September 7, God-given foes and God-given faith.

Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ,

not frightened in anything by your opponents, for it has been granted to you that,

for the sake of Christ, you should not only believe in Him, but also suffer for His sake,

Philippians 1, 27 to 29. Paul told the Philippians that living worthy of the gospel of Christ

met fearlessness before enemies. Then he gave them the logic of fearlessness.

The logic is this, God has given you two gifts, not just one, faith and suffering.

That's what verse 29 says, for it has been granted to you that, for the sake of Christ,

you should not only believe in Him, but also suffer for His sake.

Granted to you to believe and granted to you to suffer. In this context, that means

both your faith in the faith of suffering and your suffering are gifts of God.

When Paul says, don't be frightened by your opponents, he had two reasons in mind why they

don't need to be frightened. One reason is that the opponents are in the hand of God. Their

opposition is a gift from God. He governs it at the first point of verse 29.

And the other reason not to be afraid is that your fearlessness, that is your faith,

is also in the hand of God, it too is a gift that is the other point of verse 29.

So, the logic of fearlessness in the face of adversity is the double truth, both your adversity

and your face in the face of adversity are gifts of God. Why is this called living worthy of the

gospel of Christ? Because the gospel is the good news that God's blood of the covenant infallibly

obtained for all His people, the sovereign working of God to give us faith and to govern our

enemies, always for our eternal good. That's what the gospel secured. Therefore, to live that way

shows the power and goodness of the gospel. Therefore, fear not. Your adversaries can do no more

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