I’m preaching in Philippians this week and the main point is to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Paul has been exhorting the Philippians to live lives worthy of the gospel and then he says, “This is what it looks like to be a follower of Christ. So, live like this!” So I began to go through the whole letter and list the traits of a Christian living a gospel-worthy life according to Paul in Philippians. Here is a quick overview of what I found. I’m sure I didn’t list them all and some can be divided further. But I wanted to capture the big picture, the essence of a gospel-worthy life from Philippians. After this exercise, I was greatly convicted, and my soul was lifted into an extended period of worship and time of rejoicing in Christ. I pray it does the same for you.
Caution: Read slowly!
Philippians
Chapter 1:
5 – Partner in the gospel
6 – Remember God will complete the work he began in you
– Not now, but in the end
7 – Partake in the defense and confirmation of the gospel
8 – Have the affections of Christ for laborers of the gospel
9 – Your love should abound
– Love based out of knowledge and discernment
10 – Approve what is excellent
– Be blameless and pure
– Filled with fruit from Jesus Christ
12 – Know that suffering and imprisonment for Christ advances the gospel
14 – Be bold to speak the Word without fear
15 – Preach the gospel out of goodwill
– Do not preach Christ out of rivalry or envy
16 – Defend the gospel in love
18 – Rejoice when the true gospel is proclaimed regardless of motive
19 – Pray for the Spirit’s help and deliverance
20 – Expect and hope that you won’t be ashamed
– Take courage that Christ will be honored in your body by life or death
21 – Consider dying with Christ as gaining everything
22 – Labor fruitfully on earth
23 – Desire to depart earth and be with Christ because it is better than life
24 – Remain in the flesh for the sake of others
25 – Make progress in the faith and have joy
26 – Glory in Christ
27 – Live worthy of the gospel
– Stand in one spirit
– Have one mind
– Strive side by side for the gospel
28 – Have no fear of opponents
29 – Believe in Christ
– Suffer for Christ
30 – Engage in the same conflict that Paul has
Chapter 2:
2 – Have the same mind, love, be in unity
3 – Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit
– Be humble
– Count others better than yourselves
4 – Look to the interests of others
5 – Have Christ’s mind
6 – Become a servant of all
7 – Empty yourself of self
8 – Humble yourself like Christ
– Obey to the point of death
12 – Work out your salvation
– Fear God
14 – Do not grumble or complain about anything
15 – As children of God…
– Be blameless, innocent, without blemish
– Live among twisted and perverse people
– Shine as lights in the world
16 – Hold fast to the Word of life
17 – Give your life as an offering to God
18 – Rejoice and be glad in sacrifice
20 – Be concerned for others
21 – Seek the interest of Jesus Christ
22 – Serve in the gospel
29 – Receive gospel laborers with joy in the Lord
– Honor those faithfully laboring for the gospel
Chapter 3:
1 – Rejoice in the Lord
2 – Watch out for dogs and evildoers
– those who mutilate the flesh (Jews)
3 – Worship by the Spirit of God
– Glory in Christ
– Put no confidence in the flesh
7 – Count all as loss compared to Christ
– Know Christ
8 – Count earthly loss as gaining Christ
9 – Have faith in Christ’s righteousness, not yourself
10 – Know the power of the resurrection
– Share in Christ’s sufferings
– Become like him in his death
11 – Attain the resurrection at all costs
12 – Press on to make it your own
13 – Forget the past and move towards the goal
15 – Be mature and think this way
16 – Hold true to what we have attained
17 – Imitate Paul and others like him
18 – Do not become an enemy of the cross
– Shed tears over them
19 – Do not live in the flesh
– nor glory in what is shameful
– nor set your mind on earthly things
20 – Remember you are a citizen of heaven
– Long for the Savior
21 – Remember the promise of glorification
Chapter 4:
1 – Therefore, stand firm in the Lord
2 – Have unity in the Lord
3 – Labor side by side together in the gospel
4 – Rejoice always
5 – Let your reasonableness be known to everyone
6 – Do not be anxious about anything
– Give thanks in everything through prayer
– Let your requests be made known unto God
7 – Remember the peace of God will guard your minds and hearts
8 – Think about…
– whatever is true
– whatever is just
– whatever is pure
– whatever is lovely
– whatever is commendable
– whatever is excellent
– whatever is worthy of praise
9 – Practice what you have learned from and seen in Paul
– Remember God is with you
10 – Have concern for your leaders
11 – Be content in every situation
12 – Know how to be brought low and abound in every circumstance
– Know the secret to facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need
13 – Do everything in Christ’s strength
14 – Share other’s troubles
15 – Partner with those laboring for the gospel
19 – Remember God will supply all your needs in Christ
20 – Give glory to God forever
21 – Greet every saint in Christ Jesus