Earthly Conduct of Heavenly Citizens – Philippians 1:27-30

We are returning to the Letter of Philippians in this session. I encourage you to read chapter one to refresh your memory of the material that has been covered, better yet read the whole letter.

The most prominent theme of Philippians is living the Christian life with joy. The general tone of the letter reflects Paul’s gratitude toward these believers and his joy in Jesus Christ. This may seem strange because Paul wrote this letter while he was in prison. Paul, however, had the ability to recognize opportunities for sharing the gospel even in apparent setbacks. This was the origin of Paul’s joy: he saw God working through the difficult situations he faced.

Our circumstances, other people, possessions (or lack of), and worry, can eradicate joy from our lives. When our problems are placed in perspective then we can enjoy the confidence and hope only God can give. Our perspective on life originates in how we think which cultivates attitudes about our lives resulting in our actions. The believer’s conduct in this world testifies what we believe about our citizenship. Earthly? or heavenly?