those? Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing covered that will not be revealed and hidden that will not be known.

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light, and whatever you hear in the ear, preach on the house. Do not fear. Those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul, was able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin, and not one of them falls to the ground apart from your covenant, but the very hairs of your head are all numbers. Do not fear, therefore you are more valued than this passage. Jesus tells us not to fear.

Several times he starts the passage by saying that a disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. Well, again, thinking back to Jesus, he was put through tribulation as trials, even to the point of death. He was killed for who he was, so how can we expect any less? Verse 26 he says, do not fear them, for there's nothing covered that will be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known.

I think the idea here is that you're doing what's right. You're suffering persecution because of it. Eventually the truth is going to be revealed.

There's nothing covered that can be hidden. It's going to come out what the truth is, and that you have. Stood for God.

Verse 27, he reminds him that whatever I tell you in the dark, speaking the light, whatever you're hearing the ears preaching the housetop, he's saying, proclaim what the truth is, what I've told you, that has consequences. People don't want to hear that. And then verse 28 says, do not fear those who can kill the body.

That's a very real possibility for any of us, that we could end up in a point in a state that to preach the gospel, to teach the word of God, might become illegal and we might suffer tribulation for that. That shouldn't stop us, that shouldn't cause us to fear. Because Jesus says, don't fear those who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

Your eternal destiny lies in God's hands, not in their hands. They can kill you. Here again.

And think back to what Paul is just teaching. To live is Christ, but to die is gain. So what that they can kill you? That just means you get to be in the presence of God.

You get to be made perfect. You get to worship Him perfectly. The pain's gone, the tears are know, everything's righteous, all relationships are perfected.

This is great. This is good news. So don't fear the ones who can kill the body, but not the soul.

Fear him who's able to destroy both body and soul in hell. So have your fear towards God. Then he puts in this.

Here are two sparrows sold for a copper coin. What does sparrows have to do with any of this? Well, yeah, you keep reading, it tells you is that God's even in control of the sparrows, right? Their lifespans, what happens to them. God's in control of that.

You're much more important than the sparrows. God controls how long you're going to be here. God controls whether you live or die.

God controls when he's going to take you home to be with Him. That's all in God's hands. We don't have to worry about that.

All we have to worry about doing is doing what God wants us to do. To proclaim the truth, to live the truth, to live the right way in our lives. We don't need to fear about what's going to happen to us.

That's all in God's hands. We just need to trust. So a disciple is not above his teacher.

Let's not worry about what happens to us. Jesus' death was all part of the big plan, all part of God's plan to provide salvation for us. Certainly he can use you and me to his plan to do what he needs to do in his church and in this world.

So don't fear. Romans 815 another reader. Nathan, go ahead.

For you did not receive the spirit of bondage, but you receive the spirit of adoption. So here we did not receive the spirit of bondage, again to fear. We didn't receive a spirit that leads us to fear.

What we received is a spirit that tells us that we've been adopted by God. We've been brought into his family, we're joint heirs with Christ. All these things are true of us.

So we don't have to fear because we're part of God's family. We're part of what God is doing in this world. We're with him.

So there's no fear there. Ephesians 416. No, I'm reading the wrong side.

Sorry, I turned the page and forgot to turn the page. First two, Timothy 117. Another reading.

Sorry, I'm not even looking. Eric, go ahead. So here we've not given a spirit of fear.

We have a spirit that is characterized by three things power. We have God's power working in us, love. We have God's love working us and a sound mind.

We know what the truth is. We understand and we realize the truth. So we don't need to fear because God has given us all this stuff.

I want to look at one more passage because John was reading the Bible reading this morning. I said, oh, wait, that fits. And sometimes that happens.

So if we go to First John, chapter four. So you have to have your Bibles out. Yeah, how dare I.

I thought this was just really good because here's our Bible reading. Let's read verses 17 through 19 of First John, chapter four. So somebody's there and wants to read? Okay.

Yes. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love.

But perfect love casts out fear because fear has torment is not made perfect in love. We love Him because he first loves us. So this is talking about love, but he brings fear into this topic here.

Love has been perfected, has been made complete among us in this. How do we know that God's word is working in us is that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment. Okay, well, how does that go together? Boldness in the day of judgment.

Why? Verse 18 says there's no fear in love, but perfect love casts all fear because fear involves torment. So at the judgment, you're on one of two sides. You either have your name in the book of life and you're with Christ forever, or you're going to be in the lake of fire forever.

We don't have to fear because we've experienced God's love, and God's love has shown us that in the judgment we're going to be saved from that. We're going to be set aside to be God's people. And so we don't have to fear what's going to happen.

We don't have to fear what's going on. We don't have to fear when we stand before the throne of God and wonder is he going to accept us or not? Because we've trusted Christ as our Savior, we have that assurance that God's love is working in us and that he shows us that you don't have to fear this. And then he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

So if you fear you're not living in love, you're not made complete in love. If you still have that fear in you, that could be someone who's unsaved, that could be someone who's saved, who's not walking with God because there still can be that doubt, that anxiety, that fear. But verse 19 shows us that we love Him because he first loved us.

So because God showed us this love, it motivates us to be loving towards Him. So I thought that was neat that that came up in our Bible reading today, almost like it was planned, maybe it was. So we're not terrified because our conduct proves some things, verse going back to verse 28, not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation that from God.

So the unsaved, it's a proof of perdition. Now, perdition is this word I like to use all the time in my daily talk. I don't use it ever, so I had to look it up.

Perdition just means destruction or utter ruin. So to them it's a proof, it's this evidence of what's going to happen to them because they don't have Christ in their life. One Peter 212, let's read that.

Who would like to read that? Sarah, go ahead. Here's time about your conduct. Your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, you're living the way you're supposed to be living when they speak against you as evildoers.

Here's a little bit of the persecution they may be by your good works, but they observe glorify God in the day of visitation, in the day of their trouble. Our conduct shows the unsaved what state they're in as they're going through. And here they're signing about that they're speaking against us as they're speaking against us, as they're persecuting us and we continue to live for God and do what's right, have the right attitudes for God.

Eventually it shows them when they go through the same type of situation and they don't have that, that there's something missing in their lives. It's a proof of their perdition, it's a proof that they're heading on the wrong path, that they're heading for ultimate destruction. Another passage in first Peter here, first Peter 316.

1st peter is really good, he deals with a lot of how to deal with persecution, how to deal with tribulations here. But first Peter 316, another reader, go ahead, ask me a good conscience. That when they be saying you as evil doers those who revile your good conscience in Christ.

So here's another passage here, verse 15 says and I just lost it. Wow, sorry. I know the verse and I just could not think of it now.

But it talks about that when you're going through hard times, when you're going through trials, that you may give an answer to the reasonable hope that is in you. Number 16 says having a good conscience. So as you're living that out, as you're following what Christ wants you to do, as you're responding to trials correctly, as you're doing what's supposed to be done, that when they defame you as evildoers, when they attack you.

When they persecute you that your good conduct is going to show them that they don't live up to God's standard, that there's something missing, that they're on the wrong path here. It's a proof of their permission. And so even by the way we live and how we respond to hard times, that shows God in us.

And so we need to have that good conduct in our life. So it's a proof of perdition for them. When our conduct is rightly, unsaved, we'll see their unsaved state.

That's the best way I thought I could put it, but if you're saved but to you, and I think this is a broad you here, to you it shows of salvation not from God. So it shows God's salvation as you're living the way you're supposed to be doing, that there's a proof in your life that God is working in you and that God is doing what he wants in you. James 218 Isabelle, go ahead.

And Paul's saying here that the proof of my faith is you see me working and doing what God wants me to do. You see my faith in action and that's the proof. So as we look at people and we see people serving the Lord, loving the Lord, doing the right things, we can go, that person is living like a Christian.

I think God has done some work in their life. I think God has saved them and God is growing them because I see the evidence coming out of that. And that's what happens when we're in this situation.

We're not terrified, but we respond correctly to these situations. That for Christians. Remember what Paul said, that people saw his life and it was helping them to further the gospel.

They wanted to do what Paul wanted to do. They wanted to support Paul in his ministry and they were joining with him in spreading the gospel because of Paul's response to his imprisonment, to the hardships that he's gone through. And it encouraged and helped other believers do what's right.

And that's what happens in our life. As we're walking, as we're doing what's right, people are saying that person is living for Christ. That is so cool.

That's an encouragement to me. That's what I want to do too. It all helps to grow each other so we live free from terror.

Number three here we live expecting to suffer. This is not the happiest thought to finish on, but I think it's pretty clear in the passage here, and it's consistent throughout the New Testament that as Christians we should expect suffering to come at times. Verse 29 says for you has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for his sake.

It's been granted that you suffer for his sake, having the same conduct which you saw in me and now here is in me. So what has been granted? Well, what does the word granted mean? Well, granted, it comes from the base root of the word. We get grace in Greek.

So it's to grant, to give, to bestow upon, deal, generously or graciously with. Yes. Lynn yeah.

And for us, you look at what's been granted, what's been bestowed upon us, what's been dealt generously to us. It's not only to believe in Him, but God has generously granted to us the ability to suffer for Him. Well, that's encouraging.

I'm glad to hear that. So it's granted on behalf of Christ here. It's for Christ's sake, it's to glorify and honor Him.

And when we start looking at that way, that's important to us. I was going to put these verses in. I'm just going to refer to them.

Remember when the early apostles in the Church, they were brought before the Sanhedrin. They were questioned and the Sanhedrin told them, don't preach in the name of this Jesus anymore. You need to stop doing this.

And Peter responds, well, you decide whether it's better to obey God or man, but we're going to obey God. So they go out and do it again. The Sanhedrin brings them back.

They say, hey, look, we told you not to do this, now stop it. And the apostles say, look, we are going to obey God rather than man. And so the Sanhedrin beats them, right? They beat them and say, this will teach them.

The apostles go back and they're rejoicing. Why were they rejoicing? Does anybody remember what they said? Yeah, because they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christ's name's sake. They were doing the right things and they were facing persecution for it.

That's a good thing. That means we're on the right track. We're doing what God wants us to do because the world's not liking it.

The world's not going to like it when you're doing what God wants you to do. And there will be consequences here on the Earth, unfortunately, for that. But that's part of what it means to be a Christian, that you stand for what's right.

And you're going back a little bit in this passage here where he says he wants them to stand firm. It's because there's going to be suffering coming, there's going to be stuff happening to them that they're not going to enjoy, they're not going to like, but it's going to show that they're doing what God wants them to do. So it's granted them to believe Ephesians two four through nine.

We'll get the time here. Yeah, we can go ahead and read that. So we would like to read Ephesians two four through nine.

Nathan but God, who is rich in mercy because of his great love, which he loved us even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved, and raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

So Philippians 129 says, it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe. So not only that, that means that it has been granted for the sake of Christ for us to believe. Ephesians two four, look at this.

But God, so God's the subject here, it describes Him who is rich in mercy because of his great love, which he loved us even when we were dead in sins he made us alive in Christ, he's granted us salvation. By grace you have been saved. He's raised us up together.

He made us to sit together in the heavenly places in Christ that Jesus come, he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. So who is salvation about? It's not about us, it's about God and what he's done. He's granted us to believe.

He's the One who's working in salvation, so he's granted us to believe. And I just wanted to show that, because a lot of times I think we think I made the choice to be saved, and you do have a free will and you have a choice in that. But it's God's working, it's God who orchestrates the whole thing.

And Ephesians two, I think, is very clear that this is God who did this. So he's granted that to us to believe. And not only that, but to suffer.

And so suffering is a byproduct of faith in Christ. If we're truly saved and we're truly living the way God wants us to do, that is a byproduct you have been granted on behalf of Christ two. Timothy 3:12.

Another reader, please. Eric, go ahead. All who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus might suffer persecution at some point in time, maybe.

No, that's not what it says. Right? They will suffer persecution. That's a byproduct of our faith in Christ.

It's something we should be expecting. It's something we shouldn't be surprised when it happens. It looks like I did not put Matthew 1022 through 25 on here.

Oh, wait, I think that's because we read it earlier. Is it? Yes, we didn't read 22. Let's go to Matthew Ten.

I guess I thought I had it on there, but we're going to go a couple of verses back. So bibles again? Yes, Nathan. A Bible.

Got a 22. Matthew ten. I'm in Matthew 22.

Yeah, let me go to Matthew ten, that might make more sense. 22 through 25. So somebody's there and would like to read that.

Who has that for us? Go ahead. He shall be hated of all men for my name's sake, but he that endured to the end shall lead into another. For barely I say unto you that ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, is not above his Master, nor the seven above his Lord.

If they had called the Master of the house above, how much more shall they call? So verse 22 says, you will be hated by all for my name's sake. If you live for Christ, if you proclaim his name, you're going to earn the hate of the world. He endures.

The end will be saved. And this is, I think, the idea of rescued, not necessarily your salvation isn't based on your faithfulness persisting. Your salvation is based fully in the finished work of Christ.

So I think this is talking about physically rescued here. When they persecute you in this city, it says fleet another. I'm not going to go into what that all means there, but it's when they persecute you again, it's going to happen.

It's assured. It's something that we have to deal with as Christians. Let's look at First Peter, one six through nine again, I said First Peter is great for trials and stuff like that.

Go ahead, Josiah. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be. You have been grieved by various trials at the genuineness of your faith, though it is tested by fire, honor and glory.

Christ, who having not seen you love, though now you do not see Him yet believe you rejoice with joy inexpressible. So Peter says to the church here in this you greatly rejoice if for a little while you have been grieved by various trials. Says rejoice in your trials.

I'm not going to go through the middle of the passage there. Rejoice in your trials. Verse nine says, receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls, your trials are working something good in you.

So even though we should expect persecution, we should expect trials, we should expect tribulations, we have an assurance that God is working in us through them, that God is using these for growing us, for growing his church, for growing his people. It's not that we're just here and we're suffering and oh, it hurts. That's too bad.

This is awful, what's happening. The idea is God is working, god's in control, and God's using it for our good, and we need to remember that. So he ends this passage here having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now here is in me.

So I think this refers to two specific things, the same conflict they saw. I think this is his imprisonment in Philippi. Remember we talked about this in the introduction that in Acts 16, I believe with the Philippian jailer, that whole situation, they saw him do what was right while he was suffering persecution, while he was imprisoned among them in their city.

They know his testimony from that. So I think that's what he's referring to. And then the same conflict they've heard about me.

This is his present imprisonment. This is what he's doing now. And he's saying, look, here's an example.

This isn't the first time I've been in prison, and this isn't the first time I've done what's right while I've been in prison. This isn't the first time I have remained faithful to God and served Him and done everything that he wants me to do, even while going through this persecution. That's the example you have.

So, yes, you're going to suffer, but guess what? You can do what's right through it. You can serve God, you can do his will no matter what the trial and circumstance is. So again, don't be afraid of them.

This is temporary. They can kill you. Yeah, they can do that, but they can't take your soul away.

You're saved, you're safe in God. He has you in his hand. And guess what? He's sovereign over all that anyway.

So he's in control of what happens. So we can trust Him, we can be faithful to Him. We can do what's right and please Him, no matter what the circumstances, no matter what we're going through, what trials, what fears we might have, we don't have to fear because God's in control.

A couple of takeaways here. Our conduct should be worthy of the gospel. As we are saved, so we should live in thankfulness and praise of the Lord.

Praise to the Lord, maybe, and in obedience to his commands. Our conduct should be apparent to all who see us that they know by seeing how we live, that we belong to Christ. So big takeaway there, let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ.

That's what we need to do as Christians. The other one is we do not need to live in terror for those who may persecute us. God has called us to live for Him and thus to suffer for the sake of the gospel.

But this suffering is only for a short time, especially compared with the glory of eternal life. With God we can stand no matter what comes against us, and with God's help, we can endure suffering to his glory. That's the whole point.

Are we bringing glory to God in what we do, in whatever circumstances we're in, whatever trials tribulations we're going through? Is God being glorified in us? Last week, Paul said that he magnifies God in his body, and even in his death he will magnify God in his body. Is that our attitude? Is that what we want to do is to magnify God even if it ends up killing us, that we're going to do that? That's what God wants for us. Any thoughts, questions, concerns? I don't think I said any Greek words, so you can't correct my mispronunciations.

I left those off this week. What's that? Unfortunately. Okay, let's go ahead and close in prayer.

Ted. Will you close us, Lord, in any kind of trial that we may go through?

Thank you, everyone.