Week 26: Living Faithfully

Here's this week's Bible reading:

* Philippians 1-2
* Leviticus 7-9
* 1 Kings 19-22
* Psalms 75-77
* Proverbs 7
* Ezekiel 13-18
* Luke 15-16

From beginning to end, this week's reading underscores the importance of living faithfully. While the reading in Leviticus provides detailed instructions regarding sacrifices and the priesthood, the balance of the week's reading describes in one way or another how the Israelites strayed from God...and what happened as a result. The reading ends with the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, in which Jesus condemns the religious leaders of his day for rejecting their Messiah. Jesus quotes Abraham as saying, "If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead."

Scripture
The passage that speaks most directly about living faithfully is Philippians 1:27: "Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News."

Observation
Paul wrote these words to the citizens of Philippi, which was a Roman Colony. As such, all native Philippians were automatically Roman citizens. In that day, non-Romans paid huge sums of money (often in the form of bribes) to gain Roman citizenship. The Philippians were very proud of the fact that they were citizens of the Great Empire.

That background information helps us understand why Paul's words carried such force: "Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven." Paul repeats that again in 3:20: "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives."

Paul in essence is pushing back their "pride of Roman citizenry" by emphasizing that their new "heavenly citizenship" trumps their Roman citizenship...hands down!

Application
Faithful living is all about our allegiance to Christ above all other allegiances. It's about living in a manner worthy of the Good News...the message that Jesus died and rose again to open the way for us to become citizens of heaven. Our lives are to reflect the reality of this gift. When we truly internalize what Jesus has done for us, our lives will become completely consumed with love and gratitude. And this is a reality that we recognize in each other...and the love and gratitude we have for Jesus extends as a matter of course horizontally...toward each other. That's why Paul says when we are living in a manner worthy of the Good News, we are "standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith...."

Prayer
O Lord, it is so easy to be distracted by the allegiances that matter to the world. Help us live as citizens of heaven, recognizing all that Jesus has done for us. And may the realization of his incredible gift inspire us to be all that you've called us to be for you...and for each other. For Jesus' sake. Amen!

Have a blessed week!

Faithfully,
Chuck