Philippians: Whatever HappensSample

Unified Identity and Purpose

By Samantha Rodriguez

“All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”—Philippians 3:15–16 (NIV)

Let’s start today by thinking about the theater. Perhaps you went as a kid to see a live play in the theater, have been to Broadway, or have seen a sweet and simple show at your local school. Whatever the case, it’s understood that in a theatrical performance, there’s a unified purpose amongst the people to perform excellently and tell their story well. To do this, everyone must take on different roles. There are different acting roles within the actual show, and there are even different roles in who manages the stage, runs production, or makes the set and costumes. Each is important to the show’s success, and each is united by one purpose.

When we think about this, we can better understand what Paul was trying to say as he reminds the people in Philippi that everyone can agree, “whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7 NIV). This is what unites them: their purpose is to know God more and therefore make Him known, to reach maturity in the faith. What does that look like? The Greek word for mature is teleioi, which means “fully-grown; complete in all its parts; mature from going through the necessary stages to reach the goal.”

Now, he’s not saying mature people are perfect or sinless. Instead, he’s saying they will live in a way that’s “worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27 NIV), be “one in spirit and of one mind,” and “in humility value others above [themselves]” (Philippians 2:1–4 (NIV), work out their salvation (Philippians 2:12), see things the world values as “loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:8 NIV), and know they hadn’t yet arrived and needed to continue to “press on toward the goal” (Philippians 3:14 NIV).

Nonetheless, he addresses there will be differences in opinion on other issues. His encouragement in this is simple yet profound. We must allow God to make it clear for us. We must intentionally listen to His Spirit and seek understanding in His Word, yet we must also cling to what we know to be true.

The essence of our faith is the gospel, our need for a Savior (Jesus Christ our Messiah; our amazing, triune God), and the necessity of receiving His gift of salvation and surrendering our lives to Him forever. When we can uplift the essential doctrine and values of our faith, the secondary beliefs that vary between Christians can be entrusted to the Lord to work out.

Suppose we allow the enemy to succeed in distracting, hindering, or tripping us up over the smaller issues we disagree over. In that case, we are allowing him to sow disunity from within the body of Christ. We must stand firm on our foundation and cornerstone, which is Jesus Himself and the truth of His Word and continually go back to that as a reminder of who we are and what we are to do on this earth.

Pause: Have you allowed or seen the enemy sow disunity within the body of Christ because of certain disagreements or frustrations he focused you on? How so?

Practice: Take time to think about what is essential to the Christian faith and what is of secondary importance. Perhaps research or ask trusted spiritual mentors to start the conversation. Look at how these distinctions may impact certain denominations, yet think about how the unified doctrine can still bring us together.

Pray: Precious Father, thank You for Your grace on me in the midst of my imperfection. As I seek to honor You in the way I work with others as a unified body of Christ, may You grant me wisdom and persistence so I can discuss topics by going to Your truth and in patience and love for other believers. May I be firm on Your foundation and the core of my faith to stand united with You. Amen.