April 30 2026

Thursday April 30

Standing and Striving Together

Philippians 1:27

“Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.”

Welcome to Pastor’s Chat. Today we are continuing to look at verse 27 of Philippians 1. In the first part of the verse, the Apostle Paul talked about our conduct, our conversation—our citizenship in heaven. We have citizenship on earth, but we should live on earth as though we are citizens of heaven. We are different. We live differently. You read this throughout all Paul’s epistles. It is so important.

Today we are going to continue with the last part of the verse, where the Apostle Paul writes: “So that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs.” Here it is: “that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Today we are talking about standing and striving together for the faith of the gospel.

Now, the word “faith” here is not referring to our personal faith—like my faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. The word “faith” here refers to the truth—the truth of Scripture, the truth of the gospel. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. The gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel is the good news for every person who will trust in Jesus Christ for salvation and eternal life.

The Apostle Paul now shifts from what we might call citizenship to teamwork. And the first thing he writes is, “Stand fast.” That phrase means to hold your ground, like a soldier in battle. First Corinthians 16:13 says, “Stand fast in the faith. Be strong. Be brave.” Ephesians 6:11 reminds us to “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” To stand—to stand fast—is to hold your ground. We are in a spiritual battle, but my friend, we are not standing alone.

Then the Apostle Paul writes, “with one spirit and with one mind striving together.” That phrase “striving together” gives us our word athletics. It paints a picture of a team working together toward one goal. The Christian life is not a solo race—it is a team effort.

But here is the reality: our enemy, the enemy of the church, the enemy of Christianity, loves division. “Divide and conquer” is still his strategy. Even in Philippi, there were tensions. We will see that when we get to Philippians 4:2. That is why Paul emphasizes one spirit, one mind, one purpose.

In Philippians 2:2, he writes, “Be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” No doubt that is why Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Unity is not optional—it is essential. A divided church is a defeated church, but a united church is a powerful church for the glory of God.

I love the quote we have used for years in the churches I pastored: “In essentials, we have unity. In non-essentials, we have liberty. But in all things, we have charity.” The Bible reminds us in Romans 12:5, “We, being many, are one body in Christ.” So we are to stand fast in the truth. We are to work together in love. We are to strive together for the sake of the gospel.

Why is that? Because the main thing we are to be about as a church—and as individuals—is sharing Jesus Christ with people who are lost, who are in their sins, and who are headed for a devil’s hell. We are their only hope. The church is the institution God has placed on earth to share and carry forth His great good news. Matthew 28:19–20.

My friend, let us make sure we stand fast. Let us hold our ground. Let us work together with other believers in unity for the sake of the gospel. We will be blessed as individuals. We will be a blessed church. And we will be excited about what God is doing as we join Him on His mission—telling the good news of Christ to a lost world around us.

God bless and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day!