Be the One

“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ so that—whether I come and see you or whether I remain absent—I should hear that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind, by contending side by side for the faith of the gospel.” NIV Philippians 1:27

In Philippians 1:27, Paul exhorted the people of Philippi to “conduct themselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” The word, “conduct”, is the Greek word, “πολιτεύεσθε” which involves how one conducts him or herself in relationship to others. In addition, the root word, “polis” means city. This refers to conducting oneself as a citizen in a particular city. Paul was referring to a person living as a free citizen in the Roman colony. This is one’s responsibility to conduct oneself appropriately as a citizen. A city representative is an ambassador. The conduct reflects the city. Paul uses this motif in Philippians 3:20, reminding the people of Philippi that their citizenship is in heaven. They are to “be one spirit, with one mind, by contending (stand firm) side by side for the faith of the gospel.

When I think about the expression, “be the one”, growing up in a context this simply meant, “be the one” to make a difference in which setting it may involve. It could be scholastic, athletic, or family. Whichever context it does involve, it would require a person to be focused on a certain area for a certain influence. It would involve concentrating how to conduct oneself which would result in a proper behavior. It requires determination, devotion, and sacrifice to “be the one” (Phil. 1:12-14). For a person “to be the one”, this person would need to be unified with a specific group or team to succeed. For a team to succeed, there needs to be unity. Unity does not mean uniformity. Uniformity would mean to agree upon everything equally. Unity would mean to agree to disagree yet finding one focal point of agreement. A good example could be a baseball team. They have the same uniforms to represent the team, but the team consists of different people with different DNAs and backgrounds. However, what unifies them is the goal to reach the World Series. They place aside their individual goals for the sake of the main goal. How they conduct themselves is most important for the main goal. They are “citizens” for the team representing the team in their conduct and performance. It is all inclusive.

Likewise, the DNA of the church is unity. When a people from diverse backgrounds come together for one purpose, to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, “the one” the church needs to make known to the world (Phil. 2:5-11). He is “the one” who rescued mankind from sin. He is “the one” who can offer forgiveness of sin and the assurance of eternal.

Today, on your special day, God created you with a special DNA unlike anyone else. You are one body with many parts. This one body functions in agreement. Now, through your spiritual birth in Christ, you can “be the one” as an ambassador, through the local church, to make Christ known. However, it’s important to know that how you conduct yourself in a manner worth of the gospel will affect the body. Therefore, “be the one” to make a difference in your local church, in your family or at work for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ!

Bruno G

 ‘68 / ’89  Strasburg PA

Doris Jean H

’44 / ’55 Manheim PA