Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ…
Philippians 1:27a
Most of us are probably familiar with the saying, “If you talk the talk, you need to walk the walk.” I believe that is the exact sentiment that Paul is expressing to us in today’s passage. Paul tells us to “conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” An authentic Christian life is one that has been radically changed by the power of God. From conversion on, our lives, as believers, are to be set apart from the rest of the world. We are to exemplify what it means to truly know Jesus Christ.
Most of us can probably point to a time in our Christian lives when we have failed. We have all done things that are not worthy of the gospel (praise God for grace!) But equally true, most of us can point to those times when we have been obedient and conducted ourselves accordingly. We live in a world that seems to focus on the negative. It is very easy for us to dwell on our failures and not celebrate our successes. When considering “walking the walk”, we need to resist the tendency to allow the enemy or anyone else to continually take us back to our failures. Every new day brings with it the opportunity to live up to the calling that has been placed on our lives. Past failure can serve as a great instructor but it makes a lousy motivator.
In addition, the church gets a lot of bad press as many will say that Christians (in general) are all “a bunch of hypocrites.” It is important for us to understand the meaning of hypocrisy. It comes from a theatrical word meaning “to put on a mask.” Hypocrisy is to pretend to be something that we are not. Hypocrisy is not failing rather it is failing and then pretending that we have not. When believers correctly present the gospel (that we are sinners who have been redeemed by God’s grace through faith), we can reach others with the good news. But when we act as if “we have spiritually arrived” and that we are above others in regards to sin, we greatly diminish our capacity to relate to and share the gospel with others.
So how do we “conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ?” I would like to offer four suggestions:
- Making the most of our time.
Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16
When we consider how we “walk”, we are talking about how we live. Paul is referring to a lifestyle. Everyone has a lifestyle and it is fairly easy to pick up on what drives a person simply by observing that lifestyle. As believers, we are to be careful. We are to live as wise people not unwise. As a general rule, the world does what it wants with little to no consideration for spiritual consequences. This type of living epitomizes what it means to be “unwise.” So as believers we are different. We are to be careful in how we live by making the most of our time. In the Psalms, we are reminded to ask God to “teach us to number our days” (Psalm 90:12). This means that we should be ever aware of the brevity of life. We need to live each day for the purpose of furthering the kingdom. If we are attending to the things, which will last into eternity, then we can truly say that we are making the most of our time.
- Getting our minds right.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2
The battlefield for most (if not all) believers will take place in the mind. What we believe and think will greatly impact the course of our lives. When we focus our minds on the Word of God, believing what it says, and applying those truths to our lives, then we will see transformation happening in our minds and by extension, our lives. Paul tells us not to be a conformer rather a transformer. A conformer is one who falls in line and does what he/she sees everyone else around him/her doing. It doesn’t take any courage, determination, or special skill to live like this and most people do. But a transformer is one who stands apart from the crowd. This is a person who has the courage and determination to make a difference for Christ. The word for “transformed” comes from the same root word in which we get our word “metamorphosis.” Just like a caterpillar goes from a green, crawling, leaf-eating creature to a beautiful magnificent butterfly are those who resist conforming to the world and seek transformation of their minds by making the Word of God a priority.
- Putting our past behind us.
…forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:13b-14
As a Christian, part of what it means to experience spiritual victory is to possess the ability to figuratively “get back up” after “falling down.” As Christians, we still live in the flesh. Although the Spirit of God moves us in a different direction than the world that certainly doesn’t mean that we do not struggle with “the old man.” The victorious believer is the one who can move from the past and embrace the future. Christians can learn from their past but should always have their spiritual eyes focused on what is ahead. Dwelling on our past, remaining in a state of guilt, shame, and despair, is one of the enemy’s greatest weapons against spiritual progress and he does not fail to use it against those who belong to Jesus. Paul said that he would forget what was behind him and reach forward to what was ahead. To sum it up, Paul was determined to press on. If we are going to see spiritual victory, we must do the same.
- Enjoying the power of God’s Spirit.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh.
Galatians 5:16
The secret to “conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” lies not within ourselves rather in the power of the Spirit of God. Paul reminds us that as we live life in the power of God’s Spirit, we will not carry out the desires of the flesh. This is the secret to seeing spiritual victory and avoiding failure. When we focus on ourselves and what we intend to do, we miss the mark. But when we keep our focus on what God can do through us, we find everything we need to live an abundant life. There are many adjectives to describe God’s Spirit. He is our Helper, our Advocate, and our Mediator. He is the One who God sends to run along side us and to provide encouragement, strength, and power from within. On any given week we will fail. In some capacity, whether in thought, word, or deed, we will fail. But asking for God’s forgiveness is only one side to the coin of spiritual victory. We must receive that forgiveness and move on in the calling and gifting that God has given us. We do this by the surpassing greatness of God’s power and that power resides in us (Ephesians 1:19, 3:20-21).
The world doesn’t want to hear a bunch of talk rather they want to see “the walk.” When we make the most of our time, getting our minds right, putting our past behind us, and living in the power of God’s Spirit, I believe that we can say we are “conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” So what about you? Are you “walking” or just “talking”?
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