In my last post—What Would Jesus Think?— we talked about how we have to think like Christ before we can live like Christ—Philippians 2:5.
Today, we talk about the power behind a Christlike life—our desperate need to live through Christ.
To see our desperate need to live through Christ, we have to begin with the context that precedes Philippians 2. In Philippians 1:27, Paul shares the foreboding words, “Whatever happens…”
As Paul pens these words he’s in prison—in chains for Christ. And it’s not just Paul who is suffering for Christ. In verses 28-30, Paul explains that the Philippians are also being persecuted and opposed. They are also suffering on behalf of Christ. They are going through the same struggle that Paul is going through.
This word “struggle” relates to an athletic contest, with all the strife, exertion, and hardship connected with it. Paul writes to real people with real problems out of his and their very real struggles. It’s as if Paul says:
“We don’t know what might happen next. We don’t know what new opposition, what new opponent we might face tomorrow. We don’t know what new suffering and struggle tomorrow might bring. We don’t know how the world might try to beat us up and beat us down.”
Living For Christ
That’s why in Philippians 1:28, Paul prays that the Philippians would not be frightened by those who opposed them—by the world that sought to knock them down for their gospel faith.
“Frightened” pictures a timid, scared, or skittish horse. It means to be startled, terrified, fearful, worried, anxious, and overwhelmed. Let’s be honest, when life is knocking us down, for most of us most of our prayers are all about, “Lord, change my circumstances. Please make life easier. Rescue me from these hard times!”
But in this context of real people with real problems, Paul’s not satisfied simply to change their circumstances or their feelings. He’s focused on changing their character as he writes in Philippians 1:27, “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
This word “conduct” was associated with the practice of good citizenship in the Roman Empire. It was used in Paul’s day to exhort Roman citizens—who were free and not enslaved—to live up to the privileges and responsibilities they had as citizens.
In Philippians 3:20, Paul reminds us that our citizenship is in heaven. We could paraphrase Paul like this.
“Behave as citizens of heaven, in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Even when you’re opposed, persecuted, suffering, struggling, and beaten down by this world, live like citizens of Christ’s kingdom—of the next world, of the world to come. Christ has broken the chains of sin and freed you from Satan’s power—so live like the new person you already are in Christ. When the world knocks you down, don’t turn to the world for answers. The world teaches us to live as citizens of earth: through self, by self, for self. God’s Word teaches and empowers us to live as citizens of heaven on earth: through Christ, like Christ, and for Christ’s glory.”
Paul understands how difficult it is to live a godly life in an ungodly world. That’s why he describes in Philippians 1:27 how we stand firm when the world wants to knock us down. “Stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel.” The word contend is a compound word made up of sun which means with and of athleo which means athlete. We don’t stand firm alone, we stand firm together.
Living Through Christ’s Power
This vital background from Philippians 1 helps us to understand why we need to live through Christ’s power. Assaulted by internal fears and external opposition, the people Paul ministered to were tempted to give up and give in rather than to stand firm for the gospel. When internal fears have you ready to give up and when external opposition has you ready to give in, where do we turn?
In Philippians 2, notice where the Apostle Paul doesn’t turn and what he doesn’t do. He doesn’t tell a bunch of cute stories. He tells the truth about Jesus. He doesn’t point people to their own resources. He points people to the resources of Christ. In Philippians 2:1, Paul says to struggling people:
“If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion.”
Now let’s read that verse in the context of Philippians 1.
“Even when the world tries to knock you down, you can stand firm together because you have already received encouragement from Christ, because you have already received the comfort of His love, because you already have the fellowship of the Spirit, because you have already received tenderness and compassion from God the Father.”
When we’re tempted to give up and give in, we need to apply the truth of encouragement from our union with Christ and the truth of our fellowship with the Spirit. “Encouragement” comes from another compound word in the Greek: para-klesis. Klesis means to call and para means around, near, or alongside. Jesus is the One Who is called to come around us, near us, and alongside us to help us in our time of desperate need.
In John 14, Jesus promises His fearful disciples that He will not leave them as orphans, but will send them another counselor, another comforter, another encourager, another para-klesis—the Holy Spirit. Jesus, through the Spirit, does not simply come alongside to help you, He dwells within you to en-courage you—to place courage within you by dwelling in you!
In the second LOTR movie, Frodo is exhausted and about to give in and give up. He’s reaching up to surrender himself and the ring to this evil flying creature.
Just in the nick of time, Frodo’s friend, Sam, tackles Frodo, preventing him from surrendering. Knife in hand, Frodo is half-crazed and about to kill Sam. Sam looks up from beneath Frodo and says, “Mr. Frodo, it’s me. Your Sam.” Frodo then tells Sam, “I just can’t do it. I can’t go on.”
In response, Sam shares an incredibly inspiring story that empathizes with Frodo’s exhaustion, but also encourages Frodo that there’s something worth fighting for. There’s a bigger picture than just their two little Hobbit lives. They are on a mission that has lasting significance. The scene ends with Frodo encouraged and telling Sam that he couldn’t go on without his Sam—his spiritual friend and traveling companion.
According to Philippians 2:1, Christ is our infinite, ultimate Sam. Christ doesn’t just travel with us; He travels in us. Christ doesn’t just talk about fighting for the Hobbit Shire; He calls and equips us to fight for His Kingdom purposes. Christ doesn’t just speak words of encouragement to us; He is our Encourager.
My Gospel-Centered Prayer for You
When life beats us down, Satan tempts us to live for our self and through our own power. In those times, we can prayer this Philippians 2:1 gospel-centered prayer for one another:
“Heavenly Father, I don’t know what’s beating down my friends right now. I don’t know what has some of them near the end of their rope. I don’t know what is so discouraging that they sometimes feel like they’re ready to give up and give in. But I do know the One who is their sun-athleo—the one who is their Teammate ready to fight for them. I do know the One who is their para-klesis—their En-courager. Heavenly Father, may my friends know Your Son and Your Spirit as their ‘Sam’ standing ready to en-courage them—to place Your eternal, all-mighty power, courage, and boldness within them by dwelling in them. In the name of Jesus Christ our Savior, Friend, and Encourager, I pray. Amen.”
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