Philippians 1:27 (ESV)
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so
that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are
standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith
of the gospel,
Unity in the church is derived from
its purpose. As believers, we are standing together, “fighting together for the
faith,” which is the Good News, the gospel. Twice in Philippians 1:27-30 Good
News or Gospel is referenced. We are to live as good citizens worthy of the
Gospel. We are to stand side-by-side fighting for the Gospel. It is the Gospel,
the Good News that unites us. It is the Good News that gives us purpose. We do
not gather as a church to be a social club. We do not gather as a church to be
a choir or a concert. We do not gather as a church to entertain, nor to feel
guilty, but to hear and be equipped to fight for the Gospel, the Good News of
reconciliation in Christ.
Our unity is derived from our
purpose. It is not derived from being the same color, speaking the same
language, sharing the same culture, or enjoying the same things. Our unity in
found in the purpose for which we gather, the Gospel. When I was a kid, I
started a club. It was based on a television show, so I made a list of who was
in the club, which character in the show they represented, and who was in
charge. But after doing all that work, the club never went anywhere. It just faded
into our forgotten history. We never had any activities. In fact, we never even
met as a group. Largely because we had no purpose. We were a club without a
reason for being and so once the fun of creating the club dissipated, so did
the club. Purpose unites us, and our purpose lies in the gospel.
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