Pastor’s Pen
Pulpit Studies in Philippians
June 27, 2004
Part Two
The Christian is to concentrate on conscientiously
building an image in our world today of what a child of God is, in truth, to
be. Christianity is not a
flash-in-the-pan operation. It is not a passing fad. It is a way of life that is diametrically opposed to the warped,
unstable existence of the unbeliever.
Christianity is the representation of heaven on earth. Biblical Christianity is to be expressed in
two phrases:
1. By exhibiting
what Christianity is – by consistently showing the reality of Christianity. –
vv. 14,15.
2. By explaining what Christianity is – by consistently sharing the
reason for Christianity – v. 16 “holding fast the Word of Life.”
These two dimensions of Biblical Christianity are
absolutely inseparable in the mind of God (see Paul’s example in I
Thessalonians 1:5). They are essential.
One without the other is incomplete.
To have a life for the Lord without a message explaining that life is
like having a road map without directions.
You see all of the wonderful places but there are no directions as to
how to get there.
On the other hand, to have the right message without
the evidence of a changed life is to have all of the right directions (which is
good) but without the benefit of testimony.
II Corinthians 3:2,3 tells us that Christians are “epistles known and
read of all men.” The world reads us
beloved. They listen to what comes out
of our mouth – but they read what comes out of our life.
They form their opinion of Jesus Christ by what they
see and hear from you and me. The
question is: do the two match up? So we
need to be careful that we are establishing in our world the true image of
Biblical Christianity – that we are not building a false image. We will take up the next phase of this
message in our next pen pulpit. God
bless.
Love to you all,