Christians are exhorted in Scripture to live in a way that shows the worth or value or weight of the gospel.

Philippians 1:27
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,…

Paul tells the Philippians to conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. In other words, “Let the way you live your life be worthy of the gospel.” When Paul speaks of our conduct be worthy of the gospel, he assumes that the gospel is worth a lot. Conduct that is worthy of the gospel is conduct that equals the worth of the gospel, or you could say, conduct that shows the worth of the gospel.

You see, the gospel is worth a lot. Isn’t it? If you were to put your life on one side of a balance scale and the gospel of Christ on the other side, the two sides of the scale should be the same.

Is the way you live your life worthy of the gospel? If people were to judge the value of the gospel on the basis of your life alone, would they be impressed by the gospel? Would they conclude that the gospel is powerful and life-transforming and trustworthy? Or would they conclude that the gospel is a “light-weight” and inconsequential - not worth dying for and not worth living for?

How can you as an individual show the worth of the gospel? How do you as an individual live a life that is worthy of the gospel?

You might come up with answers like these:

• I must stop sinning.
• I must worship God.
• I must read my Bible.
• I must pray without ceasing.
• I must share the gospel with unbelievers.
• I must be willing to suffer for my faith.

If you said those things, I think you would be on the right track. But the apostle Paul typically says things a little differently than what’s on this bullet-pointed list. He mentions those same items but with a different twist. He would want to add words like “together” and “in the local church” to those same items. If we asked Paul, “How can I live a life worthy of the gospel?” I beleive he would say things like this…

• Together, with other believers in your local church, you should stop sinning.
• Together, with other believers in your local church, you should worship God.

You say, “Well, isn’t it important to read your Bible on your own? And, worship alone?” Yes, obviously there is a place for doing those things when other people aren’t around, but it should never stop there. That’s what I believe the apostle Paul and other NT writers teach us in the NT.

If you read and pray alone, and that’s it, then your life does not yet show the worth of the gospel. An individualistic life - even one that is full of spiritual activity - makes the gospel look cheap.

Saved from isolationism!
The gospel is life-transforming. It converts cold and hard hearts into warm and soft hearts. It converts “self-made” men into prayerful, God-dependent men. And, it converts individualistic attitudes into interdependent and loving attitudes.

The gospel is so heavy, so big, so powerful, so transforming, so gracious, so praiseworthy, that it takes individuals and puts them into the body of Christ which is then manifested in local bodies - local churches.

The gospel saves us from isolationism. It saves us from independence. It saves us from the selfish and prideful attitude that says, “I can live on my own. I don’t need anyone else. I will sometimes benefit from others, but I don’t really need them.” Consider what Paul says in Philippians again.

Philippians 1:27
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

It is not good enough to strive for the faith of the gospel on your own. You must strive together with one mind in the local church. Paul develops the idea further in Philippians 2:1-2.

Philippians 2:1-2
(1) Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
(2) make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

The worthy walk in Ephesians
Paul says the same thing in Ephesians. As we look at a portion of this epistle keep in mind that Paul has just explained the incredible blessings of the gospel of Christ. By now, the believer knows he is wealthy because he has been called out of the world to be saved. This is the call of the gospel.

Ephesians 4:1-3
(1) Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
(2) with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
(3) being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

As Paul describes this walk that is worthy of the gospel, he describes life in the church. This worthy walk is a corporate walk. If you are walking alone, your walk is not one that is worthy of the gospel. If you are walking with just your family (parents, siblings, spouse), your walk is not one that is worthy of the gospel. Only a walk that is thoroughly corporate is one that is worthy of the gospel.

Universal or local church?
Paul goes on to describe the universal church made up of all believers, but then moves to a description of the local church. He mentions in 4:11-16…

• Pastors equipping the saints for ministry.
• The members building up the body.
• Unity, maturity.
• Speaking the truth in love so the body can grow.
• Each individual part working.

Because pastors are called to local churches, we know that Paul expects that a “walk…worthy of the calling” of the gospel is one lived in the local church. A life that shows the worth and value of the gospel is one that is lived in intimate connection with brothers and sisters in a local church.

What does this intimate connection with other believers in the local church look like? How, exactly, can Christians show the power of the gospel as they live life together in the local church? Scripture tells us! We’ll pick up here next time…soon.