The Worthy Life

Philippians 2:1–5 “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

review Phil 1:27-30

talking about living a worthy life and the effects of living that way. you will be saved and others will see their destruction. Living steadfast

We Live worthy by living unified with each other.

The Message of Philippians Chapter 10. The Worthy Life (2:1–4)

Paul’s repetition of the subject not only underlines its importance but lifts it to a higher level: unity is not just a useful weapon against the world, but rather it belongs to the very essence of Christian life, for it is the way in which Christians display outwardly what the gospel is and means to them. Unity is the gospel’s hallmark; it says to all who examine it, ‘This life is worthy of the gospel.

This is a very deep unity. It is not superficial in the slightest but down to the very heart of us.

Unity is a natural consequence of the gospel but it does not come easy. It takes work, forgiveness, grace and intention

The Message of Philippians Chapter 10. The Worthy Life (2:1–4)

life worthy of the gospel is a life of unity; the life of unity matches the apostolic ideal for the church

Paul saw unity as a by-product of the great truths on which the gospel rests, but he did not see it as coming about automatically or effortlessly. It is ‘natural’ in relation to the gospel, but it will not ‘come naturally’—only by effort, obedience and deliberate cultivation. For this reason, the truths of verse 1 lead into the exhortation of verse 2.

The four blessings

We see in verse 1 there are four blessings that come from unity in Christ. they start out as personal but expand out.

To be unified with each other we need to be unified with Christ.

Paul phrases these as questions and it is a rhetorical tool. The answer is obviously yes. and He knows it.

Encouragement from belonging to Christ

Comfort from his love

Fellowship in the Spirit

Tender and compassionate

these are all blessings we get when we are unified with Christ. He is the foundation for all of it. If any of these are missing in your life first make sure you are unified with jesus. If you are then ask him for the blessings they are there for you. don’t reject them.

The three effects

from the 4 blessings there are three effects that play out from them.

agree wholeheartedly

we can have disagreements about small things. But when it comes to the important issue we have to agree. Our doctrines, sexual ethics and other things

love one another

We have to love one another if we do everything else but do not love one another we have failed

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” ”

work together

in mind and purpose. Work to glorify Christ and make him known together. The most powerful ministry you can have right now is in your school. There are real people there. It will not be as big as a social media following but it will have a deeper impact.

Because of the blessings these effects should be evident in our life.

The two commands

Don’t be selfish

We should be trying to work the word I out of our vocab

Look to others interest

Have a genuine concern for others but do not stop there but keep going to actually doing something for someone else.

This is humility and love. Choosing others over yourself.

One Christ

We all serve and worship one person. Christ. He is the unbreakable bond that holds us together.