Christian Unity is Detailed to the Philippians Volume 13

Paul Exhorts the Philippian Believers to be Fearless for Christ Sake and Declare the True Gospel despite any Suffering Part 1

Philippians 1:28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. KJV

The Apostle Paul concludes this first Chapter of his letter to these Philippian believers by exhorting them to fearlessness for Christ and the truth of the Gospel no matter the external consequences. The fact that the Gospel is “good news” does not dismiss the reality that there are a majority of souls on the earth (energized by the devil) who are hostile to its proclamation. The reality of their being only One God and One Way (Jesus Christ) to Heaven is very offensive to the unregenerate soul and thus Paul tells these Philippian believers and we believers today to have this resolve to, “in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God” (Philippians 1:28). The devil is our adversary and it is he who ignites the human souls to oppose those of us who have been redeemed simply because he hates our Lord Jesus Christ and consequently he hates those whom Christ loves, His saints. Those human instruments who persist in being hostile to the Gospel of Grace and the fact that Jesus Christ is the only way to God (this would include the modern day Islamic Jihadist) only show forth the evidence or proof that they are barreling head long into perdition. This English word perdition is not a word used commonly in the conversation of many people in this 21^st Century, but it was commonly used during Paul’s time and it is translated by the Greek word apoleia which completely means to destroy fully; to perish or to lose; ruin or loss; damnable destruction. In other words, Paul declares that the human beings who actively persecute Christians even to the point of killing them prove that they have no part with the True God Jesus Christ and display, demonstrate, and disclose that they are headed to hell forever.

However, in stark contrast these Philippian believers and we believers today with our steadfastness for the truth of the Gospel and that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven and that all man made religions and religious practices are in complete opposition to the Gospel of Christ, show forth that our salvation has been given to us by God the Father solely upon our trust and reliance of what Christ did on the Cross (Ephesians 2:8-9). The English word salvation is translated by the Greek word soteria a noun which means rescue or safety (physically or morally): - to deliver or to save. All human beings born are born exiled from God the Father by sin and only Jesus Christ can save human beings from sin as an angel of the Lord said to Joseph with these words, “But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’” (Matthew 1:20-21). This is the contrast, those who have never yet received this forgiveness of sins (only through our Lord Jesus Christ) are filled with opposition and resistance to the Gospel.

When you stand for the truth of what the Word of God declares and oppose evil in this world, you will face opposition and Paul wants to prepare these Philippian believers and we believers today for this reality with the resolve that we can only get from Christ just as was given to the Apostle Peter and others with him as documented for us by Dr. Luke with these words, “And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the Apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.” (Acts 5:40-42). We see evidence here that despite their beating and being commanded by the Jewish Council to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, they continued to teach and preach Jesus as the Christ, this was not done in their human strength or resolve, but it was by the Grace of God that they were empowered to persist for Christ and the truth of the Gospel, the Apostle Peter surely recalling these words spoken by our Lord when He walked with them in the flesh, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12).

My own Personal Note: “Fear is defined as an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight), this is natural in our flesh, but we can experience supernatural strength from our Lord, Master, and Savior Jesus Christ to overcome this normal response in our flesh as the Apostle Peter and the others with him received from Christ to stand for Him and the truth of His Word and the Gospel, despite the devil, his demons, and the two legged devils he uses to hurt, harass, and harm us to keep us from declaring that Jesus Christ is the only way to Heaven, point blank period.”  

“Our great care must be to keep close to our profession, and be constant to it: whatever oppositions we meet with, we must not be frightened at them, considering that the condition of the persecuted is much better and more desirable than the condition of the persecutors; for persecuting is an evident token of perdition. Those who oppose the Gospel of Christ, and injure the professors of it, are marked out for ruin. But being persecuted is a token of salvation. Not that it is a certain mark; many hypocrites have suffered for their religion; but it is a good sign that we are in good earnest in religion, and designed for salvation, when we are enabled in a right manner to suffer for the cause of Christ.” Matthew Henry

“Such courage is a prophecy of victory. Such courage is based upon a sure hope. ‘Our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Lord Jesus as Savior.’ The little outlying colony in this far-off edge of the empire is ringed about by wide-stretching hosts of dusky barbarians. Far as the eye can reach their myriads cover the land, and the watchers from the ramparts might well be dismayed if they had only their own resources to depend on. But they know that the Emperor in His progress will come to this sorely beset outpost, and their eyes are fixed on the pass in the hills where they expect to see the waving banners and the gleaming spears. Soon, like our countrymen in Lucknow, they will hear the music and the shouts that tell that He is at hand. Then when He comes, He will raise the siege and scatter all the enemies as the chaff of the threshing-floor, and the colonists who held the post will go with Him to the land which they have never seen, but which is their home, and will, with the Victor, sweep in triumph ‘through the gates into the city.’” Alexander MacLaren

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…