"Worthy of the Gospel of Christ"

Published on by Sarah E. Cooley
“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”
(Philippians 1:27-30 ESV)

For some reason, for the 21 years that I have been living on this earth and in a Christian home, I have never read this passage. Well, that is not entirely true, I have read it, but I just have always skipped right over it.

That was a mistake. This passage has such depth and substance to it. As I begin my weekly study on this, I am so excited and thrilled to see what the Lord opens up in this passage in my life and in my heart. If any of you blog readers out there would like to join me in the study, here are the daily questions to ask for the next five days. (Thank you to Maximize Your Mornings at inspiredtoaction.com for this helpful tool)

Day 1: Read the passage. Jot down any questions or general observations you have about the passage. Read the passage again.
Day 2: Read the passage three times, each time looking for different TRUTHS and listing your observations.

  • What does this passage teach about God?
  • What does this passage teach about Paul? 
  • What can I learn about my identity in Christ?

Day 3: Read the passage again, this time looking for and listing any PROMISES you find. If the promise is conditional, record the conditions.
Day 4: Read the passage and record any COMMANDS you find. Read the passage again, this time record anything you learn from the examples of others.
Day 5:  Journal through these questions:

  • How does my view of God line up with this passage’s teaching about God?
  • What is the Lord leading me to DO as a result of this passage? 
  • Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to do the work in your heart so that you may walk in obedience to this passage.

~~~
Here are the corresponding dates. Some have already passed, but ENJOY!
May 16-20: Phil 1:1-11 Paul’s heart for God’s people
May 23-27: Phil 1:12-18 God’s purpose in Paul’s imprisonment
May 30-June 3: Phil 1:19-26 Paul’s desires: God’s people and God’s presence
June 6-10: Phil 1:27-30 God’s gospel-purpose for us
June 13-17: Phil 2:1-11 Paul’s charge towards unity through the example of Christ
June 20-24: Phil 2:12-18 Paul’s charge to Word-centered obedience
June 27-July 1: Phil 2:19-30 Servants of the gospel (examples to follow)
July 4- 8: Phil 3:1-11 The surpassing worth of Christ, our righteousness
July 11-15: Phil 3:12-21 Paul’s example: Press on toward the call of Christ
July 18-22: Phil 4:1-9 Paul’s plea: Pursue the peace of God
July 25-29: Phil 4:10-23 Paul’s contentment in God’s provision
August 1-5: Pick your own passage.
August 8-12: Pick your own passage.

One thought on “"Worthy of the Gospel of Christ"”

Leave a reply to Brandon and Andrea Cancel reply