Before delving deeper into the letter to the Philippians I think that it is appropriate to share a little history about Philippi.  Philippi was founded by Philip–the father of Alexander the Great. And as you might already know, Alexander endeavored to Hellenize the world. That is, he sought to unite the world in Greek thought and culture in an attempt to engender relativistic views on matters concerning the truth.  In other words, he essentially wanted to reduce the concept of absolute truth to a matter of taste, thus paving the way for moral relativism, and setting a standard into motion that would later prove to be a deadly threat to God’s people. Keep in mind that the Greeks were not monotheistic; rather, they were polytheistic. Meaning, they believed in many ‘gods’.

Eventually Philippi became a Roman colony; meaning, it was designated as a place for war veterans. Such people were filled with pride for their Roman heritage, so much that they not only shared the same worldview; they also spoke the same language and even dressed alike. Indeed, they were set in their ways and didn’t want anyone to interfere with their choice of lifestyle, which explains why God’s people weren’t favored by them, as their beliefs posed a threat to the Roman way. Hence God’s people were seen as troublemakers by those who desired to live for pleasure. In fact, their lack of interest in changing their ways was blatantly revealed when they made an example out of Paul and Silas. For Paul and Silas were teaching customs that were not considered to be lawful for the Romans to observe (Acts 16:21), and as a result of this a “multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods”, throwing them into prison thereafter (Acts 16:22-23).

It is no wonder then that God gave Paul a vision of a man pleading for help, as those who didn’t agree with the philosophy of the Romans were being severely persecuted, so much that they didn’t even have a synagogue to worship in and had to gather together to pray and worship God outside of the city–next to the riverside (Acts 16:13). How would you feel if you had to leave your city in order to worship God? How would you feel if you couldn’t share your beliefs about God without being severely persecuted for it? This was the reality that these people had to face every day. They couldn’t be who they wanted to be without facing the threat of being beaten or imprisoned just like Paul and Silas were.

I find it to be interesting how silent many Christians are these days about their faith. For many have no trouble talking about worldly things, but when it comes to Jesus it seems like they don’t have much to say at all. Yet the early Christians loved Him so much that they were willing to be beaten and imprisoned to let others know about their love for Him and His love for every soul.   Are you willing to do the same? How often do you talk about Jesus? What is really at the foundation of your faith? Are you standing on the Rock, or are you conforming to the ways of the world for the sake of keeping the peace and living a comfortable life? Indeed, we need to let the world know whom we belong to; we need to speak out against its evil ways. Unfortunately, the same attitude of turning the truth into a matter of taste has crept into many Christian circles, and is leading a lot of people astray. It’s as though people seem to believe that Christianity comes in different flavors.  And the flavor that is often desired is the one that has nothing to do with calling sin by its rightful name, but everything to do with seeking the favor of sinful men. It’s as though many people in the church feel that serving God is a risky thing to do. In other words, they’re afraid of losing something. But what could you possibly lose while serving God that you wouldn’t be better off without?

Listen, serving God isn’t about taking risks; it’s about trusting that He knows what’s right and will always do what’s best for us. The devil would like you to believe that it’s risky to be true to your faith, to fill your heart with fear so that you would refrain from being faithful to God. But you shouldn’t buy into that lie! For as Bible believing Christians we ought to know how the story ends–God wins. The question that remains however is, what side will you be standing on when He puts an end to the world as we know it to be? The way I see it is that the only people who are taking risks are those who are not walking with Jesus. For the truth that He offers us is not a matter of taste; rather, it’s a matter of life or death.

Therefore, don’t be ashamed of standing up for what is just and right. Don’t be afraid to let others know whom you belong to. Instead, be strong and courageous. Tell the world what Jesus has done for you; and you will accomplish far greater things than Alexander the Great ever could have done in a hundred lifetimes, as you wouldn’t be pursuing a path that leads to sin and death; rather, you would be on a quest that leads to Eternal Life in Jesus Christ–the KING of kings and LORD of lords!

“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” (Mark 8:34-38 NKJV)

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