Everything's Possible - Day 6

May 17th, 2024

27 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. 28 Don’t be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. 29 For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for him. 30 We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.

At the end of this chapter, Paul admonishes his friends to live beyond what is expected of them. To live as those who don’t belong here but as those who have a home in heaven already. In this way, we are reminded that we are just travelers here on Earth, and Heaven is truly our home.

He reminds them that they have the privilege of suffering for Christ and that Christ is ultimately in control of their circumstances, so whatever happens is happening for the Glory of Christ. He gives them strength by reminding them that he is in the struggle with them, and it is not going to end anytime soon.

People who go through a struggle together are bonded in a way that few others find themselves. They are united through their suffering, but they also have a particular understanding of one another. We see this in veterans, we see this in people who start up a business together, and we see this in those who play on a team as well.
Struggle creates intimacy and unity of purpose. Paul is recognizing that he and the Philippian church have those bonds and will continue to live and work together for Christ. The idea that their bond is something of Heaven and not from Earth makes it that much more important and that much more transcendent.