Read: Philippians 1:3-7; Acts 16:6-15
I thank my God . . . for your partnership in the gospel . . . for you are all partakers with me of grace. (vv. 3-7)
What kind of a spiritual partner are you? Are you a silent or limited partner? Or are you all in? When Paul thanked his friends, one of the things that prompted his gratitude was their partnership with him. But it wasn’t just any kind of partnership. Their partnership centered in the “gospel” or “good news” about Jesus Christ. For Paul, the gospel has to do with Jesus Christ—both who he is and what he has done.
And from the very first day in AD 49 when the gospel lodged in the heart of a woman named Lydia, on the outskirts of Philippi, in the country of Greece, on the continent of Europe, to the moment Paul writes these words (some 12 years later), this fledgling group of Christ-followers knocked themselves out to support Paul and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in their context. They were connected at the heart by the gospel—their mutual acceptance and belief in what Jesus Christ had done for them on the cross. And as a result, they partnered with Paul financially, prayerfully, and personally in an all-out blitz for the gospel.
What connects you at the heart level in the church you attend? What is your primary partnership connection? Is it to take part “in the defense and confirmation of the gospel?” Are you an active partner in that?
As you pray, confess the ways that you have been less committed in your partnership in the gospel, and ask God to renew your commitment.
About the Author
David Walls is a pastor and writer who has served in ministry for more than 40 years.
