“Above all, you (plural) must live as citizens of heaven… fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.” (Phil 1:27, NLT)
According to Philippians 1:27-30, our lives should be lived in light of our heavenly citizenship. We’re on assignment here on earth, as ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor 5:20). Together with our brothers and sisters, we are engaged in the gospel mission and we are serving behind enemy lines. We have the assurance of God’s deliverance, so even if we suffer for Him, we are not to be intimidated or lose heart.
What gave Paul such a “special ops” focus and passion? Reading about his life and exploits, we see that every decision he made was motivated by the realization of who he was in Christ, and the mission that Christ called him to fulfill. In American Christianity, few have that mindset, in fact, someone with a “special ops” life is probably seen as extreme or weird. Yet Paul describes it like it’s the normal Christian life.
In another place (2 Tim 2:3-5), Paul says that we’re soldiers of Christ, and that “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Tim 2:4 ESV). Beware of the civilian pursuits that lull us into spiritual complacency and make us ineffective in the battle – and vulnerable to the schemes of our enemy.
May 2011 find us sharpening our focus on the Kingdom mission that Jesus called us into His service for!
