Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
September 28, 2008
The Rev. Charles Henrickson
“A Manner of Life Worthy of the Gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:12-14, 19-30;
2:1-18)
Is the Christian life just about “pie in the sky when you die and the sweet
bye-and-bye,” or does it have to do also with how we live our lives in the here
and now? Obviously, by the way I ask the question, you know I’m going to say
the latter, that the Christian life does have a lot to do with how we live our
lives during these days. The fact that we have eternal life does not mean that
our life now is unimportant. Our eternal life began when we were baptized into
Christ and the life of faith began, so we are in eternal life now, and death
will not interrupt it, only perfect it. As St. Paul says:
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the
flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot
tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with
Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary
on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue
with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may
have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.”
So St. Paul saw his life as being in Christ, both while he does fruitful labor
now in this life and when he dies and departs to be with Christ. Either way,
it’s all Christ, and it’s all good. So Paul saw his life now as being very
important and worthwhile, and therefore how he lives it is likewise very
important.
So it is for us, the Christians to whom Paul writes. Oh, I know, here in this
epistle Paul is writing to the Philippians. But really he is writing to us
also. And Paul is telling us--you and me here today--Paul is telling us that
how we live is important. To borrow a phrase from today’s Epistle, and to sum
it up in a nutshell, Paul would encourage us today toward “A Manner of Life
Worthy of the Gospel of Christ.”
Here’s how Paul puts it. He says, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of
the gospel of Christ.” And then, in the verses that follow, he fills out what
that manner of life will look like. He does this especially in two directions.
First, he says that it means “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind
striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” And second, he says that
it means “being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord
and of one mind.” With one mind, standing firm for the faith of the gospel.
With one mind, having love for one another. This is the manner of life worthy
of the gospel, both for the Christians in the church at Philippi and for the
Christians in the church at Bonne Terre. Let’s explore that a little.
Let’s take the first part, about standing firm for the faith of the gospel.
Here’s what Paul says:
“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.”
A manner of life worthy of the gospel of Christ will be confessional. By that
I mean that we will be concerned about the pure teaching and proclamation of
the gospel, and we will stand firm and stand up and stand together for that.
“Standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith
of the gospel.” So how do we live that out? I think first it means that we
know what the faith of the gospel is. We need to be well catechized in the
Christian faith. How can we strive for the faith of the gospel if we don’t
know what its content is? Confessional Christians learn and grow and study the
content of the Christian faith. We are in church regularly, every Sunday.
Bible class and Sunday School are ways we increase our knowledge and deepen our
understanding. We read and study the Bible, the catechism, the creeds and
confessions of our church. We learn to distinguish between truth and error
when it comes to doctrine and practice in the church.
How about you? What are ways you can grow in your knowledge of the faith of
the gospel? How can you become a stronger confessional Christian? This is
your life of listening and learning, growing in the grace and knowledge of our
Lord Jesus Christ. This is what disciples do. Disciples are learners,
lifelong learners. We are never too old, we are never too busy, to be spending
time in the word of God and having our minds shaped and sharpened accordingly.
This calls for the renewal of our mind, our mind not conformed to the thinking
of this world, but our mind transformed by the renewing power of the Spirit.
Your mind was not put on the shelf when you became a Christian. No, when you
were baptized your mind was enlightened; the light of Christ illumines your
thinking and makes growth possible.
In this way, our minds are all attuned to the same frequency, if you will. We
are all on the same wavelength. Notice, there is a corporate dimension to this
renewing of our mind and standing firm for the faith of the gospel. We are in
this thing together. It is a churchly activity. Listen again to what Paul
says: “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for
the faith of the gospel.” Note the aspect of unity he highlights: “in one
spirit, with one mind, side by side.” This means being part of the church,
standing firm together, striving together for the faith of the gospel. We are
not just individual Christians; we are each part of the body of Christ, the
church. And so each part, each one of us, has a responsibility toward the
whole. When all of us Christians here in the church at Bonne Terre, when each
of us and all of us together are united in growing in the faith, then we become
a stronger congregation.
When all of us Christians in the Missouri Synod, when each of us and all of us
together are united in growing in the faith, then we become a stronger church
body. We learn to discern truth from error when we see it in the church.
There is a corporate, churchly dimension to our standing firm for the faith.
So that’s the first point: A manner of life worthy of the gospel of Christ is
confessional. Our minds renewed and transformed by the word of God, we as
church will stand firm and strive together for the faith of the gospel.
The second point is equally important, the part about having love for one
another. Here’s what Paul says:
“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any
participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by
being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one
mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more
significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own
interests, but also to the interests of others.”
A manner of life worthy of the gospel of Christ will be compassionate. By that
I mean that we will be concerned for one another, and we will humbly act in
love for the good of others.
“Being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one
mind.” How do we live that out? Love requires other people. That may sound
obvious, but it’s true. We need to be around and be involved with other people
in order to love them. Particularly we are talking about our brothers and
sisters here in this family, this congregation of St. Matthew Lutheran Church.
This is who God has put us together with. These are people to love. Who are
our brothers and sisters here? Let’s get to know them better. Not in a nosy
way, but in a fellowship way, so we can support one another and help one
another out when we have needs. To serve one another in love, humbly, looking
out for the interests of others, this is what we are talking about.
This by definition is a corporate, churchly activity. And it involves, again,
the transformation of our mind and our having the same mind together, united as
a church. The church cares for her members when they have needs. Is there
someone among us hurting, whether physically or emotionally or both? Let’s see
if we can help. Is there someone lonely? Is there someone laid up in bed? Is
there someone suffering a financial setback? Let’s see if we can do some
things to help, in practical ways, as we have opportunity. Christians--and
that’s you--are compassionate toward one another, putting love into action.
Confessional and compassionate. Notice, Paul does not think there is any
conflict between the two, being confessional and being compassionate. Being
confessional calls for us being tough, being compassionate calls for us being
tender, and both are good and necessary. Both aspects are equally important in
a manner of life worthy of the gospel of Christ. Because that’s who Christ
is--both tough and tender, both bold and humble, both strong and loving.
Yes, and so this is where we must go, namely, to Christ, if we are to live a
life worthy of the gospel of Christ. For it is this gospel that gives you life
in Christ, the new life he won for you and started you in and continues you in
and will complete you in. For you to live is Christ. And so your manner of
life has as its source and shape the life of Christ himself.
Here as St. Paul encourages us Christians toward a manner of life worthy of the
gospel of Christ, here he embeds that very gospel, that good news of our
Savior, into his appeal. Listen to these familiar and fantastic words:
“Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality
with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a
servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross.”
This is the gospel of Christ, my friends! And it is for you! Christ Jesus,
the very Son of God come from heaven, with the full authority of heaven--he
humbled himself and went to the cross for you. He came not to be served, but
to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many, including you. “Even death
on a cross.” That death paid for all of your sins, all of your failure to love
God and love your neighbor--for that is what sin is and it deserves death under
the wrath of God. But that is what Christ suffered in your place, so that you
would not die forever, but would instead have forgiveness and live forever.
“Even death on a cross.” That death was the death of death. For God the
Father accepted the sacrifice of Christ as the perfect sacrifice that atones
for all sins, including yours. Therefore, with sin paid for, death was
defeated, and God raised up his Son in victory on Easter morning. You share in
that victory, dear Christian, and death will have no power over you. You have
eternal life in Christ.
You have that life even now. And so how you live is important. It is life
empowered and shaped by the life of Christ. My friends, God will help you to
live a life that is both confessional and compassionate. He will help us as
church to be united in faith, “standing firm in one spirit, with one mind
striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.” He will help us as church
to be united in love, “being of the same mind, having the same love, being in
full accord and of one mind.” This is the manner of life worthy of the gospel
of Christ, and it is that gospel itself that will help us to lead it.
Charles Henrickson
4749 Melissa Jo Ln
St. Louis, MO 63128
(314) 845-8811 (home)
(314) 779-8108 (cell)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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