In our very earliest years of marriage, my wife and I had a neighbor who always asked a simple and direct question whenever she saw us come outside: “where are you going?”
The question became something of a game to me and Raye Jeanne — could we initiate and direct the conversation first so that the question could be avoided? Invariably, we couldn’t. And there was the question again: “where are you going?”
It’s a good question. Especially for the believer in Christ.
It is the question that is at the root of much of New Testament teaching. It is the question at the root of this phrase in Philippians 1:27. When those believers are encouraged to “conduct themselves in a manner worthy” of Christ’s gospel, the question “where are you going in your spiritual life?” is being asked.
Where our spiritual lives should be pointed and moving is toward God’s worthiness. It should be quickly noted that this does not mean that the worthiness of God is by some means earned or merited by our own “righteous” conduct. It cannot be and is not earned.
To live to reflect the worthiness of God means to conduct our lives in a way that is of equal worth or weight, and suitable to, the nature of God who has brought us into glorious fellowship with Him (1 Thess. 2:12).
We do not merit God’s worthiness, but we can live our lives in accordance with Him and have the motivations and do the deeds that balance equitably and are consistent with the truth of the gospel.
Scripture also provides several specific areas where our lives should be in harmony with Christ and the message of the gospel.
- Living worthy of Christ’s gospel means living in a manner that demonstrates the reality of our unity with God (Eph. 4:1-3). That unity with God is our present possession (Jn.17:21), and should extend in love to all believers, preserving our unity with them, as a testimony to the world of the authenticity of our faith (Jn. 13:34-35).
- Living worthy of Christ’s gospel means speaking with gentleness and working in submission to those who are over us (Titus 2:9-10).
- Living worthy of Christ’s gospel means allowing God to transform weakness into strength (Acts 4:13).
- Living worthy of Christ’s gospel means living by grace, not legalism (Gal. 1:6-10; Col. 2:20-23).
- Living worthy of Christ’s gospel means standing unified around the gospel (Phil. 1:27b; 4:1-2).
When Christ saved us by redeeming our wasted lives from sin, He also enabled us (by the indwelling presence and power of the Holy Spirit) to live worthwhile lives. That means for the believer in Christ, following Christ is no matter of indifference — where are you going today?
Words of Grace 