A jarring reality in the midst of our indiscriminately ‘tolerant’ society is the Bible’s insistence that there are, foundationally, two kinds of people in the world. While these two groups may appear to be endlessly varied, they may all be simplified into a pair of opposing categories. There are citizens of heaven - those saved by grace through faith in Christ - and the enemies of the cross of Christ. And many who think themselves members of the former group are actually of the latter. In this morning’s passage, Paul pleads with the Philippians to stand firm – persevering in the faith, that they may avoid the destruction waiting Christ’s enemies and receive the blessed hope that is guaranteed by the very power that Christ is using even now to assert his authority over all creation.