Defenders!

For Tuesday, April 23, 2024:

Philippians 1:27-28a NLT: “Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you.”

Paul teaches that “whatever happens,” we should uphold the value system given to us by Jesus. But the reality is that trouble will probably come, and people in high places will oppose you. Being a champion for Christ won’t be easy.

Remember that Paul was writing this from his prison cell. His crime was preaching the Gospel, and here he is encouraging others to do the same. For them, it may also be a rocky road. (To be forewarned is to be prepared!)

Each believer should be perpetually prepared to be an apologist, a defender of the Gospel. This is about standing up for Jesus, now the main thing in our lives. Any consequences for us are secondary, relatively unimportant to God’s big picture. God will care for those who believe in his Son, either here on earth or in the hereafter. Paul could make a case for living, and a case for dying. Living, he could do more work for the Kingdom. Dying, he’d see Jesus sooner. Paul left that decision in God’s hands.

If we’re believers and still living, we should be clearly recognizable as Christians. We should love our neighbors, show kindness, share our assets, be helpful, and do the next right thing. Observers should be able to assess our behavior, and say with certainty, “Those are Christians!” Christianity’s number will increase through attraction. People will like what they see, and want to experience it themselves. Welcome them with open arms!

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship

Defender!

For Saturday, April 20, 2024:

Philippians 1:16 GW: “Those who tell the message about Christ out of love know that God has put me here to defend the Good News.”

Paul was the original apologist to the Gentiles. Apologists are charged with defending or proving the truth of Christian scriptures and doctrines. Historically and knowledge-wise, this was a confusing “in between” time. Let me explain.

Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi was written about 60 years after Jesus’ birth, and about 30 years after his death. If it had been written closer to Jesus’ day, eyewitnesses could have testified as to exactly what had occurred and what was said. The truth would have been well-known. If more time had elapsed, Gospels and what we call the New Testament would have been assembled, becoming the textbook for Christianity. But in these “in between” years, the job of defending the Gospel fell to Paul.

Nowadays, since Paul is no longer with us, the job becomes one for all believers. We should each know enough about Jesus to defend the Gospel and put forth the principles we learned from Christ. Be prepared – you never know when you’ll have to testify for Jesus!

Yesterday a man was questioning me about the Bible. Right up front, he stated, “Nothing you say will apply to me, because I’m an atheist!”

We were kind of in the same position; he doesn’t believe in Jesus, and I don’t believe in atheists! I regard them as future believers who haven’t yet seen the light! You might call them, “Pre-saved!” By the end of our conversation, he agreed to try attending a couple of church services to learn more about our faith in the Messiah. I left him with a couple of specific church suggestions.

Since Jesus wants us to share the Good News with all nations, we need to get comfortable evangelizing and defending the faith. Like the hymn says, we all should be prepared to, “Stand up, stand up for Jesus!”

Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship