My Conduct, Your Conduct
My Conduct, Your Conduct
How we conduct ourselves matters to God for one purpose – for the sake of the Gospel; in essence for the sake of Christ. Our conduct is not the basis of salvation but if you are saved and has Christ living in you, there is an expected conduct (way of living). We established last week that “For to me, to live is Christ”; meaning Christ is doing the living and enabling the doing in me.
Let’s hear Apostle Paul encourage his friends, the Philippians – Jesus will complete the good work He started in them and us. We must always answer, Is this how a “Kingdom of God’s” child would act?
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, 28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation,[d] and that from God. 29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me”. Philippians 1:27-30
What is your conduct? The Greek word translated “conduct” in this passage means literally, “to live as a citizen”. The Philippians and we are being called to live as good citizens of the kingdom of God. Every kingdom has requirements for good conduct for her citizens. We are in the kingdom of God if: “13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” Ephesians 1:13,
1. Our conduct must be “worthy of the gospel of Christ”. In other words, it should be a reflection of a life that has received God’s grace. Grace must produce grace in my life. Am I looking at people with much grace as I have received? Is my life a response to the weight of the sacrifice of Christ? Am I surrendered to Christ that I am available for his use without complaining?
2. My conduct should not be for show when people are looking and observing. Paul said whether I am absent or present, I hope you act the same. That is what integrity is. From outside in, you look the same. Our private life must mirror our public life.
3. My conduct should be to stand in one spirit and one mind with believers for the main purpose of working together to advance the gospel of Christ. We can disagree on any minor issues but we must be in agreement of what the gospel is and commitment to reach all people with the gospel. Is my personal agenda put aside for the gospel of Christ’s agenda? No ego whatsoever.
4. My conduct should not be example of a fearful person. I must be willing to take risks for Christ and let Him back me up. I am never to be terrified by those who hate the gospel. They may be sinners today but they could be saints tomorrow by the grace of God.
5. My conduct must be based on whom I have believed in – Jesus Christ. I have no righteousness of my own except those of Christ. There is no “holier than thou” attitude.
6. My conduct and way of living must embrace “suffering” for Christ. “29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake”. God wants the best for us but He does not exempt us from suffering. The word used here for “suffering” means “persecution” for Christ. There are various forms of persecution and we must pray for the persecuted Church around the world for the grace to bear.
Am I always behaving as I should? Like Paul, “19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice… 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:19-24). I thank God that only Jesus can live this new life in me. There is great hope and Jesus never fails as I continue daily to cry out for His strength to live day by day. Amen.
How we conduct ourselves matters to God for one purpose – for the sake of the Gospel; in essence for the sake of Christ. Our conduct is not the basis of salvation but if you are saved and has Christ living in you, there is an expected conduct (way of living). We established last week that “For to me, to live is Christ”; meaning Christ is doing the living and enabling the doing in me.
Let’s hear Apostle Paul encourage his friends, the Philippians – Jesus will complete the good work He started in them and us. We must always answer, Is this how a “Kingdom of God’s” child would act?
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, 28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation,[d] and that from God. 29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, 30 having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me”. Philippians 1:27-30
What is your conduct? The Greek word translated “conduct” in this passage means literally, “to live as a citizen”. The Philippians and we are being called to live as good citizens of the kingdom of God. Every kingdom has requirements for good conduct for her citizens. We are in the kingdom of God if: “13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” Ephesians 1:13,
1. Our conduct must be “worthy of the gospel of Christ”. In other words, it should be a reflection of a life that has received God’s grace. Grace must produce grace in my life. Am I looking at people with much grace as I have received? Is my life a response to the weight of the sacrifice of Christ? Am I surrendered to Christ that I am available for his use without complaining?
2. My conduct should not be for show when people are looking and observing. Paul said whether I am absent or present, I hope you act the same. That is what integrity is. From outside in, you look the same. Our private life must mirror our public life.
3. My conduct should be to stand in one spirit and one mind with believers for the main purpose of working together to advance the gospel of Christ. We can disagree on any minor issues but we must be in agreement of what the gospel is and commitment to reach all people with the gospel. Is my personal agenda put aside for the gospel of Christ’s agenda? No ego whatsoever.
4. My conduct should not be example of a fearful person. I must be willing to take risks for Christ and let Him back me up. I am never to be terrified by those who hate the gospel. They may be sinners today but they could be saints tomorrow by the grace of God.
5. My conduct must be based on whom I have believed in – Jesus Christ. I have no righteousness of my own except those of Christ. There is no “holier than thou” attitude.
6. My conduct and way of living must embrace “suffering” for Christ. “29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake”. God wants the best for us but He does not exempt us from suffering. The word used here for “suffering” means “persecution” for Christ. There are various forms of persecution and we must pray for the persecuted Church around the world for the grace to bear.
Am I always behaving as I should? Like Paul, “19 For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice… 24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:19-24). I thank God that only Jesus can live this new life in me. There is great hope and Jesus never fails as I continue daily to cry out for His strength to live day by day. Amen.
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