The saints at Philippi were
well acquainted with the concept of citizenship. Philippi, named for
Philip of Macedon, Alexander the Great’s father, was made a Roman
colony by Caesar Augustus around 42 B.C. Roman citizenship was a valuable
possession. Some, such as the Apostle Paul, were fortunate enough
to be born Roman citizens; others paid large sums of money to purchase
this valuable title (Acts 22:28). Roman citizenship entitled a person
to specific rights and privileges that non-citizens could not claim.
For example, after being wrongfully imprisoned in Philippi, Paul announced
he was a Roman citizen. Upon hearing this, the city magistrates, were
afraid, for they knew they had violated his rights (Acts 16:37-38).
In his letter to these Philippian
saints, Paul makes use of their familiarity with the concept of Roman
citizenship to teach them an important spiritual truth.
“For our citizenship is in heaven,
from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His
glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even
to subdue all things to Himself.” (Phil. 3:20-21)
As
believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, our citizenship is in heaven.
The Philippians, though over 600 miles from Rome, still enjoyed all
the privileges of Roman citizenship. As believers we, too, enjoy all
the wonderful privileges of our heavenly citizenship, though we presently
live here on the earth. This world is not our home; heaven is. We
are merely strangers and pilgrims here on earth, living for and serving
the Lord as His “ambassadors” (2 Cor. 5:20) until He comes
to take us home to be with Him. The opportunity to be an “ambassador
for Christ” is a great privilege, but it is also a great responsibility.
An ambassador is sent to
represent someone else. In our case, we are here on earth to represent
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are here to serve Him in “the
ministry of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18); to share His message
with the world, “the word of reconcilitation” (2 Cor. 5:19);
to implore people, on His behalf, to “be reconciled to God”
(2 Cor. 5:20). As ambassadors, our words are very important, for we
are presenting the truth of Christ to others, but our conduct, our
behavior, is equally important. Paul addresses the issue of our “conduct”
as heavenly citizens in the opening chapter of Philippians.
“
Only let your conduct
be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see
you or am 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, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which
is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that
from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not
only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having
the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.”
(Phil. 1:27-30)
The word “conduct” (“conversation”
in the KJV) is the Greek word “politeuo” from which we get
our English words: politics, political, police, and the suffix –polis
(i.e. metropolis, Indianapolis, etc.). The word means “to be
a citizen” or “to live as a citizen.” Wuest, in his
Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, says it refers to “the
duties devolving upon a man as a member of a body” (i.e. as a
citizen).
Our conduct here on earth should be proper or fitting for heavenly
citizens, but how do we measure what is proper? Paul says that our
conduct is to be “worthy of the gospel.” The word “worthy”
is the Greek word “axios.” You can readily see the English
words that derive from this word: axis, axiom, axle, etc. Thayer’s
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament defines the word as: “weighing,
having weight, having the weight of (weighing as much as) another
thing, of like value, worth as much.” The picture we get is that
of a scale that measures by placing items of equal weight on each
side. As heavenly citizens, our conduct should have equal weight or
value as “the gospel.” That is, our conduct should be fitting
and proper in relation to the wonderful “gospel” message
that has been entrusted to us by our Lord (1 Thess 2:4). What a glorious
privilege is ours! Yet, what a tremendous responsibility is laid upon
us!
How can our conduct be “worthy”
or balance with the gospel? Consider the following three facts. First,
our gospel is “the gospel of Christ” (Rom. 1:16); the “good
news” that Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose again
(1 Cor. 15:3-4). Just as the focus of our message is Jesus Christ,
so the focus of our conduct should be as well. Paul told the Philippians,
“to me, to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). Paul’s whole
purpose for living was Jesus Christ; that He might be given the pre-eminence
in Paul’s life (Col. 1:18). Paul instructed the Colossian saints
to “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him” (Col. 1:10).
Conduct worthy of the gospel is conduct that glorifies and honors
the Lord Jesus Christ and seeks to please Him in all things.
Second, our gospel is “the
gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24); the “good news”
is that “by grace you have been saved through faith, and that
not of yourselves, it the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should
boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). Colossians 2:6 tells us,
As you therefore have received Christ
Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him.”
We received Christ Jesus all because of God’s
grace. Our salvation was “not of ourselves” and “not
of works,” there is therefore nothing for us to glory in; it
was a wonderful gift from God. Conduct worthy of the gospel is conduct
that is dependent upon the grace of God for all our needs (2 Cor.
9:8); conduct that, therefore, gives God all the glory and boasts
only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 6:14).
Third, our gospel is a message
of faith. Paul speaks in this very verse (Phil. 1:27) of “the
faith of the gospel.” Salvation comes through faith in Christ
and His finished work on the cross for our sins. We trust in Him and
Him alone. We rely upon Him and His faithfulness toward us. This is
true in regard to our salvation, but it should also be true in regard
to our daily walk, or behavior. Conduct worthy of the gospel is conduct
lived by the faith of the Son of God and by our faith in Him (Gal.
2:20); conduct that trusts in Him in all situations (Prov. 3:5-6).
How important is this admonition
to let our conduct be “worthy of the gospel?” Paul prefixes
this admonition with the word “only,” a word that emphasizes
that as believers, our “only” concern, the single focus
of our lives, should be that our conduct is “worthy of the gospel.”
Is this true in your life? I encourage you to carefully examine your
own heart and life and answer this question honestly, and then seek
to ensure that your conduct is, indeed, “worthy of the gospel”
each and every day.
Next month we will look
at three specific areas of the believer’s conduct that Paul was
concerned with as mentioned in verses 27-30.