Paul’s letter to the Philippians is a recurring exhortation from Paul to “be of the same mind“. For the next several posts, I want to consider the different instances in Philippians where Paul calls believers to have this “mind”, this mind is the mind of Christ.
The goal is to understand what is this “mind” is and how we go about fulfilling this call to be of one mind.
In this first post I want to look at the call to unity in spirit and Gospel purpose –
“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, 28 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.” Philippians 1:27
What a compelling exhortation to the church. As followers of Christ we are called to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel”.
A common purpose and passion should pervade our mission and ministries. That priority is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Everything else is secondary. Everything needs to be considered in the way it supports our striving to share the gospel.
That being the case, anything that hinders our standing firm in unity for that purpose, or that hinders our striving in any way, is to be rejected and discarded.
Our personal longings for notoriety or self promotion need to be rejected. Rather, we join together, in unity of the Spirit, to proclaim and live out the gospel before the world.
The word “striving” here is the idea of contending together. It is that idea that we struggle and strive with unity, persevering in the face of opposition and even persecution. It brings to mind the idea that in the power of the Holy Spirit, we join together in a battle or competing, for the divine and glorious gospel.
If Jesus is truly our Lord and Savior, than His gospel, the divine and glorious truth of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross, burial, and resurrection must be our priority.
Conduct worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ is demonstrated in our willingness to work together for that priority. It is lived out as we strive to encourage one another to use our God given gifts doing that work. It is seen in our longing to see one another grow in our faith. It is each part of the body doing their part knowing that the body as a whole is wholly committed to this gospel priority.
The church is not a group of people seeking to push forward multiple agendas or goals. There is one priority, one purpose, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build up one another..." 