Living for Christ

When the apostle Paul wrote his letter to the followers in Philippi, he reminded them that living for Christ was an exercise in humble service to each other.  Paul illustrates his teaching beautifully by using Jesus as the ultimate example.  This message could be delivered to any Christian church today.  This is a section of the Bible that can help us all to focus on what our walk with the Lord should entail.

 “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.”  Philippians 1:27 (NASB)

The believers in Philippi were surrounded by unbelievers and likely experienced ridicule and persecution.  The world we live in is not much different.  Depending on where you live today, there may be those who mock and deride your Christian faith.  Regardless of the attitude of those around us, we are to maintain our connection to God by living for Christ.  This world will try to push us away from our faith principles, but if we stand together with other believers we will remain strong through shared support.

“Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.”  Philippians 2:1-2 (NASB)

Living for Christ is Living for Others

The life of Jesus was a life of service to others and that becomes our mission as well when we become His followers.  It can be very hard to put yourself aside and always put others first, but that is our calling and our ultimate goal.  Living for Christ means attempting to live like Christ.

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB)

No matter what your status is in this world, consider yourself a servant of all.  As followers of Jesus we should be looking for opportunities to serve anyone and everyone.  When we are living for Christ we are humbled by His example and it’s easy to ignore our authority over others and focus on how we can help others.

“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”  Philippians 2:5-7 (NASB)

Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf and we will never be able to live up to His example.  What we can do is continually maintain ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel.  We are living for Christ when we dedicate our lives in humble service to others.

“Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  Philippians 2:8 (NASB)

All scripture references are linked to Bible Gateway so that you can read each verse in context.  Bible Gateway allows you to change the verse to your favorite translation and compare it side-by-side with multiple translations.  In addition, you can select to hear an audio version of any verse by clicking on the speaker icon.  Keep the Bible Gateway App on your phone so that you can visit the Word of God at any time during your day.