HOLD FORTH THE WORD OF LIFE

Philippians 2:14-16 Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither labored in vain.

Near the close of his life the apostle Paul made this statement to his faithful disciple, Timothy: For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love His appearing (2 Tim. 4:6-8). It is easy to see the connection between this statement made to Timothy, and the lesson text that Paul wrote to the church at Philippi. It was Paul's desire that the battles he fought and the course he ran on earth, proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Savior of the world, were not in vain. Indeed, in the day of Christ (the day when Jesus Christ will appear to judge the world), Paul will rejoice to witness the spiritual results of faithful Philippian brethren. No doubt Paul will also experience the same joy for all children of God, that obey God's will by holding forth the word of life.

To hold forth the word of God, is extremely important in the life of every Christian. It is the duty of every child of God to do so to the best of their ability. It is a commandment from God; one that is not to be taken frivolously or lightly. Upholding and proclaiming the word of God that offers eternal life, is to be diligently obeyed, both in the things we say, as well as in the things we do. In this world, Christians are surrounded by those living crooked and perverse lives. It is indeed a wicked world that we live in. Nations are filled with people living in spiritual darkness, having Christian friends and neighbors as their only source of spiritual light. The faithful members of the church at Philippi are our examples. We, like they, are also to shine as lights in the world (by) holding forth the word of life. The life of each member of the body of Christ is to "radiate" God's message of salvation that is available through His Son, Jesus Christ. To be seen, it must shine. It can be seen only through Christians, who areholding forth the word of life.

Not only does Paul remind all Christians of their duty to teach the gospel of Christ throughout the world, but he also tells us how it can be effectively done, in order for those having open and receptive hearts to hear, believe and obey God's message of salvation through His Son, Christ Jesus. He tells us how a lost world will accept, and be guided by, the "light" of a Christian's teaching and conduct. It is to be done without murmurings and disputings. The word of God will fall on deaf ears if the message is delivered by quarrelling members of a church that are divided by argumentative wrangling, debating, and disagreement.

Instead, for the message of salvation to be heard, believed, accepted, and obeyed, it must be presented by Christians living blameless and harmless lives. Harmless, in that Christians are not to be hurtful, or be an occasion of stumbling, as does one in Christ that fails to demonstrate a true love for others (See 1 John 2:8-11). Blameless, in that the life of a Christian does not, in any way, appear unrighteous. Any word or deed that would give rise to suspicion, may destroy the credibility and effectiveness of Christian teaching. Unless a Christian is considered blameless and harmless,his or her"light" may become dim, or completely lose its ability to lead others to Jesus Christ. As a good example, John tells us of a child of God that was capable of teaching others the truth itself because of his blamelessness. Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself (3 John 12a). A good name (good report) is one of the greatest assets a Christian can possess (See Prov. 22:1 & Eccl. 7:1). To a member of the body of Christ, it is the difference between a having a "shining light or no light at all."

It is most difficult, if not impossible, for a divided, divisive congregation of the church of Christ to effectively Hold Forth the Word of Life. Since this is a god-given responsibility of the church, failure is almost assured, if contention brings disunity, and praise gives way to rebuke, by a world filled with religious skepticism. If not for faithful Christians shining their unified spiritual lights in the same direction, who is there left to bring the hope of salvation to the world - a world lost in sin that cannot be forgiven outside the body of Christ? Like the apostle Paul, may every Christian rejoice in the day of Christ, having neither run, nor labored in vain, for the cause of Christ.