There is no one on earth who is worthy of salvation. That's the whole point of the gospel. God came to save sinners who could not save themselves. However, it is clear that when a soul truly grasps what Christ has done for them on the cross, that which they could not have done for themselves, their life begins to look very different. That person now desires to LIVE for Christ & to HONOR Christ in all of their life… In short, they respond by joyfully living a life worthy of the gospel.And that is, in short, what Paul is urging the believers in Philippi to do: "let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ" (Phil 1:27). What are the components of a life "worthy of the gospel?" This passage gives us a few specific ones. It is important to see that while this applies to individual Christians, it is directed specifically to the church as one body! This is the way a CHURCH (corporately) is to live and operate for the glory of God.

Our Salvation is coming, our Savior is to be honored and our self-denial is necessary.

The Lord our God is a majestic gracious God who is with his children and saves his children from their perils and sin.

God is sovereign over all things (the good, bad, and ugly). And God’s plan is unfolding exactly as He purposed. God (surprisingly) uses great adversity to advance His gospel message to the ends of the earth. Our trials and suffering have no power to stop us (or even slow us down) from fulfilling the task God has given us to glorify Him with our lives & make disciples of all nations. We are called as His saints to work together to advance the gospel in the world, through the church, and with purest joy!

In this passage we get a window not only into the heart of a pastor, but the prayer of a pastor for a congregation that he loves. 1. Paul first shares that he gives thanks to God for the Philippians and for their partnership with Him in the gospel. 2. Then, Paul reminds them of God’s faithfulness to believers to finish what He begins. This helps them (and us) endure in gospel ministry (which is very hard). 3. Lastly, Paul prays specifically that God would help them progress in the faith to the glory and praise of God.

The opening greeting of this letter is uniquely Christian... it reminds us of (1) WHO we are in Christ, and (2) HOW we are to live for Christ

A true Christian shows no partiality towards others because we imitate God’s perfect love demonstrated in Christ, who is the fulfillment of the Law and Prophets.

We are called to fix our eyes on God and trust His sovereign hand.

We are to flee from temptation, knowing that our flesh is weak.

Jesus is our highest and ultimate treasure in this life.