Meanwhile, live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ. Let nothing in your conduct hang on whether I come or not. Your conduct must be the same whether I show up to see things for myself or hear of it from a distance. Stand united, singular in vision, contending for people’s trust in the Message, the good news, not flinching or dodging in the slightest before the opposition. Your courage and unity will show them what they’re up against: defeat for them, victory for you—and both because of God. Phil. 1:27-28 MSG

Last night in Bible study, Pastor Martha read the verse of the day from the MSG Bible, and we gained some fresh insight that I would like to share for today. As I said yesterday, I am calling this verse 27 the believer’s MO. Paul said, whether I am with you or away this is how I want your conversation to be, the way to conduct yourself: standing fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith.

First notice the MSG says, “Live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message.” Pastor Martha and I were inspired by hearing how the late Lester Summeral prayed and made it a part of our prayer as well. He prayed, “Lord, I pray that I do not bring a shame or a reproach to your name.” Rest assured, as soon as you name the name of Christ, people will be watching you. I am not talking about an incognito-Christian, for there is no such thing.

Secondly, the MSG brings out another part of the believer’s MO that really separates the true believer from the false ones: “Your conduct must be the same whether I show up to see things for myself or hear of it from a distance.” Some super-saints will opt to stay home if their favorite preacher is not preaching that day. One pastor told me that he had saints in his church that were so moved to give to the needs of traveling evangelist, but he could not get them to give to other needs in the church. After all charity is to begin at home and then spread abroad. As a Christian, we are even supposed to be obedient to our bosses, not giving “eyeservice” or as a “manpleaser,” “but in singleness of heart fearing God (Col. 3:22).” The classic definition of integrity we learned from VBS many years ago was, doing the right thing even when no one else is watching.

Finally, the rest of the verse is similar to the other version, “Stand united, singular in vision, contending for people’s trust in the Message.” Contending for people’s trust reminds me of personal witnessing approach that always works: “Share Jesus at all times, and if necessary use words.” But what about our corporate witness? The verse also speaks of us, together standing united and singular in vision. That is when we all speak the same thing and that we have no division among us. We are rather to be “perfectly joined together in the same mind and the same judgment as we learned from our verse in 1 Corinthian 1:10. What does this have to do with our witness as a church? In Jesus’ prayer for the disciples and us before he was crucified, he prayed:

“That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me (Jon 17:21).”

In other words, how is the world going to know that God, the Father, sent his Son, Jesus Christ? When we stand united, singular in vision, striving together (side by side) for the furtherance of the gospel of Christ.

Let us pray, Lord, unite us in our outreach for you.