Unity and the Glory of God (Theology for Living from Philippians) – 4:20-23

To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Greet all God’s people in Christ Jesus. The brothers and sisters who are with me send greetings. All God’s people here send you greetings, especially those who belong to Caesar’s household. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. (Paul’s letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verses 20-23)

For Paul, everything revolved around the gospel of Jesus Christ, and so he was most excited to greet those who had embraced this gospel and send greetings from those whom Christ had found through the gospel. Such were those who had received his witness while in prison in Rome (we believe). Once again Paul has a chance to emphasize that nothing can thwart the gospel, not even the great apostle’s imprisonment.

It is this unity of believers in the gospel that then becomes his most powerful message. For even though nothing can thwart the gospel, disunity among believers can hinder it. Disunity is the single most dangerous enemy of the gospel. Unity is the most powerful base of our witness to the truth of the gospel. When we stand together as one our enemies get truly scared. When we fight, they laugh us to scorn.

And though we say that, for Paul, everything revolved around the gospel of Jesus Christ, we might also say that an even higher level of importance for him was to give glory to God. But it is this same devotion to the gospel that brings God such glory. It is His gospel, it is His message to a lost and dying world, it is His means of restoring His creation to its original beauty.

Would you bring Him glory? Devote yourself to His gospel. Would you be devoted to the gospel? Devote yourself to the unity you must have with your bothers and sisters in Christ. “The grace of the Lord Jesus,” the love that moved him to sacrifice his rights and agendas, “be with your spirit.”

About the Author Randall Johnson

A full-time pastor since 1979, Randall originally graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) in 1979 and from Reformed Theological Seminary (DMin) in 1998. He is married with four grown children and a pile of epic grandchildren.

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