The Worthy Life

As we walk through our Philippians series together, we are excited to see what God teaches us through Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Last week, we laid the foundation by exploring the three converts that Paul encountered on his missionary journey to Philippi. Today, we officially dive into his letter to this new church by diving into chapter 1! 

A Personal Letter From Paul to The Philippians

The letter of Philippians is unique because Paul is not writing to correct bad behavior or to rebuke the church. Rather, this letter is marked by the affection Paul has for this church. Many scholars believe it was written 10-15 years after the events of Acts16 that we discussed last week. In Philippians 1:1-5, we see the tender tone with which Paul pens this letter. He says “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of my partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” 

This isn’t characteristic of many other letters that Paul writes. Many times, he writes to the churches to address false doctrine, unholy behavior, or unruly church practices. In this case, Paul is simply eager to commune with his brothers and sisters in Christ in Philippi. Throughout the entire book, you will continue to sense this degree of warmth and encouragement in Paul’s words! 

God Always Finishes What He Starts

Paul’s first encouragement to the Philippians is that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). This verse provides encouragement to us today in our faith. We can often feel disappointed in the speed of our spiritual growth - but this verse reminds us that God always finishes what He starts! You and I are works in progress, and God is both the initiator and finisher of that work.

So long as you allow God to continue the work inside of you, He will always finish the work that He starts in us! Paul likely fondly remembered the humble beginnings of this church in Philippi and now reminds them that God will finish what He started in them. God is not like you and I - who are prone to forget and leave our tasks incomplete. Paul reminds the Philippians and He reminds us today that the God who starts a work is the same one who finishes it. 

If you feel stuck, weak, or like you’re failing spiritually - this verse reminds you: God isn’t done with you. Spiritual growth takes time. It’s a lifelong process! Be patient in the process and trust that the Master is at work! 

God Can Use a Setback as a Setup

We learn in verse 7 that Paul is actually in chains for defending and confirming the Gospel. Philippi is aware of this, and has a deep, ongoing partnership with Paul. When they heard about his imprisonment, they sent him a gift to meet his needs as he was under house arrest without food or necessities. Paul’s letter is a response to this gift! 

Paul was imprisoned because of his bold preaching of the Gospel, especially his proclamation of Jesus Christ as Lord in a world that demanded allegiance to Caesar as Lord. He was arrested in Jerusalem in Acts 21 after false accusations by Jewish leaders, held in Caeserea under Roman custody in Acts 23-26, sent to Rome after appealing to Caesar as a Roman citizen in Acts 27-28, and then lived under house arrest in Rome guarded by soldiers as he awaited his trial before Caesar. 

And yet - he writes that “what has happened to me has actually served to advance the Gospel” (verse 12). His imprisonment has resulted in the palace guard hearing the Gospel and in the encouragement of his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ to more boldly proclaim the Gospel (verses 13-14). Paul is helping his friends in Philippi to see his imprisonment in a new light. Not as an inconvenience or a tragedy - but as a strategic move of the Spirit that God was using to reach people for Christ and encourage the body of Christ!

Paul didn’t get to choose his circumstances - just like you or I don’t get to choose our circumstances today. But he chose his response to be one of gratitude and willingness to be used by God. Our challenge today is to do the same when suffering comes our way! 

In verses 19-20, Paul says that “I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or death.” For Paul, the “setback” of being imprisoned was nothing more than a stepping stone in God’s plan to glorify Himself and preach the Gospel through Paul! May we have the same perspective about our own setbacks, sufferings, and inconveniences.

A Christ-Centered Life Leads to a Fearless View of Death

Paul was able to have this attitude about his imprisonment because of a simple truth that he declares in verse 21: “For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Paul is revealing his deepest identity here! This is how he sees his entire existence. Every breath, every moment, and every goal is simply Jesus. Paul doesn’t say “to live is to serve Christ” or “to live is to know Christ.” He says “to live is Christ.” Christ isn’t a part of Paul’s life - He is Paul’s life. Because of that, death is nothing more than a graduation - not a goodbye. Death cannot scare Paul because death is ultimately gain for him! The worst that the world can do to Paul is send him home to be with Christ. 

This kind of radical understanding of life leads to a fearless view of death. If Christ is your life, nothing else can define you. Not your job, your status, your pain, or your past. Paul was in prison and still thriving because Christ was enough for him.

If death is gain, we are free to live boldly. We don’t fear loss, because our eternity is secure. This is the reason for Paul’s courage in suffering, persecution, or sacrifice. This can give us courage today, too.

You can’t truly say “to die is gain” unless you can say “to live is Christ.” If you live for money, then to die is loss. If you live for comfort, success, reputation, family, or fun - then death takes everything. But if you live for Jesus, death only gives you more of what you lived for. 

This doesn’t mean that we eagerly press on toward death - we have a mission here on earth to motivate us to live for Christ and in service to the advancement of the gospel! Paul continues in Philippians 1:22-26 to state that “it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith.” 

If we had no outward focused mission as Christian, God would simply call us home upon receiving salvation to be with Him. But he leaves us here - as vessels for his love, truth, and grace. Death is gain for us - but life is Christ, and “the life [we] now live in the body, [we]live by faith in the son of God, who loved [us] and gave Himself for [us]” (Galatians 2:20). Because our life is bound up in Christ, we have motivation and courage to face anything that comes our way fearlessly, knowing that the worst that can happen to us is that we go home to be with Christ!

Live a Life That Reflects the Gospel - Even When It Costs You

After working through his commitment to honor Christ in life or death, Paul arrives at the conclusion: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (1:17). He encourages the Philippians to “stand firm in the one spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” (verse 27),  no matter what opposition comes their way. Why? “For it has been granted to [them] on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him” (verse 29).

Paul is shifting the focus here from his own experience to the Philippian’s calling. He is using his own personal experience being imprisoned for the gospel to help mold the Philippians as bold Christians who are not afraid to live out the gospel, even at great personal cost. Verse 27 here literally means “live as citizens worthy of the gospel.” Remember - Philippi was a Roman colony with a strong sense of patriotism that placed a high value on Roman citizenship. Paul uses that civic identity to make a spiritual point: their heavenly citizenship ultimately matters more.

When Paul says “only let your manner of life be worthy of the Gospel of Christ” he is encouraging them to take even more pride in their heavenly citizenship than they do in their Roman citizenship. In this new Kingdom citizenship, faith and suffering are privileges, not punishments. They aren’t detours away from God’s work in our lives, they are part of our Christian calling.

Paul’s encouragement to the Philippians applies to us today. May we live a life that reflects the Gospel - even when it costs us something. Because it will cost us something! As citizens of heaven, we can expect medals of honor including suffering, persecution, and hardship as we share in the sufferings of Christ. May we not back down from those privileges, but continue to honor Christ as King even when the personal cost to us is greater than we feel we can bear.

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Philippians Week 2: June 8th, 2025. Preached by Ben Dieterly

Article Edited by Julia Castro