Philippians 1:27 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...
In the verse above Paul talks to us about letting our “conduct be worthy of the Gospel of Christ”. This verse emphasizes the importance of trying to be like Christ and live like Him, allowing Him to be magnified in us. This can be challenging but we need to remember that living like this makes a difference. The Gospel changes everything. It changes us, it changes our families, and it changes our communities. It can change the lives of the teens we work with. We are citizens of heaven and should live (and love) accordingly.
When we say that someone lives worthy of the Gospel, it means they take the Gospel and understand it to its fullest extent and take its content and compare it to the way that they live. But what does that mean?
It comes down to this one big idea: In order to live worthy of the Gospel, we need to do the things God wants us to do and the things that we are supposed to do. When you are aware of how God is using His word and grace to change and work in you and the people around you it becomes easier to see and live for the Gospel. It’s what life is about and everything else is just a distraction. Do you think of your life as more than that? Is it about sports, academics, money, or things? Am I living my life worthy of the Gospel or am I allowing myself to become distracted?
If you take all of the Gospel and boil it down to its most essential component you will find this: the heart of the Gospel is a self-sacrificing love. It was demonstrated when Jesus came and provided his own body as an atonement for our sins. He was motivated to do this by his love for us.
Living our lives in a way that is worthy of the Gospel is not a confusing or crazy idea but we may often find ourselves stumbling when putting it into practice. I want to remind you that God hasn’t just given us the challenge of the call to live worthy of the Gospel - He also has given each and every one of us the ability to live up to that call. When you are feeling like you just can’t live up to the higher standard that the Gospel sets, remember that God provides you with grace and patience as you work towards it.
In this passage Paul uses the word “striving”: striving together for the faith of the gospel. The meaning of this word is important to remember - it means putting energy into. Friend, remember, living worthy of the Gospel isn’t something we ever totally reach or conquer. The goal is not to stay as we are and this is not something that we will ever complete. Living worthy of the Gospel is something we should be actively pursuing throughout all of our lives.
At the end of the verse Paul reminds us to stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together. Let’s remember that we are not in this alone. We are in the ministry of loving on your teens together. We are in a church body together. We work together, we give each other grace, we suffer together, we celebrate together, and we grow together.