Living for the Gospel
Foundation of Faith • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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If you have your Bible—and I hope you do—turn with me to Philippians 1:19–30. Today we’re talking about what it means to live for the Gospel. For some, that phrase brings images of peace and beauty. For others, it means overseas missions or serving in the church. In truth, it includes all of these—because Gospel living takes many forms. Paul shows us that living for Christ may involve freedom, suffering, or quiet faithfulness. It’s not about your circumstances but about faithfully loving God and following His plan where you are.
The circumstances for Paul while writing to the Philippians was to be imprisoned unjustly for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus. Prison was not pleasant at all in the first century. Sickness, malnutrition, and abuse was rampant in the Roman prison system. The likelihood of Paul dying was pretty high because it’s not like Paul had a ton of pull in the Empire. The one thing he had going for him was that he was a Roman citizen by birth which meant that he was entitled to a quick death. Today we are talking about living for Christ but dying being our gain and we’re going to learn three truths from the passage: Christ-centered purpose, Christlike partnership, and Christ-honoring perseverance—no matter the cost.
Let’s stand together in honor of God’s Word as we read Philippians 1:19-30
19 for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. 27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. 29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, 30 engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Our Gracious Father in Heaven, we thank You for the beauty of Your Word. It gives us exactly what we need when we need it and just recognize the sufficiency of Your Word empowered by Your Holy Spirit. We are thankful that You continue to dwell with us and lead us according to Your will and that You never abandon us.
We want to take a moment to confess our sins before You. Lord for lacking in love and faith when we should be full of those gifts we confess it to You. When we seek our own way instead of looking to You or the interests of others, we confess it to You. For not living for eternity but living like we’re simply human, we confess it to You. For not being unified or seeking unity we confess it to You. We plead for Your forgiveness and remember that we are simply dust that You’ve made into Your image and our earnest prayer is that we would reflect Your image more and more today.
Lord, we lift up to You Spencer and Janice who are home with Covid. We love them and ask that You would help them to make a speedy recovery.
Lord, we lift up Steve Warren and his continued recovery. We pray that he would recover and that he would be able to fellowship among us. We miss him Lord and we remember him.
Lord, we pray for Denny Johnson and her continuing fight against cancer. We pray that she would be encouraged and have good days and we do pray that her cancer would go into remission and we ask that by faith in the Son of God.
Lord, we lift up to You Dale Mitchell who has a major surgery coming up. Please be with the doctors and guide the surgery when it happens on August 12th.
Lord, we lift up to You Kenny Stoller’s sister, Debra and her legs that aren’t healing. We pray they wouldn’t have to amputate them and that You would turn all this around.
Lord, we lift up the many volunteers in our church. It takes a small army to do all the ministries and You’ve called and equipped this congregation to share the Gospel and make disciples. I pray that as we begin to look toward the start of AWANA, Youth, and adult ministries, that You would call more people in our congregation to plug in where they are gifted and help us to raise up more men, Lord, to do more ministry.
As we turn our attention now to the Word, I pray that You would bless me. Empower me to speak the Word with clarity and boldness. I pray that if the word that are spoken wound, that they would be faithful wound of a shepherd that loves the flock and ultimately be ministering words from You. I pray that hearts are open and receptive today as we talk about living for the Gospel. It’s a serious business and I pray that our attention would be on You.
Whenever I’m in a season of suffering I like to remind myself of Job. Job suffered many ways- he lost his wealth, his children, his health. He suffered tremendously and Paul is also reminded by Job. In verse 19, Paul says, “this will turn out for my deliverance.” Some people believe that Paul is talking about being reference to getting out of prison, but this is a direct quote from Job 13:16 in the Septuagint (Greek OT). Paul, like Job, is not talking about release from suffering but about his final salvation. The Greek word here—sōtēria—is consistently used for spiritual salvation, not physical rescue. It’s about the final deliverance at the end.
This tells us something vital: Paul is concerned not merely with freedom, but with finishing the race. He wants to honor Christ and persevere to the end. That’s sobering in a culture steeped in easy-believism.
13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
23 And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
And yet there is a tension, right? Because while the way is hard, the way is also free!
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
30 Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
Paul also teaches the doctrine of perseverance for the Christian.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
14 For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.
But we also believe that God keeps us from stumbling!
24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
So Paul, by the Spirit and the prayers of the church, is confident—not in escape—but in salvation. That’s why praying for one another matters: God uses our prayers to uphold faith. What a powerful motivation to pray for other believers!
And yet, Paul is in a bad situation isn’t he? I mean… he is about to face Nero or the other judges in Rome and the situation is life threatening for Paul. Paul’s deepest desire is to represent Christ and we learn that Paul has a secure hope that he will not be ashamed before these men by his body whether in his life or death.
What is the goal in your life? For Paul it’s his eager expectation to honor Christ. That word “eager expectation” was used to describe the moments before a Roman army attacking a Galilean city and Josephus wrote that they “waited with breathless anticipation the hail of arrows”. So it is an intense expectation of something sure to happen. So it’s not that Paul is saying that he hopes to conduct himself like a follower of Jesus, he knows that this is a divinely appointed opportunity to defend the gospel on his way to the final salvation he anticipates with gladness! So we learn here about
Christ-Centered Purpose
Christ-Centered Purpose
God sees us through the hardships through His Spirit and the faithful prayers of others. Paul’s entire goal is to exalt Christ and that should be our goal as well. Do you live that way? Do you live in such a way that you desire to magnify Christ?
Paul declares boldly “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Do you believe that? You might think, “That’s fine for him, but what about me?” To live is Christ refers to walking with Christ here and now. It is being with Jesus and walking with him. Paul says it this way in Galatians 2:20
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Christ is the ultimate meaning and purpose and goal of a Christian’s life. Jesus is the business of the Christian.
John Eadie said it this way, “the preaching of Christ the business of my life; the presence of Christ the cheer of my life; the image of Christ the crown of my life; the spirit of Christ the life of my life; the love of Christ the power of my life; the will of Christ the law of my life; and the glory of Christ the end of my life. Christ was the absorbing element of his life. If he travelled, it was on Christ’s errand; if he suffered, it was in Christ’s service. When he spoke, his theme was Christ; and when he wrote, Christ filled his letters.”
Jesus is the center of Paul’s life. Jesus is the reward of Paul’s death. Jesus is all in all for Paul. Is he all in all for you? Is Jesus what you’re living for? Is Jesus what you’re dying for?
And yet, we see Paul’s priority. Look at verses 22-26 with me.
22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
Paul’s desire is to model his life as an example for the Philippians. While this is his most encouraging letter, it’s clear some in the church were putting themselves before others. Twice Paul urges them to follow his example and consider others' interests above their own. He’s doing just that here: though he longs to depart and be with Christ, he chooses to stay for their sake.
Look at Paul’s love for the church! He lays aside what is best for him to serve others. He says, “To remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.” That’s Christlike love. Jesus laid down His life for us; Paul is laying down his comfort to help this church.
As Charles Spurgeon said, “If we live, let us so live as to bring glory to Christ; if we die, let us die with our hearts fixed on Him.”
Paul then calls them to “let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” That phrase can be misunderstood. Paul isn’t saying we earn salvation—none of us is worthy. Salvation is God’s free gift.
So what does he mean? He means our lives should reflect the Gospel's worth. Think of marriage: the vows make you married, but you can live in a way that hides it. Christians too can live in ways that contradict their identity—through rebellion, disobedience, or apathy.
Paul highlights this
Christlike Partnership
Christlike Partnership
We are called to reflect Jesus Christ in three ways:
1. Conduct
1. Conduct
“Only”—Paul says—this is the main thing: “Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Is your life honoring the Gospel? Does it reflect the weight and worth of your salvation?
That phrase “manner of life” comes from the Greek word politeuomai—a political term. Paul is calling them to live as citizens of God's Kingdom while living in a Roman colony. And in that Kingdom, there are no American Christians, Chinese Christians, Republican Christians, or Democratic Christians. No white Christians or black Christians. Just Christians. The Bible doesn’t allow worldly labels to define God’s people. There are Christians—and there are the lost.
So the question is: are you living like a citizen of heaven? You have a responsibility to live for the glory of Christ. The Gospel gives you life—and it sets the standard for how you live it. In chapter 1, Paul has talked about the defense of the Gospel (v.7), the proclamation of the Gospel (vv.13–18), and now—the adornment of the Gospel. Your life either adorns the Gospel or smears it. If your life is marked by gossip, slander, division, or grumbling—it damages your witness. Why would anyone believe our defense of the Gospel if they don’t see Christ in us? Why trust our message if our lives show no evidence of its power?
You are a citizen of heaven and a sojourner on the narrow path. You live under heaven’s laws and with heaven’s privileges—so live worthy of the Gospel!
2. Cohesion
2. Cohesion
Paul brings up unity because it is central to the ministry of the Church based on Christ’s prayer for us in John 17. Paul encourages the same one purpose and goal to define the Philippian Church. He says Philippians 1:27
27 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
One spirit. One mind. Are we striving together in unity?
We can’t stand firm on anything but the solid rock of Christ. True unity isn’t built on personalities or preferences—it’s built on the truth and power of the Gospel. That’s why you have more in common with a believer in India than with a non-believing neighbor. Jesus is enough. Everything else will pass away—but He won’t. His people won’t.
Gospel unity requires every believer to cooperate—to labor together for the faith. If something distracts from that mission, we must move past it and move toward Christ. This is what it means for us to live a life worthy of the Gospel. It’s not about performance and being worthy of grace, but that our lives reflect the change that God has wrought in us through humility, unity, love, and courage.
For the Philippians, heavenly citizenship meant being faithful even while living as Roman citizens. But that created tension. The empire didn’t love this growing group. How should Christians respond? By living in unity under Gospel values and standing against the darkness.
And when the world demands that we adopt its morality? We don’t bend. We stand united under God’s Word. That’s how we live lives worthy of the Gospel.
So stand firm. Be of one mind and one spirit. And if you’re out of step with a brother or sister, talk with them—not about them. You may not agree on everything—but you’ll grow in love and understanding.
3. Courage
3. Courage
Paul says this unity leads to courage: “not frightened in anything by your opponents.” Anything! He’s being comprehensive—no area of your life is untouched by this call to stand firm.
You might face physical threats, verbal abuse, slander, loss, or even death. Believers in Canada are still persecuted. Christians in the UK are harassed for private prayer. Yet Scripture doesn’t tell us to fear. It tells us to stand.
Are you fearless before opposition? What can man do to you if you stand for Christ? For Paul, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
Gospel courage is a sign: to the world, it’s a sign of their judgment; to the church, it’s a sign of our salvation. So ask yourself—what message is your life sending?
Polycarp, the 86-year-old bishop of Smyrna, was told to burn incense to Caesar or be executed. He replied, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” He was burned and pierced—but his courage strengthened the church and glorified God.
Christ-Honoring Perseverance
Christ-Honoring Perseverance
Paul calls suffering a gift: “It has been granted to you… to suffer for His sake.” That’s countercultural. We live for comfort, for ease, for accumulation. But for the Christian, suffering is a gift of grace. Suffering and belief are gifts of love for us because they help us on the pathway to the city of God. Romans 5:3-5
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Suffering accelerates our growth in Christ and advances the Gospel. And how you suffer matters. We’ve seen it in our own body—from Brother Steve and Cindi’s patient perseverance to our sister Denny and Verne’s quiet endurance. Their suffering has glorified God and shaped them more into Christ’s likeness.
Paul’s suffering was directly tied to Gospel proclamation. Ours may differ, but the storms still come. Jesus promised they would. And the house built on Him will not fall.
Paul speaks of “the same conflict” the Philippians now face. Suffering is not just personal—it’s shared. Are you suffering in isolation, or walking in fellowship with Christ?
As J.C. Ryle said, “The cross comes before the crown, and tomorrow is a Monday of toil before the Sunday of rest.”
So what does it mean to live for the Gospel?
It doesn’t always mean preaching in jungles. It doesn’t always mean peace or comfort. Sometimes it means enduring hardship, writing from prison, or simply standing firm in trial. But it always—always—means exalting Jesus in your body, whether by life or death.
Paul has shown us: living for Christ isn’t about ease or self-fulfillment. It’s about faithfully loving God and following His plan in whatever season you're in—whether staying or going, suffering or rejoicing, living or dying. To live is Christ. To die is gain.
Living for the Gospel means embracing a Christ-centered purpose—making Jesus your goal in life and joy in death. It means practicing Christlike partnership—standing together in unity as citizens of heaven. And it means enduring with Christ-honoring perseverance—seeing suffering not as a curse, but as a gift that draws you closer to Christ and displays His glory to the world.
Head: God wants you to know that living for the Gospel means faithfully exalting Christ in every season of life—even in suffering—because to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Living for the Gospel means understanding that every moment—whether marked by joy or suffering—is an opportunity to glorify Christ, because our ultimate purpose is not comfort, but to magnify Him in life and in death.
Heart: God wants you to believe that He will complete the work of salvation He began in you, sustaining your faith through the prayers of His people and the power of His Spirit—even through suffering.
Because salvation is God’s work from beginning to end, you can trust that He will sustain your faith through every trial by His Spirit and the prayers of His people.
Hand: Live a life worthy of the Gospel by standing firm in unity, striving together for the faith, and courageously honoring Christ—no matter the cost.
Because Christ is worth more than comfort or ease, live boldly and faithfully in your season—standing firm with His people and suffering well for His name.
