Walk the Walk

Verses

Philippians 1:27–30 NLT

Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

Introduction

Today we are continuing our study of Philippians in the sermon series, “Good Posture for a Bad Place.” I have entitled today’s sermon, “Walk the Walk.”

As you remember, Paul is writing to the community of believers in Philippi. Paul has not been there for several years, but he feels very close to this community of believers. Paul visited Philippi under the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit. As you remember, Paul is writing from Rome. While Paul is essentially on house arrest, he is in chains, literally chained to a soldier twenty-four hours a day.

A common theme in many of Paul’s letters is a call to putting into action the teachings of Christ. This letter is no exception. In our verses for today, we see Paul urging the believers to not just profess their faith, but to put it into action. Paul doesn’t want the believers just talking the talk. He wants them walking the walk.

Citizens

The main body of the letter begins in verse 27. In verse 27 Paul begins offering seven imperatives to the believers in Philippi. These are laid out in the next few chapters. We see in verse 27 Paul calls on the believers to live as citizens of heaven. He then outlines what this means.

Before we look at the characteristics of this citizenship that Paul is referencing, I want to take a moment to provide context. Citizenship is a significant thing. Remember, Paul was able to avoid possible execution earlier by appealing to Rome because he was a citizen of Rome. Being a citizen carried responsibilities and privileges. There were expectations for Roman citizens. There was a sense of pride and accomplishment associated with citizenship. Roman citizenship was unique in the ancient world. In general, most people in the ancient world lived as subjects and, outside of Rome, citizenship was essentially non-existent. Citizenship meant that you had a vested interest in and influence over your government and laws. It meant that you were a partner with the authorities. Part of that partnership was the citizen’s responsibility to acknowledge the emperor as being divine.

Christians found themselves in a bind. How could they fulfill their civic duty? Paul had the solution. Paul reminded the believers in Philippi that they were citizens in a more significant principality. Paul writes, “Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven...” And in addition, they had an obligation to meet the expectations of that citizenship.

Citizens of Heaven

What are the expectations for a citizen of heaven? How does a follower of Christ live up to those expectations? Paul says clearly that the key is to conduct yourself worthy of the good news about Christ. And then he identifies key components of this.

Unity

First, Paul calls for unity. Unity is an important concept, but is not the total picture.

John Piper, the founder of desiringGod.org, wrote:

Unity among two or more people gets its virtue entirely from something else. Unity itself is neutral until it is given goodness or badness by something else. So if Herod and Pilate are unified by their common scorn for Jesus , this is not a good unity. But if Paul and Silas sing together in prison for Christ’s sake, this is a good unity.

Unity for an evil purpose is evil. Unity for the advanced of the kingdom of God is holy. Unity is not about uniformity. Unity has a spiritual component. And this makes it difficult.

Unity has never been an easy thing for fallen humans, and the people of God are not excluded from this. - Matthew van Maastricht

Paul understood this.

Unity is achieved by standing together with one spirit and one purpose. One spirit means to be connected and caring. One spirit means to be selfless in the relationship.

1 Samuel 18:1 NLT

After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.

While in one spirit, the believers are then called to have one purpose. They are called to be focused on the gospel of Christ.

Fighting

Now that the believers are unified and focused on the common purpose of the gospel, what are they to do? They are to fight. Paul urges them to be “…fighting together for the faith...” There is a need to fight because there is opposition. We only fight when we are faced with resistance or hostility. Paul understood that the world was becoming hostile to the Gospel. This wasn’t something new. The crucifixion was the result of hostility and opposition. Paul was reminding the believers that part of their responsibility as citizens of heaven was to actively engage in the advancement of the kingdom. As a citizen of heaven you must defend the kingdom. Citizenship has responsibilities and the kingdom has enemies.

Don’t be Intimidated

A key to fighting is to not be intimidated. Intimidation robs us of power. It creates fear. And fear is not part of the kingdom of God.

2 Timothy 1:7 NLT

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

We cannot fight effectively if we are fearful. We cannot worship effectively if we are fearful. We cannot be in one spirit if we are fearful. We cannot experience peacefulness if we are fearful. God is not a god of fear. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not a gospel of fear.

Paul had an additional insight. When we are not intimidated by the enemy it is a sign that the enemy will be destroyed and that we will be saved. Think of the power of that! When we face the opposition with confidence and faith in God, it reminds the enemy that they will be destroyed.

Privilege in Suffering

The last concept I want to look at is the concept of suffering.

Joyce Meyer wrote, “As Christians, we like the thought of sharing in Christ's glory, but what about sharing in His suffering?”

I think in our Western culture we are surprised at the troubles in our lives because we live in a place of abundance with choices and control over the details of our lives. This makes it hard for us to accept trouble as normal and even good. However, in other parts of the world, trouble is tangible and daily. People may not see it as good, however, it is normal.

There is a difference between simply suffering and sharing in Christ's sufferings. Jesus' suffering was not in vain. There was a well-planned purpose, and God knew that purpose couldn't be fulfilled any other way. The purpose was to bring redemption to the world. The only thing that would atone for peoples’ sin was for God himself to come to earth and offer Himself as a perfect sacrifice for all of sin – past, present, and future.

Today we share in Christ's sufferings by focusing on the purpose, not the pain. As I've already mentioned, suffering is inevitable because we live in a fallen world.

John 16:33 NLT

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

However, because of Christ's death on the cross, all our sufferings have an eternal purpose. He makes all suffering good.

Romans 8:28 NLT

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

When we share in Christ's sufferings, we are sharing in its purpose to give people hope that there is redemption through Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

As believers we are all citizens of heaven. We are all contributing to the kingdom of God. But are we good citizens? Are we advancing the kingdom or hindering it? Do our daily life choices lead people to Christ? The power of our actions is far greater than the power of our words.

In his poem, I Rather See A Sermon, Edgar A. Guest writes:

I'd rather see a sermon than hear one any day; I'd rather one should walk with me than merely tell the way.

Paul understood the need for something beyond just saying the right things. Many can talk the talk, but Paul calls us to not just talk, but to walk the walk. Jesus demanded the same.

John 14:15 NLT

“If you love me, obey my commandments.

Or in a more simple fashion, the proof is in the pudding.

Please understand that we are citizens of heaven. Let us join together, in one spirit and one purpose, let us fight to advance the kingdom without fear while embracing suffering. Lets walk the walk. Just as Christ did.