Philippians 1.27-28
“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents.”
This passage of scripture gives us six directives for what it means to be a citizen of the kingdom of God; six directives for living an authentic Christian life:
1) Live the standards of the gospel.
2) Be an example.
3) Stand firm.
4) Be unified.
5) Work together.
6) Defeat fear.
Let’s consider #1: Live the standards of the gospel.
The Lord calls you personally and decisively to a life that reflects his character. That is precisely the message in verse 27: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.”
The word for “worthy” is the Greek axios, a word we studied in the Ephesians series. Axios means “weighing as much as, of like value, worth as much.” A good picture of axios is a set of scales that balance when the weight of the item on one side corresponds to the weight of the standard on the other side.
When the item on one side of the scale meets the standard—that is, corresponds to the weight—on the other side of the scale, it is said to be axios, or worthy. We could translate Philippians 1.27 this way: “Let your manner of life align with the standards of the gospel of Christ.”
The path to which the Lord calls is an axios path. It is a life that lives the standards of the gospel. It is living and working in a way that corresponds to God’s character and commands. Before we say something or do something, we should stop and ask, “Is this axios? Is it worthy of the gospel of Christ? Is it worthy of the life to which God calls me? Does it align with God’s standards? Is it authentically Christian?”
It is worth noting that the axios path—the call to the worthy life—is repeated in several books of the bible.
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy (axios) of the calling to which you have been called.” (Ephesians 4.1)
“Walk in a manner worthy (axios) of the Lord.” (Colossians 1:10)
“Repent and turn to God, performing deeds worthy (axios) of repentance.” (Acts 26:20)
“Walk in a manner worthy (axios) of God.” (1 Thessalonians 2:12)
It is critical to understand that for those who believe in Jesus Christ, “the scale of salvation” has already been balanced by God’s grace in Christ. The righteousness we have before God is a gift of grace. It is not something we earn or deserve. As Romans 3.23 says, we have fallen short of God’s standards of righteousness. We have missed the mark.
There is no work we can do that can compensate for or equal the “weight” of our sin. The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6.23), and the payment for sin has been made by Christ’s death on the cross. As Paul teaches in Ephesians 2.8-9, our salvation is by grace through faith and not the result of works.
God calls us to receive the gift of salvation by faith. When we trust in Jesus, righteousness is imputed to us as a gift, not granted to us as a reward.
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5.21)
The axios path — the worthy life — focuses on how you respond to the gift of salvation that God has given and that you have received by faith. It is the call of Christ to live in a way that reflects the reality of your salvation, aligns with the standards of his character, and flows from the presence of his grace and power in your life.
Let me repeat: Before you say something or do something, stop and ask, “Is this axios? Is it worthy of the gospel of Christ? Is it worthy of the life to which God calls me? Does it align with God’s standards? Is it authentically Christian?”
The Lord is calling.
