Answer
If the apostle Paul used catchphrases, one might have resembled the contemporary slogan, “What would Jesus do?” More likely, he would have said, “Do what Jesus did.” As citizens of heaven and followers of Christ, no matter what happens, we should consider how Jesus behaved and then do as Paul instructed: “Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).
The context of Paul’s urging to “conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel” is Christian unity (see Philippians 1:27—2:18). In this segment of Scripture, Paul tells the Philippians to lay down their pride and humbly serve one another as Jesus Christ did when He walked the earth. Our Lord set the standard for us in our relationships with others: “He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7); “He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). Anything less than conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel falls short of what Jesus did.
Only as a unified body of Christ can we effectively defend the faith and proclaim the gospel to the world. If we want the love and truth of Christ’s message of salvation to apprehend lost people’s hearts, we need them to see us working side by side with each other (John 13:34–35; 17:21–23). For this reason, Paul prayed for the Romans to share “the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5–6). When believers face the world as one united force, they glorify God and draw others to Christ (John 12:32).
“The most important weapon against the enemy is not a stirring sermon or a powerful book; it is the consistent life of believers,” writes Warren Wiersbe in his commentary on Philippians 1:27 (The Bible Exposition Commentary, Vol. 2, Victor Books, 1996, p. 71). Paul’s whole thrust in life was to conduct himself in a manner worthy of the gospel: “For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ” (Philippians 1:20–21, NLT).
In a parallel teaching on Christian unity, Paul exhorts the Ephesians “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV). Paul “pleaded with,” “encouraged,” and “urged” the Thessalonians to live their lives “in a way that God would consider worthy” (1 Thessalonians 2:12, NLT). This drumbeat of the apostle’s heart continues in his prayer for the Colossians “to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work” (Colossians 1:10, ESV).
In these passages, Paul suggests what walking in a manner worthy of the gospel might look like. Our actions should match our message, and our outward presentation should align with our inward convictions, informed by the gospel. Some gospel-worthy behaviors include humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, unity, and love. All we must do is look at the life of Christ. In every circumstance and situation, we only need to ask ourselves, “Are we bearing fruit in every good work? Is our conduct pleasing to God? What did Jesus do?”
As we seek to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel, it’s important to remember that the Christian life—from start to finish—is wholly dependent upon God’s grace: “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:9, NLT). God calls and saves us by grace (Ephesians 2:4–5; Galatians 1:15). Not only is Jesus the model for our conduct, but He is also the One who supplies the grace we need to live new lives worthy of His gospel (Ephesians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 15:10; Philippians 1:7; Colossians 1:3–6).
