The Ethic of a Christian pt1

In 2004, Chuck Colson published “How Now Shall We Live.” It was a book written, post 9-11 imploring followers of Jesus not to shrink from engaging in culture and to seek to be light in a darkening world. The key focus was to live out love and truth, rather than to seek power and dominance.

Not very many people noticed.

And today, in 2025, we are sadly reaping the harvest of the loss of that mentality. People are leaving the church in America in droves. Churches are closing across the country at a record pace. And Gen Z and Gen Alpha are less and less religious- even more so than Gen X and Millennials.

When we look at the reasons why people are leaving, one item stands out as a underlying issue that should give all of us pause.

People leaving the church are not uninterested in Jesus. They are uninterested in allying themselves with people who claim to follow Jesus, but whose actions do not line up with Jesus’ teachings.

What do we do about that?

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul says something in the introduction that has fascinated me for a long time. In verse 1:21 he writes “To live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

I understand the gain thing. Entering the Kingdom. Reuniting with people who have gone before. No more pain.

But “to live is Christ.” Man that is something. How do I live in that way? And what are the implications?

So today, we are going to explore this passage and see what Paul has to say, and for the next few weeks, we are going to go on a journey together to discover what it would look like if we lived to the standard that Jesus has called us to, demonstrated, and expected. And how, through living as Jesus, we might make an impact for the Kingdom in our small part of the world and see more people turn around and come to Jesus instead of running away from His followers.

So let’s look at Philippians 1:21 -28.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Paul’s Commitment to the Philippians (1:21–24)

As far as Paul was concerned, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.” This differs from what others thought and what might have been expected. Normally, one would say to live is gain and to die is Christ, but Paul reversed these. At death a Christian gains a more intimate relationship with the Lord

So after verse 21, Paul makes it very clear that his life is being lived, not for himself but for something more. He calls it “fruitful labor.”

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Paul’s Commitment to the Philippians (1:21–24)

Thus, “to live is Christ” must mean that Paul so totally wanted to glorify Christ that as long as he lived everything about him was to point people to Christ

Now Paul has spoken about fruit in another one of his letters. He connects fruit to the work of the Holy Spirit in his life- producing new habits and practices to replace the ones that the wordly system had implanted there. But this is not about fruits of the Spirit. This is about work.

He calls it fruitful labor. And then in vs 23-24 he makes it clear, that though he would prefer to be with Jesus, he has people who God has called him to here on earth- before he departs.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Paul’s Commitment to the Philippians (1:21–24)

While it may appear that the “fruit” was some spiritual development in Paul’s life, the context clearly relates “fruit” to the service Paul performed.

To “live for Christ” means our lives do not belong to us anymore.

servanthood- we do not seek to be powerful- Mt 20:26-28

the last shall be first- we lower ourselves- Mk 9:35

other directed- our lives no longer belong to us- Luke 9:23

And the result of these things is FRUIT in others. Look at verse 25-26. Paul is excited for the progress these believers are making in becoming like Jesus.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon Paul’s Confidence of Future Ministry (1:25–26)

The word “progress” (prokopēn) was used earlier of the advancement of the gospel message (1:12). There Paul’s circumstances pushed the message forward into new territory. In a similar way, his return to the church would push its faith forward. As the events became opportunities for preaching the gospel, his presence with the church could only help it. This advancement of its faith was also called a joy. Both “progress” and “joy” are modified by “in the faith.” As the Philippians matured in their understanding of Christ, their joy in the faith would deepen and would be encouraged

(an example- when your kids or spouse accomplish something- you were with them in spirit, helping, encouraging , etc. It was not your success but you were INVESTED! Same thing in living for Jesus- you are invested in the spiritual life of someone else)

But there is more than just investing in others. Look at verse 27-

“let your manner be worthy of the Gospel…”

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon The Nature of the Philippians’ Stand (1:27–28)

The Philippians had the opportunity to witness to the world by their unified stand for the gospel. This would be particularly impressive if they stood strong through the sufferings they were called to endure. Two matters need to be discussed: the nature of their stand (1:27–28) and Christian suffering (1:29–30).

What does that mean?

A manner is a way of being. What is being reflected?

In Paul’s time, this was particularly related to how one handled persecution, as we see in the rest of verse 27 and 28.

They are standing firm. They are united. They are not afraid.

What does that look like in our time and in our context?

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon The Nature of the Philippians’ Stand (1:27–28)

The main verb “conduct yourselves” (politeuesthe) called the church to appropriate conduct

There is no one persecuting us like these believers were being persecuted. We are not facing death or imprisonment. This is not Chine or Iran or North Korea.

So our temptations are different because our circumstances are different. We face the temptation to be selfish. Or pursue power. Or demonize our opponents. Or to be apathetic in our faith. Or to chase an idol.

Our “worthiness” is tested by different means, but the stakes are still the same.

Look at the end of verse 28- how we live our lives is a distinctive that sets us apart from those who do not yet believe. It is convicting, without being condemning.

Philippians, Colossians, Philemon The Nature of the Philippians’ Stand (1:27–28)

The context assumes that people opposed the church and its message. That means that this construction probably relates to its taking the gospel to the world. Paul must have meant “contending for the advance of the gospel.” The NIV translators have captured that meaning by the statement “for the gospel.” The team effort supplied by the church would present the gospel to the world. Together the members also would explore the implications of the gospel in each other’s lives.

Think about that for a moment. What if the way we lived our lives invited people to take a look at their own? What if our demeanor invited curiosity? And what if we prayed for those opportunities to be fruitful before they even happened?

When we live a life that seeks to be aligned with Jesus other people’s lives change too. And when other people’s lives begin to be changed by Jesus the ripple effect can change a generation.

“Missionary George Smith died on his knees praying for Africa. He had been there only a short time when he was driven from the country, leaving behind only one convert. He served the Khoi people in South Africa. His one convert was a woman named Magdalena

When he was forced out, Magdalena continued to share the Gospel and led a church and prayed for more missionaries to come back to South Africa.

Forty eight years later, a group of men found a copy of the Bible that he left behind in Africa and met the one convert of George Smith’s ministry. They discovered his one convert had reached others, who had then reached others. And 100 years later, a missions agency discovered 13,000 people whose conversion was traced to the ministry of George Smith.”

What if you lived your life in such a way that one person was changed. And that one person was used by God.

What would it look like if we lived like we believed “to live is Christ?”