For The Faith of The Gospel

[Sue J Love]

“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, experiencing the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.” (Philippians 1:27-30 NASB1995)

This was the apostle Paul writing to the Christians in Philippi. But this message is for all who profess faith in Jesus Christ. As those who are followers of Christ, as his disciples, who have received him as our Lord and Savior, crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, we are to be those for whom sin is no longer our practice but righteousness and godly living and obedience to our Lord are what we now practice, by the grace of God, in the power of God.

For when Jesus gave his life up for us on that cross it was to put our sins to death with him so that, by God-persuaded faith in him, we would now die to sin and live to God and to his righteousness in walks of surrender to our Lord in obedience to his commands. Therefore, our conduct should now be in a manner worthy of (fitting to, suitable to, appropriate to) the gospel of Christ. And his gospel teaches us that by faith in him we are crucified in death to sin so that we might be raised with him to walk in newness of life in him.

So this means that we who believe in him should now be living holy lives, pleasing to God, in his service, walking in obedience to his commands and no longer as slaves to sin. This doesn’t make us absolutely perfect in every way, for we are still clay in the hands of the Potter (God) being perfected and being molded into the likeness of character of Jesus Christ, by God. And this work will not be finished until Jesus returns and he takes his faithful followers to be with him for eternity, when our salvation will be complete.

And if we are striving for the faith of the gospel, we are those who are teaching and sharing the gospel as Jesus taught it and as his New Testament apostles taught it, taught in the correct biblical context. For we have many charlatans today who are teaching an altered “gospel” message which does not teach death to sin and obedience to God and holy living as required of God as part of faith which saves. And they are leading many people to hell on the promise of heaven by teaching them lies which will not save.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

So, we need to know the truth, believe the truth, and live the truth of the biblical gospel of Christ. And then we need to be sharing with others the gospel taught by Jesus and by his New Testament apostles, but in the correct biblical context, and not out of context. And if we do that, we will be opposed, criticized, rejected, falsely accused, cast aside, and unwanted because we teach the truth most do not want to hear. But we must persevere, knowing that the truth is what the people need to hear.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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For The Faith of The Gospel
An Original Work / September 30, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love