Writing from a Roman prison, Paul continues his words to the church at Philippi by commanding them to “let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel….” Paul did not know whether he would see them again, but he wanted them to conduct their lifestyle according to holiness and righteousness. A major factor in helping them to live worthy and stand for the faith would be unity. When Paul says to “stand fast in one spirit, with one mind” he is instructing them to be unified to accomplish the work to which God called them (spreading the gospel). Why should they be unified? Paul knows that adversity will come when standing for the faith and unity will provide strength to continue in the face of obstacles (1:28-30). Part of believing in Jesus Christ is the idea of suffering (1:29). When a person or group of people unify to live differently than the world around them, there will be opposition. The church of Philippi had witnessed what Paul had experienced because of his faith in Jesus Christ (1:30). Unity stems from like-mindedness. Some churches attempt to force people into the same mold by looking the same, having identical viewpoints on every area of life, and adherence to a list of man-made rules; however, this is not unity but conformity. The type of unity Paul is speaking of stems from the truth of scripture and involves being committed to follow it no matter the cost (2:1-2). If God’s word is our focus, we can remain unified because being a Christian is not about being selfish and self-serving but about loving others (2:3-4).
Dear God, unify Your people so that we can effectively reach others with the gospel.
