Former Blackout Artist

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.” – Philippians 1:27

Paul was no stranger to problems arising in the many churches he had planted. When he penned his first and second letters to the church in Corinth, he was highlighting just a small sampling of the issues they were facing.

Interestingly enough, the challenges Paul faced regarding false teachings, sexual immorality, and division and infighting in these churches he started back in his day are the same problems many churches face still today.

So how is it that Christians can go out and proclaim the Gospel to the world, while witnessing the immorality and injustice of the world, and yet not allow the worldly culture they engage with to enter into and corrupt the church itself?

In Philippians 1:27, Paul gives us two simple answers.

• “Above all, live as though your home is in heaven.”

Where exactly do we find ourselves living? Lots of places. We live at Costco. We live at our favorite restaurants. We live at work (can I get an amen!). We live at our kids’ soccer games and weekend activities. We live in houses with our families, surrounded by neighbors who live in their homes with their families. But Paul is telling us to live like kind and loving visitors, being ever mindful that we’re ultimately residents in heaven. How we conduct ourselves during an hour of church service each Sunday morning in no way reflects the entirety of how we’ve lived the six days prior of the week. And it may not even reflect some of our attitudes on our drives home when we leave! Are we living like home is in heaven?

• “Stand together, fight together.”

Those with a military background will understand the essence of what this means. A soldier lives among his/her fellow soldiers. They eat together. They train together. They work together. If one is in need, they’re all in need. If one has a problem, they all have a problem. They go through good times and bad times together. They live together! Does this mean that none is uniquely different from the other? Of course not! They all come from different backgrounds. But despite those differences, they don’t allow them to stand in the way of their common purpose. They live together. They stand together. They fight together. The only division that exists in the military is a division of several thousand soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder, united and ready to defend the country they’ve sworn to serve and protect.

Are we standing shoulder to shoulder in Christ’s army? Or do we more resemble a team of selfish misfits who completely ignore the Coach and his play calling?

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there will be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” 1 Corinthians 1:10

Friend, if we’re looking for perfection in anyone other than Christ himself who is our standard, we are surely to come away disappointed. And all of us, at some point, have experienced this disappointment in our church. But Paul implores us to be united despite our occasional differences.

As David wrote in Psalm 133:

“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”